Records of the Weakest Emperor

Chapter 126: I Want a Brother!

A few days have passed since then and both mother and daughter had already significantly recovered from the events that transpired a few days ago.

But this fact didn't console nor calm Calvin down.

Instead, it made him sad...

What kind of grievances these pair of mother and daughter suffered for them to be this numb to events like what happened days ago?

Calvin felt disturbed.

But since the two were acting as if they were in a new house, Calvin couldn't possibly ask them directly about their thoughts related to that event since that would be too insensitive for him. In the past few days, Calvin acted normally and similar to the actions of both mother and daughter pair.

He reported to duty at the Captivating Fragrance Coffee Shop as normal and perused the documents hidden in the library beyond the walls of the kitchen with great interest and curiosity.

His five joselian pesos daily salary was enough for him to keep the mother and daughter indefinitely within an inn, but the inn where they were temporarily staying was still too small to raise a child.

The daily amortization for the room amounted to three joselian pesos a day.

A steep price for a middle-class family in the City of Ashmelion.

Of course, Calvin planned on buying them a house.

At first, he wanted to ask Captain Ron Samuel a salary advance.

However, it was only less than a week since he started his job. He felt that he couldn't be that shameless to ask for a salary advance when his work wasn't even that difficult nor exhausting. Furthermore, Captain Ron Samuel had already given him an advance back then.

Calvin could only shake his head and let out a sigh, the average cost of housing rental in the Northern Borough was three joselian pesos a week.

But in the Southern Borough where most of the middle-class people lived in, the average cost of housing rental was at an astonishing ten joselian pesos a week.

Adding to the fact that new tenants needed to pay two months in advance, a month's worth of rent as a security fee, and the amount for the rent of the month.

The amount stacks up so fast and so easily that it was incredibly difficult for anyone from a different borough to transfer to another borough due to the difference in the cost of living.

In other words, if Calvin wanted to transfer Charlotte and Cecilia to the Southern Borough in a detached house with a livable space and a front yard as well as some maids and servants along with suitable furniture.

He needed at least 200 joselian pesos.

If he saved one joselian peso a day it would still take him 200 days to complete the savings goal.

Calvin felt a headache coming.

But since he had decided to change the life of both mother and daughter pair for the better, there was no room for regrets.

Calvin walked out of the Captivating Fragrance Coffee Shop and went ahead to Malasakit Inn where both mother and daughter pair stayed in the past few days. As soon as he opened the doors to the room, Cecilia came crashing towards his knees with a shout.

"Daddy, welcome back!" Cecilia jumped in joy and bloomed with a smile when she saw Calvin standing in front of the door. It was already eight in the night when Calvin arrived at the Inn.

As for the reason why he got home so late?

It was because he painstakingly lined up for some roast beef, chicken soup as well as some ingredients for several bowls of noodles at the night market of the Southern Borough.

The aroma of the dishes and meat attracted the attention of Cecilia.

"Mommy! Daddy brought us food! Let's eat!" She then rushed towards Charlotte.

"Oh, Calvin, you're back... Welcome... home..."

Charlotte seemed to be embarrassed saying these words.

Calvin lightly chuckled, "Yeah, I'm back. I have some food here, so if you can please prepare the table and the utensils?"

"By the way, what are you doing?" Calvin noticed that Charlotte seemed to be holding a needle and some fabric. A single glance was enough for him to see what Charlotte was doing, but he still wanted to confirm it with her.

"Errr... I'm sewing some rags... I can sell them to the Northern Borough for some money..."

Charlotte avoided his gaze, but she still noticed that Calvin was somewhat annoyed when he heard what she said, "Calvin, please don't stop me. I can't endure this anymore. I am someone that lived my life in the past few years without any outside help..."

"I..."

"I'm just not comfortable letting you take on all the work with me lazing around doing nothing..."

"I feel so guilty..." She outright confessed her true feelings and Calvin lifted a smile on his face.

He stretched his hand out to Charlotte's head and reassured her, "So what if you're just lazing around and doing nothing? So long as you are taking good care of Cecilia and also playing with her then I'm fine if you don't do any work..."

"But..."

"All right, I understand..."

Calvin interrupted her before she could even say anything, "You're the type of person that just can't stop working for some reason or else you'll feel bored and useless. I know what you feel. Every well, since you want to sell those rags, then I will permit you under one condition."

Charlotte's eyes gleamed, "What is it?"

"I don't want you to sell them in the Northern Borough..."

"Tell me what you need, I just don't want you to sell them in the Northern Borough..."

"That place is too dangerous, it's just not suitable for a lone beautiful woman like you to hawk your merchandise. Else, why would the wet market be situated at the Southern Borough if that place wasn't so dangerous?" Calvin reasoned it out with Charlotte.

Charlotte fell silent.

The quality of the fabric that she had in hand couldn't possibly compare with the quality of rags being sold in Southern Borough. She felt ashamed to sell these rags made out of inferior fabric in the Southern Borough.

Although she knew that she could ask Calvin for help, she couldn't possibly be so shameless, can she?

Charlotte thought to herself.

Calvin detected her inner turmoil and a frown appeared on his face. But in the end, he didn't say anything as he dragged Charlotte out of the bedroom into the living room where they could eat their meals. The room that Calvin rented in the Malasakit Inn was indeed worth its hefty price.

It boasted a single independent bedroom, a kitchen with a furnace, a bathroom connected to the sewers of Ashmelion, and a tub with readily available hot water from a nearby faucet. Light bulbs powered by gas was also present in the room, albeit their light wasn't really that strong.

Still, it was enough for the pair of mother and daughter who had once lived in total darkness for two weeks back when they were unable to afford gas for their gas lamps.

To be honest, for them, the existence of these light bulbs was a luxury. In fact, everything in this room was a luxury for them.

Charlotte was incredibly grateful to Calvin.

Not only he hauled her out of the matchstick and textile industry, but he was also giving them a new lease in life.

Words weren't enough to describe the gratitude that Charlotte felt for Calvin.

Just how could she repay him in this lifetime in hers? She thought of repaying Calvin with her body, but he seemed to be disinterested with her. It was understandable since she was a woman that everyone considered in Ashmelion as used goods.

Furthermore, she might only be in her mid-twenties, but the years of malnutrition and working and living in the harsh environment of Northern Borough took a toll on her body. She was so young, yet she looked as if she was already middle-aged.

Her hands were calloused, and yellowish from the chemicals that she handled in the past few years on a daily basis, and her figure looked as thin as a stick.

Even though her health had improved when Calvin came to her life, it was still a fact that she was far from a gorgeous woman that Calvin described her to be.

Thinking about all of these, Charlotte suddenly became dejected.

She stood up and walked mechanically towards the kitchen.

Cecilia realized that her mother seemed to be deeply concerned about something so she asked, "Mommy... What happened to mommy? Is mommy sad?"

The young lass stared at her mother's back in deep worry.

Calvin affectionately rubbed her head and said, "Your mommy will be fine. She's just hungry. Do you know what they say? You're not you when you're hungry? After mommy eats, she'll be back to her original self again. Don't worry about it too much, okay?"

"Mkay!"

The young lass was convinced and the two talked to each other for a while.

Afterwards, they heard Charlotte call for them and the two proceeded to the living room.

The living room had a table, so one could call it the dining room, but since the room also had some couches and furniture appropriate for a business meeting Calvin proceeded to call it the living room instead, since with business one could make a living.

Charlotte had expertly prepared the ingredients that Calvin brought to her and she carried three steaming bowls of noodles with her on her way to the living room from the kitchen.

The noodle was a specialty in the night market, dedicated to the seamen who worked long hours in the harbor near the Yang Bridge.

The noodles were called the Ship's Knot Noodles.

The noodles were chewy and they sat in a thick and murky broth composed of meat and innards.

There was a layer of chopped onions on top of the noodles and a poached egg in the middle of it all, as well as three slices of meat for the finishing touches.

The room almost immediately became filled with the intense and delicious smell of the noodles.

Calvin also brought with him a can of ice cream for them to enjoy as well as some chicken soup, roast beef, and a serving of egg fried rice. The table was filled with dishes to the brim and Charlotte couldn't help but tear up.

This was the first time, in years that she had such a sumptuous meal.

And this was all thanks to Calvin.

Charlotte was even more perturbed.

Meanwhile, Cecilia was holding her wooden spoon and fork.

"Wow, this smells good!" Cecilia exclaimed, but before she could even eat.

"Cecilia, wait!"

Charlotte interrupted her with a glare.

Cecilia stared at her mother for a moment before she glanced at Calvin. Noticing that Calvin had the same look on his face as her mothers, Calvin lightly chuckled and said, "Did you already forget that we still have to pray? Pray to the Goddess for she will bless this meal with nutrition."

Cecilia pouted but she was afraid of the god's punishment so she nodded her head and made the sign of the Church of All-Encompassing Light.

Calvin and Charlotte followed suit and the three prayed for the Goddess's Blessing. The moment they were done with the prayer, Cecilia instantly dived into the bowl of noodles.

"Hey, your manners!"

"It's fine... It's just the three of us here." Calvin smiled at Charlotte.

The latter hesitated for a moment, but she also gave a smile when they saw the look of joy and satisfaction on Cecilia's face. With her eyes looking like crescent moons, and her mouth bulging with food, Cecilia swallowed them all with one fell swoop and exclaimed, "Daddy!"

"It's so delicious!"

"Hahaha... As long as you're happy... Want me to buy it for you every day?" Calvin was gratified.

"No!" Charlotte interrupted, "We can't let her eat these greasy noodles every day..."

"Tomorrow, I think a light meal is better to add some variety..."

Calvin turned to look at her in astonishment.

He didn't expect that Charlotte was also conscious regarding health, "All right, if that's what you want."

He then stretched his hand out and ruffled the hair of the young lass, "Is it really that delicious? Daddy can ignore mommy's words and buy you more of these tomorrow!"

"Calvin!" Charlotte glared at Calvin.

Calvin laughed out loud.

Cecilia turned to look at her mother and said, "Mommy! You should eat it too! It's delicious!"

Charlotte coldly snorted, but after a while, she gave up and decided to eat.

Indeed, the noodles looked greasy but it tasted and felt quite wholesome.

The meal was soon over and the three bonded together for quite a while. Charlotte put a pause on her sewing as she and Calvin played with Cecilia who seemed to have inexhaustible energy in her body. But eventually, the limits of her energy came and she soon complained of tiredness.

Charlotte let out a sigh of relief because she was getting tired too, "All right, then I'll take you to bed."

Cecilia shook her head, and then she suddenly clung around Calvin's arms and dialed up her charms, "No, I want to sleep with both mommy and daddy... I want to sleep with daddy!"

"What?!"

Calvin was slightly shocked, but Charlotte who was feeling perturbed since earlier acted as if she was struck by a thunderbolt from the nine heavens.

Sleeping together? That cannot be! Her relationship with Calvin was fake, and if the two of them did sleep on the same bed then she was bound to be taken advantage of!

Calvin was still a young man.

She refused to believe that Calvin would be able to stay his hand when push comes to shove...

In a blink of an eye, her face became filled with the deep shade of crimson.

Under the faint orangey illumination of the light bulbs, her blush became even more apparent and in addition to the visuals of her seductive figure wearing nothing but a tunic with not even a corset underneath, she looked truly stunning.

Calvin stared at Charlotte for a moment and he instantly saw through what she was thinking.

Amusement flashed across his face and she couldn't help but stare at Cecilia in disbelief.

To think that her cute daughter would be such a god-tiered wing woman?

Charlotte hastily explained, "Cecilia, you be obedient tonight, okay? I'll bring you to bed now, daddy's going to sleep on the couch. He's tired so we need to leave from here so he can rest on the couches here, okay?"

"Nooo!!! I want to sleep with both you and daddy!" Cecilia pouted and hugged Calvin's arm tighter, unwilling to let go of her daddy as she threw a tantrum, "Lea does it with her parents! She said that they only got a baby brother together because they slept together!"

Cecilia exclaimed with all her might, but after she was done with her sentence.

Enlightenment suddenly dawned upon her as she jumped up and down in excitement and said, "Daddy! Mommy! I want a brother too! Can you make me a baby brother? If daddy makes me a brother with daddy then someone else can help me with washing the dishes!"

"I don't have to do the dishes anymore and clean the house!"

"I can also have double the snacks and ice cream!"

Cecilia's eyes shone as she thought of the endless possibilities.

Cecilia then dragged Charlotte's hand to Calvin and turned up her charm to the maximum as she pestered, "I want a brother! I want a brother! Make me a baby brother, please? Mommy? Daddy?"

Calvin stared at Cecilia and he seemed dead inside.

Charlotte, on the other hand, was incredibly embarrassed.

Just what kind of topics kids these days were discussing every day?