Chapter 16: Mercy
Kalon didn’t bother addressing the three kneeling servants at first. Instead, he walked over to Josinia to make sure she was okay.
She looked up at him from where she sat on the bed, her eyes wet with tears. She was still dressed in her maid uniform, just like the others.
"K-Kalon... I’m sorry I dragged you into this mess. If you hadn’t met me, you wouldn’t have—"
"Shh, seriously." Kalon smiled and waved a dismissive hand. "I’m the one who got you into this mess. I should’ve known there were bullies on this planet too."
"We’re not bullies, I swear!" the chubby maid spat out. "We just thought Josinia was breaking the rules. If we’d known it was a human she was mating with, we never would’ve—"
"We’re not mating."
Kalon’s interruption left the chubby maid speechless.
"Besides, that man tried to blackmail Josinia into showing him her body. Do you even understand what blackmail is?"
Judging by the expressions on the maids’ faces, they understood perfectly.
"That was all Albert’s idea. We had nothing to do with it, I swear on the Queen’s name!" the taller maid confessed.
Albert, the lone male servant, trembled.
He said nothing. The silence was another to show his guilt.
The room fell quiet, as though the servants were waiting to receive their punishment.
Standing over them, Kalon glanced at Josinia.
"What do you want me to do with them?" he asked.
It almost sounded as though he were the one with authority, despite likely being the lowest-ranking person in the room.
Josinia thought for a moment. Anger was still visible on her face, though she had managed to keep it under control.
"I’d like to let them go," she said quietly, "but they’ve seen your face now... The decision is yours, Kalon."
The decision is mine...
I get to decide how to deal with these bullies.
Realizing their fate rested in the human’s hands, the servants became even more desperate.
"Please, sir. I promise we’ll keep our mouths shut!"
"It’ll be like we never saw you!"
"We’ll take this secret to our graves! I swear!"
Kalon rubbed his chin in deep thought.
Letting them go was certainly risky. Despite their promises, they would almost certainly spread word that Josinia had befriended a human.
Still... what other choice did he have?
He wasn’t about to kill them. That would make him even worse than the bullies he despised.
Besides, them spreading the truth wasn’t the end of the world. Kalon had already planned to reveal himself to this planet sooner or later.
The real concern was Josinia.
Would she be punished for this?
If people believed she had mated with a human, she would officially be branded a criminal.
Kalon looked at her.
"Are you sure you’re okay with letting them go?"
Josinia’s expression grew serious. She understood exactly why he was asking and the risks that came with it.
Even so, she nodded.
"Yes. I’m sure."
Kalon let out a quiet sigh.
He turned back to the trembling servants and gave a firm nod.
"Go. And don’t bother Josinia again."
The three servants didn’t waste a second scrambling to their feet before hurrying out of the room. As they fled, they continued muttering apologies and promises never to speak of what had happened.
Mercy...
Soon, only Kalon and Josinia remained in the quiet room.
She released a long, shaky breath, as though she’d been holding it the entire time.
Kalon sighed as well and slowly approached her. He wanted to comfort her. He wanted to do anything to help her feel a little better.
But before he could...
"Kalon, you’re a hero!"
She leaped off the bed and threw herself into his arms, wrapping them tightly around him.
"Thank you... thank you so much..."
She repeated her thanks over and over, squeezing him tighter each time.
Kalon simply stood there, stunned.
Although he had already fondled her small breasts during his last visit, he realized this was the first time he had ever actually been hugged by a woman.
"I-It’s... it’s no problem. Seriously, I’m the one who got you into this mess. If I’d never come here, none of this would’ve happened."
Josinia leaned back just enough to meet his eyes, though her arms remained wrapped around his neck.
Their faces were only inches apart.
"But if you hadn’t come here..." she said with a gentle smile, "I never would’ve met a human. I’d say it was worth it."
[Space Seduction System Appraisal]
[Nicely done, Host! Even though this situation was very obviously your fault, you’ve somehow convinced her otherwise.]
"..."
Kalon chose not to respond.
Instead, he awkwardly accepted another tight hug from Josinia.
Then the system chimed again.
「New Mission: Reach Stage 3 Seduction with Josinia」
﹂Reward: SSS+ Rank Passive Skill & Detailed Seduction Screen
Detailed Seduction Screen?
Kalon could only guess it would provide a more in-depth analysis of the women he had formed relationships with.
As for the mission itself, it seemed to be well within his reach.
「Maid Josinia」
﹂Stage Two Seduction: 50%
Already halfway through stage two.
Josinia definitely seemed attracted to him. Reaching Stage Three shouldn’t take too long.
And another SSS-Rank passive skill...
That reward alone made it worth pursuing.
Kalon decided then and there that he would complete the mission before the mock battles in a few days.
With another SSS-Rank passive under his belt, he’d be far more confident facing whoever his opponent turned out to be.
He just had to figure out a way to seduce this alien within that time frame.
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