David stood tall at the doorway, his sharp eyes cutting into the room. The atmosphere instantly grew heavier.
Nathan swallowed hard, still lost. "...Who are you?"
David stepped in without an invitation, his presence pressing down like that of a seasoned warrior. His voice was low but steady.
"David. S-Rank Hunter from Bluefang Guild."
Nathan froze. S-Rank? Bluefang Guild? He barely even understood the outside world after escaping the Tower, and now standing before him was a real social monster—a top-class Hunter.
Before he could process, a familiar voice broke in.
"...David?"
Sophia, who had been sitting on the couch, shot up in surprise. Her breath hitched. "What are you doing here?"
David turned his head, his expression softening a little. "I’ve been investigating Nathan’s disappearance for a long ti."
Nathan blinked, his mind full of question marks. "You... investigated ? Why...?"
David held his gaze for a mont. But instead of answering, his eyes drifted—almost unconsciously—toward Validia and Sophia, both calmly sitting near Nathan. Two won, with such different auras, completely at ease around him.
Half curious, half envious, David thought: He’s chill with two girls like it’s nothing. ...Should I be learning from him instead?
"Nathan," Validia’s sharp tone snapped him back. Nathan noticed David zoning out and frowned.
"Oi, why’re you spacing out?"
David gave a faint smile, as if brushing away his own thoughts. He reached into his pocket and pulled out an elegant business card—stamped with a blue wolf fang logo.
"Take this. Co to the Bluefang headquarters with Sophia. Ulrich will definitely be glad to et you."
The card felt heavy in Nathan’s hand. But even heavier was the na David just dropped.
"...Ulrich?" Nathan repeated, eyes widening. That na wasn’t unfamiliar.
mories from the past hit him like a wave. Back then, when he was just a clueless idiot staring from afar, Ulrich was one of the Hunters he admired the most.
Nathan’s breath caught.
He... wants to et Ulrich?!
Nathan was still frozen, staring at the business card in his hand, his mind stuck on that one na—Ulrich.
David gave his shoulder a quick pat, his face slipping back into a mask of calm.
"Tomorrow or the day after... bring Sophia. We’ll talk more at the guild."
Without waiting for a reply, he turned on his heel.
"I’ll be leaving now."
His heavy steps echoed down the corridor, while Nathan stood at the doorway, with Validia and Sophia watching silently from inside.
---
Apartnt Stairwell
David drew in a deep breath as he descended, his boots striking steady against the concrete steps. But his mind was anything but calm.
Damn it... why do I feel jealous?
The image was still fresh: Nathan—the missing kid everyone thought was dead—now calmly sitting in his apartnt with two beautiful won. One radiating mystery, the other... Sophia herself.
David dragged a hand across his face roughly, shaking his head.
"This is stupid. Why the hell do I even care?" he muttered under his breath.
He stopped midway, gazing out the stairwell window at the burning evening sky. Sothing heavy coiled in his chest—but he crushed it with a single na.
Fiona.
His chest tightened, hardened with resolve. That was all that mattered. She was all that mattered.
Clenching his fist, he pushed forward down the stairs, eyes sharp.
"I already have Fiona. No... I need to make Fiona mine, completely."
----
The door shut. David’s footsteps faded down the hall, leaving the three of them in silence.
The air instantly grew awkward. Validia leaned lazily against the sofa, her half-lidded eyes glancing at Sophia like she was still debating whether to slice her neck or let her live. Sophia, on the other hand, sat stiff with her arms crossed, her face half-shadowed—yet her body was clearly... troubled.
The sweat from earlier had half-dried, but in the cramped apartnt, the scent grew heavier.
Nathan exhaled, massaging his temple. "Hhh... this is insane."
But instead, his nose picked up that faint trace of Sophia’s sweat.
In an instant, his head heated up. Tch... why does it sll almost like—
A rough mory smacked him in the brain. Caral-sweet. The scent of Domina—the bunny woman with caral tits who once trapped him in the Tower. Sweat mixed with sweetness, a dizzying perfu that made his head spin—half pleasant, half sickening.
Nathan swallowed hard, trying to push it away. But once a thought like that slipped in, it was impossible to erase.
Sophia noticed. Her eyes widened before her face turned bright red.
"Damn... I... I stink, don’t I?" she muttered, lowering her head, fingers fidgeting against her arm.
Validia turned, the corner of her lips curling ever so slightly.
"At least you’re aware," she said flatly, the mockery clear.
Sophia shot her a glare. "Shut up."
Nathan waved his hands quickly, desperate to stop his brain from getting fully triggered.
"Oi, oi, enough. Don’t start. It’s... already too much for one night."
Validia’s grin only widened, Sophia got even more flustered, and Nathan could only give a wry smile while holding his head like it was about to split open.
The tension thickened. Validia still wore that smug little smirk, while Sophia sat stiff, her face flushed red with the awareness of her sweat-soaked body.
Finally, Sophia shot up, grabbing her small bag.
"I... I should go. It doesn’t feel right to overstay."
Nathan raised an eyebrow. "Huh? Leave? Now?"
She kept her head lowered, but not before sneaking a half-sharp glance at him.
"We’ll see each other again tonight... at your house."
Nathan frowned. "My house? You an—"
"Yes. With your mom and Lily."
His chest froze for a second. What—the hell? She already t them?!
Still half-blushing, Sophia turned her face away.
"I’ve already gotten to know your family. So don’t act so surprised."
Validia’s eyes narrowed slightly, but Sophia quickly headed to the door.
"See you later, Nathan."
The door clicked shut, silence swallowing the apartnt once more.
Nathan stood there, dumbfounded, his brain completely lagging.
"She... knows my family? Since freaking when...?"
On the sofa, Validia scooped the last spoonful of yogurt into her mouth, her expression flat.
"Hmph. That woman... she’s more aggressive than I expected."
Validia set the empty spoon down on the table, her gaze still fixed on the door that had just closed. Her lips moved slowly, but her voice cut sharp into Nathan’s ears.
"Don’t waste genuine love, Nathan."
Nathan jerked his head toward her. "Huh?"
Her expression stayed flat, but there was a rare glint of seriousness in her eyes.
"That woman... she may be rough, she may be sharp. But her feelings are real. And that’s worth far more than a thousand empty praises."
Nathan fell silent. Her words stuck, echoing in his head. All this ti, Sophia had only been the nagging senior in his eyes—loud, mocking, always making him feel small. But now... after being trapped in the Tower, surrounded by caral pussy, slippery tits, pale tits, and emotions that cut deeper than he expected—his perspective shifted.
He found himself thinking about things he used to shrug off: feelings, masculinity, femininity.
And only now did he realize... Sophia lashed out because she cared. She scolded him because she was worried. She got angry because she was afraid of losing him.
A warmth spread through his chest, tangled with a sting of guilt.
Damn... I’ve been an idiot. Always insecure. Always seeing myself as nothing but a loser in her eyes.
His head lowered, hands clenching on his lap. "Why... does it feel so heavy?"
He let out a long sigh, eyes dim as they stared at the floor. Back then, he thought harems were cool. A guy surrounded by beautiful girls, living like an ani character...
But now—with Validia’s calm, Sophia’s stubbornness, and the shadows of others who might co—
A harem... wasn’t as glamorous as ani made it look. It just felt like his head was splitting apart.
Nathan slumped back against the sofa, covering his face with one hand. anwhile, Validia simply watched him quietly, a faint smile playing on her lips—whether mocking or pitying, even Nathan couldn’t tell.
Validia leaned forward, her gaze cutting into him.
"And don’t forget, Nathan... you’re already a father."
Nathan let out a harsh breath, his jaw tightening. "God damn..."
His face darkened. Not from surprise—he knew exactly who she ant. Ruby. The little girl who stood as living proof of all the insanity inside the Tower. The weight of that responsibility slamd into him, heating his chest even more.
No more words followed. The air between them sank heavy.
---
The bus rumbled softly down the road, neon shop lights sliding past the windows.
Nathan sat still, eyes locked on the glass. Validia’s words kept replaying—"you’re already a father." Each ti they echoed, the burn in his chest only grew hotter.
Beside him, Validia clearly looked out of place. Her eyes scanned over the seats, the passengers, even the ticket machine up front.
"Why must humans tap a card on a machine just to sit down? In my world, you either enlarged your body or leapt across distances in a single jump."
Nathan only exhaled through his nose, too drained to answer.
The bus slowed, brakes screeching as it ca to a stop. They stepped off at the nearest station.
The night air greeted them—cool, damp, and quiet. From there, Nathan’s family ho was only a few steps away.
---
In Front of Nathan’s House
Nathan stood there, staring at the modest ho. The warm glow of the living room lamp spilled faintly through the curtains, carrying a weight that tangled in his chest—relief mixed with heaviness.
Beside him, Validia tilted her head, her expression flat but sharp.
"So this is... the nest of your family?"
Nathan gave a small nod. "Yeah... ho."
He drew in a deep breath, then stepped toward the door.
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