"Brother, what are you doing?!"
Belle's voice echoed from the doorway as she rushed in, stepping in front of Anby protectively while glaring at Wise.
"Belle? Why are you here? Weren't you supposed to be watching the store downstairs?"
Wise looked at her, clearly confused, but Belle's eyes were filled with disapproval and even a hint of disgust. He let out a quiet sigh, already feeling a headache coming on.
"Hmph, Brother, you've got some nerve saying that. If I hadn't come upstairs to grab something, who knows what kind of perverted thing you would've done to Anby?"
Her tone was sharp, but her expression softened into disappointment, as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing.
"I really thought you and Anby were just normal friends, but I was right before, wasn't I? You're threatening her with something, aren't you? Why would you do that? If you really can't control yourself, then I can also..."
"Stop!" Wise snapped, his patience finally reaching its limit. "Belle, can you at least try to understand what's really going on before saying something like that?"
To be honest, he had just taken a peek at Anby's thoughts, confirmed she wouldn't get mad, and decided to play along by saying a few teasing things.
In reality, even if he did anything, it would only ever stay within what Anby could accept. At most, a kiss or a hug, nothing beyond that.
Besides, even if he wanted more, now wasn't exactly the right time, was it?
"Eh? Is Brother still trying to argue? I clearly just heard..."
Before Belle could finish, she suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder. When she turned around, she saw it was Anby's.
"Belle, you misunderstood..."
Anby only managed to say those few words, unsure how to explain herself, then looked at Wise with pleading eyes.
But that look only made Belle misunderstand even more, thinking Anby was scared of Wise's supposed threats.
"Anby, don't worry. With me here, Brother won't cause you any trouble. If he ever bothers you, just tell me!"
Anby didn't know what to say to Belle's words, but then Wise spoke again.
"Please don't make your brother sound like a pervert. I was just joking with Anby!"
Having no other choice, Wise, with Anby's consent, explained to Belle about her hiring someone to leave good reviews for the Cunning Hares.
"It's not leaving good reviews, it's friendly recommendations!" Anby quickly corrected.
Belle, realizing she had indeed made a mistake, immediately felt a wave of guilt.
But then again, if Wise were really a pervert, how could he let a beautiful girl like her stay by his side without even trying to touch her?
At that moment, Wise nodded, seeing that Belle genuinely believed him. However, he accidentally caught a glimpse of her thoughts.
'No, Belle, what are you even thinking? Even if I were a pervert, I wouldn't touch you!' he thought, feeling wronged.
"I'm really sorry, Brother! I misunderstood you. You truly are my handsome and charming brother!"
Belle rushed toward him, bowing her head as she apologized in a flustered panic. Wise could only sigh and wave his hand helplessly.
"Alright, alright. But as punishment for misunderstanding me, I'll be the one deciding what we eat tonight."
Belle let out a small, dissatisfied 'Ah' at his words, but there was nothing she could do. After all, she had been the one at fault.
She could only nod and agree to her brother's request before picking up a stack of videotapes that customers needed and heading downstairs.
After Belle left, Anby, who was standing beside him, reached out and gently tugged on Wise's sleeve. He looked down at her with a hint of confusion.
"Um, about what was said earlier... the reward Wise wants..."
He hadn't expected Anby to still bring that up. Because of Belle, Wise had decided to let it go for now, planning to revisit the topic another day.
But since Anby mentioned it again, there was no way he could let such a perfect chance slip away.
Wise gently pulled her closer, making her lean against him. Then he lifted her chin with his hand, guiding her gaze to meet his.
Taking advantage of Anby's dazed expression, he leaned in and kissed her. Unlike their last kiss, this one carried a little more intensity.
Sensing his tongue slip into her mouth, Anby finally came to her senses and instinctively responded, their tongues brushing in a brief and heated clash.
Surprised by her sudden boldness, Wise held her tighter while keeping their movements clumsy yet intense as she tried to match his unsteady rhythm.
Anby, who had only recently experienced the taste of a true kiss, could only stare in a daze as his passionate lips completely overwhelmed her.
Suddenly, strong hands descended, landing on her backside with surprising firmness. Feeling the unexpected sensation, he explored her smoothly, eliciting a soft moan from her lips.
"Mmmh~" Her eyes closed as she lost herself in the sensation of his touch.
The girl couldn't understand why her body was heating up or why something deep inside her was growing even more eager. All these sensations were new and addicting, and she had no idea how to deal with them.
He continued exploring her, teasing her gently, while she let out small moans. Wise's reasoning was starting to waver, and he felt a growing desire to explore Anby more intimately.
However, when his hands wandered to a more private area, the girl's eyes widened, and she broke the kiss, pulling back a little from him.
Seeing her reaction, Wise realized he might have gone a bit too far. He gave a small, awkward apology, but Anby quickly waved her hands, her face turning pink as she said she didn't mind.
[Ding! Target: Anby has increased her favorability toward the host by 1. Her current favorability is now 93. Additionally, 400 Emotional Value has been obtained.]
[Current Emotional Value: 2000]
The system's voice echoed in Wise's mind, announcing his latest rewards. Of course, the real reward was far greater, judging by the still-shy Anby standing beside him.
Once they went downstairs, Wise began preparing dinner, while Anby headed to the first-floor room and sent a quick message to Nicole, letting her know she wouldn't be home for dinner tonight.
Belle, who had been watching from the living room, frowned slightly when she saw them coming down so late, especially Anby, whose expression was full of flustered confusion.
'Brother, you big pervert!' she thought, glaring at him in disbelief.
Wise, who had caught a glimpse of Belle's inner thoughts, was momentarily speechless and could only shake his head helplessly.
Meanwhile, Nicole, having spent the day with Billy gathering information about the Hollow where the safe was located, received a message from Anby as soon as she got home.
"Hmm? Eating at Wise's house? That's fine. In that case, let's just eat out."
Nicole hadn't yet realized that her subordinate had already been "kidnapped" and was still happily thinking about saving money on a meal.
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