Reivan couldn’t help but offer a round of applause after Hector performed a short song for them. “Surprisingly, you’re good at this. I thought you won the talent show because you bribed the judges.”

Hector rolled his eyes, putting down the new flute he’d gotten as a gift from Reivan. “Can’t you just say something nice? You know, without the stupid commentary?”

“This is how I show my love.”

“Don’t show it. I don’t want such a thing. Not from you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? Are you refusing something bestowed upon you by royalty? How insolent!”

“Don’t speak like a thug if you want to be treated like royalty.”

As the two boys bickered in good faith as they usually did, Mimi reached over and patted Hector on the shoulder, a big smile on her face. “Hector, that was amazing!”

In contrast to his reaction to Reivan’s “praise”, Hector visibly grew awkward as he smiled wryly. “I-I’m not that good…”

“What's that supposed to mean, huh?” Mimi frowned, her brows creasing. “I said you’re amazing, so you’re amazing! Just shut up and accept the praise!”

“Ah! Yes! I’m very sorry!”

“Why are you apologizing? Don’t apologize!”

“I’m sorr— I mean, uh…” Hector stuttered, at a loss for what to say.

“Geez…!” Mimi stabbed her fork into a juicy piece of fish, then shoved it into her mouth. She chewed while seemingly trying to calm herself down. Once she did, she pointed her fork at Hector, making him blanch. “You really have to learn how to accept compliments, y’know? Every time you play it off like that, I feel like an idiot for saying it. Was that what you wanted?”

“A-Absolutely not!”

“So stop making people feel bad for being nice to you!”

“Yes!”

“You’re more amazing than you think, y’know? Get used to it already. Just say thank you or something.”

“Uh… I’ll try…?”

Mimi nodded, seemingly satisfied. "Let's try again, okay? Hector, you were really good at playing the flute!"

"Thank you..."

"Louder!"

"Thankyouverymuch!"

"I said louder, not faster!"

"Yes! I'm sorry!"

"I said don't apologize!"

Hector looked as if tears would fall from his eyes as he turned toward his friend for aid.

Reivan ignored his pleas, snickering as he watched them before reaching out for what he thought was a plate of shellfish similar to oysters — except these had shells with small spikes protruding outward — but he soon realized that said the plate was completely empty.

“Hey…”

Scowling at the culprit had no effect whatsoever, since the guiltless catgirl simply wiped her mouth with a napkin, her manners graceful once again.

“Is something wrong, Yani?” Jiji gave him a side glance after noticing his gaze.

“...Nothing,” Reivan grumbled, standing up. “Anyway, I have to go now.”

“I must also go now.” Jiji nodded. “There’s still a bit of time, but arriving early never hurt anyone.”

“Correct. Then we’ll leave together.” The young prince then looked at the other two. “What about you guys?”

Hector scratched his head, an awkward smile on his face. “I think I’ll head home…”

“What?” Mimi tilted her head, reaching out to pinch onto the hem of Hector’s shirt. “Already?”

“Eh? Ah, well…” Hector grew flustered, a bead of sweat dripping down the side of his face. “it’s late at night, so I just thought…”

“Late at night…? Does that matter?”

“Uh, I’d like to think so, yeah.”

“But we just started hanging out! You can’t leave so soon!”

Reivan took the chance to step in. “Why don’t you guys take a few more rounds on a gondola? And Hector can play some songs for you too.”

“That sounds great!” Mimi jumped out of her seat and grabbed Hector’s hand. “You’re going, right?”

Hector glanced at their joined hands with a red face, threw a glance at his friend’s evil smirk, and then nodded to the brown-haired girl he fancied for a while now. “Sure.”

“Let’s go right now!”

Wasting no time, Mimi ran out, dragging Hector along.

As they passed, Reivan whispered. “Thank me later.”

Hector, his face still slightly red, glared at him and mouthed, “I hate you.”

‘Yes, yes. I love you too, my friend.’

Reivan chuckled and smoothed out his attire. He then held out a hand to help his little sister up from her seat.

Even though she obviously didn’t need any help, Jiji’s smile brightened even more as she took his offer. “You’re a good friend, Yani.”

“I know.”

The girl’s smile immediately grew awkward. “You’re supposed to be humble at that part…”

“You spoke only the truth, so I agreed with you. Nothing wrong with that.”

“Fine…” Jiji seemingly gave up, changing the subject as they strode out of the room. “Where are you headed off to now, by the way?”

“I already told you that it’s a secret. Don’t try to casually steal the truth from me.” Reivan lightly pinched her cheek and glanced back, to where Valter was handling the payment for the feast they ate.

‘He’s as considerate as ever.’

The guardian knight likely knew that Reivan would develop an ulcer from seeing the bill, so he’d likely stepped forward to pay the tab in his liege’s stead. Of course, the money still came from Reivan’s wallet, but it still didn’t change the fact that he would be spared from the mental damage.

Reivan was glad he asked Valter to safeguard most of his money. There was no better way to protect his gold than to leave it in the hands of an Ascendant that could so freely travel through space.

“Geez, just tell me already. I can keep a secret.” Jiji pestered him relentlessly, even latching onto him from behind and acting like a spoiled princess — which she was, in fact.

Fighting the urge to give in, Reivan shook his head. “Maybe once you’re older.”

“I’m twelve already!”

“That’s not old at all, y’know?”

“But in just a year or so, I’ll have to find a mate. Doesn’t that mean that I’m plenty old already?”

“Wha—” Reivan ground to a halt, looking at his sister incredulously. “Find a what…?”

Jiji tilted her head and chirped. “A mate!”

“So I didn’t hear wrong…” The prince frowned. “Are you sure you’re using that word correctly? You should pay more attention to your English lessons…”

“It means that I have to find a boy that I’ll marry, right? That’s what I mean!”

Reivan’s face morphed into a twisted grimace. “Who the hell told you something like that?”

Jiji raised a brow. “Nobody. That’s just how it is in our clan.”

‘Oh. Mystery solved. It’s a warbeast thing.’

“You don’t have to follow such a tradition. In any case, mother did not find a mat— ehem, I mean a husband until she was much older. So there’s no problem with not following it.”

“Uhm…” Jiji tapped her chin, a troubled look on her face. “But that’s because she was royalty. Also, she’s from an ice lineage, so it’s understandable.”

‘Okay, you lost me there.’

Reivan assumed he was missing some fundamental knowledge about the bestial half of his heritage. But this wasn’t the time for that. And in any case, finding a “mate” in their early teens was just wrong, so he had to stop his precious little sister from doing such a thing.

“You’re royalty now too.” Reivan used part of her reasoning against her. “Also, you’re no longer part of the Terracatta clan, right? You’re part of our clan now — the royal clan.”

“Oh.” Jiji’s eyes widened and she covered her mouth with her hand. “That’s true, I suppose. Then that means I can take my time like the humans do, right?”

The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

“Exactly. Maybe when you’re thirty… or forty.” Reivan tried to imagine some random guy marrying Jiji and immediately felt annoyed. “Rather, just don’t get married. Nobody ever said a woman absolutely had to get married.”

Even he knew he was being a bit too overprotective. But if Jiji really brought home a nice man and they truly seemed in love, Reivan wouldn’t get in the way of their happiness.

Of course, he would bully the guy a little. Just a little.

‘And besides, Jiji has a bright future ahead of her.’

It was obvious from the past year that Jiji flourished in political battlefields.

Sure, the grand ministers haunting the morning court sessions doted on her for her adorable appearance, but they weren’t as muddleheaded as to let their city’s interests suffer. They had all been in their line of work for decades, and with that time came experience and wisdom.

The fact that there had been no complaints so far meant that Jiji managed to offer satisfying resolutions to most of the issues they brought up, and helped facilitate a common ground between opposing parties.

With a bit more polishing up, Jiji would most likely be the perfect person to place in the seat of Prime Minister once old man Dante inevitably kicked the bucket. And the perfect part about this was that she would be partly related to the royal family, so she would also count as the family's representative.

‘Elder brother has taken notice as well.’

Roland had already divulged his intentions to make Jiji his Primero one day, when he sat on Aizen’s throne. That said, that was a day far off into the future, since their father was in very good health and Jiji could not possibly be ready within a decade or two.

“That’s good.” Jiji nodded, her arms around him tightening. “I don’t wanna be separated from everyone…”

“Separated?”

“Uh-huh. Girls have to go with their mates after all. And they can’t get close to other boys for a while too!”

“I see.” Reivan bobbed his head, connecting the dots of why the latter was not allowed. “Like I said, just ignore those things.”

“Yep!” Jiji smothered her face against his back and cooed. “Yani~!”

“Stop it. I can’t walk…”

The two eventually made it to the restaurant’s exit, complimented the food to the server who saw them out of the place, and then separated.

“Bye, Yani~!”

Reivan waved goodbye to his little sister, who was seemingly walking down the street alone. He then looked around for something.

‘Oh. There they are.’

A brief scan with his [Supreme Insight] revealed that there were quite a few strong people disguised as tourists or passersby, surrounding Jiji and following her every movement. Reivan even met eyes with some of them, prompting them to nod at each other since saluting would only serve to foolishly reveal their affiliation. He knew about an Ascendant guard too, but Reivan didn’t know where to look — which, he supposed, was a testament to the knight’s skill in keeping out of sight.

“Shall we go, Valter?” Reivan looked toward his own knight, whom he trusted with his life more than any other knight.

“As you wish, Young Master Van.” The guardian knight smiled, playing the role of a guard well.

The two shared knowing smirks before they used a nearby alley to sneak out of sight before vanishing into a puddle of darkness.

----------------------------------------

Reivan, magically disguised as his “Ken” persona, entered an establishment called "The Serpent's Haven" that looked suspiciously like a cabaret or a hostess club from his previous world.

Which made sense upon entering, since he discovered that the place really was a hostess club.

The moment they entered through the elegant double doors, they were greeted by the sight of a majestic hall with a high ceiling complete with numerous crystal chandeliers. It was a stark contrast to the restaurant Reivan had just eaten at, but the luxurious and extravagant adornments in the hall were relatively common in Starwater City’s establishments — for the rich frequented this domain and only the height of opulence could live up to their standards.

If it were just that, it obviously wouldn’t be called a hostess bar.

Under the light of the crystal chandelier, elegant music filled the air just loud enough so the intimate conversations between man and woman did not reach the other guests. Lavish couches shaped like a half circle were spread out all over the large hall, with low tables set with various wines and hors d'oeuvres.

The couches’ backs were high enough to completely hide the patrons from behind as long as they stayed seated, offering pockets of intimate gatherings in relative privacy.

And privacy was most appreciated, for Reivan could see them all quite clearly while standing up. The entrance to the hostess bar was on a slightly higher platform than the rest of the first floor, providing a higher vantage point. Most of the customers were men, and they were accompanied by one, sometimes two women — each with their own charms and dressed in exquisite attire that complemented those charms, ranging from modest to revealing… and then to very revealing.

Though there was nothing to be censored should it be shown on Japanese media back on Earth, there was quite a bit of… touching happening. At the very least, he would not willingly bring any of his friends or sisters to such an establishment.

‘What the hell are you doing, Elsamina… And where the hell did you get the money to get a place in Starwater City of all places? This must have been ridiculously expensive!’

“How troubling…” Valter muttered from behind him.

“I know, right?” Reivan heaved a sigh but headed deeper inside anyway. “Getting this place up and running must have cost a fortune.”

“That wasn’t what I meant. I was troubled over whether to bring you out of this establishment since it’s not the kind of place someone as young as you should be visiting.”

“I’ve killed men, Valter. Killed a monster greater than most men too. Don’t you think it’s a bit late to bring up my age at this point?”

“That is just how it should be.” Valter fixed his collar. “And in any case, I do not particularly wish to be seen here myself. My wife can be quite jealous from time to time… even though she pretends otherwise.”

Reivan looked at his knight blankly before nodding. “I suppose there’s also that problem. I wouldn’t know what my family would think if they knew… although Father likely already knows.”

‘Damn. I shouldn’t have gone in so hastily. Well, since I’m here anyway…’

It was as they say, “in for a penny, in for a pound”. Since he already went inside, nobody would believe him if he said he didn’t do anything in this seedy place. There was no longer a use for regret or reluctance.

“Welcome, Master.” A pretty young woman in what looked like a butler’s attire stepped forward to welcome them with a glowing smile. “Everything has been prepared. Please let me guide you.”

“Thank you.” Reivan nodded, not wondering why she didn’t even ask for their names. “Is she in good health?”

“She is very well,” The young woman nodded as she continued down the hall, eventually leading them up a grand staircase.

As he followed, the looks of envy from the guests below did not evade Reivan’s notice. “Where are we being led to?”

“To the VIP rooms on the second floor, master,” The woman replied. “Unlike how it was back in the republic, we do not allow the customers and the girls to go too far. Still, it cannot be helped if one of our girls takes a fancy to one of the customers. And so they are usually led to the upper hall for a more… intimate time.”

Reivan frowned. “I do not appreciate the misunderstandings that will be born from this.”

“Worry not. There are more luxurious VIP rooms on the second floor for larger parties. These can be rented out for a price, so we can simply say that you wished for more privacy. Of course, renting one of these rooms out does not mean you can do anything to the girls. So no dirt will stain your name, Master.”

“Hmph.” Reivan placed his hand on the railing as he made his way up, sparing another glance at those below. “You say they cannot be too intimate, but aren’t they already doing so while still being down there?”

The young woman giggled, following his gaze. “Touches to the limbs are generally allowed. But for anywhere else, consent must be provided.”

“Do they all just consent then?”

“Not at all. It’s just you’ve coincidentally caught us at a time when there are only regulars in the house. These men have been helping us with large donations since we opened about a month ago. And if they go too far, there are peacekeepers everywhere in the city. The threat alone is enough to stave off misbehavior.”

Reivan ruminated on her words for a bit before heaving a sigh. “I thought you girls wanted to get away from this type of life...”

The young woman stopped climbing up the stairs and turned around, a serious look on her face.

“This is the only life we know how to live, Master.”

“Is that so…” Reivan sighed again, feeling depressed all of a sudden.

“But worry not.” She smiled, a true smile if Reivan’s eyes were to be trusted. “This time, we’re doing this willingly. And on our own terms. We decide what we give away now. Not anyone else.”

After speaking her piece, the young woman he didn’t even know the name of turned around and continued climbing up the staircase.

“And besides, young master.” She trailed off, her eyes carried a strange glint as she stared intently at those below. “The men in Aizen are much different than the ilk we have come to know back in Arkhan. They are gentlemanly, easier to please… and very pleasing to the eyes. It is not unpleasant at all to be fawned over by such men.”

“O-Oh, is that so.” Reivan nodded, feeling her gaze shift toward him.

“Yes. And among them all, you are the most desirable one, save for the men of the royal family.”

“R-right…”

“So if it strikes your fancy, I would love it if you would give me the opportunity to appeal to you. I may not be as experienced as my elder sisters, but I’m sure I can make up for it with enthusiasm.”

“I-I…” Reivan hesitated, his eyes unconsciously flitting toward the woman's plump bottom — which her masculine attire couldn’t completely conceal. Feeling as if refusing her outright would be too much, he decided to play it off for now. “I’m still too young. But I will keep your thoughts in mind.”

The young woman giggled. “Please do.”

There was little conversation for the rest of the way. Right after making it up the massive staircase, they went down a hallway with numerous doors containing the private rooms that were spoken of earlier. Halfway down the hall, they stopped.

“Eldest Sister is in there, Master Ken. Please head inside.”

Reivan looked down the rest of the hall, asking the question in his heart. “What’s in there?”

“Offices, and our private quarters, master.”

“And what about this room?”

“It is one of the many VIP rooms usually reserved to serve guests that we like.”

“I see. Well, should the meeting not be conducted in the office you mentioned…?”

The young woman shook her head. “This place is where Eldest Sister feels best to converse with you.”

Reivan’s brows creased, his foot tapping against the floor. Eventually, he decided it would be too much of a pain to move the meeting elsewhere, especially since he mustn’t stay here for too long.

'I wish I could just have Valter portal us over to some other place... but I know I can't do that.'

“Fine.” Reivan heaved a deep sigh of resignation as he reached forward to open the door.

But before he could, the young woman grabbed his hand.

"What are yo—"

"Master." She brought her face close and whispered the words into his ears. "My sisters call me Aila. But you can call me any time you want."

As her breath tickled his ears, he could feel her fingers gently caressing his palm, sending a surge of electricity into his body from where her fingertips touched. Her skin was soft — so soft it felt like the roughness of his own palm would scrape off some of her flesh. He didn't know if it came from her hair, her clothes, or herself, but the beating of his heart began to quicken as a womanly scent wafted into his nose. And with their proximity, Reivan finally noticed that her eyes were a striking shade of amber that shined in the light.

At that moment, Reivan became painfully aware that the creature in front of him was a woman.

His eyes, ears, nose, and even his skin — four of his five senses were all being stimulated much more than they ever had, and Reivan knew he could satisfy the last one too, if only she went a bit closer...

But before he could do anything more, she had already retreated with her arms behind her back, and mischief on her face. "Please don't forget about me."

As Reivan watched her leave, likely heading back to the bar's entrance, he unconsciously reached up to place a hand against his chest, feeling the loud drumming of his heart and the blood rushing through his veins.

"Stay strong, young master." Valter chimed in from the side, sounding sympathetic.

"R-right..." Reivan took deep breaths, trying to calm himself down but Aila's charming face and her bright amber eyes kept on coming back to haunt his mind.

'Fuck.'

Worst of all, he had to slightly bend forward after he finally noticed a bulge in his pants. Soon enough, the frustration and embarrassment he felt calmed "it" down, but Reivan couldn't help but realize something.

'This place probably earns a shit fucking ton of money, doesn't it?'

In any case, he would likely not forget about the woman any time soon.