Things finally started to calm down. Expecting no more guests for the night, I tried to get my mind off of Marcella.

Having to consider what she really meant to me, I was feeling increasingly conflicted inside. At first I thought I loved her, something inside of me telling me that if I just tried to woo her she would be mine. But she kept rejecting me at every turn. 

To be honest, I really did want to stay with the Marcets. It was comfortable here, far more than anything that I have ever experienced before. But this marriage had also been stressful for me, moreso than I had ever imagined. Thinking of the things that could have been different, and what I could have done differently.

Maybe I wasn't her ideal man, but wasn't I better than some ridiculous knight? My pride hurt a little bit, and bubbles of malice rising up as I brooded. 

Still having some lingering attachments and desire towards Marcella.  I wanted her, but her father was rather obstinate against anything that would cripple her direct contributions to the family without appropriate assurances. What those assurances were had yet to be seen, given that Jagen was still undecided on the whole matter, and without knowing his own terms I had no way to pass judgement. Leaving me in a state of uncertainty. 

The whole ordeal seeming rather backwards and unfair to me, she can try to kill me in some secret plot and nothing happens? If it wasn't for Cal's plea, and owing him a favor, I had half a mind to walk away entirely. 

"Keaton?" Tammy called from the bed. Concern showing in her voice. 

"Are you alright?" She asked softly. 

"Mm." I replied. Still lost in my thoughts. 

"Come to bed." She patted the soft cushions, beckoning me over to where Belle and her were waiting. Trying to set the mood.

"Sorry Tammy, not today... I need some time to sort out my thoughts."

She looked a little disappointed, not complaining but whispering to Belle. The two of them giggling.

I looked at them curiously, the two of them seemed to be getting along well lately.

"You all know how my day went, I hope yours went better?"

It turns out, Tammy had gotten a letter reply from the guild master giving her the authority to appoint a replacement. She even knew who she would pick. Following the standard procedure of appointing a crippled adventurer. Happy at the news, but frowning a bit at the guild master's complete lack of interest in the management of this city's branch. 

"Does he care at all about his job? He still makes you do everything, even now." 

Tammy quieted down at that remark, looking at me seriously. Handing me the letter he sent her.

Taking a few moments to read the folded parchment.

He wanted to come here? To meet me? But why?

Frowning at the revelation. 

"He couldn't be objecting to our relationship, could he?" 

I don't care if we was the guild master, I wouldn't stand for it. I'd see him dead if he tried, consequences be damned. My temper starting to rise again just after settling down.

"It's going to be alright Keaton, I'm your's forever." She said while stroking my arm as she tried to reassure me. 

This wasn't doing any good for my nerves. 

But now that Tammy's job was over, and now that I had lost the troop support, we would probably have a lot more time to spend together. Smiling a bit when I thought of the possibilities. 

"How about you Belle?" I finally turned to her. 

She looked pouty, unhappy that I had asked her second. 

"Belle learned to read a story," she said boastfully. Incredibly proud of herself, her tail swishing back and forth energetically. A pink ribbon tied neatly at the end, reminding me of the time I bought that for her.

It was nice to see her so happy, but I did sneer a bit in my mind. It's true she was doing pretty well learning to read, she'd only been learning for what... two weeks? And in that time she learned her letters well enough to read children's stories. Impressive, but seeing her get so happy about reading children's stories was still somewhat comical to me.

"That's nice Belle..." I said while stroking her hair, scratching behind her ears while they twitched in pleasure.

"What story did you read?"

Trying to encourage her in my own way.

"Nnya. Belle thinks it was..." she said while pausing cutely, posing with a finger on her cheek.

"Southern Kingdoms: History of the Triumvirate"

I looked at her a bit confused. That sounded more like an administrative text than a children's story.

"Are you sure, Belle?" 

"Belle thinks so, they had those three brothers who fought even though they were brothers and split the country up. Belle thinks that's so sad." 

She really read that? I thought with some incredulity. 

"Did the maid read that for you?" 

She pouted after hearing that, puffing up her cheeks angrily. Narrowing her eyes at me accusingly.

"Master rude. Belle said Belle read on her own... Master doesn't believe Belle?"

She was being serious? 

It had only been two weeks since I let her see the book on the letters and the common tongue, how is this supposed to be even remotely possible?

Summoning out the medical and anatomy textbook I had read for myself about a week prior. 

"If you're not lying, try reading this." Flipping to a random spot in the book before handing it off to her. 

"It says... humans do not have a nyana... nn... nnana core, and are not capable of forming a one..." Seeing her struggle to pronounce the word but reading it well enough.

"This is the main difference between magical beasts and humans..."

"Nnana cores are thought to be capable of generating... m...mana" Getting the pronunciation of the word right this time with great difficulty, not due to her unfamiliarity, but rather due to her trying to hide her catkin accent. 

"Although this has not been proven."

"Mana cores are fragile and cannot maintain themselves in a completely mana devoid environment. Which is why powerful magic beasts naturally avoid... mana poor regions."

"In place of a... mana core.... humans have... mana organs. This organ is roughly the size of a pea, and is located around the navel region, it believed to be what allows humans the ability absorb... mana from the environment." She finally finished, closing the book proudly. Puffing out her chest; breasts jiggling due to her nudity. 

Despite struggling on that one particular word, she really did read the passage flawlessly.

Staring at her with a bit of shock, as I tried to comprehend how this was possible. 

Kaguro

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