章 5: Pushing Boundaries With Kara
The days had flown by in the Steele family since Kara's arrival. Through his persistent pursuit of her for a variety of reasons, Alaric had turned into something of a shadow for her.
It had become a strategic chance for him to rack up points for his Harem God System, and he wanted to take advantage of every contact.
Due to his young and naïve personality, as well as Kara's developing devotion for him, the ideal setting was established for him to push limits. These boundaries were ones that Kara, in her generosity and naivety, never even thought to be wrong.
The situation was the same today.
As Alaric searched for Kara, he made his way through the magnificent corridors of the estate, his little feet tapping on the polished marble floors.
To his surprise, he discovered her in the drawing room, where she was arranging the bookshelves with her back to him while quietly humming to herself.
Alaric stepped closer to her without giving it any thought, and when he called out to her, he had a little bit of a childlike innocence in his eyes.
"Kara!" His voice, as it usually been, was brimming with vitality.
Kara smiled warmly as she turned to face him, and the instant she laid eyes on him, her eyes became more kind. "Alaric, there you are." She washed her hands on her apron and then laid the book she was carrying down next to her. "Did you need something?"
As Alaric rocked back and forth on his heels, he grinned up at her and looked at her. "Can you help me find my book? The one about knights and dragons? I can't remember where I left it."
A smirk appeared on Kara's face as she let out a subtly amused giggle. "Of course. Come, let's see if it's in the library."
As the two of them made their way down the corridor together, Alaric skipped beside her, occasionally brushing his palm against her arm or side as they moved. There was a slight pleasure that ran through him when his system rang with experience points, despite the fact that each touch was quite unremarkable. Naturally, Kara did not appear to notice because she was accustomed to his friendly mannerisms.
As soon as they arrived at the library, Kara immediately began rummaging through the books. During the time that he was pretending to seek for the book, Alaric remained in close proximity to her and observed her work. His admiration was directed toward the delicate movement of her body as she reached for the upper shelves, with her curves being highlighted by the basic uniform that she wore as a maid.
While he was standing next to her, he gently brushed against her arm once more.
Kara simply smiled down at him. "You seem distracted, Alaric. Do you even remember what color the book was?"
Alaric bit his lip, looking up at her with wide, innocent eyes. "I think it was green?"
Kara laughed softly. "You're hopeless sometimes, aren't you?" she teased, ruffling his hair affectionately.
At that very moment, they became aware of approaching footsteps and both spun around to catch sight of Alaric's mother, Lyra Steele, entering the library.
She was having a conversation with a visitor, a well-dressed aristocrat who appeared to be interested in the enormous collection of rare books that the Steele family possessed.
As Kara prepared to face his mother, Alaric saw that she quickly straightened her posture and presented herself in a more elegant manner.
"Good afternoon, Lady Lyra," Kara said, bowing her head respectfully.
"Ah, Kara, it's good to see you," Lyra replied, glancing between her and Alaric. Her smile widened at the sight of her son. "I see you've found your favorite person again, my darling."
Alaric grinned up at his mother, and then Kara spoke again, her tone shifting ever so slightly. "Sir Alaric was just asking me to help him find a book, Lady Lyra."
Alaric gave a little eyebrow rise in response to the formal address. Sir Alaric? That was new, but he could see the reasoning behind it.
When she was in the presence of other people, Kara played the role of a courteous servant by always maintaining a certain level of decorum.
When the two of them were alone themselves, it was just "Alaric," as if they were on equal footing or perhaps something closer to that. But when she was with other people, it appeared like she was cautious to maintain her image.
Lyra smiled indulgently. "Ah, my little knight in shining armor," she teased, her voice dripping with affection. "I hope you're not giving Kara too much trouble, darling."
"Of course not, Mother," Alaric replied with a cheeky grin. "I'm always on my best behavior."
The nobleman chuckled, clearly amused by the exchange, while Kara simply kept her head bowed in respect.
"Well, I'll leave you to your search," Lyra said, casting one last fond look at her son before continuing her conversation with the guest. Alaric watched them leave, his mind already working on how to make the most of the time alone with Kara.
Once they were out of earshot, Kara's formal demeanor relaxed, and she smiled warmly at Alaric again. "Now, where were we? Ah, yes—the book."
Alaric's smile broadened as they resumed their search, but his attention was drawn to Kara rather than any fictional book.
He was aware that Kara did not have any suspicions, not even for a brief second. As far as she was concerned, he was nothing more than a charming and cute seven-year-old who need love and care. It was flawless in every way.
That evening, Alaric found himself resting in the family parlor after dinner, while Kara was tending to the fire that was located across the room from this location.
He sat on the comfortable couch and observed her from there. His mind was busy working on a strategy as he watched her.
Over the course of the last few days, he had been slowly earning experience points; but he realized he needed to step things up a notch if he wanted to get to the next level faster.
He called out to her, "Kara," in a gentle and endearing tone.
She turned, smiling as she walked over to him. "Yes, Alaric?"
"I'm feeling a little sore," he said, trying to sound as innocent as possible. "Could you give me a massage again? It really helped last time."
Kara chuckled, her eyes warm with affection. "You and your massages," she teased. "Alright, come here, then."
The moment Alaric went onto the couch and laid down face down with his head resting on the armrest, his heart skipped a beat on the way down.
As Kara's hands worked their way into his back, they were kind yet forceful. They were working out the phantom knots that were building up in his muscles. A familiar sensation coursed through him with each touch, and he couldn't help but sigh in contentment as he experienced it.
[Ding! +20 experience points.]
He shifted slightly, making sure her hands moved lower down his back. "That feels really nice," he murmured, his voice muffled against the cushions.
"I'm glad, Alaric," Kara said, her tone soothing as she continued the massage. She moved her hands to his shoulders, her fingers kneading the tension there—or at least, the tension he pretended to have.
During the course of the massage, Alaric saw that he was becoming more confident. As he moved once more, this time he turned onto his side so that he was facing Kara.
When he inquired, his eyes were big and innocent as he requested, "Can you do my front as well?"
Kara was visibly taken aback by the suggestion, and she paused for a few period before finally smiling in a subdued manner. "Alright, just for a little bit," she remarked, her tone being lighthearted.
As Alaric stared up at her with wide, trusting eyes, she slid her hands to his chest and softly massaged him without causing any discomfort. Although her hands were kind and loving, Alaric could sense that the system was rewarding him with each contact that he made.
[Ding! +30 experience points.]
He grinned to himself, content with the way things were going and the way things were developing.
Despite the fact that Kara's defenses were fully down, she never questioned his wishes. In her perspective, he was still simply a nice and innocent youngster; he was far too young to be involved in anything that might be considered wrong. It was the ideal cover for the book.
As the days progressed, Alaric never stopped looking for Kara whenever he had the opportunity to do so, and he never stopped coming up with novel approaches to test the limits of their interactions.
Whether it was by asking her to assist him with his showers or by using her as a body pillow while he slept, he made sure to extend the amount of time that they spent together to its fullest potential.
Alaric sat against the doorframe and watched Kara as she filled the tub with boiling water one afternoon. Kara was getting ready to draw his bath, and Alaric was watching her. "Kara," he said, capturing her attention with his low voice.
She turned, smiling. "Yes, Alaric?"
"Can you wash my hair again?" he asked, his voice full of that same innocent charm. "You do it better than anyone else."
Kara chuckled, shaking her head as she motioned for him to come closer. "Alright, but only because you're such a sweet boy."
A grin appeared on Alaric's face as he climbed into the bathtub and let the warm water to embrace him.
Alongside the bathtub, Kara knelt down and poured water over his head in a gentle manner as her sleeves were rolled up. The sensation of her fingers massaging his head caused Alaric to feel a sense of relaxation that he could not resist
[Ding! +40 experience points.]
He closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling of her hands in his hair. "You're the best, Kara," he murmured.
Kara smiled softly, her eyes filled with affection. "Anything for you, Alaric."
After a period of three days, Alaric positioned himself in front of the mirror in his bedroom and examined his statistics within the Harem God System.
He was eventually rewarded by the system after all of the time he had spent with Kara and all of the points he had accumulated as a result of their exchanges.
[Ding! Congratulations! You have reached Level 2 of the Harem God System.]
Alaric grinned to himself, satisfaction filling him as he looked at the notification. He quickly opened the system menu, eager to see if he had unlocked any new abilities. But as he scrolled through the options, he realized that there was no new skill waiting for him.
Instead, the system informed him that his Wink of Flirtation had been strengthened by a small amount.
Although it wasn't the massive power-up he had hoped for, but it was something.
The subtle boost to his Wink of Flirtation would give him an edge in his interactions, making it just that little bit more effective. Alaric couldn't help but smirk as he closed the system interface, satisfied with the progress he had made.
Taking a quick glimpse, he looked over to his bed, where Kara was gently humming to herself while she was arranging the bedding.
For the last several days, she had been of great assistance to him, but she was utterly oblivious to the fact that she was responsible for his leveling up. Despite the fact that her feelings for him had simply gotten stronger, Alaric was confident that he could push the limits even farther.
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