The griffin landed steadily, and the wind it stirred up lifted Irina’s flaxen hair.
She jumped off the griffin’s back, her feet hitting the solid grass, still a little dazed.
Then, she saw Blackwood Town before her.
She was utterly stunned.
“Holy crap…”
A phrase full of the essence of her homeland slipped out of her mouth.
The scene before her was nothing like what she remembered.
Orderly wooden and stone houses, wide and level streets, even… even a damn city wall! Though still unfinished, the over two-meter-high wall already encircled the entire town, giving a powerful sense of security.
“How… how long has it been?” Irina stared at Leo in disbelief. “Did you turn on a building speed hack, or just import a Cities: Skylines save file?”
“Heh, it was nothing really.” Leo stuffed his hands in his pockets, putting on an air of nonchalance.
But in his heart, he was already bursting with pride.
See that? This is what I call my “foundation”! Just admit it, pretty awesome, right?
Bringing a hometown friend to see your empire—no, your own business—there’s no better feeling.
“Young master, you’ve returned.”
A familiar and steady voice rang out.
Butler Alfred had somehow appeared, bowing respectfully to Leo. Then he turned to Irina, giving her a gentle yet polite smile.
“Miss Irina, welcome back.”
Irina was a bit flattered.
She remembered this butler. Last time, though he was polite, there was always a hint of scrutiny and distance in his eyes.
Now, that feeling had vanished completely, replaced by… a sense of kinship?
Leo explained from the side, “I’ve told Alfred about your background. Just treat this as your home.”
“Miss Irina, your room is ready. It’s the same one as last time.” Alfred smiled.
“Ah, thank you.” Irina quickly thanked him.
They chatted as they walked toward the lord’s mansion.
On the way, they encountered Kayden on patrol. The tall, burly man stopped at once when he saw Leo, right fist thumping his left chest in a crisp military salute.
“My lord!”
The guards behind him followed suit, their movements disciplined and uniform—they were really shaping up.
Leo nodded with satisfaction.
Not far off, Emily was talking with a figure in a black mage’s robe. Spotting Leo and Irina, Emily’s eyes lit up and she waved vigorously.
Irina smiled and waved back.
She felt as if she’d truly come “home.”
Walking into the familiar lord’s mansion, Irina barely had time to marvel, “Your house expanded again!” before she saw a silver-haired figure.
Alice.
She was sitting on the sofa in the main hall, carefully polishing her longsword with a soft cloth.
Upon seeing Leo, she immediately set aside her things and stood up.
“Master, welcome back.”
Her gaze lingered on Irina for a second, then she nodded slightly. “Miss Irina.”
“Hello, Alice.” Irina sensed the atmosphere was a bit awkward.
She was clearly still affected by what happened last time.
“Master~ You’re finally back!”
A lively and coquettish voice suddenly rang from the stairs.
Irina instinctively looked up.
A stunning blue-haired elf beauty, holding the banister, was walking quickly down the stairs.
She wore a black mage’s robe, but its style… how should she put it, it knew what people liked. The tasteful cutouts perfectly outlined her breathtaking curves.
Irina suddenly didn’t know where to look.
Good grief.
Is this what they call “heavyweight”?
The next second, this heavyweight pounced into Leo’s arms like a kitten, her arms around his neck, clinging to him.
“I missed you so much~ I haven’t slept well these past couple of days without you, Master.” Liana rubbed her cheek against Leo’s neck, her coy tone enough to make anyone’s bones go soft.
Irina’s smile froze on her face.
She looked at Leo—his face said, “I’m used to this,” as he patted Liana’s back with practiced ease.
She looked at Liana—those smiling violet eyes were regarding her with a curious yet scrutinizing look.
Finally, she glanced at Alice beside her.
That emotionless knight showed no expression at all, as if everything happening had nothing to do with her.
Leo whistled inwardly.
Here we go, the classic love rivalry scene is on.
Small scale, but the flavor is authentic.
“Ahem,” Leo cleared his throat, trying to peel Liana off him, “Liana, mind your manners. Let me introduce you, this is Irina.”
“Irina?” Liana tilted her head, not letting go—she only hugged tighter. “Is this the ‘hometown friend’ Master’s always talking about?”
Leo: “?”
When did I always talk about her?
Liana’s gaze circled Irina, and her smile grew even sweeter.
“Hello, Miss Irina. I’m Liana, Master’s exclusive Grand Archmage.”
She especially emphasized the word “exclusive.”
Irina felt a powder-keg tension in the air.
She took a deep breath, squared her shoulders.
Don’t lose, not even in spirit!
“Hello, Miss Liana.” She gave her brightest smile, “I’m Leo’s… um, fiancée!”
Even she was stunned after saying that.
Crap, did I just blurt out my true feelings?
Leo froze too, nearly choking on his own saliva.
The only one still calm was Alice.
She spoke placidly:
“According to the database, the ‘fiancée’ relationship requires an engagement ceremony. Master and Miss Irina have not conducted such a ceremony. However, analysis of intimacy data shows the probability of such a relationship is very high.”
Irina: “……”
Leo: “……”
Liana burst out laughing. She finally let go of Leo, walked up to Irina, and linked arms with her, acting super chummy.
“Oh my, so it’s the future lady of the house! My apologies, my apologies!”
Though she said sorry, her violet eyes twinkled with an amused look that said, “You’re interesting.”
Irina felt like she’d punched cotton.
This woman was a real pro!
Night had fallen.
After his bath, Leo, dressed in loose pajamas, lay on his soft, big bed and let out a long sigh.
Nothing beats being at home.
He closed his eyes, starting to plan for tomorrow’s magic evaluation.
Knock, knock.
Just then, someone knocked at the door.
“Who is it?”
“It’s me, Irina.”
Leo sat up. “It’s not locked. Come in.”
The door opened a crack. Irina poked in her little head, her flaxen hair damp—she’d clearly just bathed. She was in ordinary cotton pajamas issued by the territory, but her fine figure was still evident.
Seeing Leo, her cheeks flushed a bit. She slipped inside and closed the door.
“Um… Leo…”
She walked to the bedside, nervously fiddling with her fingers, eyes a bit evasive.
“Hmm?” Leo looked at her, more or less guessing what this was about.
“Thank you… for today’s training.”
“It was nothing.”
“And…” Irina’s voice was even softer, “last time… in Blackwood Town… um, that time…”
Leo looked at her with interest, waiting for her to continue.
“I… I really miss it.” Irina looked up, amber eyes misted, “It felt… really good.”
She blurted out, “So… let’s do it again?”
Goodness!
The heroine is really this bold?
Leo could feel his blood racing.
He was about to say something, like, “Since you so sincerely request it, I’ll generously oblige”—something shameless like that.
But then, the door opened again.
This time, they didn’t even bother knocking.
Liana and Alice entered one after the other.
Their outfits instantly raised the room’s temperature by several degrees.
Alice wore a silvery-white silk camisole nightgown, her pale skin gleaming even brighter. That blank expression, paired with such a revealing outfit, created a sharp contrast.
Liana, on the other hand, was the real showstopper. Her translucent black lace nightwear displayed her outrageous figure to perfection, every step a study in seduction.
Irina was dumbstruck.
“You… why are you two here?!”
“Detected Master’s physiological indices showing significant fluctuations, so I came to assist,” Alice replied succinctly.
Liana, grinning, sat on the bed and naturally draped an arm over Leo’s shoulder.
“Oh, Miss Irina’s here too? Perfect, let’s keep Master company together, shall we?”
“T-Together?” Irina felt her CPU was about to overheat.
“Of course.” Liana leaned in, her breath fragrant against Irina’s ear. “I’ll let you in on a secret—Master loves it when there’s more than one, and… he gets even better.”
She winked at Irina, her tone bewitching.
“Don’t you want to make Master even happier, or see… what he’s like at his best?”
Even better?
Irina’s mind crashed for three seconds.
Then, her brain—toughened by modern life and an endless stream of information—instantly grasped the hidden meaning of that sentence.
Her face went beet red, but in her eyes, a fire of curiosity and competitiveness was ignited.
She glanced at the calmly composed Leo, then at Liana and Alice, who were already climbing onto the bed.
“All right!”
She nodded vigorously, as if she’d made a great decision.
Leo twitched at the corner of his mouth, covering his forehead with his hand.
Liana, you little minx, you’re way too good at this…
But then again…
A real man should want it all!
If it’s a fight, then bring it on!