Chapter 251 Let’s Forget About the Concubine

2 month 15 day.

early.

The sky was overcast and gloomy. It was estimated that it would rain soon.

Su Ming's sequelae have been mostly cured.

No cigarettes.

He went into the house and pulled out a piece of grass and held it in his mouth.

Inside the house, Noelia was packing her luggage... Actually, it was just clothes. The cheongsam was bought by Su Ming when he was out strolling. It didn't quite fit her size, but it was a normal piece of clothing that could be worn outside. At most, it was a little tight.

"Master, I'm fine now."

"Then let's go."

There are many questions.

But it was obvious that Noelia didn't know how she did it. She tried her best to repeat it, but it was just like constipation. Nothing happened.

Su Ming has always been carrying the magic stone that he stole from the City Lord's Mansion.

I didn't notice it before.

After packing up her bag, she noticed that the stone was cracked. It was originally an ordinary pebble, but now it was no different from coal.

Just a guess.

Noelia, maybe you can use the magic stone.

2 month 15 day.

noon.

According to the national division shown on the map, Parthia borders Oroshizu. And not far from Oroshizu is a mountain range. It is similar to the Himalaya Mountains that separate the Southern Alliance and the Northern Alliance. If Oroshizu and Parthia are minor frictions under the alliance treaty, the Southern and Northern Alliances are completely in the category of not having an extradition treaty and even raising taxes to restrict transactions. Beyond that is the sea. The map does not mark in detail where is on the sea.

2 month 15 day.

Night.

Su Ming entered the town in disguise.

Reward posters can be seen everywhere.

[Extremely dangerous elements Su. Timirasu, Tia. Noelia]

[If you see any suspicious person, please report it immediately. If there is any valuable clue, there will be a reward of 10,000 gold tickets. If the clue leads to the direct capture of the target, there will be a reward of 10 million gold tickets.]

[A bounty of 255 million gold notes will be offered to anyone who captures the target. Regardless of life or death.]

【…】

There are direct seals of Parthia and the Oroshizuku Palace at the bottom.

“This guy is amazing.”

"Who says it's not true? The people on the other side of the border were already living a miserable life, but now they are inexplicably not fighting. Instead, they are cooperating."

"I can't help it. I heard that...they are two alien species. They are not human."

"Ah? Isn't that a lie?"

"I don't know. Anyway, I heard from the merchants who came back from the capital that the scene was ridiculously large... All the troops stationed in the capital and the explorers were dispatched. In the end, they didn't even touch the corner of the man's clothes."

"..."

"Let's go. We're just going to take a look at the 250 million. If there are really a few of us, they won't be enough for the monsters to eat. I hope someone can catch them soon. People are so panicked that no one wants to come out, and business is bad."

"..."

Su Ming stood in the crowd, staring at the wanted poster.

Two hundred and fifty million gold notes? It seems that he is really anxious.

2 month 20 day.

Night.

Su Ming never encountered anyone who was chasing him again.

Instead, he often saw groups of people dressed as explorers walking around the streets, talking about him and Noellea.

But it was impossible for anyone to recognize it.

I personally braided Noelia's hair, and deliberately made the two braids by her ears. In other words, the hair that should have been on her shoulders was gathered on both sides of her cheeks. The eyes were fine, there were blue eyes and green eyes in this world. If you ask, just lie.

As long as Noelia didn't lose control, no one would think there was something wrong with her eyes.

As for the appearance.

Draw a scar on Noelia's cheek and slightly modify the details... No matter who sees her, she will no longer be a harmless and innocent girl.

I've been traveling like crazy these days.

We have arrived at the town closest to the mountains. It is getting late, so we just find a hotel to rest.

"Master."

"Ok?"

"You always have to put my makeup on again, but I can sleep like this."

"I can read minds."

"?"

Noelle was stunned for a moment, then looked away and muttered quietly.

"Sometimes I can't tell whether Master did it on purpose or just thought that way..."

"You don't have to hear it to know it. I see you can tell it even with your face covered."

After all, she is a girl. Even if she doesn't care much about her appearance, it is a bit abstract to draw herself with scars all over her body.

As a killer, he is not qualified enough.

"Master is a liar."

"I was just thinking... Noelia's original face is cuter."

"Cute, want to *."

"..."

"Traitor. Of course I was just trying to deceive you. How could my thoughts be easily seen through?"

I have already lost all my face.

Now Su Ming no longer cares what she hears. What can he do? That's just how it is, it's just a cute idea. What's the problem with that?
2 month 22 day.

early.

Su Ming was fully prepared.

I asked someone to help me make a sleeping bag, which is a cotton-padded jacket for cold weather. There are already thermos bottles in this world, so I brought one too. There is still one-third of oil in the lighter. The only worry is whether the mountain range is considered a plateau and whether I can light a fire due to the lack of oxygen.

So Su Ming chose between taste and quantity and brought some extra unpalatable dry food.

"It's not a good time to go there recently."

"I can only take you to the intersection. Be careful after that."

The North and South alliances seem to be preparing for a war recently. From what he heard, Su Ming always felt that it was like the Spring and Autumn Period of the Snow Country or something else, where both sides had to announce the fight in advance and then have a face-to-face duel.

There is no idea of ​​blitzkrieg at all. What we want is a fair and open confrontation.

After saying goodbye to the caravan, we could only walk on foot.

It's almost spring and it's only getting colder now. The foot of the mountain is covered with snow, and the mountains ahead are probably even colder.

2 month 22 day.

Night.

"Noelia, remember that."

"In a place like this where there are cliffs everywhere, you must choose an area that is wide and has no cliffs around."

"Otherwise, you might fall asleep forever."

"..."

Nowadays, Su Ming no longer needs to carry a sex knife with him to trigger the bonus.

Simply opening the lowest level of floating state is also OK. It is very gentle and not affected by the cold wind outside.

2 month 22 day.

late at night.

Noelia seemed to be unable to bear the cold.

Su Ming had no choice but to get up and set up the tent. The thermos was useless in this environment.

"S-Sorry, Master."

"..."

In-depth communication and close communication.

"It's not cold anymore."

"Master, it's so warm..."

There was a time when Yao also liked to stay close to me. She argued that it was not because she was jealous of Xia Ye who often sat on her lap, but because her body was warm in winter and cool in summer. It was no different from a thermostatic air conditioner.

But the truth is.

No matter how you look at it, Yao weighs more than 100 pounds. No matter if it's the constant temperature air conditioning or Jealousy, she has to sit on her lap for a long time, which is really numb.

"...Master."

"?"

"Air conditioning, what is it?"

"You can think of it as a tool that blows hot air in the winter and cold air in the summer. It can make the temperature of the whole room as cold or hot as you want."

"..."

Noelleah had wrapped herself in her sleeping bag again and could no longer get close to Su Ming.

Be silent for a while.

"Master...can I visit your hometown?"

"..."

Go to the snow country, go to the winter market?
"Ah, I, I forgot... Master must be in the same boat as me. Something sad happened in his hometown."

"I'll take you there when I have a chance. There are many things besides air conditioning."

"Any more?"

"Do you know what's in the sky?"

"The moon...the clouds, and the birds."

“In my hometown, people can go there.”

Su Ming pointed upwards, "The moon."

"Aren't you scared? It's so high."

"You can't fall down on the moon. It's different from where we are. Even you can fly."

“…Master is so amazing.”

"How come I am so awesome again? I have never been there, I just said someone could go there."

"Master can definitely go up if he wants. Master... is extremely strong. He is like a god, and can do anything."

"Noelia, do you want to flirt?"

"Huh? No."

"Really don't want to?"

"……No."

"Really not at all?"

"……A little."

"Do you know what this is called?"

"..."

"Psychological suggestion."

"Master, I really miss Niao Niao."

2 month 25 day.

This was definitely my happiest time. Despite the harsh environment, it was just me and the Master.

Strolling in the endless white.

My eyes got sick accidentally. The master said it was snow blindness. He told me to close my eyes and rest while he carried me on his back.

The sleeping bag is a product of Master's hometown. I have never seen it before.

It was really warm in there.

But it is better for me to lie on Master's back and hug him tightly. If Master asks me to close my eyes, I will close them.

"..."

I quietly pulled the cloth covering my face down a little and put it directly next to my master's neck.

"Noelia."

what.

I was discovered immediately and I had no choice but to pull him up.

Sometimes I really feel that Master is like my father or mother, and he takes good care of me.

But different from mom and dad.

Master must be tired, right?
You don't have to carry me.

I can walk with Master arm in arm, but Master wouldn't deliberately let me fall into a trap.

"You stepped on my foot."

"..."

"Noelia, this is not funny."

The master is a weirdo.

Standing on a high place, he suddenly shouted very loudly.

He said this was one of the ways people in his hometown relieved stress. I shouted too.

"Noelia, you're...a natural clamp?"

What is a clamp?
I ignored it and shouted out the thoughts I heard.

"..."

"You're so happy to shout it out, I feel guilty instead."

Why do we feel guilty?

I have always said that I am willing to be a flannel for Master. I just said it louder. Master is really weird.

He also said that there is no sense of accomplishment in deceiving fools.

I'm not stupid.

I know who is good to me and who is not. It doesn't matter if it is a bad word.

2 month 28 day.

noon.

My master and I finally saw the village again.

"People from the south? This currency..."

Gold notes are not widely used here. I found someone willing to exchange them and there wasn't much left after the conversion.

The master said that when you first arrive, you should be quiet for a while.

2 month 28 day.

Night.

Master found out who had a large amount of cash that was used by the Northern Alliance. We went and took it. We didn't kill anyone.

3 month 5 day.

Night.

My master and I took a horse carriage and arrived at a more prosperous town in the Northern Alliance.

The master said that we will stay here from now on.

I have no objection. Whether sleeping in a forest with many rushes, in a carriage, in a fellow villager's home, or in a hotel now, it's all the same. While the master was out doing what he wanted to do, I took out the cheongsam that was neatly folded in my bag.

Any normal clothes to wear outside?
I have the normal one. This one...

"Crack-"

I tried to cut the hem of the skirt with a dagger. I felt that the visual estimate was not good enough, so I tried it on first. The slit was almost to the hips.

The chest is wrapped tightly and is very tight.

I gestured again, cutting it enough to allow half of it to breathe.

At this time, when I looked in the mirror again, it was not much different from what my master gave me at the beginning.

3 month 5 day.

late at night.

"Noelia? You..."

The master came back and seemed a little surprised to see me dressed like this.

How to answer?
I used the answer I had already thought of.

"There is nothing else I can give to Master."

"But... this, I don't want normal things. What I want is... what Master likes."

I would be embarrassed too.

Ever since my master said that I was more than just his disciple, my heart has been beating faster.

But this is something I have been planning for a long time.

“Noelia…I just want to show it to Master.”

It had been days since I'd felt that way.

Master always does everything by himself, and I know that staying where I am is the best way to help Master.

What I want to do now is to comfort my master’s fatigue.

That’s true.

A dress like a cheongsam... no matter how normal it is, I will never consider it normal with my body shape. In other words, in front of my master, I will not consider whether the clothes are normal to wear, I only consider whether my master likes it.

I squatted in front of my master and carefully started to do what I was supposed to do.

"..."

I said the next sentence only after Master could no longer hold back and helped me up.

"Master, this time...can I come?"

"?"

"..."

Spinning splits.

Although I really don’t know if I can do it, I am willing to try.

"Stop, stop, stop! Stop..."

Huh?
Why doesn’t Master look comfortable at all, but rather in pain?

"Noelia, Thomas twirled...that was a joke."

"Wait, you don't have bandages? Just a cheongsam?"

Ok.

There is nothing inside.

Because I know that Master would be pleased to see the mark of my cafeteria.

3 month 9 day.

Master and I have been in town for four days.

The master said he wanted to open a grocery store. In order to collect magic stones, create a legitimate identity... and secretly collect the information he wanted. More importantly, life can really become peaceful.

I think I will stay here with Master for a long time.

My strength has improved, but it is still far from what my master described. I can't use magic. If only I could understand what I am...

3 month 15 day.

The master has already bought the shop and officially opened it. There are many businesses, from custom-made clothes to gold and silver jewelry, and then to some tools that the master has tinkered with. For example, the ironware made of several coils of thin and elastic iron wire, the master said that it is a more convenient ear pick. But no one buys it.

"Hey, if you ask me, you are so pretty that you only need to stand at the door and many people will come to buy it. This thing is also very useful and cheap."

I had a conversation with the female owner of the porcelain shop next door. I referred to her ideas and told my master about them.

"The poster girl?"

"Okay, let's give it a try. It's okay if it doesn't work. Don't worry, gold will always shine. We don't make money from this."

"..."

Business is booming.

3 month 17 day.

The master was often not in the store during the day, always trying to gather the information he wanted. And I went from being the "banner lady" to the "boss lady".

But this is all misunderstanding by outsiders. I am not Master’s wife… Master’s wife is no longer with us, just like my parents.

"Ah, so you went to bed with him before you even signed a marriage contract with him?"

"..."

"That won't do. Men are like this. Once they get you, they will definitely throw you away when they get tired of you."

"..."

Master is not like that.

There were countless opportunities to dump me, but I didn't.

"do you like him?"

"..."

However, chatting with the female shop owner gave me another opportunity to understand what "like" really means.

"It's simple. If you like someone, you don't want to give him to anyone else."

"For example... I'm interested in your master. I plan to have him become the boss of my store and sever all ties with you."

"?"

"Don't look at me with such a scary look, I'm just giving you an example. You see, this is love. If it were me, I definitely wouldn't want to be unaware of what my man is doing outside and who he's meeting every day. What if there's a very beautiful woman..."

"Okay, I've figured out that you really care about him. Look, your face is pale."

"Then let me ask again, how does he usually treat you?"

"..."

"I always feel like you're subconsciously saying something nice for him? You didn't confirm anything about your relationship, and you went to bed with him. But from what I've seen, he seems to like you quite a bit. So... just try to ask him about marriage. Having a child will tie a man down to his will, and in this day and age, the only thing that rich people like them care about is reputation."

I am not lying.

Master would really reach that point, lying in bed... even if he had a lot of thoughts in his mind, he would still be able to take care of me rationally.

"Alright, alright~ All men in the world are beasts. Especially when facing someone like you, there is no way they can be rational."

"I see, you were completely eaten by him. There is nothing left from the inside out."

"..."

"But you should really think about what I just said."

"Since he lost his original wife, he must be very lonely and needs you. How should I put it... Men like your boss who are not easy to see through will probably only have weaknesses at this stage. At other times, they are good at playing with people. They will never invest real feelings."

"..."

I was stunned.

Have you forgotten it all along?
Although Master and I both lost important people, but unlike me, my parents can never be resurrected. But a wife... is not a replacement, but a new person who can take on that role.

I might be able to cure Master.

3 month 17 day.

Night.

"Huh... I'm so tired."

"What on earth is the Explorers Guild? Now it sounds like they are more than just mercenaries. They are more like a small United Nations. They even have voting rights."

"I searched for this thing for a long time and found it with great effort, but when I asked, no one knew how it was made."

Is that a weapon inlaid with magic stone?

The master took out the stone and asked me to hold it to see if there was any reaction. But there was no reaction.

"Okay. Is the bath water ready? I'm going to take a bath first."

I have smelled the scent of Master's clothes.

It only smells like sweat, nothing else. I'm glad that Master is only interested in me, but I wouldn't say anything even if I smell someone else's perfume. It's okay as long as I know that Master won't abandon me. Well... as long as he doesn't choose someone else in front of me, I won't cry.

"what……"

Heat gradually rose in my cheeks.

I know that I will never be able to compare to the wife that Master has in mind, and I won't try to compare.

and so……

"Hmm? Noelia? Didn't you already take a bath?"

"I, I will help Master rub his back."

"..."

I lifted my feet and entered the bathtub, which could barely accommodate two people.

"Master."

I mustered up the courage to speak.

"Ok?"

"Can I...can I be...that?"

"that?"

"Your... that is, concubine."

"What?"

"I can't replace your wife, but...is this okay? Noelia will always be with you."

"..."

"Whenever you think of those sad things, just think of Noelia... okay?"

I said it all out in one go.

The knuckles of the hand holding the towel turned white from excessive tension and force.

"…They are really not dead, they are alive and well."

"Master, I know everything. You are a gentle and nostalgic person. The female owner of the next door shop told me."

"..."

"You're just living in the past. You'll always be sad. I think... I can at least help you a little. Can I?"

I stared into Master's eyes.

"Forget it. Concubines and the like are too feudal."

"..."

Rejected?
The female shop owner said that if I was rejected, it would prove that the master didn't really like me that much. I would be thrown away after... he got tired of me.

"Hey. Noelia, why don't you marry me."

"?"

"Conclude a marriage."

"..."

"Anyway, it's weird to have a concubine here when I don't even have a wife. What do you think? Will you marry me?"

"..."

I stared at my master blankly.

how come?
How dare I replace the wife in Master's mind? I...

"It's true that it's impossible to replace you, but I never said I would replace anyone else with you. You are you."

"So, do you want to?"

"..."

I can't breathe.

Because the female shop owner also said that there will always be a time when the master and apprentice will surpass each other and go their separate ways.

But husband and wife are different. As long as the engagement is not broken off, they will live together for the rest of their lives.

I don't know how I got through this night, I was in a complete daze.

3 month 18 day.

early.

After the master left, the female owner came over to ask me about the situation.

"..."

"Ah, do I want to marry you right away?"

"He seems to be a good man. He probably planned this a long time ago, and he said it straight out when you brought it up."

"..."

"What? You mean you want to be his concubine? Oh my god... How much do you want to give in? How much do you like him?"

"..."

I didn't hear most of what the female shop owner said.

Just one sentence.

"Need I say more? I must like you to marry you. We are in love, congratulations."

It's not the first time I know that Master has feelings of 'liking' me.

But I never knew how precious "like" is.

Now I know.

Like is something that can make me... equal to the wife in my master's mind.

"Hey, Miss Tia's face is so red. Are you sick?"

I do not know.

Suddenly, he became flustered and had no intention of introducing the products to the customer. He even forgot to give the old lady the change.

Then I thought about what my master would want me to do when he came back.

"..."

so!

Everything I do, all my thoughts.

It’s all because he loves me, loves me enough to marry me and put me on the same level as the most important person in Master’s heart. I’m very important to Master. Master loves me very much… very much.

Always praise me for being cute.

Huh?
Master... why did you come back so early today?! Will you touch my hair? Or...

"Ms. Tia?!"

"Noelia?"

"..."

shameful.

I was thinking about all sorts of things. I couldn't even look my master in the eye, and I couldn't stand still... I was overwhelmed by the thought.

Master.

He said he wanted to marry me. Not to replace his deceased wife. He also said that Noellea was the lovely Noellea, not someone else. He wanted to marry me.

How to do?
Just seeing the master, I want to close my legs and can't help but want to flirt. It's over. The master will definitely laugh at me if he knows, and I will be embarrassed in front of the master again.

(End of this chapter)