Nicole's eyes lingered on Sol, waiting for his answer.

That unforgettable night, he had sworn to the Heavens and be struck by tribulation if he does—that he would love only her.

But what had he done since?

Despite knowing how severe the consequences of breaking that vow would be—lightning crashing, fire burning through flesh and bone—he still went out of his way to entangle himself with other girls.

Really, how could anyone treat such a deadly-serious promise so lightly?

Say it. Reassure me. Prove you love me.

Don't say something that'll break my heart. Please.

Nicole's gaze softened, the sharp edge melting into near-plea.

On the other side, Ellen stood with arms crossed, face calm, as though she didn't care what Sol said. But her ears twitched sharply, and her heart was beating far too fast.

She regretted clashing with Nicole.

Her relationship with Sol wasn't anywhere near romantic rivalry. Just friendly closeness and a professional arrangement.

Truth be told, letting it escalate this far was unprofessional of her.

She'd only pushed back because Nicole had so arrogantly flaunted her closeness with Sol—right after Sol had touched her tail.

Ellen didn't deny that Sol was remarkable. Nor did she deny that, someday, she might fall for him.

But not now. And in this situation, no matter what Sol said, that possibility was slipping away forever.

They could be friends. They could not be lovers.

She wouldn't love a man who already belonged to someone else. She wouldn't love a man who flitted from one girl to the next.

Even without personal experience in love, she was sure of that.

And yet… even she longed to hear Sol give a perfect answer.

So, Sol's choice was—

"Nicole, you're overthinking." Sol looked her in the eye, voice steady. "I love you. And I will always love you."

The true choice. The only choice.

Nicole was already his woman. His main wife, so to speak.

His bond with Ellen really was nothing more than friendship—certainly not yet anything that could rival his relationship with Nicole.

If he tried to claim "I want both," he'd lose both. If he abandoned Nicole for Ellen, he'd destroy his marriage, while Ellen would reject him outright.

This so-called "love triangle battlefield" was a false dilemma.

The stupidest move would be to think Nicole was "secured," then rush to woo Ellen—betraying one, failing with the other.

Instead, he acknowledged Nicole's place, while leaving Ellen's door narrowly ajar. The path wasn't blocked, only steepened.

Love, after all, was about mutual taming. Building multiple stable relationships required creating reliance—emotional and practical reasons that made separation unthinkable.

For that, long-term presence and unforgettable experiences were the key.

But now was not the time.

"Really?"

Nicole's face brightened like a child given candy.

"Of course." Sol wrapped his arms around her, voice warm. "Ellen is a friend. Just like Belle, Anby, Mana, Miyabi, Soukaku, Koleda… they're all trustworthy friends. And they'll be your friends, too."

"But you're different. You're the special one."

At least, for now.

"Heehee, I knew it! I'm the special one!"

Nicole laughed, triumphant as a victorious general.

"I told you already, I'm just his friend. And I haven't even graduated high school yet."

Ellen's arms remained crossed, voice flat.

Relief washed over her—Sol hadn't made the worst choice. They could still be friends.

But mixed into that relief was a vague, unexplainable sense of loss. Like something important had slipped through her fingers.

"Mm, I get it now. His friends are my friends." Nicole nodded, a little sheepish. "I was too rash earlier—misunderstood you when you were just helping clean up. I'm sorry."

Now that her mood had lightened, Nicole also remembered Ellen's other identity—a maid from Victoria Housekeeping.

That was part of Sol's commission reward: free housekeeping services. She absolutely couldn't drive Ellen away.

That would be like throwing away free money!

"It's fine, not your fault. And I didn't lose anything." Ellen glanced sidelong at Sol, lips curving in a faint, sly smile. "If anything, the whole thing's kind of amusing."

So now she knew—Sol had a proper girlfriend.

At least that saved her from being deceived later.

"Well then, we'll let you two be. Come on, Nekomata."

Nicole tugged her baffled subordinate toward the door.

"Feel free to hang out with Sol more. Help me keep an eye on him, okay?"

Outside, Nekomata blinked, utterly lost.

"Boss Nicole… you're just leaving the two of them alone?"

She sounded worried.

They'd already gotten to tail-touching. What if "just one more touch" turned into something worse?

"It's not really alone. Baal's still there." Nicole waved it off. "Besides, Ellen's still in high school. She looks proper enough."

Sure, she could've pressed her advantage, but she didn't think it necessary.

Sol had already declared his love openly, in front of Ellen, in front of everyone.

Pushing further would only make her seem overbearing.

And Ellen was still a student. Clearly, Sol only saw her as a little sister—like Soukaku.

"But… you just told her to spend more time with Sol?"

Nekomata still didn't get it.

Wasn't that the same as handing him the knitting needles for his own green hat?

"You don't understand." Nicole gave her a lofty look, eyes gleaming with wisdom. "Since Sol and Ellen aren't in a relationship, then let her stay by his side—as a shield against other girls."

Witness. A flawless plan.

With Sol's declaration today, Nicole was certain Ellen was no threat.

Nicole smirked proudly. "Heh, they say girls in love get dumber, but my IQ actually went up!"

"…"

Nekomata stared at her smug grin, at a loss for words.

Yes, her IQ had gone up—but not by much.

Maybe Ellen had no designs on Sol. But Sol? Sol definitely had designs on Ellen.

The sheep might not want the wolf, but the wolf still wanted the sheep.

Nicole's plan was basically locking a tender lamb in the wolf's den. Wolves were good at opening locks.

Nekomata didn't bother saying it aloud. Nicole was far too stubborn right now.

Instead, Nekomata worried for herself.

Would she have to sleep with one eye open tonight?

She was the one who'd ratted Sol out. Surely, he wouldn't forgive her easily.

So scary, meow!

Meanwhile, inside the room—

Sol wasn't thinking about punishing the cat at all.

He was only considering how to mend things with Ellen.

"..."

On the sofa, Baal silently watched Nicole and Nekomata leave, leaving Sol and Ellen alone together.

She still wasn't satisfied, a trace of regret lingering on her smiling face.

After all, Sol was a scoundrel down to his bones; it was rare to see him suffer a setback.

And now that she had, it was honestly refreshing—far more delightful than simply reviving her back from the dead.

Her only complaint was that it was too short; Sol had smoothed things over far too quickly, and it wasn't exciting at all.

Boring. She wanted to see blood flowing like rivers!

Still, at least there was dessert after the main course.

She wanted to see what sweet-talking Sol would come up with to deceive the young Shark-Thiren maid sitting before him now.

"Sorry, for letting you see such a joke."

Sol glanced at Ellen, his tone apologetic.

"It's fine. I was the one being impulsive." Ellen shook her head, speaking with cold courtesy. "As a maid, I shouldn't be too close to my 'master,' nor should I cause misunderstandings with my master's boss—and wife."

She was angry. Who wouldn't be, after being dragged into such a mess with a friend, making it seem like she was trying to seduce Sol on purpose?

She had already resolved to keep her distance from him. Friends were fine, but anything like touching tails—never again.

"..."

Sol could roughly guess Ellen's thoughts.

She was sulking, feeling wronged, and even their friendship had taken a small hit.

At a time like this, he needed to move her heart a little, stabilize their bond, and only then talk about anything further.

Taking a deep breath, Sol said in a solemn tone, "Sorry. The reason I called you over was because you've seemed listless lately. I wanted you to pause your commissions and take a rest."

"I didn't expect something like this to happen. Instead of relaxing, it's only upset you more."

As he spoke, Sol revealed a perfectly timed bitter smile.

At those words, Ellen's expression stayed cool, but a ripple stirred faintly in her heart.

He had wanted her to rest? That, she hadn't expected.

Thinking about it, if Sol hadn't called her, she'd likely still be carrying out a Victoria Housekeeping Co. commission right now—probably clearing Ethereals in some Hollow.

And here in Sol's home, apart from the first ten minutes of tidying, it had been very easy.

If Nicole hadn't barged in, it might even have been enjoyable.

With that thought, Ellen's attitude softened slightly, though she still held a trace of anger. "Next time, don't call me. I don't want to interfere with your relationship with Nicole."

She had no intention of playing the part of a third party.

"That won't do. I'm used to taking advantage of little things—I can't just waste Victoria Housekeeping's free service." Sol chuckled. "You get to relax, and I still get a freebie. Two birds with one stone."

"So, you just wanted me to rest, huh? A nice thought." Ellen sighed softly, finally letting her guard down. "But if you hadn't insisted on touching my tail, things wouldn't have gotten so awkward."

"Alright, alright, I won't next time."

Sol laughed lightly.

Ellen allowed a small smile, speaking softly, "I do appreciate your thoughtfulness. Even though the commissions are tiring, slacking off here all the time wasn't why I joined Victoria Housekeeping."

She had been welcomed as one of their family. Victoria Housekeeping was her parents, her siblings.

Together they carried out commissions, together they protected their family. The hard work and its rewards were part of life itself.

As long as it wasn't exploitation by some capitalist, then labor itself was something to enjoy.

"In that case, I'll shamelessly call Rina and Corin over instead." Sol put on a troubled face. "I'm not that familiar with them yet, so it feels awkward to have them come clean my place and cook for free."

"You're doing this on purpose!" Ellen glared at Sol with exasperation. "Always trying to make me the special one."

She really didn't want to feel special just for being lazy—but she also didn't want to feel special for not being lazy.

Besides, sneaking in a little rest now and then was good for the body and soul.

"You're the one who said you didn't want to come." Sol spread his hands helplessly. "I have to respect my friend's wishes."

"You sure didn't respect them when you touched my tail." Ellen muttered under her breath, almost too quiet to hear. "Who said I didn't want to come? I just… don't want to come too often…"

Sol smiled. "Then you can all take turns. Every two days, my room will have a new style. Sounds nice, doesn't it?"

"..."

Ellen's tail swayed back and forth, thumping lightly against the sofa. She neither agreed nor disagreed.

But Sol had already seen through her. He nodded inwardly.

With his push-and-pull technique, Ellen was more or less secured. Their friendship was firmly restored. As for raising her affection further—that would take time.

"Well then, let's sit and have some snacks, watch a movie together."

Sol gently pressed Ellen back into the sofa.

Though reluctant, she still half-heartedly gave in and sat down.

Once [Treasure-Hunting Proxies] started playing and a box of snacks was set out, the two of them shared a couch and began to watch.

Still, just to guard against any scene involving Nicole, Ellen placed Baal between them.

Other than that, the atmosphere was no different from when Sol spent time with Ruby, Monna, or Lynn.

"..."

Munching on snacks, Baal sighed to herself.

Her eyes had been opened—truly opened.

With just a few words, Sol could toy with a girl's emotions like they were nothing. It was almost demonic, like those bewitching spirits of Liyue said to sway hearts and minds.

Sol, oh Sol, you're terrifying!

It was lucky you weren't on Teyvat. Otherwise, my simple-minded down-to-earth girl might already have been tricked into becoming a mother.