Rhodes remained silent. He wasn't some stubborn old fool. He could tell that Wise was a decent person, and his two granddaughters were fond of him. That was all that mattered.
"Grandpa, earlier you mentioned repaying money. What debt were you referring to?" Odette asked abruptly.
Though she appeared carefree on the surface, she was actually quite sharp.
Her excitement at seeing her grandfather hadn't dulled her awareness. She'd been carefully observing him and everything around them.
The house was clean enough, but the furniture looked worn, apparently the same pieces from before they'd left.
If her grandpa was just being sentimental about old belongings, why were some items completely gone?
Her mind drifted back to the first words her grandfather had spoken upon meeting Wise.
"This... It's really nothing. I happened to owe a bit of money, that's all. No need to fret, most of it's already settled," Rhodes said, wearing a casual smile, though the truth was far grimmer.
After all, the breach of contract fee demanded by the agency wasn't a small amount.
No matter how hard an old man like him worked, how much could he realistically repay?
Still, he didn't want his granddaughters to worry, nor did he want this debt to affect their future lives.
"Grandpa, you're lying," Odile said, her expression filled with concern.
She knew her grandfather well. He wasn't someone who would easily fall into debt. And if it were truly just a small amount, how could debt collectors come knocking at the door?
Her grandpa couldn't possibly have accumulated such a large debt on his own. If it was related to them, and the only possible cause was them, then it could only mean it was their fault.
"Is it that agency from before?"
Odile immediately thought of it. That company had told the sisters that their contract would end after they performed their final show.
After the sisters realized something was wrong, those people didn't want to cause a scene and insisted they continue performing, which ultimately led to the final tragedy.
Thinking about everything they had done before, Odile did not doubt that the hateful agency had threatened her grandpa after their deaths and demanded he pay the liquidated damages.
Hearing this, Rhodes knew he could no longer hide the truth. He was about to explain when Wise stopped him.
"I'll handle the agency and the remaining debt. You don't need to worry about it."
"Handle it?" the three of them asked at the same time, their confusion obvious.
Wise nodded calmly.
"Yes. By tomorrow, there should be an answer. And besides that, I'll make sure Grandpa Rhodes gets the compensation he rightfully deserves."
Two dancers died because of the agency's mistake, yet not only was there no compensation, but their families were forced to pay damages instead.
What kind of twisted reasoning was that?
The sisters had no idea what Wise intended to do, but their trust in him was absolute.
As for Rhodes, his position was even clearer. He'd gladly shoulder any burden and work tirelessly to preserve his granddaughters' reputation.
It was obvious how much the sisters meant to him. And since Wise had saved them, and the sisters trusted him completely, Rhodes naturally chose to trust him as well.
In the end, though none of them wanted to part, the sisters still followed Wise out of their grandpa's house.
Everyone understood that the sisters' current circumstances made living there impossible. Old Rhodes wouldn't pry into the details, but neighbors were a different story.
There were neighbors nearby. Even after a few years, someone was bound to recognize them.
Vanishing for so long only to suddenly return would inevitably draw unwanted attention.
"Finished talking? Should we go get their resident IDs now?" Ellen asked as she straightened up, no longer leaning against the wall.
She was clearly referring to the twin sisters.
"Not yet. Let's buy them some clothes first, and pick a few for you too, Ellen."
Wise pulled her along toward the mall. She instinctively wanted to refuse, but he casually mentioned that he wasn't short on money, just like he wasn't short on energy.
Hearing that made Ellen feel better, though feeling relieved about that comparison was kind of weird when she thought about it.
Anyway, Wise didn't care about stuff like that and took the sisters and Ellen to shop for clothes.
While they were at it, he picked out a few outfits for Belle and Anby based on what he knew they'd like.
He also grabbed some things he liked, though they weren't for him to actually wear. All the clothes he picked came from this hidden shop tucked away in a corner of the mall.
Ellen saw what Wise was buying and noticed the sales clerk staring at them with an intense, jealous look. Her face turned red from embarrassment.
The sisters, standing to the side, were in a slightly better situation. Though they shyly covered their faces, their thoughts couldn't help but wander, imagining how they would look wearing those outfits in front of Wise.
Once everything was settled, Wise led Ellen out of the mall. They carried very little, as most of the items had already been stored in his system inventory.
The sky gradually darkened as the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the evening with warm hues. Without wasting any time, they headed back to the video store.
The moment they stepped inside, Wise handed the clothes to Belle. She accepted them with a bright smile and began going through them one by one.
However, her movements suddenly came to a halt.
It seemed she had come across something particularly eye-catching. In an instant, she stuffed it back into the bag, her slender fingers gripping the fabric tightly, as if afraid someone might notice it.
She secretly glanced at Wise, her face slightly flushed, but she didn't say a word. Instead, she let out a soft hum, as if quietly expressing just how much she liked it.
Ellen wasn't much better off when she first saw hers. Both her and Nekomata's outfits were rather special, and Wise had naturally taken that into account when choosing them.
After that, Wise went to prepare dinner. Coincidentally, Anby and Nekomata also stopped by around that time.
Nicole didn't come, likely because she hadn't been properly introduced to the others yet.
'What a pity. I even picked out a set of clothes based on her generous figure. Never mind, I'll save it for next time.'
While thinking to himself, Anby and Nekomata asked for Odile and Odette's names before introducing themselves as well.
The introductions were brief. No one mentioned the sisters' true identities.
It wasn't a matter of distrust; it was simply too complicated to explain and would only bring unnecessary trouble.
Anby and Nekomata didn't find anything strange about it, casually assuming that Wise had somehow ended up with two more sisters from who knows where.
-+ + +-
-> To have access to more than 40 extra chapters, go to:
[-p -a -t -r -e -o -n . com/DysFiction.]
-> To make a don@tion go to:
[ ko - fi .com /dysfiction ]
-+ + +-
Novels Available:
-> Zenless Zone Zero: The Almighty Incubus of Sixth Street. (Translation)
-> Azur Lane: Don't Fight! You're All My Wives! (Translation)
-> Zenless Zone Zero: Death in White. (Original - Patreon Only Until It Reaches 30 Chapters)
-+ + +-