Chapter 410: Four Sisters and a Fainting Fit
Ethan's Soul Sense surged outward like a tidal wave. In an instant, it reached five kilometers—then ten... fifteen... twenty... Finally, it slowed to a halt at an astounding twenty-five kilometers. The sheer influx of imagery overwhelmed him, flooding his mind with countless sensations and visuals.
Unprepared, Ethan felt a sharp jolt in his head. A pulse of pain flashed behind his eyes. He winced, quickly withdrawing his Soul Sense, and opened them with a frown.
"Young master…"
A soft voice called out. Standing before him was the girl who had earlier covered him with a blanket. She wore a light yellow dress that shimmered in the lamplight. Ethan blinked. The four sisters each wore a distinct color—yellow, pink, aqua green, and sky blue. Without the color coding, he doubted he'd be able to tell them apart.
"Uh... could you hand me my clothes?" Ethan asked, a little awkwardly.
"Of course, young master! I'm Mia, I'm the eldest sister!" said the girl in sky blue as she approached with his clothes.
"Greetings, young master. I am Fern, I'm the eldest sister," said the green-clad girl, offering a cloak with a sweet smile.
"Hello, young master! I'm Rose—and the others are all my younger sisters!" the girl in pink beamed, holding out a pair of shoes.
Ethan turned to the girl in yellow. She stepped forward and said gently, "I'm Crystal. Don't mind them, young master. My sisters are just teasing."
Ethan stared at them, dumbfounded. "So… who actually is the eldest?"
"I am!" they chorused in perfect unison.
He nearly groaned. From the looks of it, even they didn't know who was older. As he rolled his eyes, the girls broke into light giggles.
"Young master, shall we help you dress?" Mia offered sweetly.
Before Ethan could decline, Fern yanked the blanket aside.
"Ah! I'll dress myself!" he yelped.
Too late. Still weakened, Ethan couldn't fend them off. In the blink of an eye, Fern and Mia had clambered onto the bed, followed closely by Rose. Four girls. Eight hands. Some cool, some warm. All moving with chaotic efficiency and far too much enthusiasm.
Their cheeks were flushed, but their hands were steady—perhaps too professional for comfort. They slipped garments onto him, layering the intricate folds of Earthly robes with focused diligence. To Ethan, it felt less like dressing and more like being bundled by a horde of well-meaning hurricanes.
After what felt like a battlefield struggle, Ethan was mostly clothed.
"Erm, sisters, please," he stammered. "Let me finish the rest myself…"
They ignored him.
"Mia, did you mess up the measurements?" Fern asked, tugging at the fabric with a frown.
"It doesn't make sense! I measured everything," Mia insisted. "There's no way it doesn't fit. Rose must've cut it too small!"
Rose puffed her cheeks. "No way! I cut it exactly to spec. Young master, don't tense up—just relax." She patted him gently.
Smack.
"Ah—!" Ethan's vision spun. Pain surged. His muscles spasmed. Tears pricked the corners of his eyes.
"S-sorry! I didn't mean it!" Rose gasped. "Let me rub it for you!"
Ethan was about to protest when—again—a pair of hands touched him. "Ahh!" he cried out, trembling.
"Rose! You're hurting him again!" Mia scolded, pushing her sister's hands away and covering Ethan protectively.
"Ugh…" Ethan's thoughts blanked. Rose's palms had been warm. Slightly sweaty. Strangely soft. Why did he even notice that?
"Young master? What's wrong?" Fern stepped forward to intervene.
"Mia, move!"
"No! I won't!"
Ethan wanted to say, Stop! Just stop pulling! But he had no strength left to resist the twin tug-of-war happening over his body. With two girls on each side, the scene devolved into chaos.
Rose, in her pink dress, joined the fray again. "Let me do it! I know the measurements are right. If it doesn't fit, it's because you messed up measuring, Mia!"
Ethan looked toward the only calm one in the room—Crystal. She was seated at the head of the bed, his head resting on her lap. Her flat stomach made for a surprisingly comfortable pillow, and she was quietly combing his hair. Her scent lingered faintly in the air. Ethan's eyes glazed over, his soul fading into resignation.
'It's over…'
His vision darkened. The noise faded. And then—he fainted for real.
"AHH!"
Four voices screamed in near harmony.
Rose, Mia, and Fern all froze. They looked at one another, stunned. Their gazes slowly shifted to Crystal, who was still holding Ethan's head. She stared back at them, equally bewildered.
"Quick, check the young master—he's out again!"
"Waaaah!" Mia burst into tears. "I told you not to fight! You hurt him!"
"We didn't mean to…" Fern mumbled. "If you had let go earlier…"
Rose huffed, then blinked in realization. "Hey… wait a second! The clothes fit now. See? I told you! It wasn't my tailoring or Mia's measurements! Hah! Maybe next time, we should just knock the young master out first before dressing him."
"That… might not be a good idea," Mia muttered.
Still, all four sisters glanced at each other, hesitant… and slightly tempted. Dressing the young master was awfully difficult otherwise.
---
Ethan slept deeply. In his dream, he saw Lyla—she had followed him to this strange world. The two of them stood side by side, conquering the Sea of Death, their bond eternal and unbroken. In that dreamscape, they lived as a couple, every night spent beneath moonlight and blooming flowers.
Eventually, even that romantic dream faded into hunger. A deep, gnawing, desperate kind of hunger.
When he finally stirred awake, it was already night. He blinked at the ceiling. The soreness in his body had lessened considerably. He shifted and felt the fabric on his skin—he was dressed, at least. Then his stomach let out a loud growl.
He moved to sit up, but paused.
There was someone beside his bed.
No—two people.
The room was dim, but through his Soul Sense, he recognized the colors. Pink: Rose. Blue: Mia. Both were asleep on the floor, curled up beside him like faithful guardians. Crystal and Fern weren't in the room.
Warmth bloomed quietly in Ethan's chest.
He remembered the chaos from earlier—Rose with her warm hands, Mia with her cool touch. And Fern... always pulling something or someone. He had never actually lost control in any of his… episodes with Lyla. But this time, he'd completely blacked out. He vaguely recalled the four girls shouting, "What is this thing?!" right before he fainted.
That moment made it clear to him: they were still innocent. Completely.
The only reason they'd been so comfortable around him must've been because… they'd cared for him like this for three full years. Always present. Always close. Even now, two of them were sleeping by his side.
His heart stirred with an unfamiliar emotion.
Creak…
The door opened softly. His Soul Sense picked up a yellow figure—Crystal. She tiptoed in, came to the bedside, and looked at him for a moment. Believing he was still asleep, she gently brushed the hair from his forehead. Then she leaned down and whispered to the sleeping girls.
"It's midnight. You two get some rest. I'll stay with the young master tonight."
Rose and Mia mumbled drowsily. "Mmm… okay."
Yawning, they stood and shuffled out.
Creak…
Just as they opened the door, another figure appeared, making them jump. They quickly covered their mouths to stifle their surprise.
Ethan knew—this one was Fern.
He sighed silently.
Had these four girls really taken turns caring for him like this, every single night… for three whole years?