"My Lord, I hope you're not upset over my daughter's refusal," Furina said, bowing her head apologetically.
Hiro remained silent, taking his time to let his gaze linger over her alluring figure.
As she bent slightly, the deep valley between her ample breasts was fully visible to him. Her body tapered at the waist and flared out near her plump hips—a figure that exuded undeniable temptation.
"My Lord?" Furina raised her head slightly, seeking a response.
She seemed to realize where Hiro's gaze had wandered, but he didn't keep her waiting long.
Their eyes met, and her dark eyes seemed captivated by the invisible pull of Hiro's piercing gray gaze.
Furina's face was undeniably pretty. Her layered chocolate-brown hair was tied into a low ponytail that draped over her left shoulder.
The tip of her ponytail seemed to end near her left nipple.
"Rise. There's no need to worry about it. What is bound to happen will happen."
Furina couldn't help but wonder what exactly Hiro meant by those words.
"What would you like me to do now, My Lord?" she asked.
"Your husband mentioned he wouldn't finish constructing the shelter today. We should pitch one or two tents before nightfall."
The sun was still high—it was before midday.
"Where will we get the tents?" she asked.
Without a word, the stone tablet magically appeared in Hiro's hand. He opened the Shop and purchased a tent.
His remaining gold balance was just over 83 gold—the fact that he already spent 17 of his 100 gold showed how overpriced the Shop was.
Hiro deliberately chose a tent that would be difficult to assemble, increasing the chances of his next plan succeeding. As an added bonus, it would be able to withstand harsh weather.
"Let's pitch this tent together. It's a two-person job. Are you familiar with the process?" Hiro asked Furina.
"No, My Lord… Sorry, but I don't have the slightest idea."
"It's alright. I'll teach you as we go. The knowledge might be useful in the future too."
Furina nodded, thanking Hiro for his guidance. Together, they began assembling the tent.
But, of course, things couldn't be that simple.
Among the many Skills Hiro's class provided was one called "Ensnaring Touch."
[
Ensnaring Touch: Even a mere touch from you is enough to sink a woman one step deeper into the abyss of blissful depravity. Every time you make physical contact with a target, they will become more and more Ensnared. This will cause their minds to be clouded with desire for you.
As the target's Ensnarement approaches 100%, they will crave you, and only you. Your electrifying touch, your intoxicating scent, your irresistible cock. The mere thought of having any intimate contact with another man with repulse your target to no end.
A target's resistance to this ability depends on their will, as well as their Stats.
This is a passive skill which can be toggled ON and OFF at your will.
Currently, it is ON.
Note: The more intimate the contact with your target is, the more the degree of Ensnarement will rise. At the same time, Ensnarement cannot cross certain thresholds for low intimacy acts. For example, no matter how much you casually touch your target, Ensnarement cannot go above 10%.
]
The beginning was smooth. Both of them barely talked about anything other than the assembly process. Hiro carefully explained which parts fit where and the reasoning behind their placement.
Then the actual physical work began. Hiro demonstrated each step with a calm and steady hand.
"Give me the hammer," he instructed Furina.
"Yes." Furina complied.
As she handed him the hammer, Hiro seemed to accidentally grab her hand before taking the tool.
His fingers brushed against the smooth texture of her hand, sending a faint shiver through Furina's body, as if a tiny electric shock had passed through her.
Initially, seeing how nonchalant Hiro appeared, Furina assumed it was merely a simple mistake.
But it didn't stop at just one mistake. Two. Three. Several more followed.
Each time it happened, the duration of his touch seemed to linger longer. Furina could feel Hiro's fingertips gliding softly across her fair skin. The contact left a ticklish sensation in its wake, and an unbidden yearning for more.
Furina wasn't naive; she knew Hiro's touches were deliberate. Yet, she made no attempt to stop him. In fact, she subtly cooperated.
This was the effect of Hiro's Ensnaring Touch at work. Her already weakened will, thanks to what Bob had done, made her resistance almost nonexistent. Hiro's superior stats only added to her inability to resist.
The tent became steeped in a thick sensual tension, yet neither of them acknowledged it aloud.
Throughout the process, Hiro continued assembling the tent and teaching Furina each step along the way. Before long, Furina began attempting tasks on her own.
At one point, Furina struggled to tie a specific knot on the inner wall of the tent.
Hiro stepped in to 'rescue' her.
He positioned himself behind her and said, "Looks like you could use a hand with that."
Without waiting for a response, he rested his chin on her shoulder and let his hands glide along her arms, moving slowly as if savoring every inch.
He inhaled her sweet yet simple, motherly scent, his warm breath grazing her left ear.
Far from resisting, Furina leaned back into Hiro, pressing her head against his shoulder and closing her eyes for a brief moment to bask in his warmth.
It took all of Hiro's willpower not to lose control in the moment. He didn't want to risk scaring her away. Before making his next move, he needed to confirm the state of her relationship with Bob.
"Tell me your story. Why don't you even have a Profession Class? What led the three of you to become refugees in your old realm?"
Meanwhile, in the nearby woods, Bob was hard at work chopping trees, deeply engrossed in figuring out the best way to construct the shelter.
Having the Builder class didn't mean Bob knew everything about construction. Back in his old realm, he had been just another employee at a construction firm and had never built anything from start to finish.
'The moisture needs to be removed from the wood, right? But how can I figure out how long it needs to be seasoned?' Bob felt a headache forming as he wrestled with these challenges.
It was perhaps a blessing that Bob remained unaware that his wife, whom he had pushed away with his words and actions, was on the verge of falling into another man's arms.