"Mm..."
Ron's body clock did its job right on time, and he opened his eyes at six in the morning.
He reached down and tugged at his trouser leg, then sighed.
Another hard morning...
With a sudden spring, Ron leaped out of bed and headed to the bathroom. He held it in for ages before finally relieving himself.
Then he got dressed, went downstairs, and headed out into the yard to start his morning exercises.
Before he began, he brewed a cup of Golden Red Chrysanthemum tea and ate a petal, then started circulating the Bright Sword Canon.
As his body gradually warmed up, Ron performed one precise cultivation movement after another, drawing out streams of "qi" and circulating them through his body.
Starting today, he could use the Golden Red Chrysanthemum to cultivate and increase the speed at which he trained his battle qi.
After an hour of morning exercises, Ron did some rough calculations.
Without the Golden Red Chrysanthemum, at his previous pace, he would have needed at least another half a month before he could try to advance to a First-Order Warrior.
But with the Golden Red Chrysanthemum's help, he might be able to try condensing a Battle Qi Vortex in just a few days.
"It feels like the system did this on purpose..." Ron walked into the bathroom drenched in sweat, thinking as he showered.
The first plant had been the Nether Orchid, which could improve a mage's meditation efficiency. The second was the Golden Red Chrysanthemum, which could speed up battle qi cultivation. It was as if they had been specially tailored for him.
That made him look forward to the main quest's reward. He had no idea what special effect the plant called Scale Vine might have.
After showering, Ron didn't enter the Dimensional Plane as usual. Instead, he went to the first floor of the shop and raised the rolling shutter.
Sure enough, a small figure was already waiting outside. He had no idea how long she'd been standing there.
Ron smiled helplessly. "Why are you standing out here? Didn't you knock?"
Nora looked up at Ron, then lowered her head. Her voice was clear and bright. "I just got here."
"Come on in." Ron didn't ask any more questions. He stepped aside and let her enter the shop.
Nora followed him inside, curiously looking around at the shop's layout.
She'd seen the inside from a distance before, but being in the shop was a different experience.
The beautiful glass panels looked very expensive.
Nora walked carefully, afraid she might dirty anything in the shop.
She followed Ron to the foot of the stairs, then stopped and asked suspiciously, "Why are we going upstairs?"
Ron had just started climbing. He held the railing and turned back with an amused smile. "You haven't had breakfast yet, have you? The dining table's upstairs. You can sign your employment contract while you're at it."
"Huh? Oh..." Nora nodded in realization, then followed him up, a little embarrassed.
Although she trusted Ron for now, Nora still kept her guard up around him. It might sound ungrateful, but that was how she'd survived for more than a decade.
Ron took her to the living room on the second floor and had her sit at the dining table. He warmed some milk, fried eggs and bacon, and served them with wheat bread. That took care of breakfast.
At first, Nora wasn't used to it. Sitting in a clean chair and looking at the spotless table before her, she had no idea where to put her hands.
She instinctively tugged at her shabby robe. When she noticed that she'd dirtied the chair, she lowered her head and didn't know what to do.
But when breakfast was set on the table, the aroma of the cooked food immediately tempted her.
Ron sat across from her and gestured for her to start. Nora stopped holding back and wolfed down her food.
Only after she'd finished did she realize that Ron had eaten just half of his meal.
Nora blushed.
She lowered her head, holding a fork in her hand. As she speared crumbs of bread from her plate and put them in her mouth, she stole glances at Ron.
Ron held a knife in one hand and a fork in the other, cutting his food with smooth, graceful movements before bringing it to his mouth. Everything he did seemed so refined and easy on the eyes.
Those were habits Ron Andre had picked up growing up in the palace. Although he had come from another world, some of those habits had remained with the body.
Watching him, Nora touched her shabby robe with her left hand. She couldn't help feeling that she didn't belong here at all.
"If you don't mind, you can take a shower in the bathroom." Ron had eaten about half his meal and noticed that Nora was already done, so he set down his knife and fork.
"Huh? A... a shower?" Nora leaned back against the chair. A faint blush appeared on her face, and she stammered in alarm. "Why do I have to take a shower...?"
Seeing her reaction, Ron couldn't help resting his forehead in his hand, looking amused. "You don't have to be so on guard all the time... You're going to work at the Flower Shop. Even if you don't take a shower, you should at least wash your face, right?"
Only then did Nora realize that she usually made a point of getting her face dirty. She'd gotten so used to it over time that she hadn't even noticed.
Ron's reminder made her see that he was right.
"Then I'll go wash my face..." Nora got up from her chair and answered hesitantly.
"I prepared a uniform for you. It's in the bathroom. If you can, take a shower and change into it. I won't agree to you working in the shop dressed like that." Ron lowered his head and began cutting his food as he spoke. "The bathroom door locks from the inside. The key's on the handle; you can take it off before you go in. Anyway, I won't peek, so don't worry."
Nora looked down at her shabby robe, patched all over, and replied quietly, "Oh..."
"Honestly, with your figure, there probably isn't much worth looking at anyway."
At that, Nora looked up at Ron indignantly, but he was still eating slowly with his head lowered, his movements graceful. Her anger immediately fizzled out.
"Hmph..."
Nora went into the bathroom. Before long, the sound of running water came from inside.
After finishing breakfast, Ron sat on the sofa and listened to the water. His imagination began to wander.
System: Daily quest triggered. [Daily Quest]—[Peek at the Cat-kin While She Bathes]: "Requirements: Find a way to peek at the Cat-kin while she's bathing, before she finishes." "Reward: Heh heh heh." "..." Ron narrowed his eyes, speechless and at a loss for words. The system really was becoming more and more shameless... Where was its sense of decency!? Should he spend some Wealth Points and exchange them for a little decency!? This quest's reward was way too perverted! [Shop] [A gaze that can see through bathroom doors]: Exchange 10 Wealth Points for 3 seconds (temporary item; automatically deleted after the Cat-kin finishes bathing) Hiss... A small figure immediately appeared in Ron's mind. She had a pair of pale-black cat ears on her head and a long, thin tail behind her. Hot water poured over her from above, soaking her body, her ears, and her tail. They trembled slightly. Ron gritted his teeth, snapped the System Panel shut, and went straight downstairs. It actually thought it could trick my Wealth Points with such a despicable method!? Not a chance! Ron's will was as hard as steel. He didn't waver in the slightest!
It was Monday... He hoped he'd get the private message about signing a contract...
Before you continue