16 CHAPTER 16: Cats and Dogs

"And if you use this equation to find this variable, you will be able to find the answer, Amane"

"Oh! I get it now! Thanks, Leon!"

"Anytime"

"..."

Inside the communal learning area of the cream school, a peculiar group of three people could be seen to have been gathered. Their presence captured the eyes of many as they worked through study books and discussed various lessons.

The first most people would have noticed would be the prince of the cram school, Leon Greenfield. A highly desired person among all the people who studied within the school's premises.

The second would then be the young man's frightening personal maid, Anastasia Romanov. A pale white beauty who stood guard of her Young Master from being approached by any woman with the guts to even consider such a thing.

The last person came as a shocker to all the students as she arrived at the cram school because she was scarily different from how she appeared previously. The sole heiress to the feared Azuma Security Group. Azuma Amane.

Before, she appeared very meek and reserved. With hair tied up into a braid, thick-rimmed glasses that hid her eyes, and a humble choice of attire, she was mostly regarded the same way one might look upon a declawed cat. 

But in just a single night, the young girl turned her image around. Now she no longer appeared to be the same person. 

Her once braided hair was now left to flow freely in the wind as if it were a veil weaved from the night sky itself. Long and silky smooth with not a single stray hair to be seen.

Her glasses had been thrown away, giving way for her blood-red eyes to shine without inhibition. Striking a sense of intimidation and exotic admiration at their hue.

Most of all, where she once wore unassuming clothes, she could now be seen wearing a rather trendy outfit composed of a red shirt dress tied with a belt by the waist, black leggings to cover her legs, and topped off with some stylish brown boots.

She wore her new identity with confidence. The change in her image alone would be enough to bring shock and awe to many students, but what surprised them all the most was the fact she somehow befriended Leon out of nowhere.

'That shy girl Amane is now like this?! And she's also friends with Leon Greenfield?!'

'Is it true then that boys like bad girls?! I thought that was just a joke…maybe I should look into how to look more badass…'

'I'm so jealous of Amane! I would pay a fortune to be personally tutored by Leon so intimately! It's the fantasy of every studying-obsessed student to be taught by a hot teacher!''

'Hey! Why isn't that maid doing anything?! Your Young Master is about to be devoured by a villainess of the Azuma family!'

As the crowd of onlookers spoke loudly in their hearts, too afraid to speak against the daughter of Azuma, Amane felt a cheeky grin grow across her cheek as she established her position as close to Leon.

Turning her eyes away from them, her gaze met with Anastasia's, the young maid narrowing her eyes in disgust at her as she sat quietly by Leon's side.

As the young man went through the study book to find a new set of problems they could use for their group study session, Amane and Anastasia began to emit malicious glares at one another.

As with cats and dogs, the Azuma and Romanovs could never get along. Their groups were each other's competition for many years following the disappearance of men all over the world.

Their missions would often come into conflict with one another, and when they did not, they would usually fight to the bone to secure a contract from the other.

And now that the talented heiresses of the two groups grew in interest in the same man, it was inevitable for them both to react violently.

'Bitch dog'

'Pussy cat'

As sparks were about to manifest from the sheer hatred the two of them felt for one another, and as the crowd grew nervous as the ticking time bomb that was just waiting to explode, as if used to their antics, Leon defused the situation with a couple of words.

"Ana, no holding hands for two days. Amane, no snack outing for two days"

"Young Master?!"

"Leon?!"

With calm eyes that didn't seem to be fueled by emotion, Leon spoke with a calm cadence as he continued to flip through the pages of the study book.

"I told you two to get along, didn't I?"

"Yes, but the Young Master shouldn't associate with brutes like the Azumas! This humble maid simply fears they might influence the Young Master poorly!"

"Shut up! Leon, the maids of the Continental would rather treat you like a bird in a gilded cage than be an actual free person! I'm just worried this mutt can't think straight!"

"Barbarian Azuma!"

"Stuck-up Romanov!"

As the two fierce women stood up from their chairs with their first balled tightly, their burning hearts were dowsed in a chilling shower of cold water as Leon looked at them both with disappointed eyes.

"Three days punishment"

"Ugh-"

"Guh-"

"Sit down and behave. This is the fifth time today. I don't want this to continue any further"

"Yes, Young Master…"

"Okay, Leon…"

With the two frightening figures pacified by the weight of the young man's words, Leon began to form a new impression of himself among the crowd of women.

On top of his image as a king and prince-like person, he would now be remembered for possessing a cold and cruel side as well. Something that excited many of the observers due to the gap between the two.

…

..

.

"..."

"..."

As the day slowly came to a close, Leon, Anastasia, and Amane walked quietly with one another to exit the cram school.

Unable to take the silence any longer, Leon decided to give the two sulking girls beside him a form of concession despite his words earlier.

As much as he wanted to set an example to not make them both fight one another so openly, it could also be seen as too much of a punishment to extend days for a single fault.

'The punishments I usually handed in my past life were either death or a permanent form of torture, so I thought I was being generous enough reducing it down to a couple of days…'

Taking a mental note of this down in his mind, Leon turned his head to the depressed Anastasia and Amane whose heads hung low and their eyes darkened greatly.

Feeling a pang of guilt strike his heart, he simply drew a breath before turning his head back forward and speaking softly to hint that he was not angry at them both anymore.

"Amane, let's eat up to refresh our minds after that study session. And Ana, can you lead us to a good place?"

"!!"

"!!"

Perking up brightly to the point that it wouldn't be odd to see a pair of excited waggling tails and perked-up ears, Anastasia and Amane were quick to respond to the first sign of Leon having forgiven them.

"O-Of course! You must be really tired, Leon, so let me pay for the food this time!"

"A-As you wish, Young Master! This humble maid of yours will quickly identify the best establishment to fit your needs…though Miss Azuma needn't cover the bill"

"Hah? Of course, I'm paying! It's a woman's duty to look after a man! The Azumas are extremely capable!"

"The Continental is more than sufficient in caring for Young Master Leon. I'm simply telling you that you're assistance isn't necessary, Miss Azuma"

"It's Leon who wished for me to accompany him. Don't tell me a maid is speaking for her Young Master without his knowledge? My, how unprofessional you are, Romanov"

As sparks manifested from their heated exchange of glares, the two girls' bodies shivered as they realized Leon was looking at them both with the familiar cold stare they received from him all day.

As they both grew quiet, a small smile crept on Leon's face. As he saw the two of them fight with high emotions, he realized he much preferred them like this than to be servile and obedient like past life's underlings.

"As long as you don't shout in public or cause a nuisance, I won't say anything"

"!!"

"!!"

Perking up like a pair of pets having gained permission from their owner to do what they wanted, Anastasia and Amane quickly resumed their silent staring contest. All the while keeping track of Leon and making sure nothing bad ever happened to him.

Seeing the two of them fight over petty things so seriously, the young man felt his inner old man come out as he sighed and whispered in his mind the fascinating way young people lived their lives.

'How beautiful youth is'

…

..

.

"Young Master Leon, the Madame called me and said she will be here to pick you up soon. She has gotten a free moment in her schedule and wanted to escort you home"

"Hm? Mom? She shouldn't be so pressed to bring me home. The cram school is in the opposite direction of her office. She's been really tired lately…"

"It is simply the Madame's wish to show her affection for you, Young Master. It eases her heart to be close to you"

"If you say so. But when we get home, I'm making sure all she's doing at home is resting. Help me cook some curry for dinner, Ana"

"Hm?! Leon, you cook?!"

Standing by a street corner, Leon, Anastasia, and Amane were resting idly as they digested the food they ate together at a nearby restaurant.

Glossing over the usual reactions of women looking upon their group with shock, envy, and longing, the three of them were now basking in the sky that was a mix of light blue and yellow-orange. 

Hearing the conversations between Leon and Anastasia, Amane grew envious at how they were able to so easily talk with one another.

The young girl was still quite new to socializing so she was unsure how she could jump in and join the conversation, but her shock at the revelation that Leon was able to cook made her barge in the interaction with little hesitation.

"Yeah, I cook on occasion. Though I am nowhere as good as my Mom or Ana. I can only whip up a few simple dishes"

"For real…"

Hearing Leon speak lowly of his skills, Amane still struggled to process all of the information she received. Receiving handmade food from a man was something that she thought only existed in the world of shoujo mangas and romcom light novels.

Never before had she seen a man be so proactive as to cook for another person, though it might Amane conjectured it might just be because she had little experience with men in the first place.

"Huhu, do you now understand the greatness of Young Master Leon, Azuma? I will look over your transgressions if you decide to crawl away in fear of the Young Master's blinding radiance. Such is the magnanimity the Romanov family is known for"

Gloating with a smug expression on her face, Anastasia looked down upon Amane who was recoiling from realizing how different Leon was from other men. But instead of cowering in fear, she simply stood her ground and fought back.

"I understand just how great Leon is, Romanov. And don't act like you're above being surprised. I'm sure you were acting like a nervous and bumbling fool when you first met Leon yourself!"

"I did not-"

"Ana was quite nervous when we first met. She bowed to me with her head on the floor after she gave me a cup of water. It was quite surprising to see"

"Young Master-"

"Hah! Bowing on the floor? What are you? A desperate woman who wanted male attention that she begged for it? As expected of the cosplaying family of Romanov"

"S-Shut up, brute! At least I didn't run away from my family like a coward! Then again, I would definitely try to escape if I had to be a part of your gathering of muscle-brained idiots!"

"W-We're not muscle-brained idiots! At least we aren't some elitist freaks who flaunt their kink for domination under the guise of elegance! Den of perverts!"

"Rat eater!"

"Snow pugs!"

Standing amazed at how easily Anastasia and Amane were able to fall into a heated argument, Leon felt a desire to record this moment.

He had been exploring how he could use his smartphone for the last few days, and he recently started exploring social media like Instagram and Twitter. 

Wanting to take part in the past time of recording memories and posting them online, he had made an account, but he had yet to post anything himself.

So, wanting to save this moment with his two friends after cram school, he opened his phone's camera, extended his arms, and called on the two girls to gather their attention on him.

"Ana! Amane!"

"Yes?"

"Leon?"

𝘾𝙇𝙄𝘾𝙆

With a simple tap of his screen, a shutter sound played through his phone before capturing the moment into a picture saved on his phone.

Due to the high-quality camera on the phone, his mother gave him, Leon was able to see that the quality of the image was extremely close to reality. 

Capturing his smile and expression, but more importantly, the shocked faces of Anastasia and Amane as they fought one another and faced the camera.

"Good. Do you two mind if I post this on my socials?"

"Ah?! Young Master, it would be better if you took another photo! I look to sloven in this one!"

"That's right! Better yet! Allow us to take a photo of you! I'm sure it would be better if we two weren't in the shot!"

Hearing Amane's suggestion, Anastasia reluctantly turned her head to her in surprise that a child of Azuma could think of such a great idea.

But their pleas were instantly rejected as Leon looked fondly at the photo. His following words silenced any further opposition.

"I want to post a photo with the people I care about, and you two look cute in this photo, don't worry about if you look bad"

"Cute?!"

"Hawa?!"

Stunned by his sudden heartfelt compliment, the two girls couldn't conjure any word in response as Leon's words echoed in their heads like a broken record.

『You two look cute…look cute…cute…』

Feeling blood rushing to their heads as they blushed profusely, Anastasia and Amane began to whisper with one another as Leon hummed amusedly as he prepared to post his first photo onto social media.

"Oi, Romanov"

"Hah? What do you want, Azuma?"

"...Leon is just a big target for danger, isn't he?"

"...I cannot deny that the Young Master is a magnet for attention"

Men were very rare in this world. Simply being able to breathe the same air as one was seen as an immense blessing for the abundant number of women in the world, no matter how cruelly or coldly they were treated.

So if a kind and accepting man like Leon were to be exposed to a crowd of desperate women who believed he would accept them no matter what, Anastasia and Amane knew it was bound to stir up trouble of massive proportions.

Acknowledging this horrible potential scenario, the young heiress and lioness of the Azuma family reached out to the child of her family's rival. All in cooperation for a single goal.

"Look, Romanov. Whether you like it or not, I'm now connected with Leon. Pushing me away will only cause him to hate you, right?"

"...Yes"

"So, though we can't always see eye to eye, wouldn't it be better for the both of us to work together to protect him? If our two families joined forces, Leon would be immune from any threat"

"..."

"This is not the time for pride, Romanov! You maid value your master above all else, right? So show that to me"

"...Fine. But stop calling me Romanov. If we're going to be working together, some semblance of professionalism has to be maintained"

"Alright…but you call me by my name first"

"Hah? You were the one that barged into my happy serene life with the Young Master and his mother! Why should I be the one to go first!"

"Weren't you the one who made him angry first?! Be the bigger woman here!!"

After a bit of back and forth, they eventually settled to start their secret alliance by calling each other by their given name at the same time.

With expressions of embarrassment, the two girls faced one another as they prepared to do something they were extremely reluctant to do.

"Anastasia…"

"Amane…"

As their cheeks began to brighten in frustration and embarrassment, their emotions were elevated as they heard familiar sounds ring out.

𝘾𝙇𝙄𝘾𝙆

"You two look so cute together"

Turning their heads quickly, the pair were met once again with the sight of Leon using his phone to capture photos.

But rather than a group selfie, this time it was a shot of them both talking with one another peacefully. Leon grinned constantly as he reviewed the photo in satisfaction.

"Young Master!"

"Leon!"

Anastasia and Amane were quick to try and beg the young man to delete the photo, but he valued it too much to ever consider throwing it away.

"Why? You two complement each other so well! Don't you guys look like sisters?"

With Anastasia's white hair and blue eyes, and Amane's black hair and red eyes, Leon thought it wouldn't be outside the realm of possibility if someone were to call them fraternal twins.

They were the same age and roughly the same height and body proportions, so it was plausible to assume as such. But the two in question refuted it with all their souls.

"I would never be this idiot's sister!"

"Of course! I could never stand the thought of being sisters with a Romanov!"

But as they bickered and fought with no boundaries, it only reinforced the idea of the two being sisters even further in Leon's mind.

In a good mood and not wanting to disturb other people nearby with Anastasia and Amane's shouting, the young man held both of their hands as he directed his shining green eyes on them both. Speaking softly and sensually.

"I like seeing my two friends getting along…you two are getting along, right? Ana. Amane."

If punishing their bad behavior wasn't a good route, Leon would instead reward good behavior. Thinking as such, he decided to try it out with a casual compliment, but it would seem that he had a habit of overshooting his estimates by a wide margin.

"Young Master?..."

"Leon?..."

With his eyes narrowed suggestively, his lips parting sensually, his voice carried in the wind tenderly, and his hands gently grabbing theirs, it was the perfect mixture of expressions that would drive any woman in this world wild.

Their faces grew hot as blood rushed in to express their fluster, but the heat in their bodies didn't just gather there. Deep down, in their lower stomachs, a pulsing sensation began to strike at their minds.

A great flow of blood awakens a biological system that responds to their desires. A contracting and tightening of muscles began to give way to a pleasant sensation. 

It ached. It pulsed. And most of all, it hungered. Hungered for the young man in front of them both to satiate their growing desire.

'Get a grip on yourself, Anastasia!'

'Calm your mind, Amane!'

The two girls struggled to reign in the desires that had begun to flood out. Anastasia knew that Leon wasn't looking for love, and Amane only wished to continue having Leon as her friend.

But it would seem that no matter how hard one tried, the longing of one person for another was a desire that was too potent to be diluted.

'Young Master has filled out his clothes rather nicely as he continued to exercise…'

Moving her blue eyes across Leon's body, Anastasia noted how he had begun to appear more full in terms of his muscle mass. 

Though it wasn't robust and bursting out of his clothes, it was a subtle allure that greatly fascinated the young maid. The veil between skinny and muscular only serves to enhance her curiosity and thus her desire.

'Leon is quite weird. Despite being a man, he seems to be quite capable…and quite strong as well…'

Similar to Anastasia, Amane began to eye up Leon as well. As a child of Azuma, she greatly valued a person's ability to fight and defend themselves.

This proved true for her late father as well, as her father proved to be a competent fighter despite what many would assume from his being a man.

So, seeing Leon's physique and remembering the small instances where he displayed his prowess, Amane's inherited attraction to a strong partner began to awaken.

'What if the Young Master were to order me to be ravished by him? Oh, how I would faithfully follow that order…'

'I could spar with Leon. Practice our grappling techniques with one another. Run my hand across his body to perform different maneuvers. How long would the match go on?…'

Their breathing began to hasten as their hands began to involuntarily tighten around Leon's. Just as they were about to lose it, they both caught the other in the corner of their eyes.

With their hatred of the other still being present, Anastasia and Amane were able to hold themselves back from crossing a line they could never return from. Quickly nodding to the young man's words before distancing themselves a bit from him.

"Hm?"

Unaware of what he had caused, Leon grew confused as to why they backed off so much, but before he could reach his own conclusions as to why it happened, Anastasia and Amane were currently berating themselves.

Berating themselves because they almost pushed their desires on the man they wanted to protect, but more than that, because they grew a desire that they wished hadn't sprouted in the deep recesses of their minds.

" " WHY DID I THINK OF HAVING A THREESOME WHEN I LOOKED AT AMANE/ANASTASIA?! " "

Perhaps it was a result of them both seeing the other while riled up. Or perhaps because of their recent alliance, both viewed the two of them as the only ones who could have their way with Leon if they wanted due to their capabilities.

Whatever it was, the girls scrunched their faces up in embarrassment and regret…because for a moment…no matter how brief it was…they both were slightly turned on by the idea.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!-"

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!-"

"Huh?!"

With great confusion, Leon simply decided to leave the two girls alone to deal with their problems by themselves.

No matter how much he wished to help, it would seem he didn't understand enough of the women in the world to help them with anything they might be troubled with.

But there would come a time when he would come to learn of the truth of what transpired this day, but that day was far in the future. For now, the affairs of adults would not yet open themselves to the three of them. 

…

..

.

"UWAAA!! MOM WANTS TO TAKE A PICTURE WITH LEON TOO!!"

"S-Sure Mom! No problem!"

"AND YOU, CAT OF AZUMA!! I DON'T WANT TO CATCH YOU DOING ANYTHING TO MY PRECIOUS SON!!"

'Y-Yes, Chief Prosecutor!"

"AND ANASTASIA. THOUGH I'M FINE WITH LEON APPROACHING OTHER GIRLS, I EXPECT YOU TO SAFEGUARD HIM FROM ANY VILLAINESSES, ALRIGHT?!"

"U-Understood, Madame!"

After the chaos of the situation earlier subsided, it was only replaced by a stronger more potent chaos in the form of Ada Greenfield who arrived at the scene in her luxury sedan.

Her attire of a black suit, white under blouse, and pencil skirt with heels quickly inspired intimidation and admiration.

Her long blonder hair that was fashioned into a bun, and her green eyes that were hidden behind a pair of sunglasses made her emit an allure of maturity and competence.

But that image was quickly shattered as she fawned over Leon, grew wary of Amane, and chastised Anastasia.

Perhaps it was a result of her unloading all the stress she had accumulated for work, or maybe it was because of her lack of screen time in recent chapters. 

Whatever the case may be, Leon was busy trying to console his mother from acting like a vicious animal in public. Lest it affect her career.

"Ah"

As he struggled to reign in Ada, Leon had an epiphany. The entire time he was managing the three women around him, he felt a familiar emotion course through his mind.

It alluded him until now from where it came, but the young man finally remembered where he felt such a feeling before.

'I remember feeling this way when I struggled to manage my territorial and possessive pets in my past life…'

Seeing his past life's dogs and cats fighting with one another through Ada, Anastasia, and Amane. Leon could only see as he wondered why the women in his current life acted this way around him.

…

..

.

"Young Miss, are you alright?"

"Hm?"

Inside a highly secure meeting room, a small group of formally dressed women expressed concern over a single person.

At a long pristine wooden table, seated at the front of it, was a young girl who was many years younger than the rest of the people in attendance.

Emilie Cromwell. Heiress of the Cromwell Group. A titan in the world of business, having hands in various fields and achieving great success wherever their money flowed.

Currently, she is participating in a meeting between the heads and directors of their advertising and marketing wing.

With her mother too busy with other matters, she was assigned to deal with their current issues. Despite her young age, she was well-trusted among the employees of the family for her business acumen and ruthless efficiency.

Massaging her forehead with her fingers, Emilie Cromwell sighed as she gathered enough strength to push through the last bit of decisions left in the meeting's itinerary.

"What is the last decision to be discussed?"

"Ah, allow me to explain, Young Miss"

With an office lady standing up near a large flat-screen television, various graphs and news headlines began to be shown. At the center of it all was a single photo. One showed a blonde man with two other girls.

"We have identified the elusive 'Prince of the Shopping District' as Leon Greenfield. With the posting of his personal photos online, he had begun to attract large media attention as his identity was finally revealed"

"With his impact debut at the Central Shopping District, along with some interspersed appearances in public following then, there are many women who wished to know who he was"

"It is the belief of the Advertising and Marketing Department that we must capitalize on this opportunity and recruit Leon Greenfield to our side before our competitors!"

With a determined expression, the office lady pleaded with Emilie to approve the plans to work with Leon Greenfield.

Having been handed a folder of documents, Emilie perused through the texts that had been articulated with much effort in a matter of seconds. 

Not because she was too lazy to read it all, but because it only took that long for her to grasp it fully. The contents of the documents are too rudimentary for her to be a challenge.

'Another marketing ploy by using a male heartthrob, huh?'

Despite the eagerness of the other women in the room at the thought they might be working with such a handsome young man, Emilie was devoid of glee and excitement.

It was common knowledge among businesses that having a man be associated with one's products or services would boost the effectiveness of their ads by a large margin.

Emilie was quite used to meeting handsome men in their company's various ad campaigns and marketing ploys, and because of that, she had quickly grown disillusioned by the allure of men as a whole.

'They're either too reserved to form any meaningful connection, or too arrogant to even speak as equals. Why should I be excited at the thought of possibly getting close to such people?'

As the heiress to a massive fortune, Emilie was unlike most other women. She had received her fair share of adoration among men, and she had plenty of experience in interacting with them. But they didn't excite her heart at all.

Under her dark green eyes and red hair, there was a single thought that went through Emilie's mind as she watched her subordinates act stiff in excitement as they awaited her decision.

『Boring』

Perhaps it was expected of a young lady who had everything fed to her on a silver spoon, but Emilie Cromwell's heart didn't flutter for just anybody.

Born into a world of business and self-interest, she absolutely loathed anything and anyone who had a mask of deceit and uttered hollow words.

So many times had she gotten close to a friend only to hear them spout insults of envy behind her back. 

So many times had she talked to a man only to realize they were after her wealth beauty and prestige, rather than her as a person.

In this world of black and white, Emilie grew bored of it all. The only time she ever smiled was when she abandoned the moniker as a daughter of Cromwell and took up the mantle of 『Freyja』

In the world of games, she could be anyone she wanted to be, and other people saw her as her genuine self rather than her business of pedigree.

"Heh…"

And if she were to pick someone she wanted to grow close to, it would have to be a certain person she met in one of the many games she played. 『Wild Hunt』

A beginner player to the game who was once respectful and mindful, but quickly grew brash and uncouth the more she came to know them.

A weirdo who used a voice changer and claimed to be a man constantly, despite no-lifing the game like a basement-dwelling neet. 

'How could a man ever act like that, you idiot?'

Smiling as she imagined how her friend would've reacted to her statement, Emilie greatly missed  『Wild Hunt』as they suddenly went offline months ago to deal with some personal issues.

'Was it because I was too harsh on them? Did they cut me off because they were hurt?'

Imagining such a scenario greatly displeased Emilie. Because she grew up being fed by a silver spoon, she wasn't easily swayed by most desires. But when something did reach her heart, she would desire it incessantly.

'Should I write up a proposal for a violent takeover of the company responsible for FF XIV? I could access their servers and retrieve『Wild Hunt』's personal information and apologize to them personally'

Breaching information privacy laws and business ethics was no matter for Emilie. Given enough money and lawyers, any problem can be eventually resolved.

But she quickly discarded the idea as simply one of her intrusive thoughts. Returning back to reality, she was met with the worried expressions of her subordinates, believing her long silence was an omen that their proposal would be rejected.

Sighing at their giddyness to work with any man, Emilie quickly approved the project, leading to a resounding cheer of success in the meeting room before it had spread to the office outside. It would seem many in the department greatly desired to work with Leon Greenfield.

"I promise you won't regret this decision, Young Miss!'

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Just get Leon Greenfield to accept working with us before Summer rolls around. We need to get the Summer fashion catalog out on shelves before August"

The proposal from the Advertising and Marketing Department was for Leon Greenfield to model the newest line of clothes the Cromwell Group would supply in their department stores along with appearing beside a retinue of their other soon-to-be-released products.

It was nothing new that they hadn't done before, it was simply different this time due to the model having some notoriety in the public without any formal entity backing them.

'Nothing new this time around either. This really is boring…'

…

..

.

Inside Emilie's room, she could be seen wearing some extremely casual attire which stood in contrast to her formal clothes from earlier.

With only a camisole and shorts donning her body, the young girl tiredly rested on her chair as she turned on her screen and game console.

Like always, she would be playing FF XIV and working through some of the content she hadn't yet completed.

She was psyching herself up for another few hours of failed runs of challenging raids and learning mechanics, but her attention was quickly diverted as she read a notification on her screen.

『Wild Hunt is now online』

"!!"

Before she could react, her hands already worked her controller to invite her friend to a private voice chat. 

With the sound of the voice chat connecting, Emilie grew tense with anxiety, something she hadn't felt when deciding the direction of an entire wing of her mega-corporation.

Eventually, the invitation was accepted and the voice she longed to hear again began to sound out in her ears.

"Yo, long time no talk Freyja!"

"..."

"Hm? Freyja? You there?"

"Idiot, why the hell have you been gone for so long?"

Bringing her knees close to her face, Emilie began to sulk as she asked why her friend had been gone for so long. Her face expressed an emotion the workers of the Cromwell Group would never expect to see.

"Like I said I had stuff to deal with"

"Stuff more important that you had to leave your friend?"

"Yeah?"

Hearing their response, Emilie frowned a bit more. She knew that friendships formed online were more prone to being lost. With the lack of physical interaction, there were fewer consequences of cutting other people off.

No matter how hard she tried, that fact always nipped at the back of her mind, making her doubt whether 『Wild Hunt』valued their bond as much as she did. Growing quiet, Emilie, for the first time in a while. Was at a loss for what to do.

"..."

"Geez, I missed you. You happy now, Freyja?"

"Heh. You still use a voice changer, weirdo?"

"LIKE I SAID. I'M A BOY. I'M A MALE. I HAVE A Y-CHROMOSOME"

"Whatever you say~"

"Aaa! I regret feeling sorry for you! Just meet up with me! I want to clear Alexandria Extreme!"

"Ehh? After being gone for so long? You'll have to learn the mechanics again, and I only have so much free time to spend"

"I'll just get another tank to join me if you can't be bothered-"

"Hmm? Another tank? Better than me? The number one ranked tank on our server? Really? People offer to pay me to join their raid parties you know?"

"I know…"

"Are you sure there'll be someone competent who would tolerate your abysmal skills with raid mechanics? After experiencing my skills, are you sure you'll be content with anyone else?"

"Guh…"

Hearing her friend struggle against the grip she had on them, Emilie's smile grew wide. Having the person she desired to go beyond her reach, only to toy with them when she returned, was the highest form of joy the young mistress came to learn of.

But it wasn't as if being a sadist to the people she cares about was her defining trait, it was merely a form of fun she partook in. If she was the one that dominant, or it was her friend, so long as it was them, Emilie didn't mind at all.

"I have some potions from the last time we planned to take on the raid. You know, before you left me without so much as an explanation~"

"Look, I said I'm sorry…and if you kept those old items when there are better ones in the new patch…that must mean you really care about me, huh?~"

Faced with her friend's counterattack, Emilie smiled. She quite enjoyed their dynamic where they weren't afraid to insult one another at any given opportunity.

She had an inkling desire to confess that she did care for them greatly. Whether they were a boy or a girl. Handsome or ugly. Healthy or sickly. No matter what or who they were, she wanted to declare that Emilie Cromwell desired them greatly.

But she didn't. Choosing to enjoy her friend's squirming once more. For old-time's sake, despite it only being a few months.

"Think of it as the kindness of this rank one tank, pitying a second expansion scrub who talked a big game and had nothing to back it up other than a history of fifty failed attempts at Alexandria Extreme"

"AAAAA!!! JUST READY UP, FREYJA!!!"

"Fufu~"

…

..

.

"Oh, I forgot to ask, why did you suddenly come back? Did you resolve the problem you had?"

"Not exactly. I was grounded by my Mom. I drew some attention to myself and now I'm grounded 'for my protection' they say"

"Oho? What kind of attention?"

"Social media attention. Though I'd rather not talk about it beyond that…I just wanted to post some photos, what's so wrong about that?"

"Hm?"

At her friend's words, Emilie felt two distance points in her mind beginning to connect, but it would not be long before they were completely connected. The connection between her online friend, and the trending young man her company was currently trying to recruit.