Chapter 22 - Florida Man Scores Free Big House Because He Slept with Local Governor's Maid
5 AM, the sunlight peeked over the horizon, preparing to blast cancer rays at all life forms on the planet. Meanwhile, Felix sat on his bed, facepalming. He couldn't believe what he had done.
Jane was still in the bed, sleeping soundly, smiling, and drooling from both her upper and lower mouths.
They went hard last night. Felix forgot how many times he fired a round in the chamber. Moreover, each shot was an explosive round, containing a lot of juice.
"…"
What's done is done, Felix thought. Ignoring Jessica's joke and references, he threw himself back on the bed and gazed at his partner. Upon looking at her face up close, Felix realized she was a lot prettier than modern models. She also didn't wear makeup, which was another plus.
Felix stroked Jane's cheek and faintly smiled. Somehow, he didn't hate this scenery on his bed. Instead, his chest felt lighter than usual.
Closing his eyes, Felix fell asleep. For the first time in his life, he felt fulfilled.
.
.
At 7 AM, Felix and Jane were still asleep. Since both had skipped breakfast, the house butler came to check on them.
Sam stopped at the front door and noticed two young maids with food carts standing outside. Their faces were so red that Sam thought they were cursed.
"What's wrong with you two?" asked Sam.
The maids glanced at each other, afraid to inform their supervisor of the strange developments in the room.
Sensing something was off, Sam opened the door and stepped inside. Then, he was greeted by the strong odor of human bodily fluids.
Seeing the naked man and woman in the bed, Sam understood everything. Calmly, he walked to the balcony and opened the windows, letting the chilly wind dissipate some of the scent. However, he kept the curtains close as sunlight might disturb their beauty sleep.
Without a word to Felix and Jane, Sam exited the room. Outside, he instructed the two maids.
"Leave the food carts inside. At lunch, bring new food carts here. I'll take care of the rest."
The two young maids bowed and silently entered the room. As instructed, they left the food inside and quickly left, giggling and laughing among themselves.
Sam shook his head and returned to the mansion's main office, where Roland's successor was working.
Entering the office room, Sam found Robert sitting at his usual working desk. A stack of documents was on the left corner of the table. Robert was busy drafting a new paper and giving instructions to his fief's workers.
Sam approached the table and stood at attention, making his report.
"Master, the suspicious guest your father mentioned and the bodyguard slave seem to be in a relationship."
Robert, a short-haired middle-aged man with a square face and a curvy mustache, glanced up. He was a two-circle mage, like his parent.
"My father ordered her to seduce that man and bring him to our side. Leave them alone for the time being. Don't forget to invite him here before dinner. I want to talk to him."
"Yes, my lord." Sam bowed silently and retreated.
…
After Sam retreated, Robert put down the feather pen in his hand and reclined in his chair. Closing his eyes, he muttered, "Have you been watching them last night, Sierra?"
A transparent silhouette, who had been standing behind Sam, uncloaked her stealth ability. A busty maid with long white hair, dressed in a traditional maid outfit and headdress, folded her hands in front of her stomach. Politely, she faced the lord and reported in a low voice.
"Yes, my lord. The guest didn't leave the room last night."
"Is there anything unusual?"
"Only Jane sneaked into the room and slept with our guest."
"That means Jane did well," Robert said, picking up his pen to continue with his domestic work. "Continue monitoring him. If he sneaks out or tries to escape, report to me. Return here before dinner."
The maid silently bowed and vanished.
…
At noon, both Felix and Jane woke up. Jane looked at the balcony and gasped in shock at the bright sunlight. Jumping out of bed, she gobbled the food and put on her dress at the same time. After dressing in her maid outfit, Jane kissed Felix's cheek and rushed out of the room.
Felix stared at Jane in confusion until she left. Calmly, he ate the cold food from the cart trays and put on his clothes. Having nothing else to do, Felix rested in the room, recovering his lost energy. While he was at it, he completed the daily quests, earning some potions and random rewards.
At 5 PM, Sam visited Felix and invited him to meet Robert, which Felix couldn't refuse. He left the room and followed the butler to the city lord's office.
Entering the office, Felix found a typical library setup - a single working table next to large glass windows facing the front garden and a lineup of bookshelves. Upon arrival, Felix met a middle-aged man sitting at the table, writing on a stack of documents. A young maid stood next to him, guarding a tray cart containing a large leather bag.
Robert looked up for a moment and muttered, "I'm Robert Lundop, Governor of Terra City. You must be the mercenary my father hired. What's your name?"
"Felix Ariel," Felix replied, slipping his thumbs into his pants pockets, unsure what to do with his free fingers in this awkward situation.
The lord ignored the rude manner and continued, "What did my father promise you again?"
"He promised to give me a mansion."
"…A mansion? Oh, that abandoned resort in the city. I see. What else?"
"Just that."
"Only the mansion?"
"Yes."
Robert nodded, as the information matched his father's testimony. His trust in Felix slightly increased, but it wasn't enough. He probed further.
"I heard a rumor. Are you in a relationship with one of our servants?"
Felix inwardly cursed Jane for sneaking into his room last night. Maintaining his poker face, he admitted, "Somewhat."
"I see. Would you like to work for us? We'll provide you a free residence, free meals, and a monthly wage. We will also host a wedding ceremony for you and your partner."
Felix immediately shook his head, "I'm sorry, sir. I have another plan."
"I see. That's a pity. Then, what are you planning to do in the future?"
"Probably head back to that mansion and open a store there."
"Why not open your store in our city?"
"I don't have a house. Can you give me one?"
"Sure. What's kind of house are you looking for? How big do you want your store to be?"
"Any size as long as the location is good."
Robert nodded. He picked up a document and pushed it forward. The maid next to him picked it up and passed it to Felix, then she explained.
"Please stamp your hand on the bottom of this paper."
Felix frowned and accepted the document with unknown symbols. He asked, "What is this?"
"A contract. By the way, can you read?"
"…"
Felix secretly glanced at Jessica, whose avatar screen was invisible to the local population. Jessica read Felix's expression and translated the document for him.
It sounded nice, but nothing was free in this universe.
Felix was horrified. No matter how good the perks were, this was a slave contract. Without hesitation, Felix passed the paper back and negotiated for better terms, "Please limit the service period to one year. You can't force me to work for you forever."
Robert raised his eyebrows, amused. The corners of his mouth curved into a faint smile.
"My apologies," Robert said, pulling out a drawer and drafting a new contract. His hands emitted a brown gas, injecting mana into every alphabet and symbol. When the draft was done, he passed it to the maid as usual.
Felix received the paper and gave the translation task to Jessica, who scanned every word and analyzed the contract.
It was still bad as five years were too long. Moreover, the contract didn't state that the noble house had an obligation to pay Felix's wage.
"No wage or payment is stated in the contract. How will you pay me? Are you expecting me to answer your call whenever you want for free?" Felix pinpointed the flaw in the paper.
"When that time comes, the commission and other compensation will be decided later. Depends on the task and your contribution, I will personally decide the rewards."
"Why not declare it now?"
"Because some lazy people in the past found a loophole and only contributed a little to dodge the magic contract's penalties. I don't add that clause to the employment contract so that I can leave some room to punish potential lazy subordinates. You're smart, so you get that, right? If you don't contribute anything when we need you to, don't expect us to give you anything in return."
"And you don't have any obligation to pay me either if I put my weight on the job."
"You don't have to worry about that. I'm not as incompetent as the likes of Turo. I reward hard workers."
Felix gave Robert a meaningful look, contemplating his choices. Jessica also remained silent, respecting Felix's free will.
After a minute of consideration, Felix's expression turned dark. He made a gamble.
"I hope you won't ask me to do something unreasonable," Felix grumbled.
Hearing the positive response, Robert leaned forward, rested his elbows on the table, and grinned, "You've made the right choice. We'll do our best to accommodate you in our city. Oh, and… welcome to the family."