Su Mu looked at her resolute gaze, feeling a slight stir in his heart. He spoke calmly, "I can understand your perspective, but why don't you ask Sylphie for her own opinion?"
He turned his gaze toward Sylphie, his tone gentle yet carrying a hint of gravity. "Is making these unilateral decisions really for her own good? Or do you simply feel that she is still that same timid, frail little girl who needs your constant protection and is incapable of thinking for herself?"
Doris froze, momentarily unable to find a rebuttal.
Over the years, she had grown accustomed to protecting those around her and making decisions for everyone. She had never stopped to consider that Sylphie had already grown up and now possessed her own thoughts and resolve.
"It's alright, Sister Doris," Sylphie said, gently tugging at Doris's sleeve. Her voice was firm. "This is my own choice. Lord Su Mu is a very good person; he has helped me so much, and it's only right that I repay him myself. Besides, I'm very happy to become a tenant of the apartment and live with everyone."
Doris looked into Sylphie's steady eyes and gently stroked her hair, her heart filled with relief and a touch of poignancy. "I see... Sylphie really has grown up."
The once cowardly and timid little girl was now able to bravely express her own will and face the world. This was what Doris had always hoped for, yet she couldn't help the slight pang of bittersweetness in her heart—the realization that the little girl no longer needed her constant guardianship.
"Hey, you said just now that I also meet the requirements for residency, right?" Vera suddenly cut in, her eyes fixed on Su Mu. Her tone was serious. "Then it shouldn't be a problem if I stay in your apartment, right? How much is it per night?"
"Sister..." Shera whispered, tugging at Vera's sleeve with a bashful expression. "Isn't this a bit too sudden...?"
She was still quite timid by nature; faced with a new environment and strangers, it was only natural for her to feel uneasy.
Vera ignored Shera's concerns, remaining focused on Su Mu as she awaited his answer. She was intensely curious about this "Goddess Apartment," but more importantly, she could sense that it could provide them with the stability they lacked—a place where they would no longer have to live as displaced fugitives.
"Of course," Su Mu replied with a nod and a warm tone. "As for the rent, you'll find out once you move in. It's very affordable; you can ask the other tenants about that. After all, as I said before, being able to see beautiful and cute things every day is the best reward I could ask for."
"...You really are a weird guy," Vera muttered again, but a smile spread across her face. She continued, "Since I meet the criteria, then my sister Shera and Doris should qualify too, right?"
"Naturally."
Su Mu nodded slightly, inwardly calculating—with Doris, Vera, and Shera, the number of tenants in the apartment would reach nine. He hadn't expected to reach the ten-tenant goal so quickly. All that would be left after that was the exploration progress.
"Vera, are you planning to..."
A flash of realization crossed Doris's clear, azure eyes. Her long lashes fluttered as she instantly guessed the hope hidden in Vera's gaze—they desperately needed a stable foothold to escape the relentless pursuit of the Kingdom's army.
But before she could finish, her brow furrowed slightly. Her fingers unconsciously gripped the hem of her clothes, her voice filled with hesitation and guilt. "But if we do this, they'll be targeted by the Kingdom's army too. We haven't even had the chance to repay them for saving our lives, and now we'd be involving them in our mess... Isn't that asking too much?"
As she spoke, Doris's cheeks flushed crimson before turning pale again, her eyes dimming. She remembered how, in her haste earlier, she had spoken quite rudely to the people who had come to their aid. Recalling it now, she was overwhelmed with shame, her fingers nearly wrinkling the fabric of her dress.
As a former noble girl, she had never been so undignified. However, the years of wandering in fear had worn away much of her pride, leaving behind only embarrassment and self-reproach.
"Well... you're not wrong... but, but!" Vera felt a bit embarrassed as well, her cheeks heating up. She scratched her head instinctively, her tone a mix of defense and uncertainty. Her bright brown eyes were clouded with conflict. "They didn't hesitate to kill those soldiers just to satisfy Sylphie's small request. So, following that logic, they should be okay with facing the Kingdom's pursuit because we moved in, right? Of course, of course, if they're unwilling, they can just refuse to let us stay. I definitely won't force anyone!"
Vera's fingers curled slightly, her eyes harboring an irrepressible longing. She wanted so badly to escape this life of having no fixed home and living in constant peril. She yearned for a safe place where she, Doris, and Shera could truly rest—a place where they could gather the strength to avenge those they had lost.
She had seen the strength of this group with her own eyes. With their help, the hope for revenge would undoubtedly be much greater. Yet, even so, the pride and kindness in her bones wouldn't allow her to forced this heavy burden onto uninvolved strangers. She lowered her gaze, her long lashes casting faint shadows as she stood there, restless and anxious.
"Don't worry. To us, this is just a minor matter."
Su Mu's voice was warm and steady, devoid of any ripple of concern, as if the pursuit of an entire Kingdom's army was nothing more than trivial dust.
He looked up slightly, his gaze sweeping over the three girls with a subtle, almost imperceptible smile. He added, "Furthermore, once you become tenants, you might eventually be able to solve this matter yourselves. We might not even need to lift a finger."
"...What do you mean by that?"
Doris looked up, her blue eyes filled with confusion, her brow furrowing deeper. She instinctively straightened her back as countless thoughts raced through her mind.
Does this 'inn' hide a secret that allows people to become stronger?
Is this place called the Goddess Apartment actually a hidden academy of magic?
After all, what they needed most right now was to increase their strength. Only by becoming stronger could they stand against the Kingdom and complete their revenge.
"I mean exactly what I said," Su Mu said with a smile, his tone remaining calm. "The people who helped you just now... they were originally just ordinary people. Put that way, you should be able to understand, right?"
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Crossover World: Why Are All My Clones Beautiful Girls?
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