"HAHAHAHA~... That was fun," Aron emerged from the water, still laughing uproariously. He extended a hand to help Pethra and Kasumi out of the river, his mischievous grin never fading.

"Kasumi," Pethra spoke in a chilling voice, her wet blond hair covering her face.

"Yes. Pethra-dono?" Kasumi responded, realizing that her hair was worse than Pethra's since hers was longer.

Pethra gazed at Aron with an angry look, then she shouted, "Get him!"

Immediately after that, they both lunged at Aron, catching him off guard. Pethra grabbed him by the neck while Kasumi wrapped her arms around his waist. Together, they exerted their strength and threw themselves and Aron into the water, creating a big splash.

SPLASH!.

The three of them resurfaced, drenched and laughing. Water droplets glistened on their faces as they gasped for breath. Aron, still chuckling, looked at Pethra and Kasumi with a mixture of surprise and admiration.

"Well played," he said, his voice dripping with amusement.

Pethra released her grip on Aron's neck, her mischievous grin replaced by a satisfied smile. Kasumi, too, let go of his waist and joined Pethra in the water.

Aron then approached the two girls and wrapped his arms around their waists, pulling them to him.

"!!!" Pethra and Kasumi didn't know how to react when they found themselves in Aron's embrace and their bodies pressed against his.

Aron leaned close to them, "I must admit, I didn't see that coming." His voice was laced with amusement.

The two girls held their breath, and for a moment, they didn't blink. Their eyes kept glancing at the handsome man, his wet black hair falling over his forehead, and his playful smirk. Water dripping down his face glistened like crystals under the sunlight.

Pethra regained her composure first. "Well, Handsome big bad monster, it seems we've turned the tables on you," she teased, giving him a playful nudge.

Kasumi blushed slightly, feeling a bit flustered by the close proximity. "Y-Yes, we couldn't let you have all the fun, Master," she said.

Aron chuckled, enjoying their reactions. He stood on his feet with the two girls in his arms. The river wasn't too deep. Pethra and Kasumi immediately wrapped their arms around his neck, fearing the fall. However, Aron held them perfectly, and they were comfortably sitting in his arms.

Pethra sighed in relief when she saw that Aron had calmed down significantly. Honestly, this was her goal with that ice prank. She had noticed that when Aron was around the people he considered family, he was calm and harmless, and she liked him that way.

However, when she saw that he was still angry about what happened with that pig of a noble, she thought of that little prank to lighten the mood, and it worked.

Pethra displayed a smile of satisfaction as she rested her head on Aron's chest.

'I like this peace and calm better'

Kasumi, on the other hand, found herself in a mix of emotions. She was grateful for Pethra and Aron's concern, and their little 'chilling adventure' to the river had calmed her down.

However, at the same time, being so close to Aron made her heart race. She could feel his warmth through his wet clothes, and his strong arms wrapped around her provided a sense of security she hadn't felt in a long time.

Kasumi glanced up at Aron, her eyes meeting his. There was a softness in his gaze that she hadn't seen before. It made her cheeks flush even more, and she quickly buried her face in his chest.

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Aron, sensing Kasumi's discomfort, gently readjusted his grip on her and Pethra, making sure they were secure in his arms. "Are you both alright?" he asked, his voice filled with genuine concern.

Pethra nodded with her eyes closed. "I'm fine," the little witch said, enjoying his warmth.

Kasumi took a deep breath, trying to steady her racing heart, but her face was still buried in his chest. "Y-Yes, I'm fine too, Master."

Aron smiled warmly at them, then continued exiting the river. Upon exiting, the three heard a few whispers here and there. Aron looked up, followed by Pethra and Kasumi, and they were met with a group of people who were looking at them and smiling, clearly entertained by the scene they had witnessed.

"Ahh! It's good to be young," an old man said, while his two old friends nodded in agreement.

"I miss my wife," one man said.

"I'm going to propose," another said.

"Tsk, those two girls are lucky to be held by a man like him," a woman spoke, glancing at Aron, and her group of friends shared her opinion.

"!!!" Pethra and Kasumi blushed at their comments. They hid themselves in his chest, feeling a mixture of embarrassment and amusement.

Aron, still holding Pethra and Kasumi in his arms, laughed at their comments. "HAHAH~ it seems like we've become the center of attention."

The people in the group laughed and nodded in agreement. One of them, a middle-aged man, spoke up. "Well, young man, it seems you have quite the companions there. Take good care of them."

Aron smiled at the man. "Of course, I'll take care of them. They are my treasures."

The two girls were beyond red now, as they couldn't even dare to glance at the group of people. They didn't know how to face Aron since he openly showed his affection and declared them as his 'treasures.'

'Kyaaaa! I can't wait any longer. Step nine, wait for me!' Pethra was freaking out.

'My hero, My savior, My Master, My... Love!' Kasumi's violet eyes glowed dangerously, and the two-tailed fox began developing a sense of possession.

The middle-aged man displayed a friendly smile. "That's the spirit, young man. Treasure them, and they'll bring you happiness."

Aron nodded, then walked away from the group. On the way, he retrieved Pethra's staff and his coin bag from the side of the river.

Kasumi finally lifted her face from Aron's chest, her cheeks still rosy. She mustered up the courage to meet his gaze.

"Thank you, Master. I feel safe and loved when I'm with you, and..." she paused and hesitated for a bit, "...I want to stay by your side forever, shadow or not. I don't want to be separated from you."

Aron's expression softened as he listened to Kasumi's heartfelt words. He could sense the sincerity in her voice and the depth of her emotions. Gently, he leaned in and gave her a warm kiss on the forehead, and the little fox melted with his approach.

'Ahhh! My Master, My... Love.'

"Kasumi," his voice filled with warmth. "From the moment you fell into my hands, there was no going back. You're 'Mine' forever. No one is going to take you away from me, and I won't let you escape me, even if you wanted to. My little fox."

Kasumi's heart fluttered at Aron's words, her eyes filled with tears of happiness. She felt a sense of belonging and love that she had never experienced before. Being called his and knowing that he would protect and cherish her made her feel safe and complete. She wrapped her arms tightly around him, not wanting to let go.

Pethra, who had been listening to their exchange, couldn't help but smile at the scene before her. She could guess how much Kasumi had suffered and how much she deserved this happiness.

Pethra herself felt a deep bond with Aron, and seeing him care for Kasumi in such a tender way only served as a reminder that this man was one of a kind. However, that does not mean that she will accept something.

Something very important

"Aron! Not fair, me too!" She showed him her forehead.

Aron smiled gently at Pethra and leaned in to plant a gentle kiss on her forehead as well. "Of course, you too, my little witch."

"Hehehehe~" Pethra felt warmth spread through her as his lips touched her skin. She flashed a wicked smile as she was lost in her thoughts.

…

Walking away from the eyes of the people passing by, Aron found a nice place near a small garden, where he placed both girls on a wooden bench nearby.

"Girls, we still have a lot of things to do, but first, we need to dry our clothes."

"Leave that to me," Pethra said, hitting her chest in pride. Then she raised her staff and muttered an incantation. A burst of air enveloped the three of them; however, the air was cold, and that didn't help with drying their clothes quickly.

"Wait a second," Aron interrupted her. Then he raised his palm and closed his eyes, focusing his Mana on his palm. Aron found the process to be much harder than he predicted since this is the first time Aron used his Mana to create a small fire.

Releasing Mana wildly with his Dragon breath was easy, but controlling it for a small fire without losing focus was a challenge for him.

"Let your magic go through my fire."

Pethra nodded and adjusted her incantation, allowing her magic to flow through Aron's fire. The combination of their powers created a warm, gentle breeze that surrounded them. As the breeze passed over their wet clothes, it quickly dried them, leaving them feeling comfortable and refreshed.

Aron patted her head, then extended his hands for the two girls.

"Ladies. Shall we go?"

'A gentleman!' they both screamed in their minds before taking Aron's hand. Soon, they resumed their 'shopping,' which, until now, they hadn't bought a single damn thing.