The adorable song drew thunderous applause.
Anck-Su-Namun leaned against Imhotep, gazing tenderly at the soft girl on stage who was bowing to the crowd, her forehead gently rubbing against the man's chin.
"She's truly beautiful, isn't she?"
Imhotep was noncommittal.
It was hard for him to determine which side of Mori Tsukisa was real—this creature, a mixture of too much malice and mystery, always gave the man a certain spine-chilling prickle. Yet, as an Attendant, he respected her from the bottom of his heart and longed to protect her.
He knew this was the attraction of a higher being: she was compulsively drawing the surrounding creatures to kneel and submit.
Suddenly, Imhotep noticed that the aura of the lover in his arms was gradually becoming dangerous.
He looked up.
He saw that when Mori Tsukisa ran back on her tiptoes, she had brought a man with her.
"His name is Noguchi! Noguchi... what was it again?" The girl scratched her chin, slumped back into her seat, and then patted the spot next to her, telling the man to sit down: "I forgot."
"Noguchi Kaze." Noguchi Tadashi flashy and awkwardly brushed back his long, shiny black hair—to be honest, he had been frequenting bars for quite some time, and choosing this place today was purely accidental.
He never expected to see Mori Tsukisa here.
"Oh... Kaze?"
"A man like the wind." As a former member of the Special Operations Force, now following Tojo Aoi, Noguchi Tadashi really couldn't stand saying such awkward and embarrassing words.
If he had a choice, he would rather triple his daily training volume than do this...
What to do?
To complete the ritual, he had to perform everything exactly as his "My Lord" had taught him to attract those women... He didn't know if Lady Aoi was being serious or just playing a prank... Sigh, he didn't have a choice.
Although the possibility of it being a prank was ex—treme—ly high.
But Noguchi Tadashi still held onto a final sliver of hope for Tojo Aoi's "conscience"... Young, capable, and beautiful Lady Aoi, you wouldn't do this just for fun... right?
"Aiya, Mr. Noguchi, regarding your question just now, I think it's best to ask Anck-Su-Namun." Mori Tsukisa naturally recognized Noguchi Tadashi. She didn't have the slightest ill will toward this man who followed Tojo Aoi, whether it was because "love me, love my dog" or simply "love me, love my dog."
Or perhaps it really was just "love me, love my dog."
The man looked awkwardly at Mori Tsukisa, then at the woman snuggling in Imhotep's arms, scratching his head. "Um... don't misunderstand, this—Father?"
Noguchi Tadashi pretended not to know Mori Tsukisa, but the girl looked at Anck-Su-Namun's "hills" and then down at her own "Mount Everest"—covering her mouth. "Ha (mgh) ha (mgh), Mr. Noguchi, do you think it's a good or bad thing that I didn't inherit 'Mama's' genes?"
Noguchi Tadashi, unable to say anything, looked even more awkward.
"Eh, you're so introverted, how are you going to get girls to like you?"
The girl waved her hand at Anck-Su-Namun, whose gaze was becoming increasingly dangerous, and recounted what had just happened:
Mr. Noguchi, who didn't know how to use his own good looks, had just stood like a Soldier with his hands flat against his trouser seams, staring solemnly at a beautifully dressed girl near the stage, saying word by word:
"You are very beautiful. What do you think of me?"
What a total idiot.
Mori Tsukisa's eyes said as much, and so did her mouth. Consequently, the stern-faced "Soldier" immediately deflated, turning around to pour out his heart to Mori Tsukisa with a bitter smile... Of course, he certainly couldn't mention the ritual.
'I just want to find a girlfriend, it's too hard!'
—Finding young girls to fill the numbers, as long as he could ensure those naive young ladies maintained a brief period of "love," it would be enough.
Noguchi Tadashi was planning exactly that; after all, he was only acting for the sake of "love." He didn't really want to go around touching girls' bodies just for the ritual. At least... for now, well, it wasn't going very smoothly.
Anck-Su-Namun finally understood. She leaned back into Imhotep's arms with a low laugh, her index finger on the table quietly pointing to the other side. "Mr. Noguchi, you should learn from that one..."
Which one?
Four pairs of eyes turned.
At another round table not far away, a man and a woman were flirting in low voices. Due to the distance and the music softening as midnight approached, the four—none of whom were ordinary people—easily overheard their conversation.
The woman had curly chestnut hair and wore a low-cut long dress. On her left wrist was a black knotted cord ornament with a silver rabbit head dangling from the center.
Her dark, pointed high heels dangled from her toes, swaying back and forth, as she continuously teased the man in front of her who was also out for fun.
"...It's getting late."
"Indeed, so..."
"Miss Rabbit has to go home."
The man was a bit frustrated. He rolled up his sleeves and poured himself another glass of wine. "Can I have your..."
"Contact info?" The woman raised an eyebrow, her crimson lip gloss pursed. She reached out, picked up the wine glass in front of the man, and drained it in one gulp. "Of course, no problem... when you walk me home later."
She smiled, her eyes crinkling. "You'll get to know the layout of my home, right?"
"For example, where the wardrobe is, where the..."
The implication was crystal clear. Over here, Noguchi Tadashi almost wanted to kneel before the lady calling herself Miss Rabbit.
"Poor cub, just how long have you been hanging around bars?" Mori Tsukisa sighed, crossing her arms. "What a waste of that face."
Hearing his Lady Witch's high praise, Imhotep shot an inconspicuous glance at Noguchi Tadashi—only to be caught red-handed by the woman in his arms, who covered her mouth and giggled incessantly.
Meanwhile, the conversation on the other side continued.
"Then... before we leave, let's make a bet," Miss Rabbit said mysteriously.
Despite the strange and nonsensical interjection, the man in front of the woman didn't notice anything wrong. Perhaps it was because a room with a wardrobe must have a bed, or perhaps it was something else that sparked his imagination; he swallowed hard, his throat dry, and leaned forward.
The man asked hoarsely, "Bet on what?"
"Bet..." The chestnut-haired woman thought for a moment, her eyes wandering over the man's collarbones. "Let's bet on how many tongues you have."
What kind of bet was that?
"I bet on one." After saying that, the woman propped up her face and waited quietly for an answer.
The man laughed. "If I bet on two and lose...?"
"If you lose, you have to take Miss Rabbit home."
"And if I win?"
"The reward is a cup of coffee at Miss Rabbit's house."
Realizing this was another flirtation, the man relaxed and tugged at his shirt collar. He leaned back in his chair, opened his mouth, and pointed to himself with deep meaning. "You can take a close look."
As soon as he finished speaking, the chestnut-haired woman immediately snapped her fingers with a 'pah' and ended the topic with a grin. "So, you lost."
"That's right, I lost."
Mori Tsukisa yawned and picked up her small handbag. "It's too late. What follows will be R-rated scenes. I'm going home."
Noguchi Tadashi also stood up, nodding to Imhotep and Anck-Su-Namun. "Your daughter is very cute and sings beautifully. You and your wife are also a great match. Sorry for the intrusion today."
He bowed and turned to leave.
Anck-Su-Namun was met with Mori Tsukisa's smiling face.
"Mama?"
Imhotep's mouth twitched.
He knew exactly what Mori Tsukisa's "Mama" was.
Stop talking nonsense, Lady Witch.
---------------------------------
I hope you enjoy this fanfiction! If you're having fun and want to read 30 chapters in advance, feel free to check out my Patreon: patreon.com/TLScarlet
Your support means a lot so if you like the story, don't forget to drop a Power Stone.