System's POV

It had been a long day, and there had been many ups and downs.

Zion had just finished taking a shower, and while he was drying his hair, Erica and Sherry entered his bedroom.

The teenage boy only had a bath towel wrapped around his torso, the sight of which made Sherry's face turn red.

Zion might not seem fit with clothes on, but as soon as they were off, his lean and toned body, which he had trained over the years, would show, and it was definitely a feast for the eyes.

Erica eyed her "fiance" with approval, liking what she was seeing.

Thirteen didn't stop drying his hair even as he gave the two girls a nod of greeting.

He then walked toward his closet to pick the pajamas that he would wear for the night.

With his back facing the two young ladies, Thirteen took off the towel and started to put on some clothes.

Seeing this, Sherry swiftly averted her gaze, though she would inevitably glance in Thirteen's direction from time to time.

Erica, on the other hand, sighed before pinching the bridge of her nose. This wasn't the first time she had seen this happen.

This was her second time entering Zion's room when the latter had just finished taking his bath.

If it were any other guy, their reaction would certainly go something along the lines of, "Can you please give me a minute, so I can wear something?"

That should be the normal reaction, but Zion had never been normal. He didn't seem to not care whether they were ladies or not, unaffectedly changing pajamas as if Erica and Sherry were mere statues that happened to be inside his room.

"We really need to teach you about having awareness on how to act in front of ladies, Zion," Erica said to the teenage boy who had just finished wearing his clothes. "We can't have you stripping in front of other girls now, could we?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Thirteen asked with a frown. "Why would I strip in front of other girls?"

"Then why did you strip in front of us?" Erica asked.

Thirteen blinked once then twice before looking at Erica as if she was a weird person.

"Because it's the two of you?" Thirteen replied as if this answer was perfectly normal.

"T-Then, would you have done the same if it was Shana, Diana, and Mildred, who entered the room?" Sherry inquired with curiosity.

"Of course not," Thirteen answered in a heartbeat. "I won't do something like that in front of them."

"Then why did you do it in front of us?" Erica crossed her arms over her chest.

Currently, she was wearing a seductive black nightdress, which she wouldn't dare show to anyone other than Zion.

"Because the two of you are different," Thirteen answered. "Both of you are my confidants, aren't you?"

Erica and Sherry glanced at each other before looking at Zion with wry smiles on their faces.

They didn't know if they should be happy or helpless with how much the teenage boy trusted them, to the point that he didn't mind them seeing him practically naked.

Still, the two of them knew that Zion wasn't exactly a "normal" teenage boy.

They had long decided to set him straight and even planned a training regimen to make him react like a normal teenage boy would.

Both of them understood that Zion wasn't dense. However, he had an extremely strong resistance against the opposite sex.

Even seeing Erica naked didn't cause him to react normally. He even pushed her aside so that he could watch the TV!

If Vincent or any other guy knew about what Zion did, all of them would have tied him up in a stake and burned him alive out of jealousy, envy, and frustration!

"I guess we need to advance the plan a bit, Sherry," Erica whispered to the younger lady beside her.

Sherry hesitated before nodding her head in understanding.

Seeing the two girls whispering at each other, he took the hair dryer before making a gesture for Sherry to come to him.

Sherry smiled and calmly sat beside Zion, allowing the teenage boy to dry her hair.

She and Erica had also just finished taking a bath together. While they did dry their hair with a towel, they didn't dry it completely.

They deliberately let Zion do it for them, so he would be able to interact with girls closely.

This had already become a routine for the three of them whenever they were together.

When Sherry's hair was finally dried, it was finally Erica's turn.

The Sorceress, who had somehow sorted out her feelings after the events that happened earlier in the day, closed her eyes, enjoying the care and attention the teenage boy was putting into this task.

"All done," Thirteen replied.

He then handed the hair dryer to Sherry, who stood behind Zion, so she could dry his hair for him.

A few minutes later, the three climbed on the bed together.

But the moment Zion slid under the blankets, he felt that something was off.

Usually, he slept while hugging Erica or Sherry.

It was Erica's turn tonight, but the moment he hugged the young lady, he didn't feel the sensation of her night dress.

As if trying to investigate whether he made the wrong assumption or not, his hand moved to grope something, which elicited a gasp from the young lady.

"What are you doing?" Erica asked. Discover hidden stories at empire

"Why are you not wearing anything under the blankets?" Thirteen asked.

"Because I feel like it?" Erica answered with a straight face.

Thirteen was about to ask another question, but Erica didn't give him a chance to do it.

She simply hugged the teenage boy and pressed his head against her chest.

"You are my fiance, and this is only normal for those who have this kind of relationship," Erica said as she softly, while she patted the teenage boy's head. "Besides, I will not do this to anyone aside from you. This is your privilege for becoming my fiance."

Thirteen thought as he recalled his memories about his Host's interactions with their significant others.

He couldn't help but think about his previous Host, Vincent, who had his fair share of experience when it came to women.

Thirteen also recalled the favorite phrase that Vincent used, especially when it was the ladies who took the initiative to push him down on the bed.

"Listen, Thirteen, and remember this golden rule when it comes to relationships," Vincent once told him with a serious expression on his face. "Sometimes, the only way to truly connect with someone is through the warmth of touch.

"True connection isn't found in words or glances but in the simple, undeniable truth of touch—a silent language where barriers fell, and where souls spoke freely. So, when a lady takes the initiative to make you touch her, it means that she wants to deepen your connection with each other.

"If someone close to you or someone you trust does this to you, don't push them away. Doing that is a crime, you know? If you are a man, you need to make sure that you appreciate them by returning their touch with your own. How can something that feels good, be bad?"

Thirteen pondered Vincent's words, while his head nestled on the soft hills that made him feel as if his soul was being held in a warm embrace.

Of course, this wasn't the first time that Erica hugged him like this.

The only difference was that back then, she was still wearing her nightdress, which served as the final barrier, albeit a thin one, preventing their skin from touching each other.

In the end, Thirteen closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around Erica's back, hugging her.

Seeing that Zion wasn't resisting her advances, Erica smiled and nodded in Sherry's direction.

The latter nodded back and hugged Zion from behind, just like she always did.

But unlike Erica, she was wearing her pajamas.

She still wasn't brave enough to take that final step, but that was fine.

There was no need to rush.

As long as Zion slowly opened up, the two ladies were confident that they would be able to set him straight.

Erica planted a kiss on Thirteen's head and closed her eyes to sleep.

She could still remember the ache that she felt when Char Lotte wished for Zion to become her Fiance.

It was as if something important was being taken away from her, and it was a feeling that made her feel very uncomfortable.

But now, those feelings were gone, replaced by a warmth that spread through her chest, making her heart feel at peace.

'You might really be a late bloomer,' Erica thought as she hugged the teenage boy who had changed her life in more ways than one.