“Welcome back, my dear hubby!” Ann didn’t flinch at Allen’s cold demeanor and even called him lovingly. Faye turned to look at Ann in horror.

This frightening man is my benefactor’s husband? No way!

Allen’s eyebrows furrowed so deeply.

“Haha, don’t scrunch your eyebrows like that. It will give you wrinkles,” Ann laughed.

“Arlea. Explain,” Allen said as he gritted his teeth.

Ann actually wanted to say, ‘What’s there to explain? Your subordinates must have reported everything to you, right?’

But Ann would appreciate the subordinates’ work, so she would pretend she didn’t know anything at all. She understood how hard it was to work, so she wouldn’t add to their trouble.

But Ann didn’t like Allen’s cold demeanor and wanted to pay him back for that. Therefore...

“Hubby, this is our child... Look, isn’t she cute?” Ann said as she patted Faye’s head.

Faye immediately hid behind Ann, only leaving around half of her head in Allen’s field of vision. She trembled as she stole a few glances at Allen.

Allen tapped his finger as he said, “I’ll have someone take her away.”

“Stop!” Ann immediately stopped Allen. She had already prepared herself to assume all responsibility for Faye, she wouldn’t let Allen take Faye away, even if she were to be dropped at a proper orphanage. Ann knew that Allen wasn’t the type of person to abandon a child cruelly, but even so...

Ann was paranoid because she knew from the game that some people here discriminated against halfling. She couldn’t guarantee Faye’s good life if she were to be taken away from her.

“I picked her up on the streets. She’s Faye, a halfling, ten years old, an orphan. I’m planning on making her my personal maid,” Ann explained concisely.

Allen raised his eyebrows as he asked, “Ten? She looks like younger.”

Ann turned to look at Faye’s stature and she agreed. Faye’s body made it seem like she was around eight instead. Perhaps it was due to her malnutrition. But the information box told her the truth.

“Yeah, that’s why she needs to be fattened,” Ann’s wording caused Faye to jump in fright as she somehow imagined how she was going to be fattened to be eaten in the end, like the pigeon she saw in downtown this afternoon...

“That isn’t the issue. What are you actually planning to do with her?” Allen asked again.

“Like I said, I want her to become my personal maid.”

“Don’t toy around with a child,” Allen came to his own conclusion that Arlea wanted to have another maid to torture.

“No, I’m going to raise her well,” Ann began to think that she was like a divorced woman, wanting to fight for her child’s custody...

“How about this? You can help arrange her to officially become a maid in this house. If you ever see me mistreat her, you can just arrange her to help out elsewhere,” Ann proposed.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“Too risky,” Allen said as he remembered how Arlea treated her maids before, and if a child were to be treated like that, she would surely be traumatized... He didn’t want to risk ruining a child’s future.

“I’m sincere with her. Give me a chance to prove myself,” Ann became irritated at this point.

“No. Gwen, take the child away,” Allen said as he instructed an elderly maid behind him. Gwen, the elderly maid entered the room and started to take Faye away from Ann. But before the maid could separate Faye away from Ann, Faye grabbed Ann desperately.

“Come now, you will be fine,” Gwen said as she removed Faye’s hands that were grabbing Ann.

Faye was still small, and she didn’t have much power to resist. When she was lifted by Gwen, she immediately turned to look at Ann with her pleading eyes. As she felt that Gwen was taking her away from Ann, Faye immediately panicked and cried.

“...Hweee...”

“Faye!” Ann had actually given up on insisting Faye be next to her when she thought about how Allen was going to take care of Faye somewhere else. She began to think that it would be the best for Faye, but she changed her mind the moment she saw Faye’s frightened and pleading look.

That’s right. Faye was only a child. In this unknown environment, she only knew and trusted Ann who had saved her and treated her kindly. If she were taken away from Ann at this point, it would hurt Faye more. Though when her death day comes... Ah, she would encourage Faye make lots of friends after working as a maid, so she won’t be as sad when Ann was no longer there. But now wasn’t the right time.

“Allen, look. Are you sure it’s the right thing to do?” Ann asked.

Allen was silent. He couldn’t comprehend what this woman before him was thinking. From his subordinates’ report, it was clear how Arlea encountered Faye on pure coincidence. There wasn’t any plotting whatsoever behind Faye’s arrangement. He had a few suspicions about this woman... but this time, there was nothing. It even seemed like Arlea treated Faye well.

“Gwen, arrange that kid to be one of the maids here. She’s stationed to work for Arlea. But if something were to happen...,” Allen didn’t need to finish his words.

“I understand. Come, kid,” Gwen said as she comforted the kid.

“Faye, don’t worry. You won’t go anywhere. You will still work for me as my maid. That old lady is going to teach you and arrange a place for you,” Ann said.

Ann’s words comforted Faye more than the others’ words, so Faye finally calmed down and nodded.

“If you dare do something to an innocent child...,” Allen repeated again once Gwen and Faye left.

“Yes, yes, I know, dear hubby. But what if I treat her right? Do I get something?” Ann suddenly asked.

“So that’s your objective.”

“Nope, I’m just saying... You’ve been telling me ‘if you do this bad thing oh you will get this’. It’s annoying, you know? It’s like you’re giving just punishment to a child who does bad but never gives any reward if that child does well. That isn’t good, hubby,” Ann twirled her hair.

“Stop calling me hubby.”

“No, hubby hubby hubby!” Ann became more spirited the more upset Allen became.

“Stop!” Allen was very annoyed and was about to leave. But then, Ann pulled his arm. Allen turned around in surprise.

“From now on, don’t say anything, don’t threaten anything. Just look. Action speaks louder than words so I won’t say anything. I just want to spend my time happily until the end.”

Allen frowned upon hearing Ann’s words, especially the last sentence.

Ann didn’t hope that her ending would change simply by her actions, actually, given the information in the ‘more information’ box... That was why she just wanted to spend the rest of her days without too much trouble.

“Don’t disturb me as well,” Allen simply said. He was still going to continue his investigations and monitoring on Arlea nevertheless.

“Oh, and if you’re ever ‘thirsty’, you can look for me instead of ‘snacking’ outside. You know, we’re already legal and all,” Ann’s words suddenly caused Allen’s face to turn black.

“I, too, want to taste you. My appearance isn’t too bad too, right?” Ann didn’t pay any mind to Allen’s change and continued to say.

“Never!” Allen angrily stormed out of the room, only to feel his arm tugged again by Ann.

“Well, I’m just saying in case you really need it. I can help, you know? I can even do a make over to be the kind of woman you prefer...”

At this point, Allen just yanked his arm, causing Ann’s grip to fail, as he quickly escaped.

Ann chuckled.

Actually, she didn’t dare to be hopeful of doing X-rated stuff with Allen, given the situation and how wary or hateful Allen was towards her. She was just addicted to teasing Allen. His reaction was funny, and the way the tip of his ears turned red really delighted her.

Fine, I can’t ‘eat’ the husband, but I can tease the husband, right?

That night, Ann had her dinner in her own room along with Faye out of consideration of Faye. And since this was the first night Faye was here, Ann let Faye sleep with her too. But by the next day, Faye should familiarize herself with the residence more and obey the arrangement for her as a maid.