Pulling Ellie out through the brightly lit restaurant's front entrance, Greg kept walking and turned straight into a dim, secluded alley nearby.
The moment they entered the alley, Greg released his tight grip on Ellie's wrist.
Almost simultaneously, the tough expression he had forced onto his face melted away like snow in the sun.
He turned to face Ellie, who was watching him with her usual flat, indifferent expression restored, and pressed his palms together.
"Forgive me just this once, Ellie! There really is a reason for this! You don't want to see me get on my knees and beg, do you?"
"Huh?"
Ellie raised an eyebrow, then bent slightly and lifted one corner of her gorgeous gown with one hand.
The motion made Greg instinctively avert his eyes, but his peripheral vision still caught a fleeting glimpse of the strip of bare thigh between her stockings and skirt, along with...
Swish-
There was a soft sound.
Ellie drew a sheathed longsword from beneath her skirt.
Only then did she lift her head again, looking at Greg with her calm green eyes as she stated coldly:
"Just last time, young master, you pitifully borrowed three gold coins from my private savings..."
She paused, her gaze sweeping over Greg.
"And now, in the blink of an eye, you're all dressed up, surrounded by more than one pretty girl, and throwing money around in a place like the Golden Crucible. You certainly seem to know how to enjoy life."
As she spoke, the oppressive aura radiating from her seemed to make the air in the alley colder and thicker.
Greg: "..."
Here it comes!
The classic 'I work myself to the bone to support this family while you're out drinking and chasing women' accusation!
*Though the roles and the actual circumstances were