Chapter 187: Three Women

Fortunately, Ailindel did not leave him suffering under this “torture” for long. With a graceful wave of her hand, an elegant moon-white dress appeared out of thin air, instantly covering the breathtaking scenery that had nearly made Nolan bleed from the nose.

Nolan immediately let out a huge sigh of relief, feeling as though he had come back to life. Eager to change the subject as quickly as possible, he cleared his throat and forced himself to sound calm. “So, Ailin… how did you feel last night?”

…

At the same time, in the corridor on the second floor of the lord’s manor, Anna stood outside Nolan’s room carrying an exquisite tray topped with a steaming breakfast and a glass of milk. She had been at the door for a while now, but there seemed to be no movement from inside. 

Was Lord Nolan still sleeping?

After all, he had just gone through a major battle. Sleeping in a little longer was understandable.

Just as she was hesitating over whether she should simply push the door open, light footsteps came from the other end of the hallway.

Vivi appeared around the corner and visibly froze when she saw Anna.

The two exchanged glances, each spotting the same trace of surprise in the other’s eyes.

Why is she here too?

While the subtle tension lingered between them, Nolan’s faint voice suddenly drifted through the door, breaking the silence.

“So, Ailin… how did you feel last night?”

Anna and Vivi’s eyes widened simultaneously.

Ailindel? She was in Lord Nolan’s room? And it was already morning—did that mean the two of them had stayed together the entire night?

Then Ailindel’s clear, melodious voice followed. 

Anna immediately forgot to ask why Vivi was there and hurried closer to the bedroom door, pressing her ear against it. Not willing to lose, Vivi crouched down and squeezed beside Anna to occupy another excellent listening spot.

They heard Ailindel say, “Mm, it felt very comfortable. Warm… every part of my body felt nourished. I’ve never experienced anything like that before…”

“Oh, that’s good. Did it hurt?”

“Not at all, Nolan. Can we… continue? I’d like to…”

“Wait, wait, wait! Well… as you can see, I even fainted last night. I was seriously drained dry, so I probably can’t do it again for a while…”

They… they actually… did that?!

Anna could not bear listening any longer. A burst of courage from who-knows-where surged straight to her head. She did not even know what she herself was thinking—perhaps anger, perhaps jealousy, or perhaps simply the desire to break apart this scene that had left her heart in complete turmoil.

Suddenly, she raised her hand and shoved the bedroom door open.

Bang!

Nolan and Ailindel had been talking when the sudden sound startled them both. They turned toward the doorway simultaneously, only to see Anna standing there red-faced, still carrying the steaming breakfast tray, her chest rising and falling rapidly.

Behind her, Vivi poked her head out with an expression of utter shock, the fur on her ears standing straight up.

However, the scene inside the room seemed rather different from the “crime scene” they had imagined.

The bed was not messy, nor was there anything indecent in sight.

Nolan was sitting properly on the bed, though his complexion looked somewhat pale.

Ailindel, dressed in her moon-white gown, sat elegantly by the bedside with perfect poise.

When Nolan saw them, a flicker of awkwardness crossed his face, but he quickly recovered and greeted them naturally. “Ah, Anna, Vivi, good morning. Sorry to trouble you two with breakfast again.” He pointed first at himself and then at Ailindel as he explained, “Ailin and I were discussing the recovery of her power from last night. My own power got a little out of control and I fainted, so she ended up taking care of me all night.”

Huh? Anna froze.

Power recovery? So that’s what they had been talking about?

Her brain rapidly replayed everything she had overheard.

Anna’s face instantly turned even redder, and she wished she could crawl into a hole and disappear.

Dear heavens, what was I even thinking?! That’s so filthy!

She could not help feeling ashamed of her own imagination. Was this another example of worrying too much because she cared too much?

Embarrassed, she walked into the room and set the breakfast on the bedside table while lowering her head. “I… I was worried you might be hungry. I got anxious and forgot to knock…”

Nolan waved his hand casually. “I should be the one thanking you. You’re the steward, and Vivi’s an important intelligence officer. Just treat this room as your own room. No need to be so formal.”

Anna’s heart skipped several beats.

This blockhead! This idiot!

He clearly understood nothing, yet he always said things so easy to misunderstand. It was infuriating.

Vivi, on the other hand, did not think that deeply. The moment she heard the words “treat this room as your own,” the tiny bit of dissatisfaction in her heart vanished automatically, her tail swaying happily behind her.

She immediately leaned over to Nolan’s bedside and pressed a hand against his forehead. “Mm, no fever.”

Nolan irritably brushed her hand away. “I’m not sick. What kind of quack doctor are you?”

“Oh, wow, and here I was worried about you for nothing!”

Seeing their reactions, how could Ailindel possibly fail to understand? It seemed the only person in the room still completely oblivious was Nolan himself. Watching the three of them together, she suddenly found the atmosphere incredibly warm and could not help covering her mouth as she laughed softly.

Her laughter successfully redirected Anna’s attention.

“Ailin… you look beautiful today.” Looking at the smiling Moon Elf hero before her, Anna praised sincerely, “This is the first time I’ve seen you without your armor.”

Ailindel stood up and proactively took both Anna’s and Vivi’s hands, saying gently, “You two are beautiful as well. I wonder where Nolan managed to kidnap such wonderful girls from.”

Anna felt that after only one night, Ailindel seemed noticeably gentler. Much of her former coldness that kept others at arm’s length had faded, replaced with a touch more warmth and approachability.

From the bed, Nolan clicked his tongue speechlessly. What do you mean “kidnap”?

Sure, along the way he had deliberately intercepted future kingdom heroes before they rose to fame—but he had convinced them to join through his own actions and effort, alright? Why make it sound like he was some kind of trafficker?

Seeing the three women about to enter full “mutual compliment” mode, Nolan quickly coughed twice in an attempt to regain their attention. “Ahem!”

Anna turned around and shot him a glare before holding Ailindel’s hand again. “It’s rare for us to have some free time. Let’s stay away from this workaholic for a while. I still have a few beautiful dresses that would definitely look lovely on you…”

As she spoke, she led Ailindel and Vivi toward the door.

Before closing it behind them, Anna did not forget to turn back and glare fiercely at Nolan, who was scratching his head in confusion.

Nolan looked utterly innocent.

What did I even do wrong?

Forget it. A woman’s heart is deeper than the ocean.

Shaking his head, he picked up the breakfast Anna had brought him.

It was delicious, and Anna had likely instructed the kitchen to add some healing herbs.

Ever since the journey to the Gap of Ages, the Wood Elf ranger squad seemed to have tacitly permitted Coldsteel City’s people to gather medicinal herbs around the outer edges of the Borderlands Forest. It was probably Romina’s arrangement. He would have to thank her later.

After eating, Nolan felt much more awake despite the lingering exhaustion caused by severe mental strain. He had no intention of remaining lazily in bed. After all, it was only mental exhaustion, and a night’s rest had already restored much of it. Throwing on his lord’s coat, he stepped out of the room.

Normally at this hour, Anna would carefully help straighten his collar, but judging from today’s mood, she clearly did not want to bother with him.

The lord’s manor was quiet. The recently concluded battle had left everyone with endless cleanup work, and each person was busy with their own responsibilities.

Since he did not run into any of his companions, Nolan did not mind. After refusing the offer of an escort from the manor’s Black Armored Legion guards, he strolled alone through the streets of Coldsteel City.

It was still early, and even the most diligent residents had only just begun their day’s work.

Whenever they spotted Nolan, they immediately stopped what they were doing and bowed respectfully from the bottom of their hearts toward the young lord who had given this city new life.

Nolan smiled and returned every greeting in kind.

Before long, his hands were filled with all sorts of “small gifts” enthusiastically pressed upon him by the residents—small round flatbreads common to the Demont region, seasonal autumn and winter fruits, and dried fruit preserves.

Smiling, Nolan distributed the food among the nearby children who had been watching him eagerly, drawing bursts of excited cheers.

“Lord Nolan is the best!”

Feeling the warmth of this simple and sincere admiration, Nolan passed through the city district and arrived at the military camp outside the walls.

The Black Armored Legion had already begun its drills for the new day, their shouted slogans shaking the air.

Nolan swept his gaze around and, somewhat unexpectedly, failed to spot Hank. Normally, the man would already be roaring loudly atop the training platform without fail.

After a moment’s thought, Nolan turned and headed toward the northeastern outskirts beyond the city walls.