Sarah's tongue pushed forward insistently, slipping past Stiletto's lips to explore his mouth with hot, eager strokes. He kept his hands loose at his sides, not pushing her away but not pulling her closer either, until she released his shirt with one hand and grabbed his arm. She guided it up to her breast, pressing his palm against the soft, yielding mound through her top. The contact drew a muffled moan from her throat, vibrating into the kiss as her body arched slightly.
After a few more heated seconds, she broke away, breathing hard. She looked up at him, eyes hazy and voice husky. "Stiletto~"
A pause stretched between them. Stiletto blinked once, then sighed and pulled his hand back from her breast. At the same time, he used his other hand to gently but firmly push her a step away. "Young Master," he said evenly.
Sarah raised a confused eyebrow.
He continued without missing a beat. "It's Young Master to you. You've called me by my name informally twice now. I won't let it happen a third."
Sarah looked thrown for a moment, her expression shifting in disarray, before a sly smirk crept onto her face. She reached down and grasped his hard cock through his pants, fingers curling around the rigid outline. "Must I speak to you formally when you're like this, though~?"
Stiletto clenched his jaw. 'I've been hard this whole time... because of your mother, you dumbass. I'm surprised James didn't notice when I stood up, honestly.'
Arguments truly do give people tunnel vision.
Nevertheless, he sighed again, his voice pointed. "Sarah."
Sensing the seriousness in his tone, she immediately released him and lowered her head, clearly embarrassed. "Sorry..." she whispered.
Stiletto let a moment pass before reaching out to grab her chin, tilting her head back up to meet his eyes. He chuckled lowly. "...Even if it was you who made me hard, I wouldn't do anything with you behind your mother's back."
He meant it not just out of respect for Mya as Sarah's mother, but more so in consideration of how Mya might feel about him messing with her daughter. Mya had agreed to him having multiple partners, but she surely hadn't signed off on him fooling around with just anyone—least of all family. Mya was valuable to him, and he wouldn't risk that without her input.
Sarah seemed slightly confused by the wording, but insecurity won out as she glanced aside.
Stiletto kept his hand on her chin, smirking now. "Don't worry, Sarah. It's not a polite rejection. I can assure you..." He let his gaze drop deliberately to her lips, then lower to the rise and fall of her tits, before returning to her eyes. "...I'd want to." He finished with a teasing lilt. "Sare-bear~"
Then he released her chin, his erection finally starting to dwindle.
Sarah turned bright red, arms crossing instinctively under her breasts like a shield as she stammered. "So y—you can call me that, but I have to be formal?"
Playfully, Stiletto threw his hands up and shrugged, hiding his amusement behind a warm smile. "Blame the noble culture. They made the rules, not me."
He paused, watching her deflate a bit, then continued. "Trust me, Sarah. It's a good thing..." His smile faded. "...if you haven't noticed, your father has only addressed me as 'the boy' this entire morning, yet I haven't corrected him. Do you know why?"
Sarah thought for a moment, the question easing some of her embarrassment. She eventually shook her head. "I can't think why."
Stiletto grinned slightly as he took her hand and led her to the bed, both of them sitting on the edge. He released her hand and turned to face her. "It's because he has no value in my mind. Why would I allow the opinion of someone like him to hold weight? If I had corrected him it would be the same as me granting him that luxury.... that his thoughts matter."
Sarah seemed shocked for a heartbeat, but she quickly nodded. "I guess... that makes sense."
'Not a single word defending her father, huh? Guess she feels the same. How sad.'
Stiletto spoke again, gazing out the window. "Another question for you, Sare-bear~ Have you figured out the real meaning of what I just said?"
By now, the mood had fully relaxed, and Sarah giggled at the nickname. She made an exaggerated thinking motion, clearly playing up the comedy to mask that she had no clue. But suddenly, in the midst of her joking, realization hit—her cheeks tinting red once more. She met his gaze. "You like me."
Stiletto laughed in return. "Well, 'like' is a bit much, but you were on the right track." He paused. "You have value in my eyes."
As he finished, the system flared to life, crimson glow bathing the room:
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[Requirements met for {Watchful Eye.} 3/3 maxed-out favorability slots (Mya Caster, Charli Russelia, and Sarah Caster). Skill ranked up to Apex. On top of previous abilities, it now allows the user to read the mind of anyone with maxed-out favorability when activated.]
-----
Stiletto was caught off-guard by the sudden rank-up, the red-crimson light shimmering over them both.
Ignorant to it all, Sarah cooed sheepishly. "Is that so~?"
Stiletto nodded. Then, as if a sudden thought had snapped her back to reality, Sarah straightened. Her cheeks held only the faintest flush as she held his gaze. "Let me apologize again—this time properly. But first, allow me to say this..." She paused, then continued softly. "...I don't want to make any excuses, Young Master, but... I go to an all-girls school. You can imagine how a girl like me feels when she suddenly sees…" Her eyes dipped briefly, voice rising in pitch as the color deepened in her cheeks. "…what I'm seeing right now. I got carried away." She waved a hand dismissively in front of her, eyes shutting tight. "I'm not usually like this, I promise."
'How cute... Mya's daughter seems to really like me, huh? Guess now's a good time to make use of the rank up and check if she's lying.'
——-
[Watchful Eye]
(Sarah Caster)
Stage: 2
Race: Human
Gender: Female
Age: 21
Height: 5'8
Favorability: 100/100
("I'm telling the truth... I hope he believes me. I need to get ahold of myself... gods, stop being so easy, Sarah Caster!")
(Page 2) Proceed to view skills?
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Stiletto struggled to hold it in, then burst out laughing.
Startled, Sarah bounced on the sheets, eyes confused. "What?"
Dismissing it, he simply shook his head. "Don't worry about it, Sare-bear~" Standing up, he extended a hand to her. "Now... how about that tour? For real this time...?"
Sarah giggled as she took his hand, back to her usual glee. "Anything you request, Young Master!"
They moved through the apartment room by room, Sarah diving into her guide role with infectious energy. First the hallway bathroom—small but spotless. Then James's office, cluttered with dust and unused papers where he "never actually works," as she put it with a roll of her eyes. A well-stocked pantry followed, then a decently large closet crammed with linens. Even James and Mya's bedroom got a quick look, complete with its attached restroom.
'I can't believe she has to sleep in a bed like this... it's far too shabby compared to mine.' He smirked inwardly at the thought of a future where she could share his without sneaking around.
Throughout the tour, voices from near the kitchen rose steadily—Mya and James locked in heated circles. Even collected Mya had her limits, it seemed. But it hadn't escalated enough for intervention yet; they were just rehashing the same points.
Awkwardly, Sarah and Stiletto skirted past the table on their way to the living room and kitchen—the arguing pair barely noticing as their tones dipped briefly. Tour complete, the two reclaimed their seats at the table, the air thick with unresolved tension. Almost instantly, Mya's hand found its way back to Stiletto's thigh, squeezing hard.
It looked like James and Mya had barely touched their food since Sarah and he left, the eggs congealed into sad yellow lumps and the bacon limp with grease. Glancing down at his own plate, Stiletto noted it had gone stone-cold. 'A magic microwave would be nice... I can't believe we have literal speakers in this world, but not something as simple as that.' He shook his head inwardly and forked up a bite anyway, chewing mechanically.
Meanwhile, Mya and James's conversation had built to a boiling point. "Would we even get compensated for this?" James demanded, his voice rough. "And what about me? How am I supposed to live if you're away in Valora?"
The audacity.
Stiletto nearly flinched from the vise-like pressure Mya suddenly dug into his thigh, her nails biting through his pants. He could see the vein pulsing on her slightly wrinkled forehead, her composure cracking like thin ice.
Deciding this was the moment to intervene before she snapped entirely, Stiletto faced James and spoke bluntly. "If it would help you both come to a decision faster, I can use part of my allowance to pay you whatever Mya's salary is while we're gone."
James paused, an almost imperceptible smile tugging at the corner of his lip. At the same time, Mya lifted her teacup for a slow sip, setting it back down with deliberate care.
"My wife would still receive her pay, too?" James asked, eyes gleaming.
Stiletto nodded. "Yes. Essentially, I would be paying Mya double her salary and you would get half..." He paused, injecting clear boredom into his tone. "James."
It didn't even take three seconds—James's gaze darting to Stiletto's expensive coat still hanging on the rack—before he nodded eagerly. "Deal."
Mya froze, staring deadpan at her husband. Her head tilted down slowly, shadowing her face in a way that made Stiletto's gut twist with anticipation. James shifted uncomfortably under her gaze, mumbling something about "practicality," but she didn't respond. Instead, she lifted her head again, her expression blank as a mask. With an ironically fluid grace, she lifted her hands to gesture before speaking—only to knock the teacup positioned precisely between her and Stiletto clean over in the process.
Hot liquid splashed across Stiletto's lap in a steaming cascade, soaking through his pants and scalding his skin just enough to sting. "Oh no!" Mya gasped, her voice pitching high with exaggerated horror, hands flying to her mouth. "Young Master, I'm so sorry! That was clumsy of me—look at the mess I've made!"
James blinked, startled, while Sarah's eyes widened in confusion. "Mom, are you—"
But Mya was already on her feet, dabbing frantically at Stiletto's thigh with a napkin, her movements theatrical and over-the-top. "This tea will stain if we don't act fast! Come, Young Master, to the bathroom—I'll clean it properly before it ruins your fine clothes." Her tone was pure maid-mode, all flustered efficiency as she grabbed his arm and hauled him up.
James sputtered, "Mya, it's just tea, no need to—"
"Nonsense!" she cut in sharply, already steering Stiletto toward the hall. "A good maid fixes her mistakes immediately. Excuse us, dear—Sarah, keep your father company." Her voice dripped with false sweetness, but the undercurrent was venomous, leaving James red-faced and silent.
Stiletto found himself swiftly guided back into the master bathroom he'd just seen minutes before as the mature woman slammed the door shut behind them—twisting the lock with a sharp, decisive click. She said nothing—just pushed him gently but insistently against the cool edge of the sink counter, then sank to her knees.
Her hands moved fast, fingers deftly undoing his waistband before she tugged his drenched pants down in a single, decisive pull.
"M—Mya?!"