Hikaru noticed Mansherry's movement instantly. He gently moved his hand from Rebecca's side, slipped under the covers, and then carefully drew Mansherry into his arms.
The dim light couldn't hide Mansherry's bright eyes. Seeing Hikaru, she joyfully exclaimed in a sweet voice, "You're a good man! Did you succeed?"
Hikaru nodded, whispering, "Yes, it's a success. Speak softly, someone's sleeping right next to us."
"It's great that it succeeded!" Mansherry sighed in relief. The very reason for her capture had vanished, and she no longer feared being spied on by ill-intentioned individuals.
Despite her weakened state, Mansherry curiously looked at Rebecca, just as Rebecca's soft, sleepy eyes fluttered open.
"Huh!?" Rebecca was startled. "This is..."
Hikaru turned on the room light and introduced, "This is Princess Mansherry of the Tontatta Tribe. She was abducted by the Donquixote Family years ago and suffered greatly. I believe she'll become a good friend of yours."
Rebecca nodded, and after exchanging names with Mansherry, she suddenly realized they didn't know Hikaru's name. Both girls looked at him with curious eyes and asked, "What about you?"
"My name is God Hikaru," he replied. As the light fell on Mansherry's face, he noticed something was wrong. She looked incredibly tired and weak. He'd been so preoccupied with harvesting her Healing-Healing Devil Fruit for his own pleasure that he'd forgotten the after-effects of its power being plundered. But now, it seemed inappropriate to give Mansherry an injection for treatment.
After the two girls chatted for a while, Hikaru saw the time was almost up. He interrupted, suggesting, "Mansherry, you're still not well. Go back to sleep for a bit."
"Okay," Mansherry agreed, the persistent feeling of weakness in her body refusing to fade.
Hikaru enveloped Mansherry with his Conqueror's Haki, and the poor princess fainted again in Rebecca's arms. He gently took her and put her back in his embrace. Now, it was time for him and Rebecca to be alone once more.
After a few moments of silence, Rebecca asked the question on her mind: "Big Brother, did you come here just to tell me this news?"
"Of course not," Hikaru said, shaking his head and revealing his true intentions. "I avenged your mother's death, and I'll also fulfill your deepest desire and make you stronger. Most importantly, I want a 'reward' from you."
"Thank you, Big Brother. You're so kind. You helped me get such great revenge and are willing to help me become stronger." Rebecca's eyes were filled with gratitude. She understood that nothing in this world came for free, and everything had a hidden price. She was willing to give anything to repay Hikaru's kindness, even if it meant working like a slave.
"It's my duty to repay you, Big Brother... But I'm just a penniless, despised princess of a fallen country. I truly don't know how I can repay you..."
"The way to repay me is very simple. All you have to do is agree to marry me and become my consort." Hikaru's lips curved slightly. Rebecca was a good girl who understood gratitude. Now, she was already his treasure.
[Someone might ask: How old is Rebecca? Here's a unified answer: 18+, including all the heroines in this book, who are all over 18 years old and in their prime.]
"Huh!?" Rebecca was shocked. She hadn't expected Hikaru to say something so significant and sudden. She subconsciously asked, "Why?"
Hikaru considered this, deciding to employ his excellent quality of speaking the truth to real people and lies to ghosts, initiating his grand deception.
"I am now the new ruler of Dressrosa. Initially, I wanted to better secure my rule over Dressrosa. If I married you, the princess of Dressrosa's former royal family, it would undoubtedly make my reign more stable."
"But! This purpose shattered the moment I saw you. Your beautiful, adorable eyes told me that I want to win your favor, even if it means a ruined Dressrosa."
Hikaru's gaze was intensely earnest, and his sincerity seemed to melt Rebecca. "This isn't because of your special identity, but because of the outstanding qualities you, Rebecca, possess that make people feel sorry for you and love you."
"Ah!?" Rebecca felt even more embarrassed. She nervously rubbed her hands and softly murmured, "I... I'm not as good as you say..."
"You can doubt my ability, but you can never doubt my vision, Rebecca. Your kindness and beauty are beyond words."
"I... I believe you..." Rebecca felt even more flustered by the compliment. She shyly turned her head away, waving her small hands up and down beside her face, trying to cool her burning cheeks.
"Why, are you unwilling to agree to my excessive request?"
Cyrus, still in a coma: Good boy, you know your request is too much! You knocked my father-in-law unconscious, and you're trying to steal my precious daughter right in front of me, her father-in-law!
"No, it's just that this came too suddenly. I... I'm a little flustered," Rebecca's voice was soft and sweet, easily arousing Hikaru's desire to tease her. But he didn't. Instead, he gently asked Rebecca for her opinion.
"Then what do you think?"
"As for me..." Rebecca turned her head to look at Hikaru, then quickly lowered it. However, her increasingly red cheeks seemed to betray her girlish shyness. "If it's Big Brother... I... I can do it!"
Hikaru then smiled and said softly, "Rebecca, it's wonderful that you can agree proactively. This way, you can accept my love for you with peace of mind."
"You can call it threatening you with a favor or using force to coerce you, Rebecca. From the moment I met you, I knew I would never let you go, no matter what."
"Big Brother~ I understand..."
Hikaru nodded and gently drew her fragrant, soft, petite body into his arms. The next moment, a sweet scent filled his nostrils. This wasn't from perfume, but her own natural, innocent fragrance.
"Hmm~ Big Brother~"
"Be good~ I'll hold you for a while~"
"Okay~"
After a moment, Rebecca noticed Hikaru hadn't put her down yet, so she quietly asked, "Aren't you just holding me for a while?" She had never felt so awkward before, but this feeling only made her body warm, and it seemed... it seemed quite comfortable. Could this be a sign of liking someone...?