"It's really nice being cared for by you like this. Honestly, it's one of the reasons I wanted to take this job in the first place!"
Venus quietly wiped at the corner of her eye, her voice filled with emotion and relief.
"I'll keep your gift safe, but next time, let me prepare something for you too. And remember, always put your safety first when taking commissions, okay?"
Even while feeling touched, Venus still didn't forget to remind Wise to be more careful and not focus solely on work.
She repeated those words almost every time she handed him a commission, yet no matter how often he heard them, her concern never felt tiresome.
"Alright, I understand. So... should I head back and finish the commission now?"
"Don't work yourself so hard. There's still plenty of time before the client's deadline."
Venus smiled gently.
"Since the timing worked out so perfectly, why not relax for a bit and do something you actually enjoy~"
In Venus's opinion, people should work hard when necessary, but when it is time to rest, they should rest properly instead of drowning themselves in endless commissions.
"Hmm... okay. But since you're the one saying that, you should come with me too. Can you?"
"Eh? Well..."
She still had other commissions waiting to be sorted out once she got home. Still, with Wise inviting her so earnestly, refusing him felt a little too cruel.
'Maybe I should just agree. At worst, I'll stay up a little later tonight.'
After a moment of consideration, Venus finally nodded.
"Alright then. Where do you want to go?"
The moment she agreed, Wise suddenly felt a stab of guilt after catching a glimpse of her thoughts.
Maybe he was being a little shameless, but he couldn't bring himself to make a girl stay up late working overtime just to spend time with him.
"If possible... I'd actually like to watch you work."
"Eh? Watch me work?" Venus blinked in surprise.
"That's right. Miss Venus is hardworking, responsible, and reliable. I bet you look especially charming when you're focused on your work."
Wise immediately showered her with praise.
Faced with such a relentless barrage of compliments, Venus quickly gave in and agreed to take Wise back to her home, which was little more than a simple rented room.
The moment they stepped inside, a dog, a kitten, and a parrot immediately rushed toward Venus.
"Pika, Mochi, Emperor, have you all been good while I was away?"
A relaxed, genuine smile appeared on her face as she crouched down to pet the cat and dog while the parrot happily settled on her head.
After Venus introduced them, Wise learned that the dog's name was Pika, the kitten was Mochi, and the parrot was Emperor.
"I only really feel warmth and happiness when I come home and spend time with them..."
Of course, that was before she met Wise.
Venus quietly added those words in her heart instead of saying them aloud, stealing only a shy glance at him from the corner of her eye.
"My place is pretty simple, so I hope you don't mind. Go ahead and sit down. I'll get you something to drink."
Venus quickly walked off to look for teacups and a teapot while Wise sat on the sofa and quietly observed the room around him.
The rented room truly was simple. Although it had a separate bathroom, there wasn't a separate bedroom. The bed placed nearby made that obvious enough.
Even so, everything was kept impeccably neat. The blanket had been folded properly, and there weren't any clothes or personal items scattered around.
Even living alone, Venus kept the room remarkably tidy.
Wise reached out and gently petted the cat and dog beside him. Both little animals seemed to like him quite a lot, and even Emperor the parrot showed him an unusual amount of friendliness.
According to Venus, it was Mochi who had found Emperor injured on the windowsill and brought him back home.
For a bird and a cat to live together so peacefully without disaster striking at least once was honestly quite unusual.
Just as Wise was thinking about that, Venus returned with the tea she had prepared.
The moment she walked over, she noticed the three little animals surrounding Wise quite affectionately.
"It looks like they really like you," Venus said with a smile as she poured him a cup of tea.
Wise let out a soft chuckle and nodded.
"Yeah. For some reason, animals have always been fond of me."
After chatting for a bit longer, Venus finally started working.
Her main responsibility was sorting through commissions and assigning them to the appropriate Proxies under her management.
While watching her work, Wise also offered to help organize the commissions.
Seeing how eager he was, Venus eventually agreed.
At first, she assumed Wise was still a newcomer who probably didn't know much about handling this sort of work.
But after seeing the way he categorized and distributed the commissions, her impression of him immediately changed.
The experience he displayed was far beyond what any beginner should possess. If anything, he felt more like a seasoned veteran who had spent years navigating the Inter-Knot.
Of course, that was only natural.
After all, Wise had been a legendary Proxy for many years. Even from simply handling countless commissions, he had already learned many of the industry's unwritten rules.
And the result was...
"I really didn't expect you to be this capable too..." Venus lowered her head slightly. "Compared to you, I feel kind of useless..."
"Don't say that," Wise immediately replied.
Seeing her suddenly lose confidence, he quickly tried to reassure her.
He had only wanted to help her finish work faster and hadn't realized how overwhelming the gap in experience might appear from her perspective.
"Without you, a lot of beginner Proxies probably wouldn't even make it through their first stages. Miss Venus, you're already incredible."
Hearing his words, Venus seemed to relax a little.
Then she looked at him again, her eyes carrying a faint trace of hope and anticipation.
"Really?"
"Of course."
Wise nodded seriously.
"You're gentle, patient, and hardworking. Even though you already have so much work to deal with, you still take care of newcomers like us with a smile every single time. Honestly, not many people can do that."
As Wise continued speaking, Venus quietly pressed her lips together.
Her eyes trembled slightly, as though years of hard work and dedication had finally been recognized by someone.
"Thank you..." she said softly. "I feel a lot better now."
As she spoke, she gently wiped away the tears gathering at the corners of her eyes.
With Wise helping her, the rest of the work was finished far earlier than usual.
Compared to her normal schedule, she suddenly found herself with far more free time than expected.
"Wise, thank you for helping me today. If it weren't for you, I definitely wouldn't have finished everything this quickly."
Venus smiled warmly at him.
"As thanks, how about I treat you to dinner? It's almost time to eat, anyway."
"Alright."
Wise smiled back.
"But instead of eating outside... would it be possible for me to try your cooking, Miss Venus?"
"Eh?"
Venus froze for a moment, clearly surprised by his request.
After all, compared to eating in her small rented room, going somewhere nice would've obviously been the better choice.
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Zenless Zone Zero: The Almighty Incubus of Sixth Street
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