Chapter 58: The Rain Keeps Falling
“Master probably doesn’t know, I have twelve younger siblings. They are my most important family, they’ve been with me through the toughest times.”
Mines smiled. It was a beautiful smile, even more so if one ignored the scars on her back.
But even now, Mines still possessed a captivating fragility, making one want to embrace her, comfort her, protect her, and give her the world.
“A truly great mother,” Lena said, choosing her words carefully.
“You’re mistaken, Master. I don’t have a mother.”
Mines said sadly, but her eyes held no despair.
Lena’s worries eased; she realized the girl before her wasn’t as weak as she had thought. “So, you adopted all those children?”
“Well, some of them… the others…”
Mines curled her legs up, hugging them, and looked at Lena sideways.
That pose was incredibly feminine!
Lena couldn’t believe such an alluring gesture could come from a “little girl,” although Mines had said she was an adult.
“My Master…”
Her voice was always tinged with a soft melancholy, like the sound of black and white piano keys pressed by slender fingers, captivating and intoxicating. “Master, do you have any younger siblings?”
“I have an older brother.”
Lena thought of the commander of the empire’s magic fleet overseas, whom they affectionately called “Commander.” “I rarely see him, but he loves me very much. He often sends letters, filled with interesting stories from the sea…”
“Master’s brother must miss you very much, that’s why he writes to you.”
“Him…”
Lena’s smile was like the early summer sun as she recalled her brother. “A stubborn, hot-headed idiot, best not to mention him.”
Time flew by, the clock ticking, the rain intensifying, as if trying to wash them away.
It seemed she really had to see Mines off…
“Achoo~”
What was that sound?
Lena turned, searching for the source.
Mines bit her lip, her pale face betraying her distress, her trembling shoulders and the damp spot on the bed beneath her…
“Why are you still wearing that wet dress? Do you want to catch a cold?!”
“You gave it to me, Master.”
“…”
Lena looked at Mines, and Mines looked back, her red eyes shining like polished agate.
An awkward silence hung in the air.
Just as Lena was about to break the silence, Mines spoke softly, “Master is the first person who has been kind to me… The dress is beautiful, I like it very much…”
“You can’t keep wearing it while it’s wet.”
Lena reached out to tuck Mines’s hair behind her ear. The once coarse hair, after being treated with high-quality products, was now soft and smooth, like the little fox girl’s tail.
Her delicate earlobe flushed red under Lena’s gentle touch.
“I know you’re reluctant, consider it a loan.”
“Master…” Mines murmured, watching as Lena left the bedroom and returned with a few sets of light maid outfits.
These were Ling Ling’s old clothes, the perfect size for Mines.
“Mm, not bad.”
Lena nodded, appraising Mines.
“It would be better if the skirt was shorter… just enough to reveal a glimpse of her white bottom, tsk, tsk…”
Mines nervously clutched her skirt, trying to pull it down, her voice barely a whisper. “Master is lewd.”
“Lewdness is human nature, a bridge to a new world.”
Lena’s retort was swift, her serious yet nonsensical words sounding abrupt and flustered, as if she had just thought of them.
“Too skinny, you need to eat more meat.”
It sounded like a callous remark, but Lena quickly tossed a silver magic crystal card onto the bed. “There’s three months’ salary inside, consider it an advance. Buy yourself some good food and nourish yourself. You’re so thin, people will think I don’t feed my subordinates… who’s protecting whom?”
“Are you concerned about me, Master? I’m so happy…”
Mines carefully put away the card, holding it to her chest. “Thank you, on behalf of my siblings.”
“Wait, I want to watch you eat.” Lena’s gaze suddenly sharpened.
“Eh?”
“You’re definitely planning to buy a bunch of supplements for your family and starve yourself, aren’t you?!”
Lena seemed to see right through her, and Mines lowered her head, her blush spreading down her neck.
She fell silent again.
Why was she so shy after kissing Lena? After saying such seductive words, she wouldn’t even let Lena touch her.
Did she think of Lena as her secret crush?
Lena felt a surge of vanity.
But then she thought, a girl from the slums, covered in scars, with younger siblings to care for, anyone would hesitate to hire her, especially in a place like the empire, where status and identity were paramount.
Someone like Mines, unregistered and without a profession, faced even greater difficulties in finding work.
But Lena had given her hope, and Mines believed in the light…
In conclusion, offering herself wasn’t strange at all!!
Ahem, Lena thought she was getting carried away, quickly stopping her thoughts.
“You need to eat well to have the strength to care for others. You’re so weak, how can you feed your siblings?”
“But I don’t eat much, Master.”
“Eating less doesn’t mean not eating. Little dove, I’m ordering you, not asking for your opinion.” Lena’s domineering aura was irresistible, and Mines thought her Master was so cool, her heart warming.
“I’ve prepared supper. If you’re hungry, come downstairs. Remember to wear your stockings.”
Lena left the room with a meaningful glance.
Mines looked at the lacy black stockings on the bed, her face flushing even deeper.
Master… these weren’t just stockings…
She hurriedly picked them up, trying to figure out how to wear them…
Lena waited downstairs.
Leaning back in her armchair, she closed her eyes, her delicate hands folded in her lap, the sound of rain against the windows creating a peaceful scene.
Suddenly, a golden fox girl burst into the picture, wagging her tail happily, fearlessly climbing onto the seemingly statue-like gray-haired beauty.
Ling Ling’s voice was as clear as a bell. “Miss, Miss, Ling Ling learned something new today! Huh…? Miss?”
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