The next morning, the Amamiya Residence, in the Miyano sisters' room, was very quiet.
Yesterday, her sister didn't come back.
Shiho was currently sitting on the bed, her gaze a bit dazed as she stared at her sister's bed.
It was empty. The bedding hadn't been touched, looking exactly as it had before she went to sleep last night.
She naturally knew that her sister had gone to Ren for advancement.
But would advancement take an entire night? It couldn't be that she stayed overnight in Ren's room just because of that, right?
That didn't seem like something Ren would do.
Ren was always respectful toward women, treating everyone appropriately. He wouldn't make such a rash decision.
Shiho, based on her judgment, first ruled out the possibility that it was Ren who had her sister stay overnight.
So, was it her sister?
After some analysis, Shiho concluded that her sister had voluntarily stayed in Ren's room overnight.
Oh, right. Could something have gone wrong during the advancement, like what happened with Chika?
Shiho naturally knew that Chika had encountered problems during her advancement.
Considering her sister's intention in going to Ren yesterday, Shiho felt that, compared to Ren's or her sister's needs, the possibility of something going wrong during advancement was more likely.
Had the advancement failed?
Shiho's expression turned serious. Without even changing out of her pajamas, she left the room and went straight to Ren's door.
She gently knocked.
Knock knock knock!
"Come in."
Hearing Ren's response from inside, Shiho slowly turned the doorknob, peeking into the room.
What met her eyes was Ren holding her sister, sleeping on the bed.
This scene made Shiho momentarily doubt her judgment, but when she saw how her sister was clinging tightly to him, her head buried deeply in his embrace, she knew she had been right.
Shiho didn't feel embarrassed. She stepped into the room and pointed at her sister.
"Advancement consumes a lot of energy."
"Even without the influence of the ancient gods, a Secrets Suppliant's advancement isn't easy. And your sister was under considerable pressure. The issues weighing on her mind became added pressure during the advancement."
Ren looked down at Akemi, who was still sleeping soundly. He smiled gently and patted her back softly, as if coaxing a large child.
"She was afraid of failing the advancement and being abandoned by me. Afraid that if she died, she would leave you behind."
"Because she's lost everything before, she treasures it even more now that she has it again."
"That sense of comfort became something she feared losing, and it turned into pressure during the advancement."
Akemi's lips twitched slightly in her sleep. She didn't wake up but continued to sleep peacefully.
Seeing her sleep so soundly, Ren continued gently stroking her back.
"I gave her a reason to feel at ease."
"What reason?"
Shiho looked at her sleeping sister. She understood her sister's worries, but Ren's words piqued her curiosity.
"I told her I wouldn't abandon either of you."
Shiho paused slightly, then understood that this was Ren's promise to both of them.
"So, this was said to me too?"
"Yes. I said it to both of you."
"Finally, Lord God has developed desire for us."
Shiho wasn't angry at all. Instead, a sense of relief filled her voice.
"I was always worried whether you would abandon my sister and me. That's why we've been trying so hard to be useful, so we could stay by your side. We didn't want to repeat what happened in our previous lives."
"...I just wanted to respect your choices."
Ren fell silent for a moment. He realized that his one-sided consideration had turned into a kind of forceful approach. He shook his head, smiling bitterly.
"I didn't expect my actions would cause you two so much unease."
"No."
Shiho gently shook her head. She knelt by the bed, held his hand with both of hers, and looked at him with reverence and respect.
"My sister and I understand your intentions. You've given us, the sisters, the freedom we always longed for. Everything we have now is because of you. We're both grateful for your generosity."
"Not just freedom, but also grace. What you gave us isn't just any kind of freedom, but a freedom without restriction or color..."
"But precisely because of that, we feel uneasy."
"The less you need our contributions, the more we feel like we're not needed. We worry that one day, we'll be discarded, like a rag that's lost its luster."
"That's why my sister and I want to stay by your side. We're willing to give everything for you. Only then will we be needed. That's the only place we can truly belong."
That deep-seated unease had always existed in the hearts of the Miyano sisters.
The more Ren respected their freedom and refrained from making demands, the more insecure they felt. They yearned for a sense of belonging.
But Ren had never given them an answer before. That silence became the source of their constant fear of abandonment.
Hearing Shiho's words, Ren hadn't expected the result to be this way.
He always believed he was being respectful to women. Yet his respect had caused these two girls such anxiety.
"So, I should have more desire?"
Seeing Ren's gloomy expression, Shiho's lips unconsciously curved into a smile.
"Yes. You should have stronger desires, especially for girls like my sister and me, who have voids in our hearts. Your direct desires will fill those voids and give us a sense of security."
"We yearn for freedom, but our circumstances make it difficult to obtain it. And even when we have it, we still feel uneasy. What we fear most is being abandoned, even if the power you gave us is enough to survive."
Listening to Shiho, Ren's expression grew more troubled. In the end, all his good intentions had caused nothing but pain.
"So, please have more desire and possessiveness toward us. To outsiders, it may seem impolite, but for people like us who just crawled out of the abyss, it's exactly what we need."
Shiho's words left Ren silent.
"I understand."
"This is my promise to you. No matter what happens, I will never abandon you two sisters. You will always belong to me."
(To be continued.)