I Got Reincarnated As The Ntr Protagonist In An Online Game

Junior, Miss Yor, and Emma were deep in conversation when a young girl came running toward them. She was drenched in sweat, her cheeks streaked with tears, and a noticeable snort hung from her nostrils. Her panicked breaths came in short gasps as she clutched her sides.

"Miss Yor and Miss Emma, Catherine hasn't come back!" the girl cried, her voice trembling.

Emma's eyes widened in alarm. She rushed to the girl's side, dropping to one knee to meet her at eye level. Her voice wavered with worry as she asked, "What do you mean, Anya? What do you mean Catherine hasn't come back? Where did she go?"

"I—" Anya stammered, her small frame trembling under Emma's intense gaze. The look on Emma's face, filled with fear and desperation, was overwhelming for the young girl. Unable to hold back her emotions, she broke into a loud sob. "I'm sorry! It's all my fault!"

Junior watched the scene unfold, concern etched on his face. He stepped closer to Emma and the distressed child. Gently placing a hand on Emma's shoulder, he leaned in, his voice low and calming as he whispered in her ear, "Emma, you're scaring her. I know you're worried about Catherine, but let me handle this, okay?"

Emma froze for a moment, her emotions clearly battling inside her. Then she looked up at Junior, her teary eyes softening slightly. She wiped the tears from her face and gave him a small nod. "Alright, I will," she said quietly, stepping back to give him space.

Junior offered her a reassuring smile before turning his attention to Anya. The girl was still crying, her small hands covering her face in shame and fear. Kneeling down to her level, Junior spoke gently, his voice steady and soothing. "Don't cry, Anya. It's not your fault," he said, pulling a clean napkin from his pocket.

He held out the napkin, carefully extending his hand toward her. "Here, let me help you," he added, his tone as soft as the breeze.

Anya hesitated as Junior dabbed her cheeks with the napkin. Though his voice was calm and his touch gentle, she still clung tightly to her emotions, wary of his sudden involvement. She pulled back slightly, her small hands clutching the hem of her dress as she looked between Junior and Emma.

Junior noticed her hesitance and knelt a little closer, keeping his voice soft and reassuring. "It's okay, Anya. I'm here to help, not to scold you. I know you're worried about Catherine, and I'm sure you care about her a lot."

Anya glanced at him briefly but quickly looked away, her lips pressed together.

He smiled warmly, keeping his tone light. "You know, when I was younger, I used to get scared too when something went wrong. I'd feel like everything was my fault. But most of the time, it wasn't. Sometimes, we just need to tell someone what happened so they can help."

Anya's fingers fidgeted nervously, but she didn't speak.

Junior tilted his head slightly, his expression kind and patient. "Catherine is lucky to have someone like you who cares so much about her. If you tell me what happened, I can do my best to make sure she's safe. Wouldn't you want that for her?"

Anya's gaze flickered to him again, and this time, there was a hint of trust beginning to form. She still hesitated, but Junior could see the walls she'd built starting to crumble.

"I promise, Anya," he added, his voice steady, "I won't let anything bad happen to Catherine. But I can only help if you let me."

Anya's lip quivered as she sniffled softly. Finally, she spoke in a small, trembling voice. "C-Catherine… she told me she was going to look for work."

Junior's brows furrowed slightly, though he kept his tone calm and encouraging. "She went to find work? Why, Anya? Did she say why she was doing that?"

The young girl nodded slowly, her voice barely above a whisper. "She said she wanted to help Miss Yor and Miss Emma. She didn't want them to work so hard to take care of us." Tears started to well up again as she added, "She said she could lighten their burden if she earned some money…"

"I should have stopped her from going, but she made me promise not to tell Miss Emma and Miss Yor," Anya said, her voice trembling with guilt. She sniffled, her hands clutching tightly at her dress. "She's been gone since morning. After I finished playing with the others, I went to check if she'd come back, but she wasn't there."

Junior's expression softened as he listened, his heart aching for the young girl's obvious distress. He crouched a little closer, meeting her gaze with calm reassurance. "Anya, it's not your fault," he said gently. "You were just keeping a promise to Catherine because you care about her. But now, it's time for us to help her. You did the right thing by telling us."

Emma, standing nearby, clenched her fists, clearly battling with her emotions. "Why didn't she tell me?" she muttered under her breath, her voice filled with a mix of worry and frustration.

Miss Yor placed a hand on Emma's shoulder, her own face lined with concern. "She probably didn't want to burden you," Yor said softly, her eyes drifting toward the door as if expecting Catherine to walk through at any moment.

Junior turned back to Anya. "Do you know where Catherine might have gone to look for work? Did she mention anything about a place or someone she planned to talk to?"

Anya shook her head, her lips quivering. "No... she didn't tell me. She just said she'd be back before it got dark. But it's almost evening now…" Her voice cracked, and fresh tears welled up in her eyes.

Junior reached out and gently wiped away the tears with his napkin, his tone soothing. "It's okay, Anya. We'll find her. I promise. You've helped us a lot by telling us this."

Anya looked at him, her eyes searching his for reassurance. Though her guilt lingered, Junior's calm and confident demeanor eased some of her fear. She nodded hesitantly, whispering, "Thank you Mister,please help me find Catherine…"

Junior stood up, his expression serious now as he turned toward Emma and Yor. "We need to start looking for her right away. If she's been gone since morning, there's no time to waste."

Emma nodded, determination replacing the worry in her eyes. "Let's go. We'll bring her back."

Miss Yor took a deep breath, her voice steady despite the tension. "I'll stay here in case she returns. Be careful out there."

Junior glanced back at Anya, giving her a small, reassuring smile before heading toward the door with Emma.