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Hard Work Begets Harder Rewards

‘Managing a village while taking care of the people around me is a bit of tough work, isn’t it?’ Ryan thought when he arrived back at the mansion with Joan and Chrysus.

Ryan left with the two for a few hours to greet the villagers, and when he returned, there was a sight for him to deal with.

“Kriee!”

“Kriee!!”

“Kriee!!!”

There were a group of Kobolds that were gathered around in a circle.

All of them were fighting each other in what appeared to be a fighting ring.

Ryan easily recognized the first five Kobolds that were under his command. They seemed to be winning against the others, and it made him slightly proud—if not for the fact that what they were doing was a bit of an issue.

“Do… do they always do that?” Ryan asked Chrysus. It was an interesting sight. Kobolds were known as creatures who were not outwardly aggressive and would often use subtle tactics.

“They only do that when there’s no other way to resolve their fight, I think. Just like dragons.” Chrysus explained.

‘I wonder what kind of conflict is occurring within their group?’ Ryan looked at them thoughtfully.

“I will stop them, Ryan.” Joan stepped forward with a sigh. She was excited to spend time with Ryan, but duties came first. “Even though we are located far from the village, it might disturb the local…”

“You don’t have to do that, Joan.” Ryan squeezed her hand and pulled her back to him. Instead, Ryan glanced over at the one-foot-tall dragon and gave him a grin. “That’s something you can manage, right, Chrysus?”

“Well, un.” Chrysus, the baby dragon regally nodded. “This is something I can handle. Please do not worry about this, and enjoy your night together, Brother. Come tomorrow morning, they will be in their best shape and will no longer be causing any disturbances.”

— — — — — — —

“Is it really okay?” Joan asked once they stepped inside of the manor. “Will Chrysus be okay?”

“Of course, it is, Joan,” Ryan reassured her as he led her up to their bedroom. “Come to think of it, we were so busy traveling the Ironcross Mountains last week with the others that we barely got time for ourselves."

"And stop worrying. Despite his size, Chrysus has done a great deal more than you give him credit for. Imagine a toddler, a dragon he might be, deciding to go out and leave to grow stronger. He’s far more capable than you think.” Ryan gently squeezed her shoulders.

“Thank you, Ryan.” Joan smiled softly. She settled down into their bed and lay back across the mattress, her beautiful pink hair spreading across the bed.

She let out a deep sigh and stared at the ceiling. “I… I didn’t think that I would fall for you this hard, let alone that you would feel the same way. You shine so brightly when surrounded by others, Ryan, and you do a wonderful job. It’s clear to me that you’re enjoying your time here, far more than you did in the palace. I… sometimes worry that I’ll fade in the background completely.”

“Well, I’ve always had big aspirations. When I was at the palace, I had to put them all on hold because Father wasn’t exactly open to the ideas I gave him.” Ryan laid back on the bed beside her, shifting slightly to gaze in her direction. “But that doesn’t mean that I didn't enjoy—no, love our time together. Also… You? Fading in the background? You shouldn't think that way. I'm doing my best to build this future kingdom, but I always keep in mind that it's not for my sake alone, but for ours. You inspire me, you know? I don't think I could have gone this far had you not been here by my side.

Joan looked at him wide-eyed but then stared at him with suspicion. “Really? Who was it that asked me to stay at the palace before?”

Ryan chuckled and interlaced their fingers together. He looked at her tenderly as he brought up her hand and brushed his lips on her skin. “Fine. I would have done my best to do the same exact thing even if you remained in the palace… but things are a lot better because you are here with me. I mean that, Joan.”

Joan’s heart fluttered upon hearing Ryan’s words. Even though she was an assassin, trained to suppress her feelings, she couldn't help but feel joy when she heard those things from him.

She was still someone with tender feelings after all.

‘This side of Ryan… I never thought that I’d get to see it, let alone receive it. He has always been loving with his family, sister, mother, and even his own half-siblings.’ Joan thought with a blush.

“Thank you… and I love you.”

“I love you too.” Ryan chuckled and pulled her close, burying his face in her neck.

He then whispered, grazing her ear lightly with a sultry breath. “Do you want me to show you just how much?”

Joan’s face grew hot.

— — — — — — —

The next morning, Joan and Ryan woke up together in bed. The sun filtered in through the curtains and soaked them in its goodness.

“Mmm… oh. I woke up later than usual.” Ryan yawned and glanced at Joan who was still asleep.

‘She spent most of the time in Ironcross Mountain staying awake and not letting her guard down in case of any danger. Of course, she’d be exhausted beyond relief.’

Ryan prepared for the day and soon met up with the Grimoire.

“Hey, Builder.”

“Don’t ‘Hey, Builder’ me!” the Grimoire said. “I had to turn myself off last night!”

Ryan chuckled. “Right. At least you can do that, you know? Some people grew up in thin walls and can hear everything.”

“What?” the Grimoire asked.

“Nevermind. I’ve established the Mana Oats. These two trees will be the start of an orchard, and we're also about to have a wine press. The Kobolds are also capturing animals for us to raise. Also, I ended up with a surprising amount of wealth in the form of gems from Chrysus, right?”

“Yes… that is indeed correct.” The Grimoire agreed cautiously. It had already gotten used to Ryan’s own personality and was expecting that the man would request something extravagant. “What is it that you want from me, Master Ryan?”

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