"Become yours?!"
Haruno Yukinoshita froze for a second, her gaze narrowing slightly.
Very quickly, she understood what he meant.
If he accepted her "keeping" him, then she would always be the one on top, and Arthur would be beneath her.
The initiative would lie in her hands.
But what Arthur wanted—was to be on top.
He wanted control.
The Arthur she'd known before had been reserved and restrained.
But the one in front of her now was straightforward, even bold.
As if he had broken free of his chains.
"That's right," Arthur smiled, nodding. "You'd become mine."
"..."
Their eyes locked.
Haruno looked deep into his gaze and saw…
Well, nothing.
Like a calm, bottomless lake—yet at the same time, like the starry cosmos, fathomless and mesmerizing.
Beneath that stillness, she could sense something unexplainable—confidence, composure, the kind that would not waver even if the sky collapsed.
Arthur had changed. Truly changed.
But she had to admit—
Compared to the old Arthur, the current him… she found herself liking just a little bit more.
Maybe because she already had some degree of affection for him.
A thought slipped into her mind.
If it's Arthur… then maybe…
After a brief silence, Haruno smirked mischievously and said with a teasing tone:
"Becoming your woman isn't impossible. But you'll have to prove you've got what it takes to satisfy your big sister."
"Right now, you don't seem up to it."
"Not up to it?"
Arthur raised a brow. "Haruno, you haven't even tried. How can you say I'm not up to it? That's slander."
"Haven't even tried…?"
Haruno blinked—
Then her eyes flew wide as realization hit.
Her fair cheeks, already flushed from alcohol, bloomed a deeper shade of rosy pink. A mix of shock and embarrassment flooded her expression.
Arthur… had just flirted with her.
This was the first time anyone had dared to say something like that to her.
Although her upbringing had made her more mature than most girls her age—
In truth, she had never even been in a relationship.
After all, she was exceptional.
Ordinary boys could never catch her eye.
Not to mention, her family background only made things more complicated.
So until now, she had never once had someone she truly liked.
Arthur might be a few years younger.
But when she was with him, it was hard not to treat him as a peer.
Especially since he was casual around her, never treating her differently because of her identity—he simply interacted with her as he would with a normal friend.
That was why she had a good impression of him.
She had even considered making him her own before.
She just hadn't said it aloud.
But with her affection for him growing, she finally let it slip today.
"What's wrong?"
Arthur smiled lightly at her.
Haruno rolled her eyes. "What do you think?"
If it had been anyone else daring to talk to her like that, she would've taught them a lesson—because that was who Yukinoshita Haruno was.
"Let's just say I've decided to stop holding back."
Arthur, noting she was only surprised and shy rather than angry, relaxed inwardly.
They'd only known each other for a year—neither long nor short.
Before his cheating appeared, he had liked Haruno, but he knew his limits.
Yes, he was a genius.
But wasn't she one too?
She was also the eldest daughter of a wealthy family, with high status, keen insight, and a scheming nature hidden beneath her elegance.
Winning her heart was no simple matter.
So he had always maintained that subtle distance, never daring to act on the thoughts in his heart.
But now—things were different.
His golden finger had opened up an entirely new world for him.
He was pursuing freedom.
His journey was to the stars and the sea.
So why should he keep suppressing his feelings for Haruno?
Wives? He'd take them all!
"Stop holding back…"
Haruno's eyes flickered with thought at his explanation.
Then she chuckled softly.
"In that case, I'll look forward to seeing the real you, Little Arty. Make me fall for you."
"That day will come."
Arthur smiled meaningfully.
Haruno smiled back, saying nothing more.
Time passed quietly.
Soon, Hiratsuka Shizuka returned to the private room.
The three of them continued eating, occasionally exchanging a few words.
About half an hour later, with their stomachs full and after a brief rest, they got up to leave. Haruno paid the bill.
Outside the restaurant, Haruno's secretary and chauffeur had already brought the car around.
Once Shizuka got into the back seat, Haruno looked at Arthur.
"Really don't want me to give you a ride?"
Arthur shook his head with a smile. "No need. Walking after a meal is good for the body. Just take Shizuka home."
He planned to wander a bit.
Who knew—he might stumble on something unexpected.
After all, in this massive anime-fusion world, the existence of yōkai was still an unconfirmed possibility.
"Alright then. Be careful on your way."
Seeing his insistence, Haruno didn't press the issue. She waved goodbye.
"Mm, you two take care as well."
Arthur nodded with a smile.
He watched as Haruno's car drove away with the two women, then slipped on his earphones and strolled in the direction of his place.
His pace was leisurely, like an old man out for a walk.
He didn't bother adjusting his life energy to bait malicious spirits anymore.
With his infinite energy reserves, the rewards from ordinary evil spirits weren't worth his attention.
Now, it was all about fate.
As he walked home, Arthur summoned the Compendium of All Things.
Two new entries had been added—
Hiratsuka Shizuka and Yukinoshita Haruno.
The moment he met them, their entries had automatically lit up.
The requirement for recording something into the Compendium was simply for him to witness it with his own eyes.
The same applied to all those entities he had already formed connections with—he needed to meet them face to face.
Only then would the Compendium record them.
And since their relationship already met the requirements, the moment they were recorded, their entries lit up immediately.
Nickname: Hiratsuka Shizuka
Rank: White
Description: Cute Shizuka
Reward: Mastery of Combat
…
Nickname: Yukinoshita Haruno
Rank: White
Description: Scheming Siscon
Reward: Mastery of Housekeeping
…
"As expected, nothing special."
Glancing at their rewards, Arthur felt neither disappointed nor surprised.
It was exactly as he expected.
Both of them were ordinary humans.
If not for their relatively important roles in their world's original setting, they probably wouldn't even have been eligible to be recorded.
Still—skills never weighed a man down.
With a thought, Arthur claimed the rewards.
Instantly, a flood of combat techniques and theories surged into his mind. His muscles twitched subtly as his body instinctively absorbed them.
Every move, every strike—engraved into muscle memory, as if forged from years of training.
In just an instant, Arthur had become a top-tier combat expert.
His control over his strength climbed to a new level.
Once the combat mastery fully integrated, he moved on to the housekeeping mastery.
And just like that—
From martial master to domestic king, he now had every housework skill down to perfection.
In three seconds, everything was done.
After claiming the rewards, Arthur closed the Compendium. His invisible spiritual sense spread outward—
Instantly covering a full kilometer around him.
He could easily extend it across all of Japan, but there was no need.
Within that range, no lifeform could hide from his perception.
And among them, two caught his attention.
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