Freya, for once, was considerate enough to help Ash wash the dishes after dinner.
When they finished, Freya glanced at the Veil of Knowledge. "Are you still using it tonight?"
"Yes, I need to look up some information."
"Can't you just use your chip to access the Veil?"
"I had to remove the chip in my neck to escape prison," Ash replied.
Freya looked surprised. "Then… where are you planning to live in the future? Without a chip, you can't even rent a place. Don't tell me you're planning to cohabit with me forever!"
"The contract explicitly states I can only stay here for seven days," Ash said flatly. "After that, I'll go find a spot under a bridge somewhere."
"Well, as long as you give me the Compassion Spell Spirit as promised, I wouldn't mind if you stayed a few more days. If you're willing to cook every day, I could even waive the rent."
Freya paused and then added, "I need to use the Veil of Knowledge after my shower. It'll take me about half an hour."
"No problem. I'll take a shower then, so it's free for you to use during that time."
Ash continued surfing the Veil, while Freya started working on her sociology assignment. Sociology wasn't a branch of sorcery, but municipal exams often included topics from the field. Anyone hoping to become a public administrator needed at least a silver-level degree in sociology.
The Blood Moon Judgment from the previous night, especially Fennanche's speech, had gone viral. Even though Freya hadn't watched it live, her professor had made them watch it during class. The homework assignment was a discussion on the advantages and disadvantages of socialized child-rearing versus the traditional family system. Supposedly, socialized child-rearing was likely to become a mandatory topic in municipal exams in the coming years.
The task wasn't difficult. A passing grade could easily be achieved by sticking to the argument that socialized child-rearing thoroughly outclasses the family system. Higher grades, however, required originality—connecting arguments to observable societal benefits beyond the textbook.
Freya quickly formed her thesis:
"The family system fosters internal factional conflicts within the Blood Moon races. Newly converted members exploit their power to aid biological relatives, accumulating illicit wealth and depriving other original races of their rightful resources.
These familial ties enable unqualified individuals to join the Blood Moon races through nepotism, diluting the overall quality of the Blood Moon lineage.
Entire families of Blood Moon members form unbreakable power blocs, undermining leadership within research institutes and the church while corrupting the governance of the administrative offices.
For the Blood Moon races, familial bonds are a weakening poison and the spark of internal strife.
Since the Blood Moon races are the foundation of the Blood Moon Kingdom's strength, it is crucial to prevent outdated systems from tarnishing their purity."
Freya worked at the desk, sitting to Ash's left while he surfed the Veil on the right. The desk was large enough for both, but the proximity meant they occasionally brushed elbows. Freya's side of the desk, which had previously been cluttered with skincare products, snacks, tissues, and various knick-knacks, had been meticulously organized.
Freya noticed the difference. She rarely cleaned her apartment, given her inability to afford a cleaning service. Laundry piled up until she ran out of clothes, trash overflowed before she bothered to take it out, and the hallway was often so cluttered with junk it became a single-file maze. Even her landlord had once remarked that her living habits were "normal."
Now, everything had been tidied to the point that Freya hardly recognized her own home. Laundry had been washed, garbage disposed of, and random items neatly stored in the corners.
"Did you clean my apartment today?" Freya asked.
Ash hesitated before nodding. "Yes. Honestly, the hygiene here was worse than the prison bathrooms. Since I had free time, I figured cleaning would count as paying rent."
"Oh, and I washed your clothes too. I hope you don't mind. The weather's been hot, and with no air conditioning, the piles of clothing were creating some… interesting chemical reactions. It was unbearable during the day."
Freya's face turned beet red. Embarrassed, she stammered, "R-really? I didn't even notice the smell. I don't mind—thank you!"
"That's a relief. I was worried you'd think I was some kind of pervert and yell at me. That's why I cooked dinner—to try and win your favor."
"Why would I yell at you? Don't worry, I'll let you handle all my laundry from now on!"
"That's… not necessary. But could you at least try washing your clothes daily?"
"No way. I'm the type who waits until I have a huge pile before doing laundry. Just like you can't make me wear clothes after a shower, you can't change my laundry habits."
"Seriously? You look so good, but your hygiene habits are atrocious…"
"What does looks have to do with it? Everyone's like this. Cleaning every day is a waste of time," Freya retorted.
String, full and content, hopped onto the desk, curling up into a fluffy ball and dozing off to the sound of their banter.
Freya quickly finished her sociology assignment and, seeing the time, naturally stripped off her clothes, tossing them onto the chair. Humming a tune, she headed for the bathroom.
Ash glanced at the pile of lacy undergarments on the chair and then at the shower door as the sound of running water started. His gaze lingered longer than it should have. Gritting his teeth, he summoned his spell spirit, directing it to move the clothes into the laundry basket on the balcony. Young men these days just aren't built for this kind of visual stimulation.
Meanwhile, String perked up and started chasing the spirit around the room.
In the shower, Freya began to feel an odd sense of unease. As a siren, she was highly sensitive to emotional shifts, and a strange mixture of feelings was bubbling within her.
Standing under the spray of water, Freya tried to pinpoint the source of this unease. It didn't take her long to realize it stemmed from the man who had so abruptly entered her life—Ash.
Was it fear? A little.
Was it attraction? Maybe.
Hatred?
Freya's stomach churned as if someone were wringing it out like a wet towel. She couldn't explain it, but she suddenly felt an intense dislike for Ash.
Did she want to distance herself from him?
Leaning against the wall, Freya took a deep breath and then chuckled to herself. "What a ridiculous cocktail of emotions… It must be physical. Yeah, that's it. My body's just off because of last night, thanks to Ash interrupting me."
She shrugged off the thought, dried herself, wrapped a towel around her hair, and stepped out to blow-dry it.
Just as she emerged, Ash dashed past her and into the bathroom, slamming the door shut with a speed that seemed almost supernatural.
"In such a hurry? You could've said something; I'd have let you go first," Freya muttered as she settled in front of the Veil of Knowledge to begin her nightly routine.
Ash had barely started showering when he began to hear faint, melodic sounds.
At first, he assumed the apartment's poor soundproofing was letting in noises from another unit—probably a couple trying to earn their reproductive subsidy. But when he turned off the water to lather up, the sensual, lilting noises became alarmingly clear.
The impact was far worse than seeing her laundry earlier.
Desperate, Ash cranked the shower to full blast and switched to cold water.
But the bewitching sounds continued, slipping through the water like silken threads and tickling his ears. They seemed to amplify in his imagination, as if someone had applied a seductive audio filter.
A single thought rose in his mind:
Is this really going to take half an hour?