"Canine Mink and Rabbit Mink?"
Carl raised an eyebrow. As if something suddenly came to mind, he asked,
"Are they both female?"
Lucia nodded and replied,
"Yes. That Rabbit Mink is actually quite cute. Young Master, do you want—"
"Uh, that's not important… By the way, did you get their names?"
"Yes, I remember the Canine Mink is named Wanda, and the Rabbit Mink is called Carrot."
Carl nodded at the response, murmuring to himself,
"So it really is her..."
The moment he heard their names, their anime appearances flashed in his mind. He didn't have much impression of Wanda, only recalling that she had exchanged clothes with Nami. But as for Carrot, he remembered her quite well. That little rabbit was indeed adorable, and her combat strength in her transformed state was nothing to scoff at.
But why would they suddenly come to Marine Headquarters, claiming to have important information to report?
Carl clearly remembered that Carrot was close to Pedro, and Pedro was a die-hard follower of Nekomamushi. Considering that Nekomamushi had died at Carl's hands, Pedro must have known about it.
Given this chain of connections, shouldn't Carrot be harboring resentment toward him? Why would she willingly walk into enemy territory?
Lucia tilted her head slightly and asked,
"Young Master, do you know these two Minks?"
Carl snapped out of his thoughts and replied,
"I just know of them."
Lucia was already accustomed to Carl's knowledge of all sorts of seemingly random people. She placed her hands on Carl's chest, straightening herself slightly, completely unconcerned about how her ample figure was pressing against him.
"Since you know them, shall I have them brought in now?"
"Go ahead. But before that, put some clothes on."
Lucia, unfazed, cupped Carl's face and kissed him before casually dressing herself. Then, she stepped outside, summoning two Marines to bring Wanda and Carrot up.
Before long, the two Minks, tightly bound, were brought into Carl's office.
The moment they stepped inside, Wanda instinctively twitched her nose. Then, she furrowed her brows slightly and muttered,
"What a strange smell..."
But when she looked up and saw Carl seated behind his desk, her body instantly froze. Carrot, beside her, reacted the same way.
What kind of man was this? Just by sitting there, he exuded an aura that commanded awe and reverence.
Noble yet domineering—that was Wanda and Carrot's first impression of Carl.
Standing beside them, Lucia gave them a slight push. Startled by Carl's imposing presence, Wanda and Carrot let out small cries before collapsing to their knees. Carrot even went so far as to bow her head heavily against the floor.
A moment later, Carrot lifted her tear-filled eyes and glared at Lucia, exclaiming,
"You!!!"
Lucia lowered her gaze slightly and said coolly,
"Your behavior just now was extremely disrespectful. Consider this your punishment."
With that, Lucia turned gracefully and returned to Carl's side.
Carl smiled slightly and asked,
"Lucia, were you this strict with Monet and the others?"
Lucia replied softly,
"No, I treated them more gently because they are future members of your inner circle, Young Master."
Carl suddenly asked,
"Then what about you? What are you to me?"
Lucia's expression froze. She wanted to say "a slave," but for some reason, the words refused to leave her lips this time.
She bit her lip, her beautiful eyes fixed on Carl.
Carl tilted his head slightly and chuckled.
"Is that question so difficult to answer?"
"I… I am your slu—"
Before she could finish, Carl suddenly reached out and pulled Lucia into his arms.
Gazing at her delicate face, he spoke softly,
"You are my woman. Have you still not realized that?"
Lucia's eyes widened, and she stammered,
"Young Master, you… I…"
Carl gently stroked her long, waterfall-like hair and said,
"What? From the look on your face, do you not wish for this?"
Lucia quickly shook her head and responded,
"I… I do… No, wait, Young Master, I can't…"
Carl placed a finger on her lips and said,
"If you're willing, then that's all that matters. You don't need to worry about anything else."
Lucia was left completely flustered by Carl's sudden declaration. A rosy blush spread across her cheeks, and her body went numb, as if she had lost all strength.
Wanda and Carrot, still kneeling on the floor. Carrot gulped, unable to believe what she was seeing. Was this really the same Marine Admiral Pedro had described—a ruthless, cold-blooded monster?
Could such a man truly be as heartless as Pedro claimed?
Carl held Lucia by the waist and shifted his gaze toward Wanda and Carrot.
As his eyes swept over them, both Minks shuddered. Carrot, unable to take it any longer, bit her lip and began to sob.
Wanda quickly moved closer, letting Carrot lean against her as she whispered words of comfort.
But Carrot's sobs only grew louder until, at last, she burst into full-blown tears, crying out in an aggrieved voice,
"What the heck! Wanda and I came here with important news to tell you, and all we got was a beating! You're just as bad as Joy Boy! You're both terrible! Waaaahhh!"
At the mention of Joy Boy, Carl paused and asked,
"Did you just say Joy Boy?"
Carrot ignored him and continued bawling, her fluffy tail twitching behind her in an oddly adorable manner.
But Carl wasn't the type to be swayed by pity. Irritated by her crying, he frowned and said in a low voice,
"Stop crying. If you keep it up, I'll have you cooked into spicy rabbit stew."
"..."
The office fell into complete silence.
Carrot, eyes red and puffy, stared at Carl in terror. Wanda, equally frightened, bristled as she struggled to shield Carrot behind her.
-----------
+200 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg