After their meal, they headed straight to their room, but as they approached the stairs, the manager stopped them.
"Welcome back, Mr. Sian! A room became available, so I prepared our best one for you." He handed Sian the key and added, "It's room number 1 on the third floor, and we've set up the extra bed you requested. I hope you enjoy your stay."
With the key in hand, they went to the new room they had rented, which was much better than the previous one. It had two separate rooms, a living room and a bedroom. The living room had a table with chairs and a wooden center with four armchairs. In the bedroom, there was a dresser, a wardrobe, and two comfortable beds.
This rented room was clearly an upgrade from the old one, with softer mattresses and clean sheets. Once in the room, Sian placed some recently purchased items on the table.
"I'm going to check out the location for the inn," he said. "You two can rest here."
"I want to go too!" Emily excitedly hopped around him.
"You need to rest, so you'll have lots of energy to enjoy the delicious food later," he gently stroked her head.
"Really?" Emily's eyes sparkled at the mention of 'delicious food.'
"Absolutely." Sian nodded. "Now be a good girl and stay here with Mommy. I'll be right back."
Before leaving, Sian discreetly passed a bag of fruit to Ophilia.
***
Sian hoped Ophilia enjoyed the time spent with her daughter; she had been looking forward to it after being apart for so long. The thought of his own parents crossed his mind, and although he had searched for them, he hadn't found them yet.
Finding Ophilia was a positive thing; he genuinely liked her and it gave him hope about what to expect if he ever did meet with his own parents someday. Until then, he was content to build his own family.
Even though he had only met Emily today, he felt a strong connection with her. Maybe even create a genuine father-daughter bond. That said, Emily had a serious issue that needed his attention - her abnormally low mana levels.
Lost in his thoughts, Sian spotted a familiar figure, the young woman with red hair and freckles from the previous day who couldn't speak a word without stuttering.
"What was her name again?" he murmured.
Before he could remember, the young woman approached and bowed nervously. "Ex-Excuse me."
Realizing she had his attention, she continued, "Tha-Thanks fo-for yesterday, he-here's yo-your basket."
"You didn't need to return the basket, it was part of the gift," Sian replied.
"Bu-But it se-seems too ex-expensive, I-I can't accept," Emma insisted, lifting the basket.
"Just accept it, you can sell it if you don't want to," Sian suggested, preparing to move on.
"Bu-Bu-But…" She seemed unsure of what to say and started trembling slightly.
Seeing her nervousness, Sian had an idea. He could use this situation as an experiment to see how he could handle the situation in case Emily gets into a similar state.
Trying to do as Ophilia did when they first met, he approached Emma and hugged her gently, placing her head against his chest and stroking her hair. "You don't have to be afraid of me; I won't hurt you."
But instead of calming her down, Emma's trembling increased, and she stammered nervously, "Ple-Ple-Please..."
As his initial attempt didn't work, he decided to use a bit of light magic to soothe her. He subtly enveloped Emma in a transparent layer of magic.
"Don't worry, you can rest assured I won't hurt you," Sian assured her while still holding her in the hug.
With magic showing its effectiveness, she quickly stopped trembling, and her breathing steadied.
Setting her free from his hug, he asked, "Feeling calmer now?"
She nodded, cheeks slightly flushed. "I'm better now, and I'm sorry about earlier."
"No worries, just take the basket as a thank you for yesterday." Sian filled the basket with fruit.
"Is it alright for someone like me to get this gift?" She asked timidly.
Though confused by her words, 'someone like me,' he brushed it off. "Sure, it's all yours. Do whatever you want with it."
"Then I'll do my best not to disappoint you." Emma said determinedly.
"Sure, sure, give it your best shot." Sian patted her head.
With Sian's gesture, Emma seemed unsure how to respond, blushing even more than before. Not stuttering now, she looked like a different person now, transforming from a frightened mouse into a shy, cute girl. At that moment, Sian remembered an important matter – he needed waitresses.
The last time he'd looked in the Sacred Treasure, he'd read that girls wearing a provocative uniform attracted more customers. Although Emma wasn't an overtly sexy woman, she still had her charm. As Sian lost himself in thought, Emma grew redder.
"I have a proposal for you." Sian placed both hands on her shoulders. "Would you like to work at my restaurant?"
After a brief moment, she bowed and said, "I can't cook, sorry to disappoint you."
"No problem, you can be a waitress. What do you think?" Sian suggested.
Lifting her head, Emma gazed at him with determination. "You can count on me. I may not have experience, but I'll do my best to learn quickly."
Seeing her resolute attitude, Sian nodded approvingly. "That's great. I plan to open the restaurant in about a month, so you can get ready."
After a little more conversation, Sian bid her goodbye.
As the place he purchased was nearby, it didn't take long to reach there. Slowly examining the area, he tried to find the best spot to build the inn. The terrain was spacious, scattered with stones, trees, and abundant green grass, giving it a refreshing and pleasant natural ambiance.
While scanning the surroundings, his gaze fell upon the back of a tanned little girl bathing in the river, she was the way she came into the world. He recalled the butler mentioning that children often played in the river. It must be common for them to bathe here since its shallow and near the town.
Ignoring the girl, he continued surveying the area. The ground didn't have many irregularities, making it easy to work with. He just needed to flatten the land, clear the bushes, remove the rocks, and cut down some trees.
At the Sacred Treasure it said that utilizing a nearby river could be advantageous for the building, but he had no idea how to incorporate it. In fact, he wasn't even sure what the inn should look like, let alone how to build it.
This realization made him consider the need for someone else to handle the construction and management of the inn. While the Sacred Treasure could assist, he didn't want to overburden himself with work. He needed someone skilled and capable to take charge.
However, in this small town, finding such a person might be challenging. His best bet was to find a skilled slave since traders frequently passed through Solaris. The odds were low, but it was worth a shot.
"Hey!"
As he was about to leave, a young voice called out from behind. Turning around, he saw the same little girl from before, with her brown eyes and long black hair still dripping wet. Though she now wore a makeshift dress of rags, she appeared to be around 11 or 12 years old.
But what surprised him the most was her face. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.