Sanctuary Agency-Chapter 17: Romeo and Juliet [1]

〘Date: 2/10 - Sunday〙

〘Time: 4:30 PM〙

〘Location: Texas, Austin - Highway〙

"And get here on time, mister! You're lucky I had errands to run earlier so I'll excuse your tardiness this time," Juliet huffed, brushing her developed hair with elegance, glancing at the camera with a regal eye.

I rolled my eyes at her, leaning back in my seat and continuing to drive down the highway toward Oceanview. "Yeah, yeah, yeah... I already know, Princess. Now can you finally give the phone to Daph? I've been listening to your senseless yapping for an hour now."

Juliet's lips curled into a triumphant grin, seeing my slightly annoyed expression on her face, letting out her signature, noblewoman laugh. "A~shishishi!~ The cool guy finally shows his temper?~"

"Ha ha ha... You're very funny, Juliet. Now, allow me to talk with Daphne. I think I've just about had enough of your voice," I said, my gaze flicking at the camera as I listened to her genuine laughter.

"Can you stop terrorizing Ry already, Julie?" Daphne giggled, walking into the frame and playfully scooted Juliet's chair aside.

"Hmph! He may escape my presence for now, but when he gets here, he'd better prepared to fall in line!" Juliet exclaimed, letting out a superior scoff as she continued to brush her hair.

I couldn't help but to smile at her comment, despite the subtle annoyance her gave me. With some peace from Juliet for the moment, I began talking with Daphne for a bit, going over our plans for Winterfest.

The excitement between the three of us for the festival was electric, each of us excited to enjoy the last of winter festivities before moving on to prepare for Spring. The weather was perfect for this outing, nature even giving her final goodbyes to winter season.

"Alright, text me when you get here. We'll meet you outside," Daphne said, grabbing Juliet's phone off the vanity and blew me a kiss through the screen.

I chuckled softly, catching her kiss and subtly blowin one of my own. "I will, see you soon, uʻi."

Daphne giggled at my native pet name for her, her cheeks shooting into a lively red hue. "Bye, bye~"

Phroa ended the call then appeared on the screen, projecting her voice onto my speakers. "So, Master, since you technically have Juliet's number, should I register her? I mean...with this, we can skip the Attraction Phase and you can work your charms without needing to be authentic!"

I shrugged my shoulders, the corners of my lips tugging into a cool smile. "I'm never the one to complain about a freebie~ Besides, it's looking like she's chasing after me. If I've learned anything about some women, the more you play hard to get, the more a woman may want you."

"Mmm~ A little reverse psychology, so you're planning to have Juliet chase after you?" Phroa asked, her eyes twinkling with fascination and excitement.

"Exactly, and we're gonna call this...uhm— We'll figure it out as we go. Just make up some title for this one," I said, letting out a soft chuckle and focusing on the road ahead.

"Understood! Let's get to it, yeah!" Phroa said with excitement, immediately working to register Juliet into the system.

〔Juliet's Analysis〕

Name: Juliet von de Estrella

Age: 20

Birthday: January 1st

Status: Uh...Complicated?

Occupation: Oceanview University Student President, Co-CEO of Oceanview Corp.

Preferred Gift(s): Jewelry, Designer Clothes, Cute Plushies, Flowers (Prism Bonnet)

Preferred Trait: Romance

Hobby: Singing, Playing with Cats, Reading History

Favorite Hangout: Oceanview HQ

"In St. Kieran's name, what in the high maintenance? Skipped the Attraction Phase just to land the final boss," I said as I glanced at my phone to read the analysis, my tone half-joking, yet a bit intimidated with what I was going into.

"The crazy thing is I see all of their information at the same time, no WONDER you need 100K for this girl!" Phroa said in complete awe, looking up and down at the information she displayed.

〔Credi Owned: 35,000c〕

"And all of this goes into Art of Love upgrades, oh my shayla... we're still broke!" Phroa fell out, feigning pure and utter disbelief.

I laughed softly at Phroa's over exaggerating, turning into the exit for Oceanview, my gaze flicking over to my phone for a moment. "It's gonna be alright. We use what we have now to boost our bond with Juliet for now and use our next earnings to upgrade."

"Roger that!" Phroa agreed, shooting up on her feet with a thumbs up.

With our plans set and nearing Daphne's house, I knew that I was in for some type of shenanigans that out truly test my Charisma, Romance, and Luck. However, now that I'm truly embracing my heritage, I knew that the Destiny Child within me will succeed.

〔Initiation: Art of Love - Romeo and Juliet〕

〔New Main Objective: Have a successful date with Daphne and Juliet.〕

〔Task: Raise Charisma Trait to Level 4, Raise Romance Trait to Level 2, and Raise Luck Trait to Level 2.〕

〔Reward Earned: Credi +10,000, Art of Love EXP +1000〕

〘Date: 2/10 - Sunday〙

〘Time: 4:45 PM〙

〘Location: Texas, Austin - Bonnell Falls〙

I made it to Daphne's house, stopping my car in front of her house and putting it in park. I grabbed my phone off the dashboard, sitting back in my seat and texted Daphne that I made it. She quickly texted back, letting me know she and Juliet would be out shortly.

〔Phroa: Hey, Master! How about we use this time to get both Daphne and Juliet a gift!〕

"Yeah, sounds good actually. I could get them some flowers...well Prism Bonnets might end up breaking me. Hm... Juliet does take a bit of thought honestly," I muttered, stroking my chin as I scrolled through the Luscious Shop on my phone.

As I scrolled through the shop, I decided to put Daphne's gift in the cart, so I didn't forget about it while searching for a gift for Juliet that wouldn't break my pockets. Though, I could transfer money from my bank into Credi, I didn't want to cheat my way through Love.

I continued to scroll for another minute, my eyes landing on a gift that seemed out of this world. The gift was a beautiful calico cat with a white, cobalt blue, and steely silver tri-color coat set at an expensive price of 25,000 Credi.

"It has a heart icon on there...this is one expensive plushie," I said half-jokingly, my eyes shifting over to Phroa's tiny window at the corner of my screen.

〔Phroa: That's not a plushie for sale. That's an actual cat! With a strange color scheme I might add, however...run the play! Hot route, QB Pass, 42!〕

"You don't even know what you're talking about," I chuckled softly, shaking my head and deciding to take the leap of faith and buy the cat for Juliet as well.

Spending a grand total of 25,100, two Luscious Boxes began to materialize in front of me in my lap, the smaller, moderately sized box sitting atop the bigger more luxurious box. After receiving the gift, a prompt appeared upon my screen.

〔Please name your new familiar...〕

'Name her..? I suppose I can come up with something...' I thought to myself, gently stroking my chin as I began the naming process. 'Let's see...Snowy...nah too easy. Blanco...or Blanca in this case...'

Phroa rolled her eyes at my Spanish joke, crossing her arms, but her lips betrayed her emotions as they began to crack into a smile. I noticed Phroa trying to not laugh, my grin only stretching wider.

〔Phroa: I didn't even laugh, that joke was so bad!〕

"Nah, you know that was funny, give me my flowers," I chuckled lightly, glancing back down at my phone to think of another name.

Suddenly, a name popped into my mind that I thought would allow Juliet a closer glimpse into my world. I began to type the name, pressing enter and locking in the name. Once the name was locked in, the cat let out a cute mewl inside the box, the sound of her collar jingling as she shook her head.

〔Phroa: What did you— Wait, why am I asking? I just saw you type it in. Nevermind!〕

I let out a laugh of amusement, holding my stomach lightly as Phroa's comment genuinely tickled me. I let out an exhale, wiping my eyes after a few seconds of a hearty laugh. "Oh, Phroa...you are something else sometimes."

"I call shotgun!" Juliet's demanding tone sounded as she made her way to the car with Daphne, closing her umbrella and compacted it, placing it in her bag.

"Yes, yes, I know~ You want to be the Passenger Princess," Daphne chuckled softly, zipping up her coat and hurrying to the backseat.

I watched as the two finally got in my car, glancing between the two of them with an excited grin. "About time you two got here."

Juliet huffed softly, putting on her winter gloves and her snow white, fluffy hat. "Silence, lowly grunt. I have no time for your sarcasm. Let us set off to show Winterfest the true meaning of Grace and Elegance~"

"Before that, I got you two a gift," I said, handing off the smaller box to Daphne and carefully handing the larger box to Juliet. "Be careful with it, it's quite fragile~"

Juliet stared at the box with complete awe, her fingers gently gliding upon its smooth, luxurious wrapping. 'What in the world..? What could be in this box? How could a commoner like him possibly afford anything like this..? He has Middle Class Wealth at best..!'

〔Juliet's Mood: Conflicted (Good)〕

〔Bond with Juliet: 0%〕

〔Affection Meter: 0%〕

〔Vitals: Healthy〕

"H-Hmph! Trying to intimidate me with such fancy wrapping? It's gonna take more than that to woo me, peasant," Juliet denied, turning her nose up from the box, her fingers tapping upon the surface out of pure curiosity.

Daphne gasped softly at the bouquet of flowers I got for her, catching Juliet's attention. Daphne hummed happily at the yellow roses, sniffing them with great gratitude. "Mmm~ Thank you, honey..~"

I chuckled softly at Daphne, reaching back to gently stroke her knee then turned to face Juliet with an expectant gaze. "Well? Are you gonna open your gift? Sooner or later, you'll have to."

"Alright. I'll open it, but I guarantee you that this gift will not impress me," Juliet scoffed, unwrapping the gift in a way to preserve the wrapping. "I've had many suitors before you, some who have impressed me. So you—"

Juliet paused as she looked inside the box, her eyes landing upon the calico cat inside the box playing with energy balls in the shape of cat heads. The cat looked up at Juliet, letting out a meow and held her paw up to reach for Juliet.

Juliet reached inside the box slowly, grabbing the cat and pulling her out in pure disbelief. She slowly looked back at Daphne, silently looking for answers. Daphne was equally as surprised and amused, looking over at me in genuine disbelief.

"Surprise~" I chuckled softly, waiting for Juliet's response to the gift.

Juliet looked back down at the cat in her hands, unable to find the right words to express herself in this very moment. For the first time in her life, she was truly speechless.

"How...did you know I like cats..? I just met you today?" Juliet began, finally finding the words that were caught in her throat.

I smiled at Juliet, glancing down at the cat in her hands, reaching over to pet her head. "Honestly, you just seemed like a cat person. High maintenance, sassy, independent, annoying.."

"Oh screw you, I'm not annoying! You're the annoying one, guessing my interests," Juliet retorted, her words not holding its usual regal bite. She lowered her head shyly, scoffing softly and turning her head to look away from me. "But...it's probably the best gift someone has ever given to me."

"What's her name? It is a she right?" Juliet asked, looking over at me, her gaze now softer than earlier.

"She is a girl," I answered, chuckling softly at her question then reached for the cat's collar. "Her name is Maika'i, or Maika for short. It means graceful in my native language."

Juliet looked back down at Maika, gently petting her head and repeating her name over and over in her head until she got used to saying it. "Maika...hmm, I suppose some commoners have a taste of eloquent to their design. I accept."

〔Juliet's Affection for you increased to 10%〕

〔Daphne's Affection for you increased to 88%〕

〔Phroa: Perfect score, Master!~〕

I smiled at Juliet's acceptance of the gift, letting out a pleased hum and put my car in drive. "I'm glad you like the gift~ Now buckle up, we have a festival to catch."

Juliet nodded, noticing the box in her lap had disappeared, but shrugged it off taken she had a magic, snow cat in her lap. "Alright, you've set the bar quite high. I'm expecting you to wow me on this outing."

"As you wish, Your Majesty," I said in a quite arrogant tone, driving off down the street to reach the festivities within the city.

〔Charisma/Romance EXP +500 (x4 Favorite Gift Bonus/Link Date Bonus)〕

〔Romance Level UP!!! 1 ↠ 2〕

〔New Award Unlocked: Romance EXP Gain +10%〕

The source of this c𝐨ntent is freeweɓnovēl.coɱ.

〔Charisma Level UP!!! 2 ↠ 3〕

〔New Award Unlocked: Charm Mode Unlocked〕

〔Bond with Juliet and Daphne greatly increased!〕

〘Date: 2/10 - Sunday〙

〘Time: 5:15 PM〙

〘Location: Texas, Austin - Oceanview City: Winterfest〙

We finally made it to Winterfest, the ground ahead covered in snow, despite no weather reports saying there would be any chance of snowfall. Parking my car in the parking lot, the three of us stepped outside, looking around with a mix of awe and spectacle.

"This makes no sense...how is it snowing? Where did it come from?" I asked, closing my door and stepping forward to get a closer look at the snow.

Juliet giggled softly at my genuine curiosity, walking around my car toward me with a smug grin, holding Maika in her arms. "Based on your reaction, Trinity Valley isn't as awakened and advanced as Oceanview huh? Hmph!~ I knew T.V. were a bunch of rich frauds, they can't hold a candle to true superiority!"

I wanted to say a sassy remark to Juliet due to my pride for Trinity Valley, but I knew she was 100% correct. Winterfest alone opened my eyes to how far behind Trinity Valley was, economically and spiritually.

"Come, ruffian~ Daphy and I shall show you what true fun looks like," Juliet hummed, walking ahead confidently, taking the lead for the group.

Daphne chuckled softly at Juliet, watching her walk ahead then turned her gaze to me, grabbing my hand gently. "C'mon, let's catch up before she leaves us behind~"

"Right," I chuckled, following behind Daphne and Juliet, excited to see what more Winterfest had to offer.

Entering inside Winterfest, we had to present our tickets which Juliet already had ready for the three of us. Once security scanned our tickets, we were given wristbands and allowed inside, all three of us ready to indulge in fun activities.

〔Notification: Charisma and Luck EXP Boost UP!!! +35%〕

〔Advice: Play Wintetfest Games for Luck EXP!〕

I looked down at my phone, seeing Phroa's notices and advice showing on the screen. I gave her a subtle nod and smile, thanking her for her help. With that, I slipped my phone into my pocket, focusing on the date with Daphne and Juliet.

The first area we arrived in were the rollercoasters and attraction rides, each ride varying between simple and breathtaking, and long and very breathtaking. Juliet and Daphne looked around to see what ride they wanted to go on first, scanning the area for their options.

"We do have to try a scary ride at least once, but we'll warm up to that," Daphne said, thinking hard about what ride she wanted to start with.

"No, we start with the most treacherous first! Tackle the Goliath before moving forward... mainly because I can't handle intense anticipation well. The thought of savings such a terrible coaster for last," Juliet huffed, her eyes fixated on a steep drop tower.

"Sounds like someone's just scared," I teased, glancing at Juliet with a smug grin and my arms crossed.

Juliet's cheeks flushed into a deep red, a few strands of her hair slowly chinning into a snow white from embarrassment. "I-I am not scared! In fact, you lowly... tch...Whatever, let's go to the Blizzard Drop and I'll show you how scared I am!"

Daphne covered her mouth, trying her hardest to keep herself from laughing and watched Juliet storm toward the Blizzard Drop. "Gosh...I have never seen her lost for words before..!"

I chuckled softly at Daphne, turning toward the Blizzard Drop and held her hand as I began to follow Juliet. "C'mon, she's speed walking this time."

〔Charisma EXP +380〕

We made it to the Blizzard Drop, standing in line to wait for our turn on the thrill ride. As we stood in line, a few people began to recognize Juliet, a small group of people approaching the three of us to greet Juliet.

"Yes, yes! It is I, Queen Juliet of Oceanview! In the flesh, a true woman," Juliet announced to the group of people before her, giving them a noble wave with a royal smile.

"And it's her Wisewoman, Daphne! Hi, Daphne!~" A fangirl greeted, waving excitedly at Daphne with a giggle.

Daphne awkwardly smiled at the group, noticing it becoming larger, taking a step behind me as she waved. "Hello, hello...Uh, can you all kinda back off..?"

'Ugh...Commoners constantly swarming us in public. Can't a Queen and her Advisor go outside without specimens like you ruining it..?' Juliet thought to herself, keeping her royal smile on her face.

〔Phroa: Yeesh, these guys are kinda annoying with their phones and swarming. We gotta get them to move!〕

〔Phroa: I have an idea! We have Charm Mode right? Let's see what that's all about...〕

I glanced at my phone, noticing Phroa opening the Art of Love Skills, tapping on Charm Mode and opening it's description. 'Let's hope it's something useful...'

〔Charm Mode - Charismatic Unleash Lv. 1〕

〔Description: This ability enhances and unleashes the user's natural charm, charisma, beauty, and physical appeal by 10% (+10 per level), giving the user the ability to easily persuade or influence anyone to do anything they wish thanks to their charms.〕

〔Extra Effects: Boosts Lust, Charm, and Romance EXP by 50%〕

'Hm...This looks perfect. Alright, I'm using it,' I said mentally, slipping my phone into my pocket and took a deep breath and exhaled softly.

I began to activate my Charm Mode, a faint alluring orange glow emitting around my body. The combination of me clearing my throat and the faint glow captured the eyes of everyone, including Juliet and Daphne. Even Maika stopped what she was doing to look at me, her ears perking up with curiosity. Suddenly, the area fell silent, all eyes falling on me, each person mesmerized by my presence alone.

I glanced around at everyone, knowing I now commanded everyone's attention. I knew if I wanted to rise as a King, this was my moment to make my true first impression. I stroked my hair slowly, moving it out of my face, a charming smile curling on my lips.

"I don't mean to be rude, but the three of us would like to enjoy our time at Winterfest. However, if we have any free time, we would love to sign whatever you may have," I said, keeping my tone at a perfect pitch and smoothness.

Although there was silence, the group began to make way for us to pass by, allowing me to take the lead in getting Juliet and Daphne on the ride first. Juliet and Daphne remained in their trance, multiple questions roaming through their minds.

I deactivated my Charm Mode, the faint glow around my body vanishing. "You two are very welcome~"

Juliet and Daphne glanced at each other in pure and utter disbelief, wondering how I got command of Oceanview's people with little effort. I chuckled at the two of them, a knowing smile playing on my face as I knew I was in for an earful later.

〔Charisma EXP +820〕

I knew Juliet had more questions than anything, but I wanted her to chase for me more. "Let's get on the ride before the crowd comes sprawling back. They are only under my command for so long."

Juliet snapped out of her trance, turning her nose up at me and flipped her hair, strands of her hair brushing along my face. "Hmph! I am the Queen and I dictate when we get on the ride. And I say, let's go!"

Before Daphne and I could react, Juliet hurried toward the ride to take her seat before anyone else. Daphne and I chuckled with each other, following behind Juliet and getting on the ride as well.

Once the seats were all filled and we were buckled up, the ride operator began the ride, the tower activating and rising the seats up in the air. As we climbed higher to the sky, Juliet instinctively reached for Daphne's hand and surprisingly, grabbing my hand as well.

"Remember to take deep breaths," I cautioned, glancing over at Juliet.

"I know what to do, Einstein..! Don't patronize me..!" Juliet squeaked, taking a few deep breaths and keeping her gaze ahead to avoid looking down. "Where's Maika? Is she on the ride?"

"Nope, she's uh... waiting for us down there," I said, looking down and seeing the only unique tri-color coated cat below.

"Fuck..." Juliet muttered under her breath and closed her eyes, taking one more deep breath.

"Don't worry, Julie! We're with you right here, hand in hand!" Daphne giggled excitedly, holding Juliet's hand tightly.

Juliet groaned reluctantly, regretting her decision to get on the most intense ride at the festival. Soon, the seats began to creak, everyone letting out excited exclaims and holding onto the support bars tightly. The operator began to count down on the speaker, once he got to one, pressing the button.

The tower began to drop, the collective sounds of screams and excitement filling the air. Juliet held our hands for dear life, her hand becoming chilling to the touch as her adrenaline began to activate. I couldn't help but to laugh from the pure adrenaline rush I had, my entire body feeling more energized than ever.

Once the ride ended, Juliet was the first to get off, making her way to the exit with wobbling steps. "Ugh...I feel like I'm gonna throw up..."

Daphne snickered softly at Juliet, sticking close to her and helping her maintain her balance. "Don't worry, I've got you, Julie~"

I fell behind the two, getting off the ride after them and crouched down to pick up Maika, who was patiently waiting for us. She mewled cutely, wrapping herself around my nape and laying across my shoulders like a scarf.

"See? It wasn't that bad," I teased, gently poking Juliet's cheek.

Juliet snapped her teeth at me, trying to bite my finger and shooting me a glare with a soft growl, her cheeks completely flushed with embarrassment and vulnerability. I looked away from Juliet, feigning innocence as I whistled a tune.

"I told you to not patronize me, you stupid oaf!" Juliet roared, holding her hand out and subconsciously manipulating the snow on the ground to form a snow ball.

I watched as she hurled the snowball at me, my body instinctively awakening a portion of my Tengoku Mode to seamlessly dodge the snowball. This only seemed to frustrate Juliet more, causing her to chase after me.

I bursted out into laughter, running away from Juliet while shielding myself from the onslaught of snowballs Juliet threw at me. "Alright, alright! I'm sorry!"'

"Get back here and face my regal fury, Ryder!" Juliet roared, throwing another fastball snowball at me, managing to land a bullseye on my back.

I grunted softly as I was hit, caught off guard and turned around to look at Juliet, noticing her smug grin as she managed to hit me. I chuckled softly at her, adjusting Maika around my neck. "Game on~"

"Bring it! It's time you fall in li—!" Juliet began, grunting heavily as a snowball hit her face.

"Not in a million years, Princess!" I laughed, tossing a snowball up and down with a grin.

Juliet sucked her teeth, her royal mask slowly slipping as her frustration only grew. She shifted her foot, manipulating the snow beneath me, turning it into ice. The solid, slippery surface caused me to slip, but I quickly caught myself with my hands on the ice.

'Hmph..~ If she's willing to show off her abilities in public, I suppose I can return the favor,' I thought to myself, swinging my legs around to perform a NY Flare.

I spun around one more time, bringing my leg down and stomping on the ice, breaking it apart and using basic alchemy to transmute the airborneice shards into icy blue butterflies. Juliet watched as the butterflies began to flutter around, her mind now racing with even more questions.

Daphne held her finger out, one of the butterflies landing upon her finger, bringing an innocent smile to her face. "Which one taught you this trick?~"

"My sister did, and I have a lot more to show if you want," I answered, meeting Juliet's gaze with a confident smirk.

〔Charisma/Talent EXP +1300〕

〔Charisma Level UP!!! 3 ↠ 4〕

〔New Award Unlocked: Charisma EXP Gain +20%〕

〔Talent Level UP!!! 2 ↠ 3〕

〔New Award Unlocked: Unleashed State Unlocked〕

〔Juliet has become more interested in you...〕

〔Breakthrough possible!〕

Juliet crossed her arms, smirking at me and clearing her throat, her queenly persona returning back to her. "Hmph, impressive for a commoner. However, a few magic tricks won't earn my respect!"

〔Phroa: Holy cow this girl has some serious resistance to your one of a kind charms!〕

'Yeah, but I'm getting through to her...I can see it, we are at the home stretch,' I replied mentally, meeting Juliet's gaze with a confident smile.

"Well, since being the charming man in the vicinity won't earn respect, how about you tell me what will," I challenged, crossing my arms as I waited for her answer.

Juliet's eyes began to shimmer with competition and subtle enjoyment of being genuinely pushed into a corner. "Alright, hotshot...you want to earn my respect? Winterfest has the most rigged games known to man, some designed by yours truly. Win at least five games and maybe you'll earn my respect."

"Ohh~ Julie means business, Ry," Daphne giggled, looking over at me with a mischievous grin.

I chuckled softly at the two, glancing down at my phone, noticing Phroa's supportive smile as she pointed to the active boosts I had. I looked back up at Juliet with a rare twinkle in my eye. "Alright, I'll do it."

Juliet's heart skipped a beat as I accepted her challenge, an amused giggle escaping from her lips. "You...might be the most foolish of them all, yet the most entertaining so far. I can't wait to see you fail at these games~"

I shrugged my shoulders, glancing up at the sky to see the Golden Star still shining brightly in the sky. "Heh...I think my Golden Luck might be high today. I'm expecting to go five for five."

"Hm, follow me. We will see," Juliet said, snapping her fingers and walking toward the game section of the festival.

Daphne and I followed behind, the excitement between the three of us continuing to grow. Though I knew Juliet was still playing hard, I knew I was breaking through her walls, slowly but surely. With this final test, I was sure to at least be seen on her good side.