My Wives Of Simulation

Chapter 34: The More Capable You Are, The More Work You Will Do

______

"Mellie, why are you here!"

Seeing the familiar figure, Vivian felt a wave of nostalgia. It had been a long time since she'd last seen Mellie.

She vividly remembered their last meeting several years ago. At that time, Mellie had said she was heading to the surface world to find something interesting to do. Since then, she'd disappeared for quite a while.

Mellie Ambrosius—a Nightmare and Vivian's good friend—was someone she knew well. Vivian understood Mellie's mischievous nature all too clearly. It was precisely why she hadn't mentioned Mellie to Elric. Vivian feared that this troublemaker might rub Elric the wrong way.

"Mellie, why did you suddenly show up here?"

Elric looked at the beautiful girl with silver hair standing before him. Although they had agreed to cooperate, it was solely for the purpose of working together toward the eternal glory of Britain. Part of their agreement was for Mellie not to cause any trouble for him.

Frankly, Elric had never even considered adding this capricious individual to his harem. After all, Mellie was infamous for her antics. She was, at her core, someone who thrived on chaos and mischief—a pure seeker of entertainment.

"Ah, didn't you say you wanted to cooperate? That's why I came here," Mellie replied with a carefree smile.

Her expression shifted slightly when she noticed Vivian standing with Elric. Mellie hadn't expected to see her here. After a quick greeting, Mellie turned her attention to Morgan, studying her with an amused glint in her eyes. The jealousy flickering on Morgan's face only heightened Mellie's enjoyment. For her, life was all about having fun, and she certainly didn't mind being the source of some entertainment.

"Come here?"

Morgan's gaze swept over Mellie, her irritation evident. Mellie's behavior had always been insufferable, even when they were children. It seemed that hadn't changed.

"Yes, I came," Mellie replied with a grin.

"Speaking of which, Morgan, I must thank your man for this. Without him, I wouldn't have had the opportunity to visit," she added mischievously.

Smirking, Mellie began to explain why she was there. After Elric and King Uther had struck a deal, the latter remained suspicious of Elric's true intentions. Uther wasn't convinced this powerful king would genuinely assist Camelot out of pure goodwill.

To ensure things went smoothly, Uther had sent Mellie, the legendary wizard, to secretly monitor Elric in Glory. Confident in her abilities, Uther believed this was the safest course of action.

"Honestly, King Uther is so petty. He doesn't have the magnanimity of a true king," Mellie scoffed, clearly unimpressed.

She leaned closer to Elric with a teasing smile. "But you, Rhine, you're different. You're far more interesting than Uther. Since he asked me to lurk around Glory, I figured I might as well come directly!"

"Father only told you to lurk, not to move in like this," Morgan interjected, eyeing Mellie warily.

Morgan's complicated expression betrayed her mixed feelings. She had long let go of her grievances with King Uther. After meeting Elric, she no longer cared much about her father. She only referred to Uther as "father" out of courtesy for the care he had shown her over the years.

But as Morgan glanced at the large pile of gifts Mellie had brought along, it became glaringly obvious that this troublesome Nightmare intended to stay at Elric's place indefinitely.

"Ah, my reason for staying here is simple—I'm homeless," Mellie declared nonchalantly.

Morgan narrowed her eyes, still on guard. Mellie's grin only widened as her thoughts drifted.

In her mind, she recalled the scene of her grand manor outside Camelot, engulfed in flames. It had been her own doing. Without hesitation, Mellie had burned down her house just to have a valid excuse to stay at Elric's residence.

As for King Uther's order, she had no interest in lurking.

"In addition, since we're going to change the world together, isn't it natural for us to live together as partners?"

"And look at Vivian—she has no objection to my coming. Morgan, don't be so tense."

Dropping her luggage with a bounce and deliberately sticking close to Vivian's side, Mellie turned to Morgan with a provocative look, her tone laced with mischief, as though hoping to elicit an interesting response.

"Mellie."

Before Morgan could speak, Elric interjected.

"We need to discuss your moving in first."

It was clear Mellie had come purely for fun, so Elric wasn't about to mince words.

"Since you're here, first you need to understand—this is Glory."

"Yeah, I get it."

Mellie nodded with a cheerful smile, as if dismissing any concerns.

"Second, you should know that in Glory, I don't support idlers. If you want to stay here, you have to contribute. I'm not interested in things as trivial as money."

To Elric, Glory was a product of his tireless effort. A city built for ease and comfort shouldn't attract freeloaders. He refused to let it become infested with "termites."

"Yeah, I understand."

Still smiling, Mellie shrugged it off as if it was no big deal.

"Good. Finally, since you seem to understand, let's get to it. I don't think you have any exceptional talents. So, in that case… you'll handle the housework. Starting now."

"Breakfast preparation is underway—head to the kitchen and help wash the dishes."

Mellie could comprehend every word he said, but when put together, the meaning seemed utterly incomprehensible.

Staring blankly at Elric, and noticing Morgan's smug expression, Mellie pointed to herself incredulously.

"Me? Wash the dishes?"

"Yes."

"I am a British legend! King Uther's national teacher!"

"Then you're more than qualified. Wash the pots while you're at it."

"But… I'm a wizard, a nightmare! This kind of thing is beneath me!"

"If you don't know how, learn. Morgan will monitor you… and help if needed. Right, Morgan?"

Elric's expression shifted swiftly, from calm when addressing Mellie to tender when turning to Morgan.

Feeling the love in his gaze, Morgan softened, her eyes brimming with affection as she nodded.

Watching this seamless cooperation between the two, Mellie found herself speechless. Glancing at Vivian, who seemed helpless, Mellie couldn't help but wonder: had her quest for fun backfired?

---

---

Spring passed, and autumn arrived; time flowed like a river.

"Rhine, I'm hungry! Feed me!"

In the early morning, as dewdrops slid from flower petals and sunlight filtered through the fragrant air, the City of Glory seemed alive, like a legend being rewritten.

Spring flowers bloomed in spring, summer flowers in summer, autumn flowers in autumn… In a place where the seasons were perpetually mild, the endless sea of flowers gave the city the appearance of a fairy tale realm.

In the central palace, Miss Mellie, sporting dark circles under her eyes after an all-nighter, glared at Elric.

"Why haven't you made breakfast yet?!" she snapped, indignant.

Hadn't they agreed? He'd cook, and she'd wash the dishes. How could he renege on this long-standing deal?

How many meals had she eaten? How many dishes had she washed over the years? And now he dared to break the agreement?

No! Absolutely not!

This was her last shred of dignity—her only remaining principle—and she would not let it crumble!