Bright sunlight shone through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows of the Crown Penthouse.
Evren opened his eyes, lying on the soft guest bed. For a brief second, he felt disoriented. The air was clean, warm, and scented like fresh lotus. There was no sound of leaking water pipes or traffic noise from the slum streets below.
He reached for his cracked phone on the nightstand and tapped the screen. He opened his bank app and refreshed the page.
Account Balance: $14,950,042.50.
Evren let out a long, quiet breath, a faint smile touching his lips. It wasn’t a fever dream. Yesterday had really happened. He was no longer a broke delivery guy with only forty-two dollars to his name.
He stood up, stretched his limbs, and replayed last night in his head.
After returning from the pharmacy at two in the morning, both he and Amber had been exhausted and starving. Evren had used the penthouse room service terminal to order a hot late-night spread of steamed ginseng chicken soup, seared Wagyu steak, and hot jasmine tea.
He had thought about calling the Apex Tower front desk to hire a private female nurse or carer for Amber.
But when he mentioned it, Amber had gripped his jacket in panic, her eyes filled with fear.
After being betrayed by her guild and handed around like unwanted political cargo, the thought of strangers touching her paralyzed body terrified her. She trusted only Evren.
So last night, after feeding her hot soup and helping her take her Stage 1 Nerve Pill, Evren had carried her into the master bedroom, laid her down on the king-sized bed, and covered her with heated silk duvets before sleeping in the adjoining room.
Evren walked over, knocked softly on the master bedroom door, and stepped inside.
Amber was awake, propped up against the plush velvet pillows. She was still wearing his oversized, faded delivery jacket over her thin clothes. When she saw Evren walk in, a bright, rosy blush spread across her pale cheeks.
"Good morning, Evren," she whispered softly.
"Good morning," Evren replied, walking over to the side of the bed. "How are your legs feeling today? Any pain?"
Amber shook her head, a faint, genuine smile touching her lips. "No pain at all. The burning fever hasn’t come back. And... I can still feel a bit of warmth in my feet."
She paused, her fingers fidgeting nervously with the edge of the silk blanket. Her blush deepened until her ears turned red, and she looked down at her lap in total embarrassment.
"Evren..." she mumbled in a timid voice. "I... I need to go to the bathroom. And I need to wash up... but I..."
Evren didn’t hesitate or act awkward. "Don’t worry about it. Let me help you."
He pulled back the heavy duvet, leaned over, and carefully slid one arm around her back and the other beneath her knees. Amber gasped softly, her arms instinctively looping around his neck to anchor herself.
She was light, and her soft body trembled slightly against his chest.
Evren carried her into the massive marble master bathroom. The bathroom had a heated floor, a deep Jacuzzi tub, and dual marble sinks.
He carefully sat her down on a cushioned bench beside the vanity mirror. He unpacked a fresh toothbrush, applied toothpaste, and handed it to her along with a cup of warm water. Amber took it with a shy, grateful smile, brushing her teeth while Evren turned to the Jacuzzi tub and filled it with warm water and fragrant bath oils.
Once the tub was filled with soft white bubbles, Amber looked at the steaming water, then looked back at Evren, her face flushed completely red.
"Umm... Evren..." she stammered, pulling his delivery jacket tightly over her chest. "Can you... help me into the tub?"
"Of course," Evren said gently.
He held up a giant, thick bath towel in front of his eyes to block his view with complete respect, kneeling beside the cushioned bench.
Beneath the shelter of the towel, Amber nervously unzipped the heavy delivery jacket and slipped off her thin, worn clothes, placing them on the bench.
Evren reached out beneath the towel, placed his hands securely around her waist, and carefully lifted her, lowering her body into the warm water.
Once she was settled in the tub with warm white bubbles covering her up to her chest, Amber let out a long, quiet sigh of relief as the heat penetrated her stiff muscles, easing the built-up tension.
However, because her upper body was still weak from months of bedridden exhaustion, she struggled to lift her arms high enough to wash herself.
"Evren?" she called out softly after a few minutes, sounding embarrassed. "Could you... help me wash? My arms are too weak to scrub."
Evren turned around.
Amber was sitting in the warm water, covered up to her chest in rich white bubbles. Her bare shoulders were pale and slender, and her damp raven hair hung over her back.
He walked over, knelt beside the marble edge of the tub, and picked up a bottle of luxury lavender body wash. He poured a small amount onto a soft silk sponge and gently washed her pale shoulders, arms, and slender back.
Then he grabbed a bottle of luxury shampoo, poured a generous amount into his palms, and began massaging her scalp.
Amber closed her eyes, leaning her head back against his hands with a soft hum.
Evren’s palms were rough from years of delivery work, yet incredibly gentle, working through her long dark hair. Amber felt her heart hammering against her ribs.
For six terrifying months, her birth family and former guildmates had looked at her paralyzed body with disgust, treating her like broken junk. But Evren handled her as if she were the most precious treasure in the world.
"Thank you, Evren..." she whispered softly. "You’re so good to me, even though I’ve done nothing to warrant any kindness or goodness."
"You don’t need to thank me for basic human care, Amber," Evren said quietly, rinsing her hair and shoulders with a handheld warm water spray.
After rinsing her completely, Evren picked up a massive, thick white bath towel from the heated rack. He held it up high in front of himself to block his view while kneeling beside the tub.
"Hold onto my shoulders," Evren instructed softly.
Amber wrapped her arms securely around his neck. Evren reached into the warm water beneath the towel, wrapped his arms around her waist, and lifted her dripping body straight out of the tub in one smooth motion.
He immediately wrapped the thick towel around her body, covering her completely before she could feel cold.
Amber’s face burned like fire as she clung to his neck, her wet hair dripping onto his shirt. Evren carried her smoothly out of the bathroom and laid her down on the soft king-sized bed, tucking a dry blanket around her shoulders.
Evren looked back toward the bathroom bench where her old, worn-out clothes sat, and then glanced down at his own rain-soaked, faded delivery uniform.
"We both need new clothes," Evren smiled. "Real ones."
Evren picked up the penthouse house phone and dialed the Apex Tower VIP Concierge Desk.
"Apex Tower Concierge, how may we assist you, Mr. Evren?" the manager answered instantly.
"I need a full luxury mobile wardrobe showroom dispatched to the Crown Penthouse immediately," Evren ordered. "High-end formal wear, casual wear, sleepwear, and thermal wraps for a female S-Rank Awakener, plus a full custom wardrobe of tailored suits and casual wears for myself."
"Consider it done, sir! We will contact Valeria Guild Fashion right away!"
Twenty minutes later, the elevator doors chimed open.
Three elegantly dressed stylists arrived at the penthouse, pushing six large rolling wardrobe racks filled with high-end silk gowns, cashmere coats, designer suits, Italian leather shoes, and specialized thermal leg wraps.
The chief stylist bowed politely to Evren, then turned to Amber with deep professional respect.
The team spent the next hour presenting outfits, taking exact measurements, and helping Amber try on clothes directly on the bed, while another stylist tailored three bespoke Italian suits, silk dress shirts, and cashmere overcoats for Evren.
They selected six silk day dresses, four cashmere coats, three sets of velvet sleepwear, and custom magnetic thermal compression leg sleeves for Amber, alongside Evren’s new tailored wardrobe.
Evren didn’t look at the prices. He simply pulled out his phone and tapped the stylist’s mobile terminal.
Payment Successful: $150,000.00.
The moment the payment cleared, the translucent system screen flared brightly before Evren’s eyes.
[DING!]
[Pampering Target: Amber!]
[Amount Spent: $150,000.00 | 100x Rebate Multiplier Applied!]
[Cash Rebate Reward: $15,000,000.00 Deposited To Your Account!]
Bank Alert: $15,000,000.00 deposited. Current Balance: $29,950,042.50.
The stylists packed up their remaining racks, bowed deeply, and departed, leaving behind a bedroom full of luxury garments.
Evren walked over to the bed, now wearing a white silk shirt and tailored dark trousers. Amber was wearing a stunning midnight-blue silk dress paired with a soft cream cashmere coat over her shoulders.
The dark blue fabric highlighted her pale skin and dark hair, making her look like a true regal empress once again.
Amber looked down at her luxurious dress, then looked up at Evren. Tears welled up in her eyes, not from pain, but from overwhelming gratitude and warmth.
"Evren..." she whispered. "I don’t even know how to repay you..."
Evren sat on the edge of the bed and gently tucked a strand of wet hair behind her ear. "You don’t need to repay me, Amber. Just focus on getting better."
Amber reached out and squeezed his hand tightly, resting her cheek against his palm.
[DING! Heroine Trust Level: 23% (+8% Increase!)]
[System Hint: First Milestone Reward Unlocks at 25% Trust!]