Daniel checked on the woman, frowning as he realized she was unfamiliar to him. He slowly pieced together what had happened, remembering that before he'd ended up here, he'd gone to a convenience store near his house. Then he recalled a prick on his hand.
He glanced at his hand and saw a faint red dot, likely the mark left by some kind of needle.
Just then, a group of men stormed into the room, breaking down the door in their entry. Each held a gun, which they instinctively aimed at Daniel, who was still piecing together the situation. He couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry—shirtless, with an unconscious woman lying at the end of the bed, sporting a boot print on her face.
At that moment, a familiar woman entered. Dressed in a leather garment made from archfiend hide, it was Envy, one of Daniel's close companions. She eyed him with a cold gaze before shifting her attention to the unconscious woman on the floor.
"This... I can explain," Daniel said with a wry smile, his voice steady as he tried to ease her tension.
Envy stayed silent, looking at Daniel, then at the woman marked by a footprint. "Drag the b*tch with us," she ordered the men, who quickly moved to haul the unconscious woman away.
They weren't exactly gentle; this woman had ruined their day and even set off alarms for their boss. Several gangs connected to her had also been cut off from syndicate society, meaning no one would dare do business or cover for them now.
"Danny, let's go home. We'll talk," Envy said in a calm tone, though Daniel noticed traces of relief, anger, and perhaps even sadness.
"Alright. Let's talk when we get home," Daniel replied, following her out.
— Daniel Home —
Even though Envy had said she would talk with him, once they got back home, she didn't say a word. She ignored him, acting as if he didn't exist. Daniel understood she was angry and knew why, even though the kidnapping wasn't his fault. But, as the saying goes, "You don't argue with a woman," so Daniel chose to stay quiet and wait for her to speak first.
The next morning, Envy still didn't say anything, though she did make breakfast for him. He thanked her, but she continued to act as though he wasn't there. Little Sylvana noticed this shift; she was curious but didn't ask, chatting with both Envy and Daniel as usual.
Envy joined the conversation only when Sylvana mentioned him or asked for his opinion, seemingly trying not to alarm the girl too much.
Daniel went about his daily routine, spending time in his private workshop crafting artifacts and new prototypes as usual. This time, he decided to inscribe runes on all his clothes to prevent anyone from removing them without permission—and maybe add an electric shock as a deterrent.
Meanwhile, he noticed Envy had developed a strange habit of watching clips on her phone. Daniel hadn't known her to do this before, and he wondered what kind of videos she was watching.
By the fourth day, Envy didn't even bother to prepare his breakfast. She was openly ignoring him now and took little Sylvana to play with Cotton at the Veneziale estate with Michaela. She didn't make an effort to hide her irritation toward him.
Unable to ignore his hunger, Daniel fried a few sausages for himself. Once again, he noticed Envy engrossed in watching a particular clip. Though his curiosity was piqued, he chose not to pry, respecting her personal space even though she was his partner.
At home, he noticed Envy was with a guest: Lust had come by for a visit.
"Ah! Mr. Emberweave!" Lust interrupted her conversation with Envy and walked over to hand Daniel a small box. "This is a gift from... well, a friend of mine. He said it'll bring you good luck."
"Ah... thanks," Daniel replied, sitting beside Envy, intending to apologize. But Envy quickly stood up and walked to the kitchen, pointedly ignoring him.
Seeing this, Daniel felt a little bitter but could only sigh in resignation.
"You two seem to have a bit of a... kink to work out," Lust teased, giving him a knowing smile. She then rose to leave.
"As an outsider, I'll remove myself out of the way first. Just give Teacher Envy some time, alright? This is her way of throwing a tantrum at someone she loves when she's angry or upset. But if you've given her time and she's still throwing a fit... well, just force your way through. She can't hold out for long, trust me!" Lust advised with a wink before excusing herself.
"Thanks," Daniel replied, but Lust just waved it off with a casual gesture.
Following Lust's advice, Daniel decided to give Envy some space, waiting until night to approach her. If she was still ignoring him tomorrow, he'd take a more direct approach. What he didn't realize was that his best chance had already slipped by.
That night, Greed returned, accompanied by Koyuki, who seemed to have rushed back from Japan, Pride also came with them. Greed and Pride gave him a stinging eye, while Koyuki gave him a pout. Michaela and Penthesilea also arrived, having been dodging Envy's minefield over at the Veneziale estate. Little Sylvana was still there, though.
"Mr. Daniel Emberweave... let's talk," Envy spoke in a cold tone, sending a chill through him. But this was exactly the opportunity he'd been waiting for—a chance to finally set things straight.
— Present —
Within the confines of a small room, Daniel knelt on the floor before his four women and two contenders: Koyuki, Envy, Greed, and Penthesilea stood in front of him, while Michaela and Pride sat on a nearby sofa.
Michaela looked as though she wanted to speak up for him but hesitated, sensing the anger radiating from the other women toward their lord, Daniel. Pride, meanwhile, only pouted, feigning disinterest and a hint of annoyance.
The four women's expressions told him everything. Penthesilea's anger was the mildest, her face wavering between worry and irritation. Koyuki, Envy, and Greed, however, were clearly angry.
After recalling the events that led up to this moment and enduring a long, silent stare from all his women, Daniel finally decided to speak up.
"I'm sorry!" he said, casting a hopeful glance at Envy, who continued giving him the cold shoulder.
"Do you know what you did wrong?" Envy asked, her tone sharp and unwavering.