"Are you okay, Belle? Did you get hurt?" Wise asked with concern.
Belle shook her head and said softly, "I'm fine, Brother. I just lost my balance for a second, so... ugh!"
She tried to pull away from Wise's arms, attempting to hide the blush spreading across her cheeks, but the moment her foot touched the floor, a sharp pain shot through it.
Her soft cry and the way her brows knitted together made Wise kneel immediately to check her ankle.
"Looks like a sprain," Wise said, gently rolling down Belle's sock to see the injury.
The ankle was already a little swollen, her normally fair skin turning purplish-blue. It looked like a pretty serious sprain.
"Yeah, just as I thought, it's definitely a sprain. And a bad one at that. Belle, sit down for a bit. I'll go get some ice," Wise said, feeling a little worried.
This time, he didn't scold her. Instead, he scooped Belle up in a princess carry and set her gently on the sofa. Once she was comfortably seated, he went to the fridge to grab some ice.
A moment later, Wise came back with a bag of ice, wrapping it carefully in a towel to keep it from touching her skin directly and making it hurt more.
The sprain was on her left ankle. Wise carefully reached out, lifted her foot gently, and set the towel-wrapped ice on Belle's ankle.
"Ow!"
"What's wrong? Does it hurt that much?"
"No, it doesn't hurt. The cold just surprised me."
Belle's eyes quickly shifted away, not daring to meet his gaze. Her hands stayed clasped in front of her chest, her index fingers lightly brushing against each other.
However, in her inner thoughts, she cared more about whether Wise was going to scold her than about the pain.
Upon seeing this through the system, Wise felt a bit speechless. She was injured, and this was what she was worried about?
"This girl... she's hurt and yet worries more about me scolding her. Did I really nag so much all those years that she always thinks about it? I don't think so," he thought, feeling slightly wronged.
Wise, of course, didn't scold Belle, not that he had any intention of doing so.
"Alright, you eat dinner first, and Eous, keep an eye on Belle for me. Make sure she doesn't move around too much while I go get the first-aid kit."
After saying that, Wise handed the ramen to Belle and went to find the first-aid kit.
Eous nodded at the order, showing he would take care of it, then looked at Belle with a worried expression.
"Don't worry, it's just a minor injury. I'm fine," Belle said, reaching out to pat Eous's head.
He responded with a few soft 'Ehne-Ehne' sounds. At the same time, she watched Wise bustling around the room. Remembering the worried expression he had shown earlier, she felt a warm sensation in her chest.
Just then, the program on TV switched to an emergency news report about 14th Street.
Belle's attention was instantly drawn to the screen. As she watched, she called out for Wise to come over.
"Brother, come here! Look at the news!"
Hearing Belle's voice, Wise hurried over with the first-aid kit in hand and turned his gaze to the TV.
"Fourteenth Street? I remember that area is... wait a second."
He set the first-aid kit on the cabinet behind the sofa, then turned to the computer to gather more information.
"Hmm, it looks like the location is in the Janus District. The news says it's already broken through Level Three control," Belle said, lying on her side on the sofa with Eous sitting beside her.
Meanwhile, Wise had also found some information.
"Indeed, and the Public Security Bureau already carried out a search operation there today, so the evacuation might not go smoothly," Wise commented with a serious tone.
"Really? Then does that mean there might be work coming our way soon?"
"Most likely."
"Most likely." Wise nodded, confirming Belle's words.
He was also very curious about how General Chop had known about this beforehand.
Did he really just overhear some customers talking? It was hard to say, but one thing was certain. Six Street truly lived up to its reputation for producing talented people. After all, not a single resident on the entire street was law-abiding.
There was a weapon shop disguised as a toy store, a Bangboo modification shop disguised as a repair shop, and then there were he and Belle, two siblings who owned a video store on the surface, but in truth, they were the legendary Proxy Phaethon.
"Alright, now we just need to wait," Belle said, looking at the TV.
Wise then sat on the edge of the sofa with his ramen. Belle was eating too, and seeing her brother so focused on the TV, she smiled mischievously, thinking of something.
She quietly placed her bare feet on his lap. When he noticed, he gave her a side glance, making his little sister stifle a laugh.
"What are you doing, Belle?" he asked after finishing his meal.
"Hehe~ I'm just resting my feet on your lap for a bit," She gave a slight smile, trying to hide her intention of teasing him.
"I see. Is your foot still hurting?"
He asked, still a little concerned about her injury. Belle saw an opportunity and said meekly, "It really does not hurt that much, it just stings a little… so maybe you could give me a massage?"
"Better not, it might make it worse," Wise declined.
However, seeing her disappointed expression, he let out a quiet sigh and agreed, deciding to massage her right foot instead. Belle blinked in surprise that he actually accepted and set her half-eaten ramen bowl aside.
Cautiously, he lifted her uninjured foot and began the massage. As his strong yet gentle hands moved over her foot, Belle felt herself blush. When Wise applied a bit more pressure, she let out a soft moan.
"Ah~"
"Oh, did I hurt you? I'm sorry," Wise apologized, thinking he had used too much force.
The system had recently enhanced his strength, so it was understandable that he didn't have full control over it yet.
"N-No, Brother, I was just startled by the sudden pressure, but you can continue. I'm feeling very comfortable~"
Her reassuring words made Wise breathe a sigh of relief, and he continued massaging her foot very carefully.
However, Belle's face grew as red as a tomato, and she had to bite her lips tightly to keep from making strange sounds.
What should have been a simple massage had turned into a painfully pleasurable experience for her.
"Brother… Ah~"
His fingers worked along her ankle and up her calves in smooth, steady motions, each press firm yet gentle. A soothing warmth spread through Belle's legs, and she felt her whole body relax under his touch.
Beneath that comforting warmth, a subtle wave of pleasure kept rising, making it harder and harder for her to hold back her voice.
"Hmm~ Ah~ Brother..."
Just when Belle felt she was about to lose control, Wise suddenly stopped the massage and set her foot aside.
"I'm done now. Rest a little… wait, why is your face so red?"
"…"
His sister remained lost in a daze, not answering, which made him feel a little awkward.
"Uh, Belle, are you okay?" He asked, trying to break the silence.
Belle looked at him, slightly shy, her head bowed.
"I'm… much better, thank you," Belle said in a very low voice.
Realizing she had accidentally met Wise's gaze, she turned her head away, picked up her bowl of ramen, and slurped a few mouthfuls to ease the awkwardness.
"That's good. But next time, remember to put on your shoes before walking, okay?"
Belle nodded obediently in response to his words.
The news on the TV had now reached the segment featuring an unknown reporter and telegrapher.
Wise glanced at the screen, silently grateful for the network's precise censorship. Otherwise, Belle might have picked up some bad words.
Although in the game the two siblings were jokingly called the "Shady Duo," that was only because of their job at the video store, which made it hard for them to avoid certain kinds of content.
'But my little sister has always been a pure and lovely little angel!' Wise thought proudly.
He was still lost in that thought when Belle's inner thoughts suddenly appeared on the system panel.
+ + + + +
Belle's Inner Thoughts:
Ah~ why did Brother stop massaging my foot? His big, warm hands felt so gentle, like he was handling a precious gem. If he had just gone a little lower… touched my thighs… slipped his hands under my clothes and took everything off and—
No, no, no! What am I thinking?! Calm down, calm down, Belle!
+ + + + +
As Belle's thoughts ran wild, she stole a secret glance at Wise, her cheeks slightly flushed.
'Well, I take back what I said. My little angel isn't as pure as I thought,' Wise sighed inwardly, reading Belle's inner thoughts displayed on the system panel.
But that's fine. So what if she's a little impure? Everyone is an adult here; it's normal to know these things.
Besides, even a fallen angel is still an angel... right?
Anyway, what really matters now is seeing what kind of rewards Belle just gave to him.