the next day.
Luo Ge was not in a hurry to leave the small town.
He had promised Aisha he would buy her new clothes, and he couldn't go back on his word.
After eating the rice balls made by the Nanahoshi in the morning, Luo Ge took Lilia and Aisha out.
Nanahoshi expressed little interest in shopping and stayed at the hotel to study the magic theories she had been working on recently.
Luo Ge didn't force her and took Lilia and her daughter to the busiest commercial street in the city.
Although the town is not large, it is located in the center of the Kingdom of Chika, and its streets are quite lively.
The shops along the street were side by side, selling cloth, clothing, and general merchandise, as well as a few blacksmith shops and herbal medicine shops.
Luo Ge took Aisha into a clothing store. As soon as the little girl entered, she was attracted by a row of dresses hanging on the wall and the dazzling array of goods.
Her amber eyes were wide open, and her small mouth was slightly agape, as if she had seen some rare treasure.
" Aisha, which one do you like?"
Luo Ge squatted down next to her and asked.
Aisha's gaze swept back and forth among the rows of skirts several times before finally pointing directly to the bright red dress in the corner.
The dress was so brightly colored it was almost blinding, with a few simple flowers embroidered on the hem, and a matching silk ribbon tied at the waist, making it stand out among the plain-colored dresses.
"This?"
Luo Ge was somewhat surprised.
He thought the little girl would choose light colors like pink or white, but he didn't expect Aisha to like such a bright color.
"Huh? 10 silver coins? That's too expensive!" Lilia was also shocked when she saw the price of the item.
You should know that when she was a maid in Buena Village, her monthly salary was only 3 silver coins.
"... This is way too expensive! Aisha shouldn't be so impulsive; she shouldn't cause trouble for Young Master Luo Ge."
Listening to her mother Lilia's words, Aisha showed a reluctant and aggrieved expression.
"Brother, is it not allowed?"
"Sure!"
"My brother will buy anything that Aisha likes, no matter how much it costs."
When Lilia saw Luo Ge spend so much money so readily and without hesitation, Lilia felt a little heartache.
But thinking about how good Young Master Luo Ge is to Aisha, she couldn't help but sigh, "... Young Master Luo Ge spoils Aisha too much. I'm really afraid Luo Ge 'll spoil her rotten, Aisha won't even thank Luo Ge."
"Mmm."
"Thank you, Onii-chan."
Not long after Aisha finished speaking, Luo Ge suddenly realized, "Wait! Who taught you to use that term?"
"It's Nanahoshi Sister! She Aisha calls her brother that, he'll be very happy to hear it, and no matter what mistake Aisha makes, he'll forgive Aisha..."
"So it's the Nanahoshi."
Luo Ge was at a loss for words, both amused and exasperated.
Next, Luo Ge didn't rush to pay and leave. Instead, he turned around and looked at Lilia, who was looking around.
"Miss Lilia, since you're already here, why don't you pick out a gift from the store?"
Lilia was taken aback, then waved her hands repeatedly, "Ah! How can this be? These things are far too valuable; I can't accept them."
Don't be shy.
"When I give things to others, I never look at the price; I have plenty of money." Luo Ge's tone was casual, yet carried an air of unyielding authority.
Lilia opened her mouth, wanting to decline, but seeing the seriousness in Luo Ge's slightly narrowed eyes, she swallowed her words in the end.
She stood in front of the shoe rack for a while before finally choosing the cheapest pair of flat cloth shoes.
It's black and has no decorations.
Luo Ge glanced at the shoes, then at Lilia, and said nothing. He simply took another pair of women's boots from the shelf, made of better leather and with thicker soles, and handed them to her. "These are more durable and better suited to an elegant woman like Miss Lilia."
Lilia clutched the boots, her eyes behind her glasses slightly reddening.
She lowered her head, her voice choked with emotion. "... Luo Ge, Young Master Roger."
Aisha twirled around the store several times in her new dress, the hem billowing out like a blooming flower. The red fabric accentuated her delicate, pretty face, making her look exceptionally beautiful.
She ran over and hugged Luo Ge's leg, tilting her head back with an undisguised joy on her face. "Big brother, Aisha pretty?"
"Nice!"
" Aisha is the prettiest."
Luo Ge's lips curled into a smile, full of doting affection.
Lilia, standing to the side, also smiled.
After the three of them left the clothing store, he took the mother and daughter to a nearby general store to buy some things for the journey, a small box of candy for Aisha, and a spare pair of glasses for Lilia.
Lilia insisted on not letting Luo Ge spend any more money, but Luo Ge pretended not to hear and continued to buy whatever he wanted.
Anyway, with Nanahoshi, that business genius, helping him out, he's not short of money.
By the time they returned to the hotel, it was already dark.
Luo Ge put the things he bought on the table, handed them over to Lilia and the others to handle, and then went out alone.
Practicing swordsmanship for two and a half hours every day is indispensable; it has become a habit he has cultivated over many years.
After finishing sword practice.
I took a hot shower.
Then, it was already getting late.
He plans to get a good night's sleep tonight, a peaceful and restful night.
But just as Luo Ge pushed open his bedroom door, preparing to lie down on the bed...
But suddenly they discovered that Nanahoshi, who was always reading in the room, was gone.
Instead, it was Lilia took her place.
She was facing away from the door, bending over and carefully tidying the bed, replacing the hotel's slightly damp bedding with clean blankets they had just bought that day.
A maid's apron was tied around her waist, outlining her slender waistline, and her long, reddish-brown hair cascaded down her shoulders.
The bed swayed gently as she tidied the sheets.
Luo Ge stared at Lilia's retreating figure, his expression slightly taken aback. "Eh? Miss Lilia, it's so late... what are you doing here? Where's Nanahoshi?"
"It's Young Master Luo Ge back."
Hearing the noise, Lilia quickly turned around, stood up straight, and clasped her hands in front of her.
Her attitude remained as respectful as ever, but behind her glasses, her purple eyes held a hint of unnatural unease.
"Young Master Luo Ge, Miss Nanahoshi and I discussed it tonight. Nanahoshi will take care of Aisha, and I will take care of Luo Ge daily life."
"Change rooms?"
Luo Ge frowned. "A man and a woman alone in a room... this... this isn't quite right, is it?"
Lilia did not answer directly.
Instead, she slowly walked up to Luo Ge and suddenly did something that Luo Ge never expected: she opened her arms and hugged him from the front.
Lilia was half a head taller than Roger, so when they hugged, Roger's face was buried right in her chest.
Lilia's movements were as gentle and careful as a mother's. She stroked Luo Ge's head and said softly, "Although it was Miss Nanahoshi who suggested changing rooms, I don't mind... Shall Lilia serve Young Master Luo Ge tonight?"
"Serve, serve?"
Luo Ge was so shocked by Lilia's outrageous words that his mind went blank. This kind of outrageous statement shattered his worldview, built up over both his past and present lives.
But then I thought, this is another world, where ethical concepts are fragmented, so it seems... strangely reasonable all of a sudden.
" Lilia..."
Luo Ge seemed to have thought of something unpleasant, and his eyes began to dart away. "Isn't this a bit inappropriate? Miss Lilia, after all, I'm almost grown up."
"Young Master Luo Ge needs to grow up a bit more."
"When we were little, Lilia always deliberately distanced herself from Master Luo Ge and Master Rudeus, always thinking that they were possessed by demons. But I never expected... that not only did the young masters not blame Lilia, but they also traveled a long way to save me and Aisha."
"Tonight, young master, please don't refuse Lilia. At least grant me my wish, okay?"
"No... Miss Lilia."
Luo Ge's tough stance greatly disappointed Lilia.
"Does Young Master Luo Ge still see Lilia as that unclean woman who seduced Master Paul?"
"No!"
Luo Ge hurriedly waved his hands, his tone unusually flustered, "You've misunderstood! Nothing like that happened! Lilia, don't misunderstand!"
He sighed, reluctantly giving in. "There's really no way to deal with Miss Lilia, I... I'll agree."
Then, Lilia went to the hotel kitchen, fetched a basin of hot water, and began to carefully wash Luo Ge's face and feet...
The whole process seems to consist of just wiping your face and washing your feet—it's that simple?
Is this the "serving" that Lilia was talking about?
Uh...
It turns out he misunderstood.
Luo Ge suddenly couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
" Lilia, aren't you leaving tonight?"
"Yes, Master Luo Ge, Miss Nanahoshi and I have switched rooms, so I'll be spending the night here."
"But it's okay..."
"Young Master, it's fine for Lilia to sleep on the floor." With that, Lilia prepared to make a makeshift bed on the spot.
Seeing this, Luo Ge immediately stopped him. "How can this be? Miss Lilia is my elder. If someone is sleeping on the floor, it should be me, the younger one. Lilia, you are a woman. As a man, you should have gentlemanly manners. You sleep on the bed tonight."
"Um... I'll sleep on the floor."
"But is this really okay? I heard from Miss Nanahoshi that she always sleeps on the floor."
Lilia frowned.
"Snort!"
"How can Nanahoshi be compared to Miss Lilia? To me, Miss Lilia is practically a mother figure."
Luo Ge held Lilia in high esteem.
Although Luo Ge offered to give up his position, Lilia's deeply ingrained concept of hierarchy prevented her from accepting it, and after some back and forth, she had no choice but to accept it.
Luo Ge had no choice but to settle for second best, drawing a dividing line in the middle so that Lilia could lie down and rest next to him.
Fortunately, the bed was large enough to fit two people.
Luo Ge drew an invisible dividing line in the middle of the bed, repeatedly reminding Lilia not to cross it, before finally lying down with peace of mind.
He turned sideways to face the wall, deliberately keeping a safe distance from Lilia.
However, not long after he lay down, he felt a noise behind him.
"Hmm... Young Master Luo Ge."
Lilia came up from behind, gently wrapped her arms around his waist, and rested her head on the back of his head.
One hand was still on his head, the movement as gentle as if holding a baby.
Luo Ge's body tensed instinctively for a moment.
He felt a little uncomfortable and wanted to break free, but then he remembered that Lilia might just see him as her child.
Luo Ge felt relieved.
To be honest, Lilia is indeed very beautiful and has a great figure, something Luo Ge knows very well.
But he couldn't muster even a trace of evil thought towards Lilia.
After all, how could a child harbor evil thoughts towards his mother?
Just as he treated his mother Zenith, Luo Ge showed Lilia the same respect.
It can be said that, apart from Zenith, Lilia is the woman he respects most in this world.
Lilia was practically his mother.
As for Lilia, she simply held him gently, like a mother with her child, without doing anything out of line.
However, when the night is deep and quiet...
Lilia watched the bright moonlight stream in through the window.
When her gaze fell on Luo Ge's quiet and handsome profile, her heart skipped a beat.
She recalled the masculine aura that Luo Ge exuded when he practiced swordsmanship during the day, and his face, which was even more handsome and imposing than Paul's.
Lilia's heart raced, and she became quite engrossed in watching.
She couldn't help but whisper something very softly in Luo Ge's ear, who was still fast asleep and snoring.
"Young Master Luo Ge seems to be even more handsome and charming than Old Master Paul these days."