Chapter ?84 Therapy
Chapter ?84 Therapy
Leon watched Reina in shock. He couldn't believe that she was freely transforming in front of his eyes. However, it was driving him crazy!
"Reina. Can you… just pretend to be mildly friendly to everyone?" He asked, "Relaxed, composed, and enjoy everyone's presence? Act kind of… cute?"
Reina cringed. That was such a hard ask!
"I can try." She replied sheepishly.
Leon blinked twice, uncertain what he was watching. However, he was interested in what she'd do.
"Good morning, everyone." Reina said a slight bow. Her bangs fell over her eyes, and she puffed out her cheeks and blew the hair out of her eyes.
The other haremites that walked into the area giggled. Lindy was one of them; she was bewildered by the strange sight.
Reina brushed her bangs of her face with her fingers and tucked the larger locks behind her ear.
"Sorry, about that." She said, "My hair is messy this morning. How are you guys doing?"
Leon blinked twice. She was extremely cute and friendly; perfect if she could keep it up.
"Good. What you're doing is remarkable." He said.
Reina cocked her head to the side. "What I'm doing? Are you talking about playing with my hair?"
He blinked twice and developed a wry smile. "Yes, what you're doing with your hair."
"I like her!" Lindy giggled, "Can we keep her?"
"I don't want to kill her." Caitlyn said dryly, "So I suppose she's preferable."
Leon's eyes froze with shock. He realized he was manipulating a woman's personality to suit his desires!
"Reina… you're remarkable. But please stop pretending; I don't like feeling like I'm manipulating you to suit my desires." He said while looking away.
Everyone in the area froze and held their breath.
"Please keep it…." Reina said with a wry smile, "I don't have a personality. I've always created them, so I feel empty now that I'm being honest."
Leon looked up at her in surprise.
"I was really enjoying making up personalities." She continued softly, "Since you know they're lies, I don't feel like I'm cheating you. However, it's nice knowing I've chosen a personality you enjoy."
He took a deep breath and then looked at Lindy. She also had a request that went against his phobia.
Lindy begged Leon to keep her bond, despite her highly unnatural shift in emotions toward him. She said she understood it was unnatural but was happy and free from depression.
Since then, he had seen her self-conscious but hadn't seen her depressed.
Leon looked at Reina again. She had that same look in her eyes.
"Very well. Please keep the personality you just had." He sighed, "It was… charming."
Reina nodded and gave everyone a quirky smile. "Thank you all for being so welcoming. I'm a bit shy and quiet, but I'm excited to be with you all."
"We do get to keep her!" Lindy exclaimed with a fist pump.
"Seems she'll live." Caitlyn said while laying her head against Leon's shoulders.
"Welcome, Reina." Leon said with a lukewarm smile.
After introductions, the haremites filed in. Tricksie popped in and sat at their table, and no one complained. Everyone knew she'd be asked to be part of the harem, so Lindy and Caitlyn didn't want to poison relations.
Once everyone was ready, the kitchen team served breakfast.
As always, he couldn't pronounce any of the dishes. The team made the most of the free supplies to provide those isekai'd with a taste of home while it was available. After the Sanctuary Event, they'd be stuck with canned food and monster meat from Earth until crops grew.
No one complained, though. The food was delicious, and the cooking mages were magical at turning anything they touched into culinary masterpieces.
During the meal, everyone watched Leon. He wasn't eating much, and he kept zoning out.
He'd recover fine if it were only the slave traders and the men. However, he realized how easy it was to exploit his weakness on the Forbidden Library, which bothered him.
Leon was being filmed 24/7. He now questioned if he should be milder with interactions. The entire situation got under his skin.
"Ummm… Traxie?" A cute voice called out.
He looked up. "Mindy?"
Leon's eyes deadened when he saw who was near her: Minx, his [female] [slave] [pet].
Every word that described their relationship triggered his phobia, and he didn't like it. Minx created that relationship herself, but he was stuck with the consequences.
The nervous, black-haired woman gulped and looked away, making Leon feel queasy.
"Yes, it is I, the cute and adorable little cat princess." Mindy said with her chest pumped out. Her cute face, pink hair, and white ears always put a slight smile on his face.
"What can I do for you, Mindy?" Leon asked with a slight smile.
"Yooooooou look like you need some cheering up to do." She replied, "And this one is a trainwreck."
Mindy presented her sister with two hands as if a curtain dropped and unveiled her.
Minx gave her sister a wry smile before averting her gaze and sneaking desperate glances at Leon, which left him confused.
"Sooooooo, I was thinking that it might be mutually beneficial if you made a bargain." Mindy suggested.
Leon's eyes narrowed in interest. He liked that the cat woman spoke in terms of trade, even in their predicament. "I'm listening."
"Well, this one asked to be your pet. Now, she's unnaturally desperate to be around you and feels abandoned like a stray kitten." Mindy announced with a mocking grin, causing Minx to turn away bitterly.
Anyone who saw her wouldn't know that the woman was extremely deadly, not accounting for her addiction.
"And you!" Mindy exclaimed while pointing at Leon dramatically, "Look like you need some cat ears in your life. I propose you improve my sisters mental health by promoting your own."
Leon smiled wryly and was about to object, but he saw the look of desperation in Minx's eyes. She truly did look lonely and heartbroken she wasn't near him.
"Minx. Do you [want] me to play with your cat ears?" He asked, "I'm ordering you to tell me the truth."
The cat woman's eyes illuminated in a neon pink glow, forcing her to abandon her pride.
"Please play with my cat ears." Minx said with shame in her eyes.
Leon's eyes lit up. He desperately wanted to play with cat ears again, and a woman was desperate for him to do it. He was playing the hero!
Abandoning his prior issues, he motioned her to the other side of the table.
"Do you want to play with my bunny ears?" Tricksie asked with her ears bouncing back and forth.
Leon gave her a wry smile. "Desperately, but I can't right now."
Everyone understood what he meant; it was a matter of absolute trust. Minx couldn't lie to him, so he was comfortable with it.
The black-laden cat woman walked over to the other side of the table. Watching her walk was surreal; every motion left a slight, almost imperceptible after-shadow.
She swiveled her hips seductively, and her leggings and tight black t-shirt contoured her hourglass-shaped body perfectly.
Her attire blended into her neck-length, silky black hair, leaving only her amethyst eyes to pop against her appearance. When her eyes glowed neon pink, she nearly looked hallucinogenic.
Minx was sexy when walking, beautiful when standing, and hypnotizing while in full motion.
She'd be a gem if it weren't for her degenerate gambling behavior.
"How do you want… to do this?" Minx asked awkwardly.
Leon turned around on the bench. "Is sitting here fine?"
Minx's eyes lit up in excitement, and then she smiled wryly at her pathetic behavior. Both of them were suffering.
"Yes." She said softly and slowly sat on the ground before his knees.
Leon stared at her twitching cat ears with a mesmerized expression. Caitlyn and Lindy could only watch in jealousy, wishing they had cat ears too.
He took a deep breath, lightly grabbed her ears, and kneaded them in his fingers.
"Mmhn~"
Caitlyn's pupils shrunk to the size of pins when she heard Minx moan. Lindy was blinking blankly with murderous rage.
"Did she just moan?" Tricksie giggled playfully as her head tilted half a centimeter at lightning speed.
Minx flushed bright red in embarrassment. She tried to deny it, but Leon was becoming zealous with his ear message.
"N-No, I—ahhh~"
She flushed bright red and hid her face in shame, but she couldn't hide the cathartic pleasure she was experiencing.
Everything about their interaction was extremely unnatural. Minx had never let [anyone] play with her ears, let alone a man or a human.
Yet she couldn't sleep, wracked with extreme anxiety because her [owner] wouldn't allow her near him. So the fact she was with him getting petted was extremely relieving.
Leon grinned. He loved that she loved it as much as he did and was determined to make her purr.
"L-Leon—ahhhhh~!" Minx moaned.
The women at the table twitched, counting the days until the barrier lifted. However, they couldn't stay angry when they saw Leon smiling.
She really was relieving his stress.
"How is it, Minx?" Leon asked with a grin.
"It's o-okay…." Minx replied wryly, "Okay… it's puuuurrrfeecct-aaah~!"
Leon upped his massage game mid-sentence and got her to purr, leaving an evil grin on his face.
Ding!
—
Milestone! You have given a beast woman a sexual experience through petting alone. You have leveled up!
—
Leon stared at the notification in shock and stopped rubbing Minx's cat ears, leaving her disgruntled. However, the notification was short-lived.
Ding!
—
Congratulations! You have met the conditions to unlock a new skill: sensual petting. (beast women specific).
—
Leon couldn't help but develop an evil grin. "Well, they say that curiosity kills the cat."
Minx's eyes froze. "What did you just saaaaaaaaaaAY~!"
She screamed in pleasure, leaving every haremite in the area bewildered and interested. Even Leon's partners didn't question it. On the contrary, his evil grin left them deeply satisfied.
"W-What are you doing?" Minx stuttered.
"Giving your punishment for causing me trouble and rewarding you for letting me pet your ears." Leon grinned.
"P-PunishmeeeeaaaiiinnnNYAAAAAH~!"
Minx arched her back, pushing her head in between his legs, squirming and trying to escape the pleasure.
A crowd developed instantly. Everyone was watching the scene in bewilderment.
One person had a very different reaction than the rest.
"Leon…." Tricksie said with a rising and falling chest, "Can you please do that to me?"
Leon turned to her with wide eyes. Her extreme desire told him one thing [consent established].
"It would be my pleasure. Let me finish up here first." He said with a charming smile.