NOVEL NEXT Chapter 180: 180
The house didn't have a dining room. It barely had rooms, really.
What they called the "hall" was just the front area where a table sat crooked near the window, one leg propped up by a folded rag.
The air smelled faintly of damp wood and yesterday's boiled roots. No incense. No warmth. Just survival.
Vex sat at the table, arms folded, gaze steady. The wood creaked under his weight. He said nothing—just watched.
Maira and Mirea sat across from each other, both hunched slightly over the table. Between them lay a tiny pile of worn copper coins—some dull, some green-tinted around the edges.
They were counting them one by one, lips whispering under their breath, brows knitted with focus.
"One… two… five… eight…"
"That should be enough for the bread, right?" Maira asked, her voice soft, uncertain as she looked towards the copper coins that were solely earned by her younger sister. With the number of people increasing in the house, it was natural to assume they would need more ingredients for food.
"If we skip lunch," Mirea muttered, thumbing a cracked copper. "We can get a single loaf. Maybe some leftover stew bones if the butcher's in a good mood."
Maira exhaled. Her hand trembled as she swept the coins together, forming a tiny hill of desperation.
"I hate this."
"I know."
Mirea's smile was tired. It wasn't even a smile really—just a twitch of her lips trying to stay strong. "I'll go out tomorrow. Check the fields or the mill. Someone always needs hands, or at least I will try to get herbs."
Vex didn't say a word. He sat like a wolf in human skin—sharp golden eyes watching, unreadable.
'Is copper coin that low?' Vex thought, considering that being not native to this place, he wasn't aware of the face value a coin held. Observing both of the sisters having a conversation even at a time when they did not have a stable income source to feed themselves regularly made him feel slightly guilty, given it was him in the end who had barged in here and was taking up their resources.
The stairs creaked softly.
He tilted his head, gaze flicking up toward the source of the sound.
Asperia.
She stepped out from the shadow of her room, barefoot, quiet. Her damp hair clung to her collarbones in wet strands, freshly washed. She wore the same outfit from a moment ago—not like she had any other option—thin long dress, a bit loose at the shoulders, fabric clinging faintly to her chest.
Her arms were folded tightly under her chest, and she didn't look at him.
In fact, she made a point of keeping her eyes down, as if the floorboards suddenly deserved her full attention.
'Avoiding me after biting my dick?' Vex noted, his mind going to that moment when those soft lips, the perky ones, were on the head of his cock.
Still, his gaze lingered. Her lips—soft, pink, familiar—called a memory to his mind.
Wet, warm, gliding down the base of his shaft. The way she'd choked once, then swallowed again without complaint.
A sharp heat twisted in his stomach, but he turned his head away before it reached his expression.
Mirea pushed her chair back. "I'll head out now. Maybe I'll get lucky at the mill today."
'...Let's first solve this.' Coming out of his state, as he looked towards Mirea, he recalled the priority of the situation, focusing on her as his voice cut the air like a knife. "You just need money, right?"
Mirea paused, glancing back at him, one brow raised. She gave a sarcastic smile.
"Yeah." Mirea Sid folded her hands, looking towards that smirk tugging on his face, making her feel a bulge forming on her forehead, clearly annoyed, mocking him, "Normally the man in the house does that. But I guess some men are only manly when their pants are off."
Her tone was sharp. Her smirk sharper.
Vex's mouth twitched. 'Cheeky little…'
Still, he didn't take the bait. His golden eyes narrowed slightly as he looked inward, calm and deliberate.
'Hey, system. Can I use those gold coins yet?'
[Of course you can, Host]
[They're real gold, after all. You could even use actual coins from the real world, though good luck scraping up that much.]
'Show-off.'
Vex didn't even blink.
He raised his hand. Snapped his fingers.
Ching!
The sound rang out like steel against stone.
Then, it rained.
Not from the ceiling. No glowing light. No dramatic chant. Just a sudden manifestation of wealth—thousands of gleaming gold coins, appearing mid-air in a sudden shimmering flood and crashing down onto the wooden table in a loud, heavy downpour.
Clink! Clang! Ching!
The pile of copper coins scattered instantly. Maira jumped. One gold coin hit the edge of the table and bounced straight into her lap. She gasped audibly.
Mirea froze with her hand half-raised, her lips parted in disbelief. Her eyes locked on the glistening mountain that now covered nearly half the table, some coins still rolling to the edge and spinning in tight circles before falling silent.
Even Asperia stopped mid-step on the stair. Her arms had dropped. She stood still, stunned. Her gaze locked on the impossible golden mound, eyes wide and unblinking.
Three thousand gold coins. Piled casually like candy.
The room fell into stunned silence.
Only the coins made noise—soft clinks as they settled into place, catching light, dancing gold reflections off the stained walls.
Vex didn't even look at them.
He leaned back in the chair, casual as ever, flicking a single gold coin between his fingers.
Tink-tink-tink—a rhythmic sound that now felt heavier than thunder.
His voice dropped low, soft—but every syllable hit like a hammer.
With a smirk looking towards Mirea as he threw a coin towards her, he reminded her:
"Maybe. But I've never heard anyone complain when my pants come off — they're too busy choking on… Ahem, I mean counting the gold I possess."
'!'
"Th-this is fake? Right?" Mirea's mouth slowly parted, trembling as she looked back towards Vex. There was clear blinking of eyes with the words stuck in her throat not coming out, as if she was still digesting the fact about the yellow light reflected by the gold coins she was seeing.
"...Stop seducing me, woman," Vex shook his head, eyes shutting after seeing her parted lips, making him feel a twitch in his groin and adding, "Close your mouth..."