"Master, you're the one who needs to take better care of yourself," Nicole said, her eyes narrowing into playful slits as she scolded him gently. "We're not the ones getting ourselves hurt, you know."
"Ahem, ahem…" Lucas coughed awkwardly, his cheeks flushing slightly as he turned his head to avoid her gaze. Alright, fine, he admitted it—his actions today had been a bit reckless. But who hasn't been a little wild in their youth? The thrill of youth was practically a universal law, wasn't it?
The sound of rapid footsteps echoed through the room—tap, tap, tap—growing louder with each second. A breathless bunny-eared girl burst into the scene, her chest heaving as she called out, "The first-aid kit is here!"
"Thank you, you've worked hard," Nicole replied in a soft, soothing tone, her demeanor shifting to one of gentle care. She reached out to take the first-aid kit from the bunny-eared girl, her fingers deftly flipping it open. With practiced ease, she retrieved a bottle of disinfectant alcohol, a small jar of medicinal powder, and a roll of bandages. Kneeling beside Lucas, she began to clean his wound with meticulous care, dabbing the alcohol gently to avoid stinging him too much. After applying the powder, she wrapped his hand with the bandage, her movements precise yet tender.
A few minutes later, she leaned back to admire her handiwork. "All done, Master. Be careful now—this hand absolutely cannot get wet," Nicole instructed, her voice firm but laced with concern, her eyes sparkling with a mix of sincerity and mischief.
Lucas's mouth twitched as he stared at his left hand, now completely swathed in layers of white bandages. "Nicole, this… this is a bit much, don't you think?" He muttered, his tone a mix of exasperation and amusement. His hand looked like it belonged to a mummy rather than a living person.
"Too much? Really?" Nicole tilted her head, her eyebrows arching in mock surprise as she stood up, clutching the first-aid kit to her chest. Her expression was one of feigned innocence, but the twinkle in her eyes betrayed her playful intent.
"Hmm, it looks fine to me!" Ayesha, the worried bunny-eared girl, chimed in, her voice tinged with genuine concern. "Master, maybe we should wrap it even more? That way, it'll heal faster!"
"No, no, this is more than enough!" Lucas replied quickly, rolling his eyes dramatically. He caught the gleam in Nicole's eyes, and a sudden suspicion crept into his mind—she was enjoying this far too much. Was she secretly plotting to turn him into a full-on mummy just for her amusement? He wouldn't put it past her.
Annie, standing nearby, couldn't hold back her laughter. Covering her mouth with her hand, she giggled, "Master, it's kind of… adorable like this!"
Lucas sighed, shaking his head. "Alright, enough of this. I'm starving—let's eat!" He stood up abruptly, eager to shift the focus away from his overly bandaged hand, and made his way to the dining table. The beast-eared girls followed suit, their fluffy tails and ears twitching with excitement as they took their seats around the table, their chatter filling the air with warmth.
Today's breakfast was a delightful spread of pastries, all made from ingredients Lucas had brought from Earth. The table was adorned with an assortment of delicacies: soft, sweet red bean cakes, fragrant green bean cakes, and delicate osmanthus cakes, their golden hues and enticing aromas making his mouth water. The girls had clearly gone all out, and Lucas couldn't help but feel a twinge of pride at their culinary efforts.
"Master, since your hand is injured, let me feed you!" Mina, the cat-eared girl, declared with enthusiasm. She picked up a piece of red bean cake and held it toward Lucas's mouth, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"I can still use my right hand to eat, you know," Lucas said, half-laughing as he leaned forward to take the cake into his mouth. He chewed thoughtfully, savoring the sweet, earthy flavor. "It's not like both my hands are out of commission."
Not to be outdone, Annie grabbed a piece of green bean cake in each hand and squeezed in next to Mina. Her eyes gleamed with a playful intensity, as if she were looking at an adorable pet rather than her Master. "I want to feed you too!" She announced, her voice bubbling with excitement.
"Oh, come on…" Freya, the refined princess-like girl, covered her face with her hands, her cheeks flushing with secondhand embarrassment. Is Annie treating Lord Lucas like some kind of pampered pet now? She thought, mortified yet amused by the scene unfolding before her.
"One at a time, please," Nicole said with a teasing smile, gracefully picking up a piece of osmanthus cake with her chopsticks. She positioned herself behind Mina, waiting her turn with an air of calm amusement.
"My turn next!" The horned girl shouted, her voice brimming with enthusiasm as she grabbed an entire tray of red bean cakes and joined the impromptu feeding line.
"I'm in too!" Amelia declared, her expression stoic as she balanced a tray of red bean cakes in one hand and green bean cakes in the other. She joined the queue with a calm determination, as if feeding Lucas was a mission of utmost importance.
Helen, meanwhile, hesitated at the edge of the group. She glanced at the pastries on her plate, her fingers nervously picking at a piece of cake. Her cheeks flushed a soft pink, and though she clearly wanted to join the fun, her shyness held her back from jumping into the feeding frenzy.
"This looks like so much fun!" Elisa chimed in, popping a piece of osmanthus cake into her mouth. Her emerald-green eyes sparkled with amusement as she watched Lucas, clearly enjoying the chaos unfolding around him.
Lucas stared, dumbfounded, at the line of beast-eared girls forming in front of him. "What… what is going on here?" He stammered, his voice a mix of bewilderment and exasperation. Were they all planning to feed him like some kind of group project? This was getting out of hand.
"Master, open wide!" The fox-eared girl said in a bright, melodic voice, swiftly shoving a green bean cake into his mouth just as he opened it to protest. She giggled and hopped back, making way for the next in line.
"Here, Master, have some water," Nicole said, tilting her head with a mischievous grin. She held a cup to his lips, letting him sip before seamlessly transitioning back to feeding him another piece of cake.
Lucas rolled his eyes, swallowing the cake with a resigned sigh. It was becoming painfully clear why Nicole had wrapped his hand so excessively—this was all part of her cunning plan! Her sly, scheming personality was on full display, and he couldn't help but admire her audacity, even as he groaned internally.
"My turn!" Ayesha exclaimed, eagerly stepping forward with an entire tray of cakes. She looked ready to dump the whole thing into his mouth, her enthusiasm bordering on dangerous. "Ayesha, stop! Slow down!" Lucas called out, his eyes widening in panic. "I can't eat that fast!"
"Ayesha, one piece at a time is enough," Mina said gently, placing a calming hand on Ayesha's arm.
"Fine," Ayesha pouted, clearly disappointed that she couldn't unleash the full tray of cakes on Lucas. She reluctantly picked out a single piece and fed it to him, her expression a mix of sulky regret and lingering excitement.
Next up was Amelia, who stood before him with a serious expression, holding two trays of cakes—one red bean, one green bean. Lucas couldn't help but laugh, shaking his head. "Amelia, are you trying to stuff me until I burst?"
"No," Amelia replied earnestly, shaking her head. "I can eat two trays and only be half full."
"Well, I don't have your stomach," Lucas said with a grin. To turn the tables, he picked up a piece of red bean cake with his right hand and popped it into Amelia's mouth. He patted her head gently, chuckling. "There, now I've fed you."
Amelia blinked, chewing slowly as she walked back to her seat. She sat down, staring at her tray of cakes with a furrowed brow, as if trying to figure out what had just happened. Something feels… off, she thought, her mind grappling with the unexpected role reversal.
The room erupted in laughter at Amelia's bewildered expression. The beast-eared girls giggled, their ears twitching and tails swishing as they watched Amelia, who had gone from feeder to fed in an instant.
Lucas shook his head, a wry smile tugging at his lips. How did I become the main attraction of this breakfast circus? He thought, glancing at his bandaged left hand. I really can't afford to get injured again. Next time, these girls might not stop at feeding me—they'll probably insist on helping me bathe! The mental image made him shudder, half in horror and half in amusement.
Breakfast continued for another half hour, filled with laughter, playful banter, and the occasional overzealous attempt to feed Lucas more cake than any human could reasonably consume. By the time the meal wrapped up, Lucas felt both stuffed and oddly content, surrounded by the lively energy of the beast-eared girls.
Afterward, Lucas led Mina, Annie, Freya, and Nicole to the study, where they were joined by Aiden, a burly man who served as one of Lucas's trusted subordinates. As they entered, Aiden snapped to attention, offering a crisp salute. "My lord."
"Come in, let's get started," Lucas said, settling into the main chair at the desk. The study was a cozy, wood-paneled room, its shelves lined with books and scrolls, a testament to Lucas's efforts to blend Earth knowledge with this world's traditions.
Aiden took a seat across from Lucas at the latter's gesture, his posture rigid as he awaited instructions.
"Aiden, I called you here today because I have two important tasks for you," Lucas said, his tone turning serious as he leaned forward, his eyes sharp with purpose.
"Please give your orders, my lord," Aiden replied, his voice steady and respectful.
"First, I want you to establish a proper pension system for our soldiers," Lucas began, his voice firm. "For any soldier who falls in battle, their family must be taken care of. If they have elderly parents, provide them with a monthly stipend to cover their basic living expenses. I need you to develop a standard for this—make sure it's fair and sustainable."
Aiden nodded, his mind already turning over the logistics. This will require some investigation into local costs and family structures, he thought, but he kept his expression neutral. "Understood, my lord."
Lucas turned to Annie. "Annie, there's another aspect to the pension system. For soldiers who die in battle, their children must receive free education until they're fifteen. We'll cover the costs of their schooling. I need you to calculate an estimated budget for this and set a standard as well."
"Got it," Annie said, her expression serious as she jotted down mental notes. She understood the importance of this task—ensuring soldiers' families were supported would boost morale and prevent discontent if the worst came to pass.
"And the second task," Lucas continued, his voice growing even more resolute. "Aiden, prepare for a third round of recruitment. I want three hundred new infantrymen: one hundred heavy infantry and two hundred light infantry."
"Yes, sir," Aiden responded, his tone matching Lucas's seriousness. He knew this would bring Sedona City's total military force to over seven hundred soldiers—a significant number, nearly rivaling the knight forces of a marquis.
Lucas leaned back in his chair, his mind racing with plans for the future. In a world where loyalty and strength were paramount, he was determined to build a force that could protect his people and secure his ambitions. And with the beast-eared girls and his trusted allies by his side, he felt ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.
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