"What the heck is going on here?" Aster totally had no idea where the conversation was headed and could not help but voice out.
"It's like this. I am really low on money and I would like to take this chance to get a hold of your deep pockets." Aria sounded out and made him feel like some rich playboy who is assaulted by a straightforward gold digger.
"We had to work years to get that house for my siblings to live in and there is no way I would give up on that. Even if the city lord basically pushed for the place to be ours. This guy should also have the money to hold off those ruffians from hurting my sisters." She continued as she was truly desperate and needed to hook him in. "My work here had already summed up to about two thousand gold coins and you only need to pay for the remaining balance for us to fully purchase the house."
"If you agree, I will work for you as someone who would cook, clean the house, and prepare necessities. So, the situation would be like sharing quarters while you get to laze around and just need to pay your dues with the money you have." She persuaded when she saw that Aster was still unconvinced. "Seeing that you are a newcomer in town, I am the perfect information giver. I'll even give you the chance to wed and bed me. Don't get on with your wild fantasies though because even when you own my body, you'll need to work hard to earn my heart. This is for my siblings' future."
Aster had his brows twitching from not knowing if he should laugh or cry. He never cared about trivial things like information and maid services. He was perfectly capable of taking care of himself. Despite him being a former prestigious young master, he had taught himself of various means of survival. Cooking, carpentry, and even cleaning were things that he aced from testing himself.
What enticed him is the bonus of only paying a thousand gold coins as for the prospect of having Aria, in his head he said. 'Not bad. Who am I to reject when I am a man of culture. Aria would be the extra bonus, I guess.'
"Deal."
Aria was supposed to continue by highlighting what was great about her but nevermind, she cursed at him. 'He must be a budding lecherous dude but I have no choice. He has looks to back it up at least and I hope he is man enough to help us in our problems.'
"Deal." She put forward her hand where Aster obliged and shook on it.
"Looking forward to doing business with you." They simultaneously said and left to process the procedures.
This time, it was Esmeralda who took care of the proceedings. It seems that when Aria had fully paid the house in question, she is contractually liable to quit the job.
Esmeralda had talks with Aria in private for quite a while. Everything ended with Aster and her leaving for the direction of the house with the keys and the contract.
This was where they took the chance to get to know each other.
"I am Aria. What's your name by the way?"
"I go by Aster."
"That's unexpected. I thought you are some sort of noble scion who has earned the right of a surname." Aria was surprised by this. It would seem that people who had no surnames were the bottom rank of hierarchy in their nation.
'The Great Heaven Nation must be noble oriented to disregard giving last names to commoners. I am just lazy to not give myself a surname. Who would have thought that there was a rule about it in this place?' Aster surmised while he said teasingly to Aria. "Are you regretting your choice now?"
"It is surprising that you are not a noble but I could live with it. I estimate that you have more or less four thousand gold in that bag of yours and that would be enough for us to live comfortably in a lifetime, if we are frugal enough." She shrugged. Her headstrong and stubborn personality was admirable. Aster would like to reciprocate her choice on him in the near future.
Aria offered something to him. Seeing that he had no apparent selection of clothing. They headed to the market to buy for him.
"I have a question. Would you mind answering it?" He said as he was estimating his size in the mirror of a clothes shop.
"Go ahead. Ask away." She gave way while picking out clothes that would fit him.
"You seem to have some connection with your boss, Esmeralda. It looks to me like you are relatives. Why not go to her for support?"
Aria was caught off guard by his question. It was still within her expectation, the person asking was not by any means less intelligent than her.
She truthfully said. "We could consider ourselves distant relatives. At some point in their family tree, a daughter was married off to an influential king. That daughter was my grandmother and you could say that we had royal lineage from the side of my grandfather who is king."
"Uprising happened and when it was our father's turn to rule the kingdom due to his lack of power due to being talentless in cultivation. One thing leads to another and here we are." Melancholy and sadness were in her voice. Her life was supposed to be smooth sailing and here she is sacrificing herself for her family.
"Don't cry, lady princess." Aster did a fake bow to lighten the mood of things from feeling that he had overstepped his boundaries. She must have really moved on from things when she laughed at his antics but he can see the hidden sadness and conviction in her eyes.
"Anyway, we got off free from hassle against those that had overthrown my father. Unfortunately, the Greene family wanted nothing to do with us, and Esmeralda's hiring of me was just a formality and out of kindness. They still keep in check with us though because they are asking something from us."
Reality was really cruel. To take her mind of those things, they just upped their shopping with Aria buying clothes for her siblings as well.
They also bought food and stuff because it was already dark out. There was no time truly move at the new house, so he was offered to stay at Aria's housing for the night.
On the way, they had also passed the gates of Creed Academy. It was huge and its buildings stretch out even further than one can see at Creed Street that they were passing in.
Roughly a 15-minute walk from there was the second option for the house he was supposed to buy. He could not wait to take a bath because the mud and blood from his adventures were really taking a toll on him.
"Big Sis Aria, you're home!" A little figure could be seen dashing towards Aria when she entered the house.
The little girl was wearing a sleeping pajama with floral designs. Her features were pretty and cute, her looks would doubt would be a ravishing beauty in the future. She was a mini-version of Aria but with a lighter shade of emerald green hair.
'These girls must be little leaves. The Greene name in their family heritage was without reason. They sort of look like those long-lived elves.' Aster assumed in his head while watching the interaction of the sisters.
"Oh, sis Aria. Who is the guest at the door? Is he your man?" A new voice came from the house as another Aria came to Aster's view. She was the same age as Aria but compared to the latter's mature and smart features, this one had a mischievous air around her.
There were major discrepancies in their looks but it did not disparage their individual beauties. The fact that surprised Aster was the idea that Aria had a twin. It was not identical though but they had their own charms.
"Stop joking around, Eve. I'll explain later, just prepare the table for dinner with an extra person." Aria reprimanded while blushing. Although her sister was joking around, it is within her agreement with Aster that she is nominally his maid and wife if he wanted.
"Little Jade, follow your big sis Eve and behave, okay." She then calmed the little girl she is holding.
"Aster, you should take a bath already." She said while leading him to their washroom. "Well, it is not much but we use pales and containers here to save water. Hope you understand."
"It's alright for..." He said but was stunned when Aria opened the door.
"Kyaa!!! Sister, you idiot!" On the other side of the door was the third Aria he saw. This time it was in naked glory.
The girl was another beauty who was red with shame as she covered up her privates with her hands and arms. She had the same physique as the other two but her facial features were leaning towards the innocent type.
"Err... sorry." That was the only thing he could say at the moment. Dispersing the awkward situation, Aria closed the door with anger as she looked at him. This was done to let her sister get ready inside, to correct her mistake of not knocking first, and to stop this lecher of a possible future husband from ogling at her sister's body.
It did not take long for the girl to change and hide her face through a towel she is using.
"Plum, learn to lock the door will you." The empowering Aria scolded. While in her head she said to herself, 'We were too used to just being only us in the house that locking up the bathroom was not needed. I was doing all this to help us to stray from those unspeakable situations and yet here it is happening already.'
Aria saw his eyes were in complete calm and can't help but see him in a different light. Of course, underneath all of his unfazed expression is completely opposite.
Plum could only leave their vicinity in panic. Aria turned to him and said. "It's your turn inside to take a bath, lecher."
He could only sigh in defeat and cooled himself with water to negate his increasing temperature. Who would've thought that he would coincidentally be in the house filled with beautiful girls? This is a perk for certain people that many would envy, love, and hate.
After his bath and when he had changed his clothes, he was back to his handsome look. His black hair had a lustrous shine due to the bath and his eyes were complementary to his hair color which is also black. Abysmal and mysterious darkness was reflected as if to ponder about his deep thoughts. A dark shirt was what he wore with a darker hoodie jacket, coupled with black plants that perfectly fit his size.
His current visage was no different than a devilishly dark youth meant to captivate every woman whom he fancies.
Following directions that he was told of beforehand. He reached the dining room where Aria and her siblings were taking the full brunt of his captivating looks.
The siblings were stunned by his sudden transformation from a beggarly bloke on the streets to a princely person that they dreamt about. Aster was also stunned by the fact that there was another sibling of theirs that he did not meet.
Like her sisters, she was a beauty that did not lose out. Donning the emerald green genes but younger than the triplets and only slightly mature than the youngest Jade. She was later introduced as Monet.
They were still in a stupor from seeing his handsome face and he could not help but cough to dissolve the stagnant atmosphere. The triplets who were exposed to the lives of royalty can't help but have their hearts beating from seeing his looks.
"Hello to all of you, beauties. I'm Aster." He calmly smiled as he greeted. Deep inside, he was still shaken by the fact that he would be living with this beauty ensemble. 'Holy moly, thank the creator for being good to me.'
Aria was the person who was acquainted with him so she was the one who invited him to sit. The rest had already gotten used to him, only Plum was still blushing red from her earlier embarrassment.
"Uhm. Aria, you all could have already started eating and not wait for me. I'm sure that all of you should have been hungry." It was still awkward barging in their normal routine of life. He thought that minimal interactions would have better results and just take things slow to get to know them as time would pass.
"Now that he is here, you should start your questions." Ignoring his words, Aria looked around and ate a spoonful of food afterward.
"Is he a prince?" The young Jade asked her sister while glancing at Aster occasionally with radiant eyes. It would seem that her sister had filled her head with prince charming stories.
"He must be a prince. Sister Aria must have had a lucky chance to encounter a frog and take its magic kiss." The older Monet corrected her little sister. She was also not saved from the illusory facts of fairytales.
"Monet, Jade. The adults will do the talking here." The easy-going Eve reprimanded with a straight face.
"How shameful of you to call yourself adults when you guys don't even know how to lock the doors when taking a bath?" Monet was not one to be beaten so she mocked back.
"Haha!" Aster laughed at their antics. Eve and Plum were eyeing him with shame and animosity while Monet was giving him a thumbs up for supporting her.
'It looks like it's easy to fit in with them after all.' He remarked in his mind while he enjoyed the simple meal in the table.