Chapter 108 The Most Important Secret Room
Night fell!
In the study of the castle, Henry stretched lazily, turning to look at Mila sitting at the desk. She was engrossed in The Lord of the Rings, her cat tail swishing occasionally.
Henry's fingers twitched, resisting the urge to pinch that tail lest he scare off the catgirl again.
Ellie, Emily, and Willow had gone to sleep after dinner. They didn't have Mila's stamina, after all.
Supporting his chin with one hand, Henry asked softly, "Mila, aren't you tired? You haven't slept all day."
"Not tired." Mila shook her head, setting down The Lord of the Rings notebook. Her blue eyes were filled with concern as she said softly, "Henry, you should rest. You've been busy all day."
She understood the differences between the human and orc physiques. Orcs had endured harsh conditions, while humans had lived in more prosperous environments, leading to varying levels of resilience.
"Today was indeed a different experience."
Henry clenched his fist. His physique was much stronger now than before he crossed over, a fact he had noticed.
Despite not exercising or consciously trying to improve, each day of traversing between Earth and the other world seemed to hone his body, almost like evolution. He could feel himself getting stronger, albeit subtly.
Though not immediately apparent, after nearly two months, Henry estimated that his physique had improved by about 20%. If his previous physique was a 1, it was now closer to 1.2.
This was a hypothesis he had carefully tested using tools like a grip strengthener and monitoring his running.
Initially, he wondered if this world was influencing him or if he was undergoing genetic mutations. He even had medical check-ups, which showed he had a normal, human physique.
Despite eating well and not actively exercising, the daily traversing seemed to be gradually strengthening him.
Perhaps not much change would be noticeable in the short term, but as time passed— a year? Two years? Ten years? How much stronger could his physique actually become, he didn't know.
Henry touched his face, noticing improvements in his skin and overall body optimization due to the traversing.
Mila watched Henry, lost in thought, calling out in concern, "Henry, Henry? What's wrong with you?"
Henry turned to Mila's worried gaze, shaking his head with a light smile. "Nothing, just thinking about something important."
"Henry, you should rest. You seem a bit distracted." Mila said, pulling Henry towards the study's exit.
"Alright!"
Henry replied repeatedly. It was time to return to Earth; otherwise, it would be too late to sleep upon his return. He had been fussy about his bed.
As they walked, Henry's arm was completely enveloped by the soft warmth of Mila's chest, which was incredibly comforting as he listened to the sound of Mila's voice.
"Henry, don't handle official matters so late. You can delegate some tasks to Ellie; she's very clever and quick to learn, except for cooking, of course."
Mila remembered the surprise they had prepared for Henry that day, each of them cooking separately. They had all secretly tasted each other's dishes, which turned out to be quite a shock.
I especially liked Ellie's Roasted Vegetable Salad, which was overly sweet, and Emily's Hamburger, which took some effort to cut in half.
"Yes, I'll delegate to her!"
Henry gazed at Mila's delicate profile, never seeming to get enough of it. Suddenly, a scene from the carriage popped into his mind. A slight smile formed, revealing a charming curve.
"We're here, Henry. You should go to bed early..."
Mila led Henry to the room's door, looking up at Henry as she spoke, only to see his handsome face drawing closer.
She felt his warm breath, cheeks flushing, and eyelashes fluttering closed as she tilted her head up to meet his.
Their lips almost touched; Henry enveloped Mila in his arms as if trying to merge the catgirl into himself.
The sound of a door opening suddenly rang out, causing Mila's ears to perk up and her fur to stand on end as she quickly pulled away from Henry's embrace.
A shimmering thread broke in the air, casting specks of light down.
Mila panted, her cheeks red, turning to look in the direction of the sound, only to see a tired Ellie poking her head out of the door.
"Mila, why aren't you asleep yet? Come over and sleep with me." Ellie's voice, clear and sweet, rang out with a hint of playfulness. "I can't fall asleep!"
Ellie said, "Really, you're a grown woman. Why do I have to keep you company in bed?" Mila blushed, scolding her.
Mila replied, "No, no! I need something soft to hold onto, or I can't sleep well......"
Ellie tried to say something else in her drowsiness, but Mila swiftly rushed forward, covering her mouth and dragging her back to the room, her face flushed.
"Something soft?"
Henry pursed his lips, a slightly amused smile playing on his face. "Seems like I hear something interesting!"
But isn't kissing something that can become addictive?
Pushing open the door, Henry closed it behind him. Willow had lit candles in the room before bedtime, a thoughtful gesture.
Henry approached the cabinet in the room, opened the door, rummaged inside, and then walked in. Behind the cabinet was another world.
Well, Henry was just standing inside the cabinet, where a large iron door was set in place, secured with a combination lock. It was one of those rotary locks where you had to dial the correct sequence of numbers to open it.
A twelve-digit combination lock, along with a specially made key, was needed to unlock the iron door of this secret chamber. It was evident how much Henry valued whatever was inside this iron door.
There were indeed quite a few secret chambers in the castle, and the one in Henry's room was significant. After Henry had modified it, it became his most important secret chamber in the palace, even more crucial than his private storehouse. Only he could enter this chamber.
Like Willow, Mila and Ellie were aware of the existence of the chamber but they didn't ask anything, they came in the room and didn't find Henry, so they knew he was in this chamber.
Henry dialed the twelve-digit code correctly, retrieved a key from the interior space, unlocked the iron door, entered, and then closed it behind him.
In reality, the reason Henry built this secret chamber was for the convenience of his travels between realms. If he were to suddenly return from a journey and appear out of nowhere in the room, it would likely terrify anyone who saw him.
With the increasing number of people in the castle, there was always the risk of being caught unexpectedly. The secret of his ability to traverse realms was Henry's most significant secret, and he had no intention of letting anyone know about it. No one, under any circumstances.
