Starting Today I'll Work As A City Lord

"Whoosh..."

The strong wind carried snowflakes outside the window, and the cold air seeped in through the cracks, making Lucas shiver.

"Aha..."

Lucas yawned and slowly opened his eyes, only to see Mina lying in his arms, wrapping around him like an octopus.

"..." Lucas's mouth twitched as he recalled the scene from yesterday. The cat girl had gotten so drunk that she was clinging to him like a koala.

The most frustrating part was that Mina was surprisingly strong, and Lucas, fearing he might hurt her, let her keep holding on. Plus, he had to carry Annie while Mina clung to him, so he went straight to his room. After a lot of fussing around, he still couldn't get Mina off him, and in the end, he was too tired and just fell asleep.

"Seriously, how can such a well-behaved person turn into someone completely different after drinking?" Lucas gently tucked Mina's long hair behind her ear, revealing her delicate and exquisite face.

"..." Lucas's lips curved slightly as he noticed Mina's eyelashes fluttering. The cat girl was pretending to be asleep. It made sense; she usually woke up earlier than him, so it was unlikely she would still be asleep after he got up.

"Eh..."

Lucas suddenly felt a pair of hands in front of him, reaching towards his chest. He looked down and saw one hand quickly slipping into his collar, heading straight for his chest.

"Eh... so small?" A lazy and surprised voice exclaimed.

The blanket was suddenly thrown aside, and Annie's little head popped up, only to see Mina hugging Lucas from behind.

"..." Annie was bewildered. What was going on? How did she end up sleeping with Lucas, and why was Mina here too?

She tried to recall what had happened yesterday. It seemed she had taken a sip of alcohol, and then everything went blank. Did Lucas take advantage of her while she was drunk...?

Annie couldn't shake off a sense of loss. After all, she had unknowingly lost her first experience in life, and that feeling was quite unpleasant.

Mina, on the other hand, felt completely stiff and embarrassed. If it had just been her alone with Lucas, she might have felt fine, but with Annie there too, the situation became awkward.

"Hey, hey... Annie, how long are you going to hold on?" Lucas's voice was a mix of laughter and exasperation. Annie, true to her nickname, didn't spare even him.

"What?" Annie blinked in confusion before realizing her hand was still resting on Lucas's chest.

"Uh..." Annie awkwardly withdrew her hand, her cheeks flushed red. Glancing down at her perfectly intact clothes, she realized she had been overthinking the situation.

"Crack..."

The door swung open, and Nicole's gentle voice came in. "Young Master, the snow is falling earlier than last year..."

Her voice abruptly cut off as she froze, staring at the three people on the bed. Her cheeks visibly reddened, and she stuttered, "Young Master, what are you all...?"

"Ahhh!!" 

Annie let out a shriek, jumped out of bed, and dashed out of the room. In the next moment, Mina hurriedly followed suit, leaving Nicole standing in the doorway, utterly confused by what had just transpired.

"Cough, cough, cough..." Lucas cleared his throat and sat up in bed, staring blankly at Nicole. She was the main culprit behind this entire situation; that bottle of wine truly knocked out the three main forces of the castle yesterday.

"Young Master, did you...?" 

Nicole's face turned red as she glanced down at the sheets, avoiding the red object that had fallen. She felt a bit relieved, but when she noticed Lucas's awkward sitting posture, her face flushed even more.

"Where are your thoughts wandering off to?" Lucas rolled his eyes. He had his own ideas, but Mina's impressive hug had left him helpless.

"Young Master..." Nicole said, her face still red, lowering her head as she softly murmured, "You should... find someone to... share a bed with."

"Uh..." Lucas stared blankly at Nicole's flushed face, noticing that her ears and neck were also red. Was this a hint for him to take the initiative?

"Ahem... Young Master, today is Mina's birthday. She can accompany you... in bed!" 

As soon as the last two words escaped her lips, Nicole quickly fled the room, fearing that if she said any more, she might faint from embarrassment. She couldn't believe she had actually said something like that. 

Or perhaps, deep down, she had an idea: if someone made the first move, could she also... be with the Young Master?

"Tonight is Mina's birthday..." Lucas rested his chin on his hand. Did this mean he would transition from being a boy to a man tonight?

"Hehehe..." 

He shook off some inappropriate thoughts. Thinking about such things early in the morning made little Lucas quite uncomfortable. With Nicole gone, he had to get up and dress himself.

"Creak!" 

The window opened, and Lucas looked outside at the white expanse. The snow had started to fall suddenly, marking the arrival of winter.

"I wonder how the vegetables in the greenhouse are doing." Lucas murmured, turning his head toward the backyard, where he could see some servants clearing the snow.

He almost forgot that he had a hot spring back there. Maybe he should find an opportunity to enjoy a soak in the hot spring.

"Aiden and the others should be clearing the snow from the streets," Lucas thought about the tasks he had arranged earlier. Even before winter fully set in, he had organized various activities, such as clearing the snow from the main roads and ensuring that the market opened on time.

He didn't want a snowfall to bring all of Sedona City to a standstill. In other cities, everyone would probably huddle indoors, minimizing movement to reduce their food consumption. 

But not in Sedona City. Lucas aimed to stockpile resources during this winter to prepare for substantial growth next year. He believed that many merchants would flood in from the capital by then.

After all, in just over a month, Joe's fleet would arrive. At that time, Sedona City's goods would be transported to the capital, attracting the envy of many who would desire a piece of that trade. Sedona City would inevitably be exposed, so it was crucial to build up strength during this winter.

"Ha..." 

Lucas exhaled a puff of white mist, temporarily setting aside those thoughts. He needed to figure out how to celebrate Mina's birthday today.

"Tonight's cake is a must, and we can also bring out the things we bought earlier." Lucas thought as he turned to head outside. The most important thing was deciding what to eat to celebrate Mina's birthday.

"Alcohol is definitely off the table; otherwise, I'll end up being hugged all night again. That would be torture..." 

He shook his head, trying to dismiss the thought of another wild night. Instead, he needed to come up with something special for Mina that would make her happy without leading to chaos. 

As he stepped outside, the chilly air greeted him, filled with the fresh scent of fallen snow. The bustling sounds of servants clearing the streets and preparing for the day ahead filled the atmosphere, reminding him of the responsibilities he had to take care of as well.

"What should I cook?" he pondered, considering different options. "Maybe something warm and hearty to match the winter season." 

He began to think about the ingredients he had on hand and how he could create a cozy and festive meal to make Mina's birthday memorable.

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