CHAPTER 161: CHAPTER 161: SHE NEEDS A FATHER, SO...

Time passed slowly. After returning, Charles’s life seemed to return to its usual rhythm. Under Sophia’s guidance, he began studying 3rd-level spells while waiting for news from Anno.

The demons had to be eliminated. His original plan was to ally with the Mountain People and Blackstaff Tower to resolve the matter steadily. However, the Alliance of the Mountain Purifiers had shown intense enmity, leaving him no choice but to side entirely with Blackstaff Tower, relying on their strength to solve the problem.

Until Anno brought back new information, he could only study, train, adapt to his enhanced physique, and wait patiently.

Morning, Scriptorium, First Floor.

The nun tutoring Lisa had temporarily switched from Andny to Hattie. The former was now focused on caring for Bonnie and the spider eggs she had acquired, while the latter had little to do and volunteered for the task.

As the bell rang, signaling the end of class, Lisa hopped down from her tall chair and began packing her stationery. Her lips were pursed, clearly unhappy.

Hattie noticed her mood and leaned down gently. "Lisa, what’s wrong? Is something bothering you?"

Lisa nodded without hesitation. "Yes!"

Pouting, she looked up at Hattie with a wronged expression. "Teacher, does Priest Charles... not like me?"

Hattie blinked in surprise. "Of course not! Why would you think that?"

"Because he’s back, but he hasn’t visited my home." Lisa lowered her head, her voice tinged with disappointment. "Mom and I prepared treats to share with him, but he never came..."

Hattie was struck by how sensitive the little girl was—such a small thing had upset her so deeply.

Without delay, Hattie softened her voice. "That’s not true at all. Priest Charles has been incredibly busy these past few days, barely able to catch his breath. That’s why he hasn’t visited."

"I promise, once he has time, he’ll come to see you. Okay?"

Hearing this, Lisa’s eyes brightened. "Really? Okay!"

A child’s mood shifts quickly. Lisa’s gloom vanished, and after stuffing her backpack, she chirped a goodbye and skipped out of the scriptorium.

Hattie watched her leave with a smile, waiting until the girl disappeared around the monastery’s corner before her expression sobered. She hurried out, heading straight for the kitchen.

The two buildings weren’t far apart. In just a few steps, she reached the doorway, pushed open the kitchen door, and found Charles already eating lunch.

Since enhancing his Constitution with the system, his training intensity had skyrocketed. Running five kilometers in under twenty minutes now felt effortless.

His appetite had also grown dramatically. Even after a hearty breakfast, he often found himself ravenous before mealtime, forcing him to cut short his training or lessons to devour whatever was available.

Like now. A massive steak—weighing at least a kilogram—sat on the kitchen table, accompanied by crisp vegetables and a glass of milk.

No longer strapped for funds, he could afford to treat such steaks as a staple, just like people from his previous life. Without finishing this, he wouldn’t last the afternoon.

Hearing the door creak, Charles paused mid-bite and glanced over. "What’s up? Something wrong?"

He speared a tender piece of beef with his fork and popped it into his mouth.

During the day, the witches were all occupied with their duties. The monastery was still in rapid development, so—aside from evening baths—he insisted they minimize interactions with him, especially Hattie.

Otherwise, a single lapse could cost him two hours, and that was simply too disruptive.

"Nothing urgent, really." Hattie closed the door and took a seat beside him. "Lisa’s been missing you."

Charles paused his knife. "Missing me? But she hasn’t come to see me..."

His mindset was passive. With so much on his plate, he rarely initiated contact with the girls, waiting instead for them to seek him out.

Hell, he hadn’t even considered visiting Anno proactively.

"It’s about the invitation to her home," Hattie clarified. "She’s upset you haven’t gone yet and wonders if you dislike her."

She blinked. "Master, could you spare some time to visit her?"

Hattie held no particular affection for Lisa, but she recognized the girl’s value. She also sensed her Master had a soft spot for the child.

Charles’s expression turned odd. "Huh... I had no idea..."

He hadn’t grasped Lisa’s anxious little heart. He assumed if she missed him, she’d boldly seek him out like Anno or, like Porter, set up an elaborate orgy trap to drag him into bed.

Ahem!

"Alright."

He forked another bite of steak, chewing as he mumbled, "I’ll visit her this afternoon, spend some time with her."

Decision made, he said no more, methodically polishing off the steak, greens, tomatoes, and finally downing a tall glass of milk. Only then did his stomach feel satisfied.

Hattie waited quietly, her gentle gaze fixed on him, as if his profile alone brought her joy.

Once he finished, she produced a napkin and dabbed away the traces of sauce around his lips. Charles let her tend to him without protest, rising only after she was done. "Tell Ruth to postpone this afternoon’s training. I’ll be back later."

Hattie nodded, and Charles strode out, heading straight for the neighboring courtyard.

At this hour, Lisa was likely not at home but at the tailor’s shop. Malena usually left work a bit early to prepare lunch so her daughter could return to a hot meal.

After eating, she’d take Lisa to the shop, letting the girl nap on a folding cot while Malena caught up on her morning backlog.

Thus, heading straight to the tailor’s shop was the right move. Even if he missed them, he could wait there for their arrival.

His reasoning was sound—though perhaps he’d taken too long eating. By the time he pushed open the shop’s door, Malena was already at her sewing machine, tackling the afternoon’s workload.

Late autumn had brought a biting chill, but the monastery’s walls insulated against both cold and noise, leaving the shop comfortably warm.

Inside, Malena had shed her brown leather coat, hanging it on the wall. She wore only a gray, round-neck sweater, its stretchy fabric clinging to her mature, voluptuous frame. The neckline accentuated her slender, pale neck, while her long, wavy black hair cascaded freely down her back.

The sight of her full chest and the allure unique to a young mother made it hard for Charles to look away the moment he stepped in.

Hearing the door, Malena glanced up, her lovely face lighting with surprise. "Priest?"

Then, lowering her voice—though her tone still brimmed with delight—she asked, "What brings you here?"

Charles averted his gaze, reminding himself he’d come for Lisa, not to flirt with Malena.

Losing composure in front of her would be bad enough, but worse, it might tarnish her view of the Church of the Goddess of Life and cast doubt on his priesthood.

Ahem!

"I promised Lisa I’d visit, and since I had some free time now, I came to see her," he said, keeping his voice low. "Is she asleep?"

"Yes," Malena nodded, glancing toward the back. Charles leaned over to look and saw a small folding bed behind her workstation. Lisa had removed her coat, pants, and shoes, wearing only a pink sweater as she curled up under a wheat-gold woolen blanket, sound asleep.

Her fair cheeks, tinged with a healthy flush, radiated tranquility. The delicate rise and fall of her little nose with each steady breath stirred a wave of tenderness in Charles’s heart.

He longed to pinch her soft skin but feared disturbing her slumber. Instead, he admired her golden lashes from afar and murmured, "I came at a bad time—she’s already asleep."

Hearing this, Malena couldn’t help but smile. "Not at all. Lisa has been talking about you nonstop these past few days. She adores you. If she wakes up and finds you here, she’ll be overjoyed."

Charles chuckled at that. "Then I’ll wait a little while. It’ll be a nice surprise for her when she wakes up."

As he spoke, he glanced around for another stool to sit on while waiting for Lisa to stir.

Behind him, Malena watched his silver-white hair and handsome profile, her heart pounding uncontrollably.

She took a deep breath. The excess nourishment and energy that had restored her beauty also stoked an unrelenting hunger for pleasure within her youthful body.

Normally, she could suppress or temper these urges—but today, faced with this man who had twice rescued her and her daughter, so handsome and powerful, the fire inside her roared to life.

She licked her slightly parched lips, feeling a sudden dryness in her throat.

"Priest... the shop doesn’t have extra stools. You can sit here if you’d like," she said, pushing forward the high-legged square stool she’d been using. "I can stand while I work. It’s no trouble."

Charles immediately waved her off. "No, you need to work. I’ll stand—it won’t be long."

He offered a light smile, but Malena swallowed hard and stared at the wooden stool. "This seat isn’t too narrow... maybe we could... share it?"

Charles froze for a moment.

What... is she doing?

A bold suspicion flickered in his mind, but he didn’t dare confirm it.

He turned to look at her, but Malena had already bowed her head, her long, wavy black hair obscuring her face. "Here, Priest... sit first."

Charles gulped, his pulse quickening. The more Malena regained her health, the more he became aware of the intoxicating allure radiating from her—the kind only a mature woman could possess.

Now, sitting pressed against her, he feared losing control.

No, Charles. Stay composed. You came here for Lisa. And they’re outsiders—you must maintain a proper image. Don’t give her any reason to doubt or resent you...

"Alright," he said. "We’ll share."

He sat on one half of the stool, stealing a glance at Malena’s face through the curtain of her hair. Even in the dim light, he could see the enticing blush on her cheeks, betraying the immense tension she was under.

Yet she sat down firmly beside him, their bodies pressed together.

Even through the thick knit of her sweater, Charles could feel the heat of Malena’s voluptuous frame. The faint fragrance of her hair teased his senses, each whiff stirring his desires further.

Malena’s face burned. She tried to focus on her work, but soon realized that with this man—the one she longed for—sitting so close, she could think of nothing else.

Abandoning her task, she finally spoke. "Lisa really does adore you, Priest."

Nervous, Charles replied distractedly, "Is that so? Maybe she’s just curious. This might be her first exposure to religious teachings?"

"That’s part of it," Malena murmured, her voice tinged with melancholy. "But another reason is... her father passed away so young."

"She’s grown up without a father’s love. Our home was so poor, and her health so frail... she hardly had any friends."

"If not for everyone at the monastery... I can’t imagine what kind of childhood she would’ve had. Or if she’d even have lived to grow up..."

Her words trailed into sorrow. Charles sighed. "There’s no helping it. The world is full of such tragedies."

"We followers of the Goddess of Life can only do what we can to save as many as possible."

Malena lifted her gaze, her eyes shimmering with emotion. "You’re truly a kind-hearted man."

After a pause, she turned away, hiding her expression. "So... could I ask you to look after Lisa more often? I can’t give her a real father, but you... perhaps you could fill that void for her."

Charles’s heart skipped a beat.

Is she... hinting at something?

Hiss... Should I play it cool? Or—

"Of course," he said. "I’m fond of her too. It’s the least I can do."

Malena studied his face, listening to his voice, feeling as though her heart were ablaze. She yearned to throw herself at him—but feared her desperate, fervent longing would scare this man, so much younger than her...

As she wrestled with her torment, a rustling came from the little bed behind them. Both turned to see Lisa stirring, her drowsy eyes fluttering open.

A second later, the wall clock began to chime. Clearly, the girl’s internal clock was perfectly synchronized with the world.

Charles quickly stood, and when Lisa recognized him, her face lit up with delight. "Priest!"

She stretched her arms out from under the blanket, demanding, "Hug!"

Smiling, Charles stepped forward, lifted the blanket, and scooped her up. She felt like a warm little furnace in his arms, radiating energy from her cozy nest.

Lisa wrapped her arms around his neck, nuzzling her face against his, inhaling his scent. "You smell nice, hehe..."

Her tiny hands tousled his hair playfully. Behind them, Malena watched the affectionate pair, her lips curving into a smile.

How wonderful...

Pushing aside her wandering thoughts, she picked up Lisa’s little white coat and held it up. "Lisa, get dressed. It’s time for school."

"Huh?" Lisa pouted, turning to her mother with pleading eyes. "But Priest is finally here..."

Charles gently stroked her soft golden hair. "It’s alright, Lisa. I’ll come back tomorrow."

"Go on now—attend your lessons. Don’t let me keep you from your studies!"

As he spoke, he pinched the tender skin on her back through her sweater, making her giggle. Reassured by his promise, her mood brightened, and she obediently slipped into her coat, then slid down to put on her shoes. "Okay, Priest! I’m off to school!"

Malena handed her the roughcloth bookbag. Lisa slung it over her shoulder, waved goodbye, and dashed out the door.

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