Chapter 06 — Fenrir & Garm

◽Three Hours Later — The Mall◽



Emiko looped her arm through JJ’s as they walked.
「How’s it taste?」
JJ, sipping his iced coffee, shrugged lightly.
「Well… I’ve had worse, that’s for sure.」
Emiko giggled softly. 「Wow… you really have a sweet tooth, don’t you?」
JJ chuckled, brown hair and pupils gleaming faintly under the mall lights—his JJ persona fully active.
「What can I say? Never really grew up.」
Emiko tilted her head, smiling. 「Says the giant of a man… but fair enough.」



JJ’s gaze flicked over his shoulder, expression briefly sharpening.



【Hmm… I’ve got a tail. Not hostile, though. That’s good.】
「Uh… is everything okay?」 Emiko asked, noticing the shift in his tone.
「Yeah,」 he replied casually. 「Just thought I saw someone I knew. Let’s keep going.」
Emiko exhaled in relief. 「Alright… so, where to next?」
JJ smirked, teasing. 「The lingerie store.」
Her face turned crimson. 「I’m too old to model in those things.」
JJ scoffed, a sly grin tugging at his lips. 「Not what your body said last night.」
Emiko’s cheeks burned hotter. 「Why you…!」 she muttered, lightly smacking his arm as they continued their playful walk.



Meanwhile—hidden behind a vending machine—a man’s pulse raced.
Damn… a second later and he would’ve seen me.
His partner whispered sharply, 「Who does Mr. Allen have following me…?」



◽At Jerry’s Place◽



Sora and Shizuko brushed the dogs’ fur together, giggling.



「Wow, Shizu… your dogs are huge!」 Sora exclaimed.
Shizuko nodded proudly. 「Yeah. Ms. Haruka said Fen and Gammy came with Papa.」
「Those their nicknames?」
「Fen is Fenrir, and Gammy is Garm.」
Sora gasped. 「Ooh—like in anime!」
Shizuko tilted her head. 「No… Norse mythology.」



They both laughed—until Fenrir’s low growl filled the air.
Garm followed, ears pricked, muscles tense.



「Uh… what’s wrong, Gammy?」 Sora whispered nervously.
Shizuko’s tone shifted, calm but firm. 「Sora, let’s go inside. Just scare them a little, okay? Garm, Fenrir—go.」



The girls bolted indoors as the hounds charged toward the garden fence.



「They won’t make it over that!」 one of the hidden paparazzi hissed.



But the impossible happened—Fenrir and Garm soared over the six-meter fence, landing with predatory precision.



「SHIT! What kind of dogs are these?!」



Fenrir slammed one man to the ground, jaws locked around his arm. Garm growled, eyes glinting with eerie intelligence.



The second paparazzo froze, terror creeping into his voice. 「Are they… sending a message?」



For a fleeting moment, both hounds’ expressions almost seemed aware.



【What the hell are these dogs…?!】



◽Thirty Minutes Later — Back at Home◽



「Hey girls, we’re home!」 JJ called, voice echoing down the hall.



Sora and Shizuko ran over, smiling brightly.



「Were you well-behaved, Sora?」 Emiko asked warmly.
「Yes, Mama!」
「Good girl.」 Emiko patted her head affectionately.
JJ crouched to Shizuko’s level. 「Shizu… something happened while we were gone, huh?」
She nodded. 「We were being watched… but Fenny and Gammy handled it.」
JJ inhaled faintly. 【Ah… that explains the blood scent.】
「Good work. You wash them thoroughly?」
「Yes! Sora and I did,」 Shizuko replied proudly.
JJ smiled, handing both girls small shopping bags. 「Here—these are for you two. And this one’s for you, Naomi.」
Naomi blinked. 「Mr. Samuels, you didn’t have to—」
JJ waved it off. 「Relax. One university student to another. We deserve a treat sometimes.」
Naomi smiled softly. 「Okay… thank you, Mr. Samuels.」
「You’re welcome.」
Naomi turned to the girls. 「Come on, let’s go open the bags somewhere else.」
「Okay!」 they chimed in unison, sprinting off to Shizuko’s playroom.
Emiko folded her arms. 「Imagine if they saw the bags you bought for me and Mrs. Towa.」
JJ laughed nervously. 「Shizu would probably protest.」
Emiko smirked. 「You’re right… but seriously, you and that Naomi girl…」
JJ grinned. 「No worries. Unlike you and Ms. Haruka, girls my age think I’m here for the long haul.」
Emiko raised a brow. 「Oh? So you’re here for a good time?」
JJ shrugged. 「If I could, I’d be here a long time.」
Her gaze softened slightly. 「What do you mean by that?」
JJ’s smile faded into something distant. 「My grandmother—the family matriarch—arranged our betrothals. The age requirements were… already decided.」
Emiko sighed. 「Sounds rough. You need snacks.」
JJ chuckled. 「I’ll put the other bags in my room first.」
「Meet you at the summerhouse?」
「Yeah.」



◽One Hour Later — Summerhouse◽



Emiko set her cup down slowly, eyes wide.
「So… you’re the son of a major conglomerate from the Militian Empire… the one that helped liberate it from the lawless zone?」
JJ nodded, brown eyes calm but unreadable. 「Yeah.」
Her voice faltered. 「And your family doesn’t know about Shizuko because you’re… the problem child?」
He chuckled softly—though there was weight behind it. 「Pretty much.」
Emiko bit her lip. 【He doesn’t like this topic… maybe I should ease up.】
「So… what about this ‘harem’ thing?」
JJ leaned back, tone even. 「It’s about succession. Multiple heirs prevent overburdening central command. Business necessity, not fantasy.」
「And your siblings?」
「They work in the main branches. I… was allowed to leave.」
「Why?」
JJ’s lips curved faintly. 「Because you’re looking at the next head of the Samuels Conglomerate.」
Emiko gasped. 「So… I—」
JJ interrupted with a quiet laugh. 「You were… if you want, we can explore more.」
「No! I won’t let you tempt me again like last night.」
JJ cracked a walnut open, smirking. 「The harder it is to open… the better it tastes.」
Emiko blushed. 【He definitely wasn’t talking about that walnut.】
Just then, a knock came at the door. Naomi peeked inside.
「Mr. Samuels… you have a guest.」
JJ raised a brow. 「I don’t remember inviting anyone.」
Naomi smiled faintly. 「She said you know her… and that you made a bet.」
JJ’s expression shifted knowingly. 「Oh… Hana. Yeah, I know her.」
His eyes glinted with quiet amusement as he stood