The next morning.
Jack woke in bed.
Only Amber lay beside him.
She, too, had surrendered her first time the previous night—after Eula and Mona. And it was Eula herself who had gently pushed her good sister onto the bed.
Eula had fretted over Amber, who acted brave on the outside but was timid in love. If Amber didn't take the step now, she'd be left out when the others shared their secret talks.
"Mmm… morning, Traveler… Jack~"
Amber still wasn't used to the new way of addressing him, her cheeks burning as she whispered her lover's name.
"Good morning, Amber. Rest well, then get up. Today, I'll prepare lunch for everyone."
Amber nodded, face glowing red.
She quietly helped Jack dress.
Her warm little hands slid over his body, stirring his heart, but when he saw her calm, content smile, the restless thoughts in his mind faded away.
Jack caught her hands. "Amber, you're truly gentle. You'd make a wonderful wife."
"Eh? I-I only did what I thought was right…"
She froze, caught in his gaze. Their eyes met, then closed the distance.
"Mwah~"
Their lips parted reluctantly. Amber's eyes lingered on him. The girl who had once been shy now carried the air of a young wife.
"You're becoming more skilled, Amber. Very talented."
"Mmm~"
She ducked her head, flustered. Who praises a girl for talent in that?
But since Jack said so… she would just have to try even harder. After all, it did feel… good.
…
Once dressed, Jack led Amber to the large guest room.
The next morning.
Jack woke up in bed.
Only Amber was beside him.
She, too, had given up her first time last night—after Eula and Mona. It was Eula who had gently pushed her sister onto the bed. If Amber didn't seize the moment, she'd miss out on the shared memories later, and Eula had worried for her until sleepless.
"Mmm… morning, Traveler… Jack~"
Amber still wasn't used to the new name, and her cheeks burned as she whispered.
"Good morning, Amber. Rest a bit more if you need. I'll make lunch for everyone today."
Amber nodded, still flushed. She helped Jack get dressed with small, warm hands. The simple intimacy made his heart flutter, but seeing her calm smile cleared much of his restlessness.
Jack took her hands. "Amber, you're so gentle. You'd make a wonderful wife."
"Eh? I— I just did what felt right…"
She froze under his gaze. Their eyes met, and the distance closed.
"Mwah."
After the kiss, Amber lingered, a new softness in her expression. The shy girl felt older somehow—like a young wife.
"You're getting better, Amber. Very skilled."
"Mmm~"
She ducked her head, flustered. Who praises a girl's skill in that way? But since Jack said it… she would try even harder. It had felt good.
After dressing, Jack led Amber to the large guest room.
After healing the injured Eula and Mona last night, Lumine had wandered to their room. Curious about what had happened, she asked and ended up interested in their Ludo game. She pulled Paimon along and played with them into the night.
Nobody could say when they finally fell asleep.
Pushing the door open revealed a mess: undergarments, pillows, goose feathers, and scraps of paper scattered everywhere. Apparently they hadn't only played Ludo—they'd spontaneously started a pillow fight.
Lumine and Mona lay naked, embracing each other across Eula's legs. Paimon was sprawled nearby with more than a dozen strips of paper stuck to her face—proof of how badly she'd lost.
"They really had fun last night."
"Ahaha, y-yes, I guess so."
"I got some black tea from Noelle recently, Amber—could you teach me how to brew it?"
"Of course. I'm no Noelle, but I can show you the basics."
The two left, closing the door quietly so the others could sleep off the night.
After they left, Lumine opened her eyes. She gently lowered Mona's hand from her shoulder and pushed herself up. Looking at her two friends—already turned into wives—she felt a knot of complicated emotions.
"You were always beautiful… so why did it end like this?" she murmured, half-lament, half-teasing—maybe also a self-jibe.
At lunchtime, everyone in the Serenitea Pot gathered in the dining room.
Jack had cooked a few Shenzhou dishes for the first time in the teapot's kitchen: boiled fish studded with dried chilis and Sichuan peppercorns, a hellishly spicy protein feast; pork hock soup, simmered to perfection with concentrated Fire Element heat; and young ginger poultry—no chilis, but bright, sharp, invigorating. Alongside were light vegetable sides: stir-fried seasonal greens and chilled cucumber salad.
The spread felt like a festival—everyone was pleasantly surprised.
Jack untied his apron and, seeing no one reach for their chopsticks, asked, "Eat—why isn't anyone eating?"
Lumine pressed Paimon down. "They're waiting for you. They don't dare start."
"Oh, you don't have to wait for me. Just dig in."
As soon as Lumine released her, Paimon attacked the food like she'd been starving for ten years.
"This is delicious!"
"That's delicious too! But it's so spicy—hiss~"
"So hot! But so good—is this really pork hock? It's amazing!"
Paimon shovelled food with such speed the table felt like it had afterimages of her chopsticks. There were six of them at the table, three from Mondstadt; only Amber had any real chopstick skill. Eula and Mona watched blankly as the dishes vanished.
Lumine couldn't help but tap Paimon with her chopsticks. "Behave. If you let Jack's wives go hungry, he might stop cooking for you."
"Huh?"
Paimon paused mid-bite and looked at Jack in panic. Jack smiled and patted her head. "It's okay. I pre-plated some portions since I knew chopsticks weren't everyone's specialty."
He returned to the kitchen and rolled out a small serving cart with the reserved plates. "You spoil her," Lumine said, watching as Paimon leapt happily into Jack's arms and resumed feasting. Food always erased loyalty for this little one.
During the meal Jack asked, "Lumine, are you still fishing for Leviathan these days?"
"No. The colony's bred a number of villagers, and I'm managing them now. Why?"
"Nothing special. I thought since you explored Dragonspine before, you might help me check some anomalies."
Lumine paused, chewing. "Wait—we agreed I wouldn't join your journey. Did something happen?"
Jack set down his chopsticks. "There's something I haven't told you all."
Everyone leaned in.
"I keep the MC system's radar monitoring active—my dragon adventure integration is on most of the time."
"And I found a strange phenomenon." Jack recalled falling into Glacier Canyon and meeting that three-star boss.
"When I enter certain environments, some GM authorities that were previously ineffective in Teyvat get restored."
Because the three of them lacked the Maid Charm template, they couldn't see the system interface. So Jack used Aralia Element Power to form a small elemental box: Peaceful Mode, Easy Mode… and so on.
"By literal meaning, Jack, you can control monsters in those overlapping areas?" Eula asked, surprised.
"Control is too strong a word. But I can prevent them from spawning, yes." Mona added.
"Exactly." Jack nodded. "Whenever I go to places where MC and Teyvat overlap, I can tweak the area's game rules. That could stop monsters from spawning at night."
"That's amazing! Adventurers won't be attacked while resting!" Amber brightened.
"I assume places with converging Ley Lines or concentrated energy are more prone to overlaps?" Lumine asked—she'd mapped nearly every inch of Teyvat by foot, after all.
Jack grinned. "Exactly! My dear wife, I need your help!"
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
patreon.com/TripleCrown07
If you guys wanna check it out.