Chapter 184: Enormous Treasure
At dinner time, Vivian introduced Airi and Megis.
Only, Airi didn't seem to have any real interest in Megis. Even when Megis tried to speak to her, she didn't really respond. It was like she felt that relationship will form between them, or rather that she didn't want to form any kind of relationship with him. Her attitude was indifferent, or even cold, so Megis had no real way to do anything.
However, even so, Megis didn't push at all.
As the head of the adventurer's guild and one of the hands of the royal family, Megis had good judgment. He could thus easily notice Airi's abnormality.
Or rather, given how Airi's appearance obviously didn't match her tone and actions, it was pretty obvious from the start that she's no ordinary little girl.
To use Shien's words, it'd be something like "my Airi's got class".
She is that way in front of strangers at least.
Thanks to that, not only did Megis didn't get offended at Airi's attitude at all, he instead ended up acting just like Vivian, where he didn't treat Airi like a child at all. He thus not only acted with full courtesy, he even invited Airi to stay on his own initiative.
Those actions did end up giving Airi quite a good impression of Megis, so she ended up treating him much warmer. Later on, she would even speak a few wors with Megis, making it obvious that she had at least started to recognize him.
After dinner though, a matter that's neither small nor large happened.
"Let's go into the baths together, Airi."
"Yeah, yeah."
Lumia and Melika thus invited Airi.
"Bath?" Airi frowned though in a show of apparent dislike and spoke straightforwardly, "No need. I don't take baths with others. I also dislike bathing."
Airi rejected them in a very clear manor. She didn't even hesitate for a second.
"Eh?" Lumia seemed to not have expected such a clear refusal, so she didn't know how to react for a moment, "W-why though?"
"Yeah." Melika was surprised too, "It's fun to bath together though, Airi."
Those two girls seemed to have been completely conquered by Airi's cuteness. They didn't want to leave her behind even for bathing.
Of course, Shien, who was left to the side, really wanted to say one thing.
"Since it's so fun to bath together, then why am I never invited?"
Truly, such preferential treatment is lamentable.
Unfortunately, while Shien might be able to think those words, there's no way he'd dare to actually say it out loud in front of the girls.
The reason for that is simple. He didn't want to get hit.
"Well, it's fine. I still have Diere after all."
Shien looked over at Diere and is slightly comforted.
Diere was simply sitting there and drinking her tea with unusual calmness. She seemed to have no intention of joining the girls, and they didn't invite Diere either. It was because Diere had never accepted such invitation before.
As for the reason for that. Of course, it's because she's been doing that with a certain wolf.
Thankfully, Diere was the quiet type from the start, so when she rejected Lumia and Melika's invitation, she basically didn't bother to explain it either. Thus, the matter didnt' get exposed. If not for that, Shien felt like he may very well get hit anyways.
Airi, who had no idea about any of that, showed a difficult expression for the first time under Lumia and Melika's insistence.
"I really do dislike bathing with other people."
Airi spoke out her objections from deep within her heart.
It was to the point where even Shien and Vivian got curious.
"Why might that be, lady Airi?" Vivian tentatively asked, "Did we offend you somehow?"
Vivian seemed to believe that Airi didn't want to bath together with people who were so much lower than her in status.
"Oh. No." Airi frowned deeply. She obviously didn't want to be taken as some arrogant being who lorded her status over others, so she could only speak the truth, "However, every time I bath together with my older sisters, they'd all stare at me the whole time. Then, they'd end up overreacting afterwards. I don' really like that kind of situation."
Everyone was confused.
Why would they stare at Airi when they go into the baths?
Is it because she's just too cute?
Everyone, including Shien, thought that.
Seeing that, Airi seemed to not want to explain more. She just let out a resigned sigh and then spoke.
"Fine. Just this once."
With that, Airi jumped down from her seat.
"Where's the baths?"
Lumia and Melika showed their joy in response to her words.
"Over there."
"Let's go together, Airi."
Thus, Lumia and Melika moved next to Airi and happily led her toward the direction of the baths.
Shien, Vivian, and Diere watch the three of them leave but didn't think much of it. Instead, they just started chatting at the dinner table.
As for Megis, he left for his study some time ago, claiming that he has urgent work.
Only Shien, Vivian, and Diere were left in the dining room, chatting about nothing.
At this time, the door to the room was thrown open.
"Wah…"
"S-so terrifying…"
To their surprise, Lumia and Melika has already returned. Steam and heat wafted off their bodies, as if they had already finished their bath. However, they looked very depressed, to the point where their eyes were teary. It was like they had lost to someone in some very important way, and are so depressed that they're about to cry.
"What's with you two?"
"You guys were pretty quick with this bath."
Vivian and Diere observed Lumia and Melika with surprise.
Shien didn't think that Lumia and Melika would be back so soon either.
Girls generally took a long time with their baths, and Lumia and Melika were no exceptions. They've never had a bath this quick before, so just what had happened?
Who would have thought that while Shien was considering that, Lumia and Melika had already leaped into Vivian anda Diere's arms while in tears.
"I-I can't win! That level is…!"
"I lost to someone who looked like a 12-13 year old child, and so thoroughly at that. I can' take it!"
Everyone was completely confused at those strange words that Lumia and Melika wailed out.
It continued until a very unhappy sigh came.
"That's why I said it. I don't like bathing with other people."
Airi also entered with an unhappy expression on her face. She still had that pillow covering her chest too.
"Ugh…!"
"Wah…!"
When Lumia and Melika saw Airi, their eyes were involuntarily drawn to Airi and they stared at her pillow. Or rather, it's more accurate to say that they were staring at her body behind said pillow. Then they started actually crying.
This time, Vivian and Diere seemed to have understood something. They exchanged a glance before moving before Airi.
And Shien's own line of sight toward Airi just happened to be blocked by Vivian and Diere then.
Thus, Shien couldn't see Airi at all then.
What happened then is that Shien saw Vivian and Diere say something to Airi before taking her pillow away, allowing them to see Airi's full profile.
"That…"
"Cough…"
The next moment, both Vivian and Diere seemed to gasp.
Then, the two of them get out a wry laugh.
"So that's how it is. That really is some talent…"
"… No wonder she needs to keep a pillow with her. If she doesn't cover it up with something, then she definitely would be constantly stared at by all the men all the time."
Vivian and Diere seemed to have realized some kind of cruel reality. Or perhaps something that arouses admiration. They handed the pillow back to Airi with wry smiles.
Over at the side, Shien was watching with undisguised curiosity.
"Just what's going on there?"
It seems that Shien was the only person there who didn't know what's going on.
Shien only knew that, from this moment on, none of the girls, including Vivian, dared to go share a baths with Airi anymore.
And Diere, who shared a bath with Shien, only said a single sentence.
"Sharing a bath with Airi is too damaging to a woman's self esteem."
Diere refused to say anything more than that.
This particular puzzle would only be solved quite some time later on.
After it was solved though, Shien could only think that the heavens have blessed him with an enormous treasure.
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