Kabe had absolutely zero interest in domestic violence, but he did not bother explaining Karen's exact situation. He just brushed it off with a vague sentence and let it hang.
Jenny still felt suspicious, yet after hearing that, she did not press further.
Only Aries stood up with a flushed face, lowered her head, and silently began leading the way for the two of them.
"Lady Karen, Lord Kabe has brought Miss Jenny to see you."
Announcing this softly at the door, Aries pushed it open and led them into the room.
"Karen senpai!"
Calling her name, Jenny rushed forward before anyone else, hurrying to check on her condition.
Karen was lying on the bed. She was puzzled as to why Jenny had come along, but seeing the girl still made her smile. She lifted a hand in welcome.
"Jenny, I heard about what happened earlier. I am really sorry. My Aries caused you trouble."
"It is alright, senpai. I am more worried about you. I heard you have not gotten out of bed for several days... are you really okay?"
As Jenny spoke, she carefully examined Karen's face. Apart from a bit of fatigue, she saw no bruises, no swelling, not even the faintest hint of an injury.
On the contrary, Karen's cheeks were rosy and she looked annoyingly full of energy, not at all like a poor "patient" who could not get out of bed.
Could it be that the injuries are... under the covers?
Jenny hesitated and glanced at the edge of the blanket, debating whether she should lift it and check.
Karen froze for a moment when she heard those words. Noticing how Jenny's eyes kept darting toward her body, she instantly understood the girl had completely misunderstood the situation.
"Jenny, come a little closer."
"Hm?"
Still confused, Jenny leaned her head closer. Karen propped herself up slightly and whispered a few sentences into her ear.
Jenny's face turned red so fast it was visible to the naked eye.
Listening to the explanation, she jerked her head around in shock.
Her eyes went wide as she stared at Kabe, who was leaning against the door with his arms folded and his tail swishing happily behind him.
"W w wait, your tail? You did that with your tail?! That is actually a thing?!"
Jenny's little heart started pounding wildly, thump thump thump, completely out of rhythm.
After learning the truth from Karen's own mouth, she felt her entire world tilt sideways.
So this was how Karen senpai got "hurt". This was way too underhanded. Who in the world uses their tail like that!
And why does he even have a tail to begin with? Also, does that thing not shed fur when you use it like that?!
The sheer amount of new information almost turned Jenny's brain into mush.
While she was still stunned, Kabe strolled forward and very naturally reported the latest development between the three of them to Karen.
"Just now Jenny and I reached an agreement. For the time being, she has sold herself to me for fifty thousand J per month."
Karen's face, which had been full of smug delight from teasing the rookie, immediately collapsed.
"What?! You hooked up with this little brat and you are even paying her?
Why?! I do not agree!"
Kabe had expected her to object. He calmly pinched her lips between his fingers and physically switched her to mute, then stated his argument one reason at a time.
"First, your poor little body cannot possibly keep up with me.
Second, you went behind my back and had a celestial spirit stalk and spy on me.
Third, she only wants a trivial fifty thousand."
Karen's eyes went wide with outrage. She could accept the first two points more or less, but that last part was ridiculous.
What do you mean trivial fifty thousand!
She had been accompanying this guy for days and had not asked for a single coin. She had even been using her own money to feed him.
Although, judging by Jenny's looks and potential, fifty thousand really was not much. That part she could admit. It still did nothing to help the knot in Karen's chest.
She shook her head to dodge his hand, sat up, and then turned to roar at the still-dazed Jenny.
"I will give you five hundred thousand. Take the money and leave Kabe!"
"Huh?!" the two of them blurted out in unison.
Hearing that line, both Kabe and Jenny were completely dumbfounded.
What kind of domineering rich-lady line was that supposed to be? Did that make Jenny the unwanted son-in-law in this scenario?
Kabe's expression went black. Inwardly he was ranting nonstop.
Jenny, on the other hand, was violently tempted and almost said "yes" on the spot.
But then her eyes flicked back and forth twice and she resisted the urge, gritting her teeth as she refused firmly.
"No. I will only accept Kabe's money."
Hmph, what do you take me for. Compared to Kabe's steady long term rice bowl,
five hundred thousand is only ten months of "keep". I would have to have my head slammed in a door to take that deal.
With that thought, Jenny stood up and proactively wrapped herself around Kabe's arm.
"Darling, did you not say you wanted to check the goods? Come on, let us go to the next room. I will let you check as much as you want."
"Mm. Right. Let us go and conduct a detailed inspection."
Kabe accepted the invitation with a perfectly clear conscience. He turned back and waved at Karen with a triumphant little wiggle of his fingers, then followed Jenny into the adjoining room.
Seeing the two of them not only be together but even planning to do things in her own house, Karen went full red alert, flipped the blanket aside, and charged after them.
"No! You two idiots, absolutely not!"
Aries silently shrank into a corner of the room, listening as the sounds from the next room went from arguing,
to muffled cries,
and finally to a disturbingly harmonious rhythm of voices blending together.
She could feel her worldview, her values, and her sense of propriety all taking heavy critical hits.
Oh no, how can things like this even happen... it is, it is so intense!
Thinking that, she crept over to the wall, hugged her knees, pressed her back against it, and buried her face, trying her best to calm her wildly beating heart on her own.
Since she was "new merchandise", Kabe took his time thoroughly checking every last detail.
He spent so long on that "inspection" that he did not even have time for dinner, staying in the room with her straight until late at night.
It was not until after one in the morning that he finally, fully satisfied with his new purchase, drifted off into deep sleep.
The next day at ten in the morning.
Impatiently clasping his hands behind his back, Makarov stood waiting in front of the Blue Pegasus guild entrance.
He watched the sun climb higher. Lunch was not far off when he finally saw three familiar figures in the distance.
About time, you little brat.
With a belly full of pent-up irritation, Makarov was all ready to rip into Kabe the moment he walked up.
Yet when the trio drew close enough to see clearly, the old man froze on the spot.
Karen and Jenny were flanking Kabe, one on each side, each hugging one of his arms with faces full of happiness and docile devotion.
The three of them walked along slowly, whispering reluctant little goodbyes and sweet nothings to each other. Karen even took out two golden celestial keys and pushed them insistently into his hand.
Jenny rose on tiptoe and planted a loud kiss on his cheek for good measure.
Looking at this perfectly harmonious little scene, Makarov's knees suddenly went weak. He almost dropped straight to the ground and kowtowed to Kabe.
Left in one arm, right in the other, and he is living off the soft touch at the same time?
What is this, how is this even real, just how exactly did this brat manage that?!