Chapter 25 - A Welcome Mission

The park she was running circles around was near her daughter's school. She had been so deep on into her emotions that Catherine subconsciously jogged to the park beside her daughter's school.

It was an uneventful run, nothing special happened other than her overwhelming performance when she sprinted. Despite that, Catherine managed to find herself and set her heart on the coming future, no matter how turbulent it may become.

She walked for a while to gather her thoughts back to the present and decided on what she will do next. She began jogging again, it was too late to run back to her workplace so she decided on going to the Manager's café.

Heads turned and hearts skipped a beat wherever she went, she revelled in this feeling. This feeling of being in the spotlight; a feeling of superiority. It didn't mean she was more special than others, she wouldn't make that same mistake again.

Instead, it just showed how outstanding she was, how beautiful she was, and how charismatic her very existence was. She was someone others liked to follow; many people gathered around her before she knew it when she was younger.

Just as many people did more than just follow, they submitted to her and looked up to her, they found her so mesmerising when they looked up to her that they wouldn't have it any other way.

She was still that Catherine, she was still the woman that others claimed to be too great for any man to conquer.

In fact, she never really felt like that back then or now. She wasn't some unattainable existence; she was a woman just like any other. It's just that she liked women so no man had a chance.

These idle thoughts passed through her mind as she reached the café. She walked in and felt herself become the centre of everyone's attention again.

Nothing had changed compared to before, she always caught everyone eye's whenever she came. But she used to ignore them, she pretended she never felt it. Now, however, it was different, she welcomed the attention and felt it was only right.

She was Catherine, wasn't the looks of others on her just normal? It wasn't arrogance, not like in her youth, it was simple acceptance of what her appearance and aura did to others.

She went to the toilets and wetted some tissues, she used them to wipe her sweat and cool down. A few wipes later and she felt refreshed and far less stuffy in her sports bra.

The manager was waiting for her at her usual seat with a smile, her left brow was raised in indication of her surprise when she saw Catherine walking to the table.

"Something must have happened... you've changed. No, this feels much more natural, like this is who you were originally? I always felt it when we played, but there was a lioness hidden behind the kitty I saw, I guess I wasn't wrong." Catherine took a seat with a smile, not surprised that the preceptive woman noticed something so quickly.

"You gave off a meek feeling whenever we spoke, but the moment I poked at you or your self-esteem, I could feel you wanting to push back. You tended to back off without doing anything which was a little confusing." She smiled a little and put down the tea she was sipping, there was nothing wrong with any of her actions or words.

Yet, Catherine instinctively felt something and responded, "I might have come out of my shell after many years, but that doesn't change anything for us. Our relationship started because I enjoy being around you, Manager. That hasn't changed, although I might not be able to stay meek and I'll act cheekier." Catherine grinned and sat across her, drinking the tea put before her with relish after sweating so much.

The manager's smile felt a little warmer after she heard that, Catherine wasn't sure; her expressions were way too natural for Catherine to be confident about her observations.

"So, were you trying to seduce me in hopes of more torme- more fun? Because it's definitely working." Catherine really wanted to butt in and ask her to finish what she was going to say earlier...

"It wasn't part of the plan, but if you like it then that's a good bonus. My daughter and her friends are on the way here, I just got a message from Liyah. She driving them over." After running, she felt the urge to have some sugar so she ordered a slice of chocolate fudge cake and a cup of boiled water.

"I was going to avoid asking about the obvious but I can't help my curiosity. Did you get a treasure of some kind? Your body has improved far too much for just a breakthrough. Even your chest has become... more appealing." The sports bra had been just the right size before.

This made the increase in size all the more obvious for the Manager who had become a close acquaintance after fondling them for hours.

"Yeah, I got lucky with a different tempering technique. I used it to improve the quality of my tempering even further. So even though my cultivation regressed, my physical abilities improved instead." It wasn't a lie so it was easier than making up something else instead.

[Mission Description: The Manager is someone who has grown emotionally close to the host. The Manager has reached the criterion of being a Harem Member. The first step is to find a way into the Managers private life. Find the person connected to the Manager who is approaching the café and establish contact before the Manager interferes.

Reward: 50 Futa Points

Punishment: -50 Futa Points, 30% Chance the Manager leaves permanently]

The mission was completely unexpected but Catherine wasn't too surprised anymore, 'expect the unexpected should be the motto of any system user that has a mission feature.'

Catherine felt like she was a contradiction; she liked and accepted her ability to draw others and make them follow her, even though this process caused many people to put on her on a pedestal, it wasn't healthy.

Before having Lily, she was conflicted about her loneliness since nobody dared to be near her. At the same time, she couldn't let go of her arrogance and conceit.

On the other hand, she now felt like her years as a mother and working woman brought that arrogance back down to earth. She was still that brilliant Catherine; she just wasn't going to get on a high horse like before.

Even if she reached her previous level of popularity, it meant nothing to her since she had people around her now. She now knew that even she could make friends, family and lovers.

This realisation made all of her previous fears along with her fear of her past and future get blown away. Even the Manager, 'so what if she wants to keep me at a distance? So what if she has scars that make her hide in her own little bubble?' She wasn't going to back off anymore.

'Since you have decided to take a step towards me, I'm not going to let things stay like this. I'll drag you out and make you mine. Even if your issues include dangers and enemies just like me, I'll face them. So become my woman, Manager.' Catherine made her resolution not long ago, now she was going to take the very first step.