Once Ryan and Ellie had both finished bathing, Maeve started to make her move.
First she went to the hearth and tugged hard at the clothesline, loosening it into a makeshift curtain, then pushed the bathtub behind it.
Ryan watched her every move, thoroughly impressed.
Maybe the girl wasn't a complete idiot after all.
Maeve poked her head out from behind the curtain and hissed frantically at Ellie. "Psst, psst, psst!"
Ellie shot her a glance, unmoved, sitting in the corner drying her hair with old clothes.
At this, Maeve walked over to her and mumbled, "Ellie, run the water for me. I want to bathe too..."
Ellie still didn't say anything, like a block of wood.
Seeing she couldn't budge Ellie, Maeve promptly shot Ryan a pleading look.
"No use looking at me."
"She only listens to you, right?"
Ryan shrugged. "I don't force her to do things she doesn't want to."
Out of options, Maeve crouched down to hug Ellie and wheedle her, only for Ellie to nimbly dodge away.
Ellie seemed put off that she hadn't bathed, so she got up, went to the tub, and ran the water for her.
Seeing her goal achieved, Maeve skipped over.
But soon she remembered something, poked her head out from behind the curtain, and said to Ryan warily, "Master, could you not peek at me bathing...?"
????
What was that supposed to mean?
Maeve had clearly decided Ryan was a pervert.
In that case...
Ryan gave a couple of dry coughs, a lecherous look creeping over his face. "Heh-heh-heh... now that you mention it!"
"We're friends — don't be like that."
"I feel like our bond isn't very solid. We'll have to have a kid to cement it."
"No way... Then... then I won't bathe today after all." Maeve walked out from behind the curtain with a sorrowful face and sat back down in the corner.
Ryan was momentarily lost for words. He waved a hand. "Go on and bathe. You stink so bad even Ellie's put off by you — what's there to peek at while you wash?"
Besides, if Ryan really wanted to do something, one command and she'd obediently spread herself open.
Maeve smiled happily and skipped over to the tub, stripped off, and jumped in, splashing water everywhere.
"If you get the dry clothes wet, you're dead," Ryan warned.
Maeve said cheerfully, "It's fine. This kind of mana-water vanishes fast — it's not like well water or river water."
Ryan looked at Ellie, and seeing her nod, said no more.
Ellie's hair had dried completely. At this Ryan gave a couple of dry coughs, ready to put his plan into action. "Ellie, may I touch your ears?"
At those words, Ellie immediately looked up at Ryan, her expression a little odd; he hoped this wouldn't lower her Loyalty.
"Your ears look so nice and fluffy — I really want to give them a feel. If you don't want me to, never mind."
Ellie lowered her head, lost in thought.
A few seconds later she slowly rose, sat on the edge of the bed, and tilted her head slightly toward Ryan.
Gazing at the ears now within reach, Ryan extended his hand and gently kneaded them.
It was the first time since crossing over that Ryan had openly, legitimately touched a demi-human's ears, and it was wonderful.
Feeling the fine fur slip between his fingers, the soft ears full of springiness, and after a while of kneading they slowly grew warm...
Wait — warm?
Ryan looked down and found Ellie's cheeks flushed, the skin on her arms taking on a strange wine-red hue, looking especially alluring in the faint firelight.
[Ellie's Loyalty increase detected. Current Loyalty: 30%]
Petting her ears actually raised Loyalty? Had he known, he'd have started yesterday.
The thought had barely surfaced when the System stepped in to stop him.
[Raising Affection must be gradual. Touch her yesterday and you might have been knifed.]
The System had barely finished when a panel popped up.
[Name: Ellie
Current Affection: Level 2
Become acquainted with Ellie (Achieved)
Become friends with Ellie (Achieved)
Become close friends with Ellie (Not yet achieved)
Develop a healthy romantic relationship with Ellie (Not yet achieved)
Current Codex reward: Strength, Endurance, and Agility each increased by 20%]
So her Affection had gone up too.
The corners of Ryan's mouth shot up.
Time to bring out his ancestral cat-petting technique!
Rub, pinch, knead, tease — after that little combo, Ellie stayed composed, but her breathing had grown a touch ragged.
Maeve had long since finished bathing but still wore that patch-covered, ragged outfit. Ears drooping, she watched the two of them, then asked with a tremor in her voice, "Am... am I going to get touched later too?"
Her little face had been washed spotlessly clean.
Maeve wasn't as stunning as Ellie, but she was cute enough — above average among ordinary folk, the kind who'd at least be the class beauty.
Her figure, though, was a perfect score; all the fancy details paled before those two behemoths.
He absolutely had to nurture the relationship and then get that back massage!
Ellie seemed a little embarrassed and struggled slightly.
Seeing Ryan let go, she immediately got up and fled, then sat quietly on the pile of clothes, staring blankly.
Whether it meant no more touching or she was just shy, there was no telling.
Ryan looked at Maeve, the chief culprit, and crooked a finger at her. "Come here! Let me feel your dog ears too."
"I... I'm a bit sleepy, going to bed first." Maeve fled outright.
She dropped straight off to sleep, motionless as if dead.
Ryan dug out a clean set of clothes and tossed them onto Maeve. "Your clothes have gone sour. Wear mine for now; we'll buy you clothes tomorrow."
"Fine." Maeve hugged the clothes and ducked behind the curtain again. After a while she poked her head out and asked, "Master, do you have any of that cloth wrap... you know... the kind for binding your chest...?"
"I'm a man — where would I get that? Can't you just go without?"
"Without it they're too big."
"Let me see how big!"
Maeve cautiously leaned half her body out, then quickly shrank back.
She was still clothed, of course.
Ryan was instantly smitten — they were a size bigger than before; wouldn't a thing like that smother a man outright?
"Then leave them unbound for now; we'll go buy some tomorrow." Ryan rummaged through the wooden chest, but he really couldn't find any old clothes — the vast majority had gone to Ellie's bedding.
Maeve puffed out her cheeks and asked, "Then what do I do about the pants being too long...?"
The girl was so short — Ryan was two heads taller than her — so it was no surprise they didn't fit.
"Just roll them up. There's no other way; we'll buy more tomorrow." Ryan shrugged.
After a while Maeve came out clutching her chest — that size, like she had two small rubber balls hidden in front.
Uncomfortable under his stare, Maeve lay down facing the wall.
Ryan was tired too; after his bath he felt groggy and ready for sleep. "You two get to bed early as well. We've got work to do outside tomorrow..."