That night, Ryden went home to sleep.
Nothing happened.
Even if he wanted something to happen, it wouldn't have been possible.
If they fought, Ophelia could've rubbed him into the floor, hung him up, and beaten him however she pleased.
The room hadn't been slept in for a long time, yet it was still impeccably maintained.
Someone cleaned it regularly.
It had to be Sera.
There was no one else in the house.
Ryden decided he needed to find something to do.
He should leave before his friend Orley woke up.
Otherwise, if he got caught, they might not even stay friends.
In the kitchen, Aunt Laura-an incredible cook-smiled generously when she saw him awake so early.
"You're up, little boy. Your favorite hamburger is ready. Take it and eat slowly."
Her voice was gentle, as if nothing had happened the night before.
But her complexion was radiant, carrying the strange charm of a black pearl mixed with the seductive allure of a mature woman.
Ryden, feeling like a guilty quail, took the hamburger and milk and left under Aunt Laura's watchful gaze.
Sitting in the car, he took a deep breath.
I'm a real pervert.
How could I do something like that?
I'm worse than a beast.
...Well done.
On second thought, Aunt Laura hadn't drunk last night.
So why didn't she refuse?
He couldn't figure it out and gave up thinking about it.
In any case, the meat had already been eaten.
There was no way to spit it back out.
It was early morning.
That old pervert Howard probably wasn't even out of bed yet.
Looks like I should exercise more.
He finished the hamburger in a few bites.
It was delicious.
Pull-ups. Push-ups. Jogging. Sit-ups. Dumbbell lifts.
He went through his full routine.
Not long after, Orley came out yawning, looking like he'd joined the ranks of perverts himself.
"Hey, pervert, you're up early." Orley laughed, lifting a hundred-pound dumbbell. "You don't look great. A little weak."
Ryden felt a flicker of guilt.
He couldn't exactly say he was exhausted from doing bad things all night.
If he did, even with their relationship, Orley would probably throw that dumbbell at him and show him a world of pain.
"Haha, you need a good body for research," Ryden said quickly. "Unlike you, who only has muscles in your head. By the way, when are you reporting for duty?"
Before he died, Uncle Bradford had used his connections and merits to get Orley into the final class of a military academy.
"In a couple of days!" Orley puffed out his chest. "I'll be a real officer. The papers say Europe's expanding its military, and Asia's already at war. Maybe one day America will join in, and I'll earn some merit on the battlefield."
After the gang war, he had finally moved past the shadow of his father's death.
"That day will come," Ryden said quietly.
And it wouldn't be far off.
Once the U.S. restricted Japan's access to iron, oil, and other resources, escalation was inevitable.
A country starved of resources would launch a desperate strike.
That madness had already taken root.
Suddenly, Orley patted Ryden on the shoulder.
"Hey, pervert. I'm heading to the academy in San Francisco. It's far from here. Since my mom's going to be your nanny, you'd better take good care of her and my sister. Otherwise, I won't let you off."
Ryden coughed twice, hiding his awkwardness.
"Of course. Even if you didn't say it, I would." He paused, probing. "I'm just worried Auntie and little sister Shirley might fall for me. I'm like a firefly in the dark-attracting beautiful women everywhere."
Orley spat in disdain.
"Stop daydreaming. Impossible. If you really had the ability, I wouldn't mind." He snorted. "Let me warn you-my mom's marksmanship and combat skills are no joke. Be careful, or she'll beat you half to death."
I don't know how good she is, Ryden thought.
But I do know she already drained me dry.
He didn't say it.
He just laughed.
At noon, he said goodbye to Orley and headed to the 49th district.
Another family was waiting for him there.
After two days of rest, the coughing woman had improved a lot, though long-term malnutrition still left her thin.
Her features still hinted at a beautiful woman.
When she saw Ryden, she struggled to sit up.
"Thank you, sir. Thank you for saving me. I'll repay you as soon as I can. Please don't make things difficult for my two children."
Driven by instinct, Lex and Lena pressed close to their mother.
With her there, they still felt warmth in the world.
"Let's not talk about money for now," Ryden said calmly. "Focus on your health. You can repay me slowly later. Be my nanny. Two hundred dollars a month. One hundred for living expenses. The rest goes toward your debt. If you need to buy anything, you can get an advance. Just keep the house clean." He paused. "Oh, and you'll need to cook. There's another woman you'll be taking care of as well."
Ryden wasn't someone who gave money away for nothing.
In this era, good people didn't necessarily get good reputations.
Clear conditions made others feel more at ease.
Two hundred dollars.
To Lex and his sister-who'd never even seen ten dollars-it was unimaginable.
"This... isn't that too much?" the middle-aged woman hesitated.
She wasn't the type to take advantage of others.
She had to be smart, or she wouldn't have raised two children with such high IQs.
"It's not too much," Ryden said. "My previous nanny was paid the same. You get what you pay for. That's normal. And since you'll be living in my house, you're family. Higher pay means you'll work harder." He added casually, "By the way, I never asked your name."
Mature women were always especially attractive to him.
"My name is Lilliana, sir," she said weakly, determination hidden in her voice. "I'll work hard."
"Good. Pack your things. I'll take you to where I live. Get familiar with the place and recover your health first." He glanced at the children. "I'll handle their schooling too. That costs money, so you can repay it slowly later."
Ryden checked the time.
He still needed to buy some things before taking them to the academy.
Everything was negotiable.
Very negotiable.
Outsiders usually weren't allowed into MIT.
But under capitalism, money talked.
Ryden made a call to the dean.
With his reputation-and more importantly, his money-he was approved for a larger dormitory.
As long as you had money, you could even get a palace built.
The premise was simple.
You had to have money.
Every 100 Power Stones gets 1 bonus chapters!