Scylla's confidence was not unfounded. It stemmed directly from her confirmation of Jun Hao's gentle nature during their earlier interaction, and that certainty settled warmly in her chest.
True to her expectations, Jun Hao did not make things difficult for any of them.
He understood that rushing things would not only fail to raise the Harmony Level but could also wound their feelings in ways that were difficult to mend.
One step at a time. That was the only way forward.
With that in mind, he left the dining room and began walking through the wide, elegant halls of the Royal Dormitory.
Sirius, Dido, and Scylla followed close behind, keeping a respectful yet attentive distance.
"Speaking of which..." Jun Hao paused mid-step and turned to face the three maids behind him. "Where does Elizabeth usually handle her work?"
Scylla answered without hesitation.
"Although our Royal Navy has a dedicated office building, Her Majesty generally handles official matters from within her own bedroom."
A glint of mischief flickered in Scylla's eyes the moment the words left her lips.
"Why?" she asked, her smile curving just a little. "Is Master perhaps very interested in Her Majesty's boudoir?"
The question was clearly meant as a tease. In Scylla's imagination, a gentle and straightforward man like Jun Hao, when faced with something as delicate as a girl's private space, would surely stammer or blush.
And in that brief, flustered moment, she and her two sisters would have their share of quiet amusement.
However, Jun Hao did not look away. He met Scylla's gaze directly and gave a simple, unhesitating nod.
"Yes. I am very interested."
The matter-of-fact answer left Scylla momentarily speechless.
'Why isn't he playing along?'
She had heard from Head Maid Belfast that Jun Hao's feelings toward everyone were open and honourable, but this felt almost too open.
Surely a man who heard the words "a girl's boudoir" should at least have the decency to blush a little.
Scylla could freely admit she had asked that question with the intention of teasing him. Unfortunately, his frankness stole any chance to enjoy it.
Still, it was not a loss she couldn't recover from. She quickly adjusted her expression, letting a composed smile return before speaking again.
"Master, if we were anywhere outside the port, saying something like that would earn you a very bad reputation. Girls would think you were a pervert and want nothing to do with you."
Jun Hao simply shrugged, entirely unbothered.
"I'm not planning on being anywhere other than this port. I made that decision when I got here. Work aside, I'm not leaving. So your hypothetical doesn't really apply to me, Scylla."
It was, once again, an answer she had not anticipated. But this time, rather than leaving her bewildered, it stirred something else entirely.
Beside her, Dido and Sirius went still, and in all three pairs of eyes, an uncontrollable warmth began to rise.
He would not leave the port. Not even a single step.
That meant they no longer had to lie awake, worrying that Jun Hao might one day face the Sirens alone somewhere beyond their reach.
That meant they could stay by his side, always.
As long as he remained within these walls, they were confident they could strike down any threat that dared to approach and protect the one they held most dear.
"Is that so..." Scylla murmured, her voice soft and gentle before she even noticed the change. "That is wonderful, Master."
Behind her, Dido's eyes shimmered with unshed tears. Of all the fears that lingered within her heart, none cut deeper than the thought of being left behind, abandoned by someone she loved and cherished.
Jun Hao's words reached into that fragile place and gently eased it, offering something she had never truly allowed herself to believe in: a sense of security, firm and unwavering.
Sirius, too, had fallen silent, though the stillness surrounding her was far from empty. It was the kind that came when a vow was being forged deep within her soul.
'My honourable Master, your determination has been received by me. We will protect your safety with our lives and never betray your trust.'
Watching the sincere, unguarded reactions of the three maids, Jun Hao felt a quiet sense of satisfaction. He had chosen his words carefully, fully aware, even as he spoke them, that they would land exactly as intended.
That was precisely the effect he had been aiming for. If possible, he hoped they could relax a little around him.
Even so, work was work, and private life was private life. Even Belfast, who had already let her "Battle-Clothing Mode" slip in front of him, would no doubt return to her usual composed and professional self the moment duty called.
So he settled for something in between: they could maintain their polished, professional bearing on the outside, but within, he wanted their hearts to be at ease.
With that thought, he took a quiet step forward and gently cupped Scylla's cheek.
'Could Master want to...'
She had no time to prepare herself. The sudden touch caught her completely off guard, and warmth spread across her face before she could react.
Her body, however, chose for her, softening as she leaned into Jun Hao's hand, as though it had always belonged there.
"Mas... Master, it is my honour to serve you..." she breathed, her voice fading into a whisper.
"Good! Then take me to see it! I want to see what Queen Elizabeth's boudoir actually looks like!"
Scylla's thoughts came to a complete halt. She simply could not understand his train of thought.
One moment, he was holding her like that, close, warm, and way too deliberate, and the very next second, he was talking about visiting the Queen's bedroom?
'Master, you are truly too wicked!'
Not far away, Sirius and Dido watched with looks caught somewhere between envy and panic.
Seeing Scylla get completely thrown off like that was one thing, but if they lost their composure as well, explaining it to the Head Maid later would be a whole different problem.
"Mas... Master..."
Dido took a tentative step forward, intending to say something, but Jun Hao, apparently in a good mood, simply reached out and pulled her into his arms as well.
Whatever she had intended to say vanished instantly. She froze, then flushed, her cheeks deepening into a red that rivaled a tomato, her words lost somewhere between her heart and her lips.
Jun Hao then glanced toward Sirius, his expression filled with exaggerated regret.
"Alas, it seems I have no space left. Sirius, come hold my waist instead."
"My honourable Master... I..." The words faltered as her cheeks turned bright red.
"Are you going to disobey your Master's orders?"
The question, delivered with perfectly feigned seriousness, lasted only a brief moment before Sirius gave in completely.
"Yes! It is also my honour, my honourable Master!"
She closed the distance in a few light, eager steps, and just like that, three distinct kinds of warmth pressed gently against Jun Hao from every side.
"That's more like it," he said, his tone relaxed and satisfied. "There are no outsiders here. Why were you all keeping your distance from me? Have you forgotten that you are also my wives?"
"No... no, Master, how could I ever forget?" Dido replied in a soft, flustered voice, her fingers instinctively touching the Oath Ring on her hand.
She turned it slowly, her face glowing with quiet, helpless happiness. If Jun Hao pushed even a little further, she was certain she would not resist at all.
Fortunately, Scylla still retained just enough clarity to speak.
"Then, Master, do you still wish to visit Her Majesty's bedroom?"
"Of course. That hasn't changed. I simply didn't want to walk all the way there with so much distance between us. That's all."
'He doesn't want distance between us? Master, you are truly too greedy! But I think... I quite like this kind of greed.'
Smiling faintly to herself, Scylla gently slipped free from Jun Hao's side. The space she left behind was better suited for her two sisters anyway.
Stepping ahead, she composed her expression into something properly dignified before glancing back over her shoulder.
"Then, Master, please follow me."
-+ + +-
-> To have access to more than 15 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)
-+ + +-