Chapter 75: Adopted
"I want to stay."
"Ah?" Cipher looked at you in surprise. "Little Wildcat, you really want to stay here?"
You nodded to her. Cipher wrinkled her nose, a bit reluctant, but quickly cheered up and mumbled, "Alright, alright, free food and lodging, no reason not to stay, we've made a profit!"
Aglaea seemed to show a faint, fleeting smile on her face when she heard your answer. "Very good." She stood up. "I'll take you to the guest room."
You tugged on Cipher's hand, signaling her to follow. Aglaea's house was very large. After passing through several corridors hung with beautiful fabrics, she stopped in front of an elegant guest room.
"This will be Orion's residence from now on." Aglaea pushed open the door, gesturing for you to enter. "You can use anything inside freely. Just tell me if you need anything." She added, "Get some good rest."
Cipher immediately craned her neck to peek inside, then pointed to herself, her cat ears gently swaying: "What about me? Tailor Woman, you're not planning to make me sleep in the corridor, are you?"
Aglaea's gaze turned to her. "There's another guest room next door. Come with me."
"I won't!" Cipher refused without thinking, hands on her hips, her small face lifted. "I want to stay with Little Wildcat! I haven't been able to sleep soundly lately without him next to me!"
Hearing this, Aglaea showed a hint of surprise in her eyes: "You… want to stay together?"
"Yes!" Cipher said righteously. "I can just sleep on the floor, make a bed for him… If you don't agree, I'll take Little Wildcat to a hotel right now, we have our own money!"
Aglaea's gaze lingered between you and Cipher for a moment, and finally, she conceded: "...Alright." She didn't ask any more questions, just gave you a deep look, then turned and left.
Cipher immediately rushed into the room like an unbridled Little Wildcat. She touched here, tapped there, not even sparing the space under the bed and on top of the cabinets, carefully checking every corner.
"Little Wildcat, what do you think this Tailor Woman is really up to?" She plopped down on the soft bed. "She's treating your injuries, arranging accommodation for us, and she said she wouldn't mind us breaking into her house… What's her motive?"
You walked to the window. Outside was the daytime of Ohema. The sky was brightly illuminated by the dawn machine, with no stars or true sunlight visible. "I don't know," you responded softly. "Perhaps… she's not so bad after all."
"Hmph, I saw the way she looked at you… she definitely has ulterior motives, nothing good in mind!" Cipher jumped off the bed, came closer to you, and lowered her voice: "Little Wildcat, we must be extra careful. What if she wants to sell us…"
You turned around. "If that were the case… I will protect you."
Hearing this, Cipher froze. She awkwardly shifted her gaze away and snorted: "Who, who needs you to protect them! I'll protect you too! We're partners, the most formidable Rogue duo in Dolos City!" Though her words were sharp, the upturned corners of her mouth betrayed her true feelings at that moment.
In the following days, you temporarily stayed in Aglaea's mansion. Aglaea, as she said, did not overly restrict your movements; you could move freely within the city.
The next day, Aglaea personally came to change the ointment on your arm, carefully checking the healing of the wound. The wound on your arm, caused by the Golden Thread, healed remarkably quickly, and the pain had significantly lessened in less than a day.
During the dressing changes, Aglaea always tried to strike up a conversation with you. She would talk about the local customs of Ohema, such as where the liveliest market was or which shop had the best honey cakes. Occasionally, she would also casually ask about your past, but she always stopped short, as if it were just idle chatter. Most of the time, you just listened quietly, occasionally responding with a few words.
Cipher, on the other hand, was a completely restless spirit. On the very first day, she was somewhat well-behaved due to her vigilance. But soon, she treated Aglaea's large house as her own playground, jumping and running around every day, full of boundless energy.
She would either steal a few freshly baked pastries from the kitchen when the cook wasn't looking, then share half with you. Or she would run to the back garden to tease the nymphs. Aglaea mostly turned a blind eye to this. As long as Cipher didn't cause too much damage, she let her be. Only occasionally, when Cipher got too carried away, a few thin Golden Threads would suddenly appear in the air, gently wrapping around her hands and feet, and Cipher would immediately settle down. But it wouldn't be long before she excitedly went out to play again.
This afternoon, after Aglaea finished changing your dressing, she did not leave immediately as usual. She said to you: "The clothes I promised to tailor for you still need some minor adjustments to ensure a perfectly comfortable fit. Orion, please come with me to the side hall; I need to reconfirm your measurements."
You didn't think much of it and simply nodded: "Okay." You followed Aglaea to her Weaving Workshop in her home. The light in the Weaving Workshop was much softer, and many unfinished garments were displayed around. On the workbench were scattered exquisite design drafts with delicate brushstrokes. Every detail revealed the owner's ultimate pursuit of beauty and extraordinary craftsmanship.
Aglaea did not immediately take out a tape measure but gestured for you to stand in a spot with just the right light. Then, she slowly walked halfway around you. Her focused expression at this moment was completely different from when you first met her. It was the unique, almost obsessive devotion of an artist examining perfect material.
From your raven hair to your golden pupils. Her gaze lingered briefly on your straight nose bridge and well-shaped lips. Then downwards, to your slender neck and slightly thin shoulders. She observed with extreme seriousness, as if to engrave every one of your features deep into her mind, to integrate them into the work of art she was about to create.
"Orion…" "I once thought I had seen all the beauty of Amphoreus… until I met you."
You were taken aback; her praise was too direct. Aglaea's gaze, as if she wanted to undress you, made your cheeks flush and your mind restless.