83 The Fragile Renard!
Chapter 83: The Fragile Renard!
In the days that followed, Ethan, no longer pressured by financial difficulties, purchased a large amount of materials.
Aside from the gems needed to make the 'Space Rings', there were also materials for creating 'Cursed Corpses'.
Ethan did not forget about the 'Puppet Manipulation Technique' either; he consistently made efforts in that regard.
Under such circumstances, the 'Space Rings' Ethan crafted began to have increasingly larger spaces.
At the same time, he made some simpler Cursed Corpses.
As he became more proficient in making them, especially with enhancements from the 'Item Construction' and 'Mystery' development abilities, the quality of the Cursed Corpses also improved gradually.
Everything progressed smoothly, and Ethan's life was exceedingly fulfilling every day.
'Buzz—'
Accompanied by a flicker of light, Ethan looked at the ring in front of him, his face filled with joy.
This was the first time he had attempted to use a 'magic gem' for crafting, and just as he suspected, using such high-quality 'magic gems' meant the 'imaginary space' it could hold was also larger.
"20m³, an increase of twenty times. Indeed, there are benefits to using expensive things."
With ordinary gems, as Ethan became more and more skilled, he had reached a sort of limit: the space they could hold was about 1m³.
But this magic gem reached a space of 30m³ on the first attempt, and there was still potential for improvement.
By the table, a box was filled with piles of space rings.
Without exception, these were all his work, each with different sizes of storage space, marking the progress he had made over the past few days.
'Squeak——'
The door creaked open—
"Ethan-sama~"
"Hmm? Haruhime, you're finally here. I was nearly starving to death."
Because he was so focused on his work in the past few days, Ethan had somewhat forgotten to eat and sleep at proper times.
If the golden-haired Renard hadn't delivered his meals on time, he didn't know what he would have become.
"It's because, Ethan-sama, you often lose track of time while working."
"There's no helping it. If such a considerate beauty is delivering meals to me, why should I bother keeping track of time?"
"I am not some 'beauty.'"
Saying so, Haruhime's cheeks slightly reddened. She was shy and happy at the same time.
After the previous 'social death', Ethan understood that this Renard definitely harbored some special feelings towards him.
Since both of them had a good impression of each other, why not seize the opportunity to make further progress in their relationship?
He wasn't one of those 'Yasashii' anime protagonists who, even when opportunities were handed to them on a silver platter, would keep the other party hanging.
With mutual affection and maybe some other thoughts, Ethan and Haruhime's relationship grew increasingly intimate.
"Hmm? Haruhime, what happened to the white stockings I gave you? Why aren't you wearing them?"
At this moment, Ethan noticed that Haruhime, dressed in her usual maid outfit, was missing the white stockings he was so fond of.
A maid outfit paired with white stockings was a perfect combination of innocence and seduction.
"I-I don't want to wear them. Every time I wear them, Ethan-sama starts getting handsy."
At this, Haruhime's expression changed slightly.
Compared to her white stockings, Ethan seemed to prefer their goddess's black stockings, often sneaking glances at the goddess's thighs, which made her feel a bit uncomfortable.
"That's not being handsy; that's normal friendly interaction. You're a maid, so a little physical interaction is nothing special."
"Ethan-sama, did you forget that I used to be a 'member' of Ishtar Familia~"
Her words left him speechless.
Although Haruhime somehow miraculously remained pure in such a filthy place, she had also been taught by her 'seniors' in Ishtar Familia on how to please men, including what men liked to see the most.
"Cough, cough, that's..."
Suddenly, Ethan was at a loss for words; he found it very embarrassing to be caught taking advantage and being exposed in person.
Moreover, why hadn't she said anything for several days before? It had been so long, and now she was bringing this topic up.
"Hmph~"
Looking at Ethan, who remained silent, Haruhime didn't continue speaking.
Instead, she took out all the food from her lunch box.
"That, Haruhime, actually, there's something I've never told you."
"Um?"
Ethan's sudden change of topic caught Haruhime off guard, leaving her somewhat unable to react.
"Wh-what is that~"
Haruhime's voice trembled slightly. In fact, there was always a thorn in her heart.
It was her past. Being a former 'prostitute,' she felt content just being by Ethan's side.
Though sometimes she would show a little temper like now, deep down, she had low self-esteem.
Because she thought she was no longer 'pure,' did she really deserve to be by his side?
The longer she spent with him, the more she realized his strength and mystery, almost like a hero out of storybooks, and she was nothing but an 'unclean person' he saved.
Is she really qualified to be by his side? She always doubted herself.
The Far East values purity too much, especially for nobles, making the Renard, who grew up there, feel that she was not worthy of standing by his side.
"Actually, whether you wear white stockings or not, it doesn't matter. In fact, I prefer your beautiful legs just the way they are."
Saying so, he reached out his hand towards the hem of Haruhime's skirt, extending his sinful hand.
"Ah!"
'Snap—'
In that instant, Haruhime felt electrified, her body tingling as his hand touched her thigh.
Out of a woman's modesty and shyness, she turned and slapped Ethan in the face with a backhand.
"Uh—"
Ethan was stunned.
He had taken advantage of Haruhime before, even more so than this time, yet she hadn't reacted as intensely before. Why was her reaction so strong now?
Haruhime, on the other hand, was in a panic.
How could she have struck someone, and moreover, it was Ethan-sama she had hit.
She had gone too far and crossed the line.
"Ethan-sama, are you alright?"
Regaining her senses, Haruhime hurriedly asked.
In Orario, when a man is slapped by a woman, it is definitely considered an insult.
"Haruhime, you've hurt me deeply."
Seeing the flustered look on her face, Ethan instinctively wanted to tease this lewd Renard.
"Ah? Ethan-sama, please don't be angry, I didn't mean to attack you. If you're angry, you can hit back, I really didn't do it on purpose."
Ethan's feigned dissatisfaction immediately made the golden-haired Renard panicked; she was even close to crying.
Ethan then realized that he might have genuinely scared the fox-eared maid.
"Haruhime, don't cry, I'm not angry, I was just joking."
"Really?"
Her eyes, misty with tears, were filled with hopeful anticipation.
"Really, if anyone is at fault, it's me. How could it possibly be my Haruhime's fault?"
"Who~, who's yours~"
From sorrow to joy, the fox-eared maid before him showcased how quickly emotions can shift.
Tears were nearly falling, yet her cheeks displayed a bashful expression.
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