A Brighter Future (Kuroinu)

“I’ll take care of this matter.”

“You’re going to feed her yourself?”

When Claudia heard that Rhodes intended to handle this matter on his own, she felt it might be unnecessary, considering that the dark elf would probably not cooperate. No matter what they did, it seemed futile.

“Well, it’s just a trial anyway. Although her behavior is indeed quite infuriating, it’s normal. Let’s take it slowly. I still don’t want her to encounter any problems right now. Otherwise, it would be pointless.”

Rhodes finished speaking and stood up, picking up some untouched food from the table and heading to the room. Claudia, on the other hand, frowned, thinking that such treatment wasn’t necessary for a dark elf like that.

“Claudia, this is a good thing. Rhodes’s current attitude shows that he genuinely likes this dark elf. Let him invest his efforts in this matter. I’m satisfied with the current situation. If this continues, Rhodes’s thoughts about Sylvestine should diminish soon.”

“I understand, but seeing Rhodes so concerned about the dark elf, I can’t help but wonder… No, maybe I’m overthinking it.”

Thinking about the bite mark on Rhodes’s shoulder and the dark elf’s behavior and reactions at the time, Claudia couldn’t imagine any genuine emotions forming between them. Even if the dark elf were to submit to him, her role would likely remain that of a slave and a tool.

With these thoughts in mind, Claudia relaxed a bit, while Rhodes arrived at Chloe’s room, noticing that the bedsheet had been changed, but Chloe’s face and body still had stains that hadn’t been cleaned. It seemed that the maid had cleaned the room but hadn’t addressed Chloe’s issues.

“How did it end up like this?”

As Rhodes placed the food on the table and inquired, he also searched for a cloth he could use to wipe Chloe’s face and chest.

“Hmph! That woman with the engagement to you did this. It seems she took her anger out on me. She forced food into my mouth aggressively. Do you think I can eat like that?”

After hearing Chloe’s explanation, Rhodes realized that Claudia had lied earlier, and the reason for this treatment was likely his injury. Therefore, Chloe had been punished in this manner.

Afterward, Rhodes found a towel in the room’s bathroom, dampened it, and gently wiped Chloe’s face and chest clean. He then planned to unlock her chains, but Chloe refused.

“Don’t unlock it now. Just feed me directly. That woman might come over.”

“Alright.”

Rhodes nodded and followed Chloe’s request, beginning to feed her. While eating, Chloe continued to discuss Claudia’s issues.

“That woman has a problematic personality. You must be aware of that. Otherwise, it’s easy to find yourself in danger, especially with her around. Aren’t you planning to leave with me? I can’t trust leaving you here, especially with her in the picture.”

“Alright, alright. Why talk about this now? You should focus on eating!”

Rhodes listened to Chloe’s words and felt like he was talking to his own mother. As for the personality issue she mentioned, he thought about the previous situation. However, it wasn’t directed at him, so he didn’t need to worry too much.

But his words didn’t convince Chloe, who thought Rhodes was just putting on a brave face.

“If that’s really the case, you wouldn’t be here right now, and you wouldn’t even know how to resolve the engagement issue.”

“Cough! Why bring that up now? Just focus on eating!”

Rhodes chose to skip this topic to prevent Chloe from continuing to speak. He quickly covered her mouth with food. After they finished eating, Rhodes had just started to tidy up when Claudia walked in.

Seeing her arrival, Chloe’s face twisted in disgust.

“Did she finish eating?” Claudia asked.

Claudia glanced briefly at Chloe and noticed that Chloe had eaten all the food and seemed quite cooperative.

“Yes, maybe she was really hungry. No matter how stubborn she is, being hungry is uncomfortable. So, I persuaded her a bit, and she cooperated and ate,” Rhodes explained.

Claudia didn’t doubt his explanation and simply trusted Rhodes’s words.

“Then, let’s not bother with her for now. I’ll show you around this place and then take you to the bedroom where you’ll be staying.”

“Okay,” Rhodes agreed.

However, when it came to the bedroom, he had some thoughts about staying with Chloe. It would be more convenient to take care of her, especially after being chained up all night, which must have been uncomfortable. During the orientation, Rhodes decided to ask Claudia about it.

“Claudia, can I stay in the dark elf’s room during the night?”

Upon hearing Rhodes’s request, Claudia stopped in her tracks and turned to him with a somewhat helpless expression.

“I know you’ve just experienced what it’s like with that dark elf, and it’s tempting for you right now, but you can’t get so infatuated with it.”

In Claudia’s eyes, Rhodes had succumbed to temptation temporarily, but she understood it to some extent. However, understanding was one thing, and granting approval was another.

Rhodes couldn’t easily explain his feelings in this situation because it would reveal the nature of their interactions. So, he had to go along with Claudia’s perspective, even though it was embarrassing to say out loud.

“It’s just a temporary thing, and it won’t happen too many times. So, Claudia, please agree.”

Faced with Rhodes’s request, Claudia still refused, shaking her head. She wore a determined expression, and deep down, she was quite frustrated because Rhodes hadn’t considered doing the same with her.