[Chapter 128: Moving In]
After a brief moment of confusion, Francia reacted. She propped herself up on her hands, sat up, and immediately glanced toward the storeroom. The terrifying figure was gone.
A wave of relief washed over her, and she asked, "Mr. Cross, that..."
Daniel replied, "It ran away."
"Ran..." Francia's smile faded. "Will it come back for me?"
"I'm not sure," Daniel said.
"Ah?" Francia panicked. "What should I do then?"
"From now on, you have to stay by my side at all times. In case it shows up again and tries to kill you."
Daniel still wanted to avoid watching that videotape as much as possible. That way, Samora wouldn't be able to attack him.
Samora and Sadako both have the same deadly abilities, they could make a person's heart stop without warning.
Ordinary people were defenseless against this. Francia could only hold on thanks to the Seals Daniel had given her.
Daniel couldn't just grit his teeth and endure it, either. He had to rely on external help, prayer seals and other magical artifacts, the Golden Aegis Rite, or even using Rite of Divine Empowerment.
Though he had many ways to fight back, Samora's powers went beyond just that ability.
Just now, her fierce roar when injured had already given Daniel a pounding headache, that was a clear warning.
Francia asked, "What about school?"
"Take a leave of absence. Surviving comes first."
She responded with a blank "Oh," nodding.
Daniel thought this girl was a little slow, always missing the point. She was about to die, and yet she worried about her schoolwork.
"Ah!"
Suddenly, Francia screamed, pressing her body down and covering herself with both hands. Her face flushed red with embarrassment and shame.
Only then did she realize she'd peed herself from fright.
"Mr. Cross... Mr. Cross..." her voice barely more than a whisper, soft as a mosquito's buzz. "Can... can you lend me a pair of pants?"
Daniel waved his hand, and a pair of women's pants appeared.
They were prepared for Megan.
Megan, perhaps because she had been repressed for so long, was a bit wild in bed. She'd torn Daniel's clothes and pants before, her own, too. So Daniel always kept extra clothes ready, just in case.
Francia stared at the pants in Daniel's hand, her face full of surprise. Then she looked at him, searching his expression with a strange glance.
Daniel said, "Don't read too much into it. These are for my girlfriend. They might be a little long on you, but they'll do."
"Oh." Francia took them without much thought, then quietly asked, "Mr. Cross... Do you have underwear?"
Her voice was barely audible.
If Daniel's hearing hadn't been sharp, he might've missed it.
"I do," Daniel answered. "I have them too."
"Oh." She repeated, still blank, but looking at him with a curious glint.
After all, for someone to carry his girlfriend's pants and underwear around, it did seem a little odd.
Even if he conjured them on the spot, they had to be stored somewhere on his person before that, right?
"Don't overthink it. Change quickly."
Daniel turned his back.
Francia knew he wasn't leaving because he was worried the terrifying entity would reappear. So she swallowed her embarrassment and coyness and began to change.
After some rustling, she said, "I'm ready, Mr. Cross."
Daniel turned and saw she had indeed changed.
The pants prepared for Megan fit snugly around her waist but were a bit long in the legs. She rolled up the cuffs a few times, which worked just fine.
Holding the pants folded into a bundle, she glanced around the room as if looking for a bag.
Daniel waved his hand, and a bag appeared. "Use this to put your clothes in."
Daniel's System space held all sorts of odds and ends, always ready for unexpected needs.
"Let's go."
...
Daniel took Francia to his home.
She looked around, her eyes betraying a hint of envy, though she said nothing, just quietly took it all in.
Daniel considered for a moment and arranged for Francia's room to be next to his own.
"Keep these Seals safe," he told her, handing over more seals. "If that thing shows up again, they'll hold it off long enough for you to call for help and for me to get here."
Each Seal was worth $100,000, so he was taking a pretty big hit this time.
But since they were hard to sell normally, thinking about it that way made him feel a little less bad.
Francia took them and gave her usual blank response: "Oh."
Daniel shook his head.
"There are fresh toiletries in the bathroom. Get some rest early."
"Oh," she said again, just as flat.
Daniel said no more and went to his own room.
To prevent accidents, he didn't fall into a deep sleep. He stayed alert through the night.
Nothing happened.
...
The next morning, Daniel checked the room next door.
The door was open, the room empty, and the bedding neatly arranged.
Downstairs, he heard clattering.
He went down and found Francia busy in the kitchen.
The living room had been completely tidied. What had been a mess was now neatly organized. The floors and tabletops were spotless.
What time did she get up to do all this?
Francia came out of the kitchen carrying two plates.
One held scrambled eggs and grilled sausages. The other, a few waffles.
"Mr. Cross, I saw these ingredients in your kitchen, so I used them. Sorry I didn't ask first."
Daniel waved it off. "It's fine."
He remembered the waffle maker had belonged to Kathy Lutz's family and was never really used.
The ingredients looked fresh, and since he sometimes cooked for himself, it was all good.
"Did you only make one serving?"
Francia's expression went blank again.
"I... I didn't pay you for the meal."
Daniel wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry.
"I already let you move in. Would I not feed you? All right, go make yourself another serving. That one's mine."
"Oh," she agreed, and a small smile appeared.
Francia was quick and efficient. In no time, she'd made an identical second plate.
Daniel tasted it, it was ordinary, nothing amazing, but good enough.
They were eating breakfast when the doorbell suddenly rang.
Very few people ever rang Daniel's doorbell, so he was curious.
He walked to the intercom and immediately froze, surprised.
'Why is she here?'
*****
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