After Mia and Eileen arrived, Ron took some time to show them all the plants—except for the puppet.
In the end, aside from some mild interest in the Heartvine—with its suction-cup-like ends—the only thing the two girls truly desired was the resin of the Spice Pine.
Truth be told, both of them were top-tier beauties. In terms of looks alone, the noble ladies Soren usually associated with couldn't even compare.
If it were just about skincare, the palace already had plenty of excellent products.
But slowing aging? That struck directly at a girl's heart.
After making their choice, Ron was no longer needed. Nora and Yuna took out the resin and personally applied facial masks for Mia and Eileen.
Then the four of them simply went up to the third-floor mahjong room to play God of War while waiting for the masks to be absorbed.
Ron smiled, shook his head, and headed to the fourth-floor kitchen, planning to personally cook dinner for the two guests.
"Nora, my brother's treating you well, right? If he ever bullies you, just tell me—I'll bully him back for you~" Mia winked playfully.
"The boss treats me very well…" Nora replied softly, her eyes focused on her tiles as she thought about her next move.
Yuna watched the three of them with an amused expression.
Most of the time, it was Princess Mia leading the conversation, with Nora quietly responding now and then.
The elegant and reserved Eileen rarely spoke, only replying when Mia brought her into the conversation.
But throughout, Eileen had been observing Nora—clearly curious about what kind of girl had captured Ron's heart.
Logically speaking, even Yuna felt that Eileen was more suited to Ron's status, and the two of them clearly had mutual affection.
But emotionally, Yuna preferred the simple and endearing Nora. As a half-beastkin herself, she didn't care about Nora's lineage.
Sometimes, Yuna even felt the urge to tease such an adorable girl.
Since Ron had already made his choice, Yuna, as his "aunt," naturally supported him.
She just hoped he wouldn't turn into someone like Soren.
"Wow! My skin really feels more elastic!" Mia exclaimed in delight, touching her face after the resin had fully absorbed.
Eileen also gently touched her face, increasingly amazed by the resin's effects.
"If you want, after dinner you can try applying the resin over your whole body—it works really well," Nora suggested sincerely. "Or you can take some back and use it regularly."
After their afternoon of God of War—with Nora subtly feeding her tiles—Mia emerged as the biggest winner.
After enjoying Ron's dinner, the four girls went into a fourth-floor bedroom, locked the door, and refused to let Ron in.
They spread a large clean towel over the bed. Mia and Eileen removed their outer clothing and lay face down, resting their chins on their folded arms, quietly waiting for the full-body resin treatment.
Ron sat on the sofa, closing the system panel that had just issued a daily quest, looking slightly troubled.
Just imagining golden resin flowing over smooth skin, being evenly spread and reflecting a soft sheen…
Yeah, that was enough to make anyone restless.
While letting his thoughts wander, Ron also considered whether something like massage services might actually be worth promoting.
Mia and Eileen comfortably napped for one to two hours in the bedroom.
When they woke up, the resin had fully absorbed, leaving their skin even softer and smoother.
Ron escorted them out of the flower shop. Before they left, he gave them some resin and a few Heartvine plants. The two girls happily bid farewell and returned to the palace.
Late at night.
At the bedroom door, Ron and Nora shared a brief, warm embrace, said goodnight, and went to their respective rooms.
Not long after, a shadow seeped down from the ceiling of the master bedroom, gradually forming into Yuna—with her long legs and mature figure.
"What is it?" Ron asked, already grabbing her ankle this time to stop her from stepping on his stomach, sitting up.
Yuna sat down on the bed. Her snow-white fox ears twitched as she put on a mock-sorrowful expression. "I'm leaving."
"Oh."
"Hey! Heartless!" Yuna smacked his thigh.
"Got a mission? Where to?"
"It came in. Can't say what it is," Yuna shook her head. "But I can say where—the Dwarven Kingdom."
"When are you leaving?"
"Not decided. It's up to me—could be tonight, could be a few days later."
"Got it. I'm going to sleep, you should head back too."
"Ron!" Yuna glared at him. "Aren't you going to show some concern for your dear aunt? Didn't you say you'd give me something good before I leave?"
"Oh, that." Ron looked her up and down, recalling the investigation files Sylvie had given him. He sighed. "You've worked hard since coming here. Thanks."
"Wh-what's with that all of a sudden?" Yuna leaned back, looking suspicious.
"Just thanking you."
According to Sylvie's report, Yuna had indeed been a slave that Emperor André III purchased before ascending the throne, during the period when Ron's mother was most favored.
As for whether she truly had a deep connection with his mother, that remained unclear.
What was clear, however, was that since arriving at the flower shop, Yuna had quietly dealt with numerous spies and thwarted multiple assassination attempts targeting Ron.
Even the Church of the Goddess of Harvest — Hervesta had been working on similar efforts; otherwise, they might not have even noticed Yuna's actions.
"Ugh~" Yuna waved a hand in front of her nose. "Why are you suddenly being sentimental?"
Ron chuckled. "Still want that 'good thing'?"
"Of course I do! Hurry up and give it to me!"
"Alright, catch."
With a wave of his hand, a life-sized puppet—still in its blank form—appeared out of thin air, landing in Yuna's hands before dropping onto the bed.
The next moment, the puppet began transforming—its face, limbs, and form gradually shifting…
Until it became a replica of Yuna.
At first, she was simply curious, unsure what this doll was for.
But when the transformation finished, and she saw an identical version of herself lying there—
Her eyes widened in shock.
Then, hearing Ron swallow audibly beside her, she immediately realized something was very, very wrong.
"RON, YOU BIG PERVERT!!!"