To trigger the Lord of the Retinue ability, the most direct and simple way is probably kissing, right?
It fulfills the prerequisite of intimate contact and also involves the medium of fluid exchange.
With the thought of 'why not give it a try,' Vincent looked at the quietly sleeping Gwen, gently propped his hands on the bed, and leaned his body closer.
He got to a certain distance.
Facing the doll-like delicate face so close, Vincent could feel the girl's warm breath gently caress his face, accompanied by a very alluring sweet scent.
At this moment.
Our classmate Gwen was feigning sleep.
When she rushed home late last night from the Abomination's war zone, she happened to encounter her mother knocking on the door. Gwen, still wearing her Spider-Girl bodysuit, nearly exposed herself. Fortunately, she quickly fabricated an excuse about not feeling well and didn't open the door. This morning, she also used this excuse to temporarily stay home and recuperate.
Although her body was injured in yesterday's battle, with her physique, non-life-threatening injuries would heal quickly.
However, what Gwen never expected was this.
Vincent would come to visit her without attending class, and her mother even pushed him into her room. With no other option, Gwen, who had been set up by her own mother, could only pretend to be asleep. As for why her forehead showed symptoms akin to a fever, it was all because—from the moment Vincent entered her room alone, her body had been continuously heating up.
Currently.
Even though she couldn't open her eyes due to pretending to sleep, even without using her Spider-Sense, Gwen could very clearly feel that—Vincent, who was sitting by her bed, was suddenly leaning closer, and his gaze remained fixed on her face, no, it should be her lips!
Hey, hey, hey???
What's going on?
The girl was a bit bewildered; she made no sound on the surface, but her hands, covered by the down comforter, were still tightly clenched.
At the same time, a trace of hesitation flashed in Vincent's eyes. His movements paused, and then he completely lowered his body.
Gwen's body stiffened slightly.
A warm, subtle touch came from her forehead, fleetingly.
Vincent quickly straightened his body again, somewhat guiltily glancing at the closed door. He touched his own lips with his finger; there was still an undeniable lingering warmth.
"What am I doing?"
Vincent gave a wry smile. Although she was a childhood friend and a good buddy, she was still a girl, and kissing her lips was probably something he shouldn't do!
However, the increased warmth on Gwen's forehead undoubtedly confirmed that she truly had a fever.
"And I was still doubting her, almost taking advantage of her." Vincent felt incredibly guilty. He reached out and pulled the comforter up for Gwen. Just then, his gaze was drawn to something.
They were bandages.
Three bandages were originally covered by the comforter, but when he pulled the comforter, they fell out.
"What is this?" Vincent took the bandages in his hand and found that they had all been used, but the wrapped areas were very clean, without any trace of blood or dust.
He suddenly remembered his childhood.
Gwen loved to stick bandages on herself, especially on her nose, pretending to have an injury. She would even pat her flat chest and say she would be the boss to protect him.
"Bandages are useless for a cold, you silly girl." Vincent smiled, put the three bandages into his pocket, and slowly opened the door to leave the girl's room.
"Oh, so fast?"
Outside the door, Mary, who seemed to have been standing guard and eavesdropping, was very surprised.
Vincent's forehead was covered in thick black lines as he emphasized, "Auntie, I really just came to visit."
"Is that so?" Mary sighed, clearly showing a disappointed expression.
Madam, what exactly were you expecting?!
Vincent was speechless. He continued to exchange pleasantries with Mary Jane, declined her repeated attempts to make him stay, and somewhat hastily escaped from Gwen's house.
Neither Vincent nor Mary knew that inside the closed room.
Almost the moment Vincent left the room and closed the door, the beautiful girl who had been feigning sleep on the bed quickly sat up. Her face was flushed, and she was panting heavily, covering her continuously warming, hot face with her hands. As a result, actual steam started to rise from her forehead, where Vincent had touched her, even before her hands reached it.
The girl's mind seemed to crash, and she was stunned for a few seconds, then frantically threw back the covers to search.
"They're gone, the bandages are gone..." Gwen was so embarrassed she was almost in tears.
Those three bandages were, of course, the ones she had peeled off her body last night when she changed out of her Spider bodysuit—when moving around outside in the tight bodysuit, due to sweating, wearing a normal bra or other clothes would be very stuffy and uncomfortable.
But going commando wasn't ideal either.
So, every time Gwen wore her Spider suit, she would use three bandages on her body.
Last night, in her haste to change out of the suit, she didn't have time to destroy the bandages, so they were left on her bed.
"Could Vincent have really taken them?!"
The moment Gwen thought about those three bandages falling into Vincent's hands, she immediately buried her head under the pillow like an ostrich, with steam sizzling from the back of her head.
I... I can't face anyone!
...Returning home.
As Vincent stepped out of the residential elevator, he saw many uniformed workers, without specific company logos, going in and out of his house.
In the living room, which was being redecorated with terrifying efficiency, an old gentleman with graying temples, dressed in a suit, stood there, systematically directing these workers to renovate and replace furniture.
Seeing Vincent enter from the doorway.
The old gentleman immediately took off his hat, bowed slightly, and greeted him politely and friendly: "You must be the young master of the Prince family, I presume?"
"Young master?"
Vincent was slightly stunned; it was the first time in his life someone had called him that.
He wasn't sure whether to nod or shake his head: "I am Vincent Prince."
"Then it's correct." The old gentleman's eyes were deep, and he smiled gently: "My name is Alfred Pennyworth. It's a bit difficult to remember, so you can just call me 'Butler Alfred' from now on."
"This is my business card." As he introduced himself, he immediately reached into his suit pocket and politely presented his black business card with both hands.
Vincent took the business card and felt that the other party's etiquette was impeccably refined. Although he was just a butler, he possessed a noble temperament that seemed ingrained in his bones, and his humble yet dignified demeanor instinctively made people feel good about him.
This was definitely not something that could be easily faked. It was cultivated over more than a decade, even several decades, by a large family.
The information on the business card in his hand also confirmed this point.
The business card clearly stated: "Wayne Industries"!