“Perhaps” Is a Synonym for “As Expected”

She dreamed.

A dream where the boundary between consciousness and unconsciousness was blurred, literally a dream-like dream.

However, contrary to the haziness of her surroundings, the person walking right in front of Daina herself was incredibly clear.

“Who… are you?”

She unconsciously stopped those slow steps and asked for their identity. And, simultaneously, she noticed one unexpected fact.

She couldn’t make out what the face looked like, what color the eyes were, or even what expression the person wore.

It felt like seeing an apparition.

Not only was there no presence that every person should have, but it seemed like it would disappear from her sight if she didn’t focus on it.

Not even a few seconds later, step.

The sight of the figure turning away and moving further without a word was captured in her bright yellow vision.

Slightly bewildered by this, just as she was about to stop those slow steps once more.

–Swish.

For some reason, the more she tried to grasp it, the further it moved away from her while slowly disappearing like a mirage.

However, due to the heart that had been violently pounding since some point.

Due to something in her chest that was tightening almost painfully.

Due to a single tear that rolled down her cheek for some inexplicable reason.

“Huh?”

She was more… bewildered than ever before. She was more confused than ever before, and she felt so stifled that she could barely breathe.

In addition, for some reason, she was unbearably anxious. An intuition-like conviction that she would never meet the person who had been standing in front of her again.

It was right after that when things that sounded faintly, yet somehow unfamiliar even though they were her own voice, were heard.

‘You know how strong the nameless one is, ■■… You can’t do it alone. You’ll surely die…’

‘Why should I bless someone who’s going to die…’

‘…■■, in the end, you’re just using me too. Fine, I’ll grant… your last wish.’

“What is this? What on earth is this…?”

The voices that were heard for just a fleeting moment before being abruptly cut off made her already confused mind even more chaotic.

Furthermore, realizing that the figure that had been continuously walking forward was now just about to disappear completely.

Realizing that they were about to part ways completely, her violently pounding heart now sank.

Not knowing why she was acting this way, Daina hastily reached out to try to grasp the person who had already moved quite far away.

The faint silhouette that slowly turned around.

However, it was gradually changing into a different form.

Because it was transforming into a relatively smaller and more petite form than before.

“…Who are you…?”

Even though she still couldn’t make out anything clearly, for some reason, she felt like she knew the mysterious identity.

And so, just as her suspicion, which was gradually turning into conviction, was about to change its name completely.

–Knock knock.

She woke up startled by a couple of knocks that came from somewhere.

Less than a second later, the memory of the dream slowly faded away.

However…

“Saint Unnie. It’s me, Lua. I have something to tell you about yesterday—”

The moment a familiar voice was heard from beyond the firmly closed door.

She unconsciously flung open the door and once again met the gaze that she felt she had encountered just moments ago.

An inexplicable longing and precarious affection rushed in simultaneously right after.

As would be expected, the child was just standing still, perplexed by her behavior, but…

For some reason, she felt an inexplicable feeling that if she didn’t firmly grasp that small hand, it would disappear once more.

And so, swish.

Unlike last night, this time Daina herself reached out first and grasped the hand.

She didn’t particularly care about how the matter regarding her kidnappers had been resolved.

She wanted to stay by the child’s side for as long as she remained in this city.

Because it seemed like the only way to appease this inexplicable longing.

“I… missed you.”

“…Pardon?”

There was a famous SF novel that even I, who only read novels of genres I liked, knew about.

Not only was it a bestseller worldwide, but the movie based on the novel was also a great success. A novel that could be called a masterpiece without exaggeration.

The reason this novel came to my mind now was probably because the three intense sentences written on the first page of that novel described my current situation very accurately.

「I’m definitely ■ed.

That’s the conclusion I’ve reached after careful consideration.

I am…」

I’m ■ed.

And quite certainly so.

“Um, Saint Unnie? Is there a need to keep holding hands…?”

“…Do you dislike it?”

–Squeeze.

“N-no. It’s not that I dislike it. It’s just, well…”

I should have never gone to that arcade game center no matter how much Daina pleaded.

I should not have ignored the possibility of something happening, even if it was a low probability of around 10 percent.

I should not have forgotten for even a second that in most cases, “perhaps” turns into “as expected.”

But still, in the end, I succeeded in rescuing Daina without any major issues.

Come to think of it, nothing has really changed from my first playthrough… so why is this happening?

“That person, Tana Unnie, said I should stay close to you just in case, right?”

In the end, the slender fingers not only didn’t move away but intertwined a bit more deeply.

…Where exactly did things go wrong?

I thought it wasn’t too bad when it ended with just stationing a few people around us instead of not allowing us to leave the guild headquarters for a while.

No, even when I confessed to Asha and Tana that Daina had been attacked. Their reactions were more calm than I expected, which made me wonder, “Huh, is it not such a big deal?”

“Then, where shall we go now?”

“Hmm… Is there nowhere Saint Unnie wants to go?”

“I… would be happy to go anywhere as long as I’m with you, Lua-nim.”

I didn’t expect the problem to arise from Daina’s side.

Even though her affection level had risen to the maximum, I thought she would maintain the Daina I knew to some extent.

From the moment I told Daina that things had been resolved better than I had worried about last night.

No, come to think of it, from the moment we met again, she suddenly flinched and has been in this state ever since.

I knew she was a willful person, but does it make sense for someone to change this much overnight?

Or did I underestimate the affection system of <Another World>?

This is so extreme it wouldn’t be strange if she were under hypnosis.

“Th-then for now, let’s go to the observatory. I happen to have a request to fulfill there…”

“Yes♡.”

–Shiver.

“…Ugh…”

Unfortunately, Iji, who should have put a brake on this from the side, was separately investigating the attempted kidnapping from yesterday.

Since he had been severely blaming himself since finding out that Daina had almost been kidnapped, I couldn’t bring myself to hold him back.

The security personnel to replace Iji’s absence would be provided by the Lunatic Guild. Iji himself, as a priest of the Holy Country, needed to personally capture and interrogate the impious ones who dared to try kidnapping the saint, or something along those lines.

Either way, until Iji returns, I’m confirmed to be in the position of sticking closely to Daina.

Perhaps because she saw Daina’s noticeably more polite behavior compared to their first meeting, even Asha didn’t try to strongly restrain this Daina.

It seems she mistakenly thought that, like other guild members, Daina also came to cherish me as a person, not as a cat.

No, to be fair, she does seem to cherish me… but the problem is that she seems to be cherishing me in a way that’s different from what Asha thinks.

“Um, Lua-nim…”

When the person who had been silently walking beside me for a while first opened her mouth, we had just arrived at the observatory.

I asked her what was wrong, feeling unnecessarily tense at her uncharacteristic hesitation, which was unlike the Daina I knew.

“C-could you… call me by my name too? Even if it’s just while we’re together, Lua-nim.”

The content of the request that came back was so trivial and light that I unconsciously exhaled a faint sigh.

But then, as if she had misunderstood something, she hurriedly bowed her head and even apologized.

“Ah, I guess that’s a bit too much to ask? Of course, why would you want to call someone who only chose to do bad things to you by their name…”

I was unwittingly speechless at the sight of someone who had been more self-centered than anyone else until just the day before, transformed into someone who couldn’t be more timid.

This isn’t Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, what on earth is this…

Where did the noble lady I knew go?

She was definitely not someone who would glance around and be mindful of others’ reactions like she is now…

This restless behavior continued even in the elevator of the observatory, which only the two of us boarded.

And even as I completed the investigation request related to the maintenance of the observatory.

Nevertheless, she was still firmly holding my hand, so eventually, unable to endure it from my side.

“…Daina Unnie. Are you feeling unwell?”

I forcibly opened my mouth, which had remained closed for quite some time, to ask.