episode_0041

Deciding to approach So-won’s wish with a hint of sincerity, fearing potential repercussions for being too indifferent, I resolved to take it seriously.

However, as I attempted to spruce myself up, problems arose.

“…How should I dress up?”

I had no idea how to adorn myself.

Setting aside gender distinctions, I was clueless about even the most basic things.

Staring at my disheveled reflection in the mirror, I sighed heavily.

“Ugh…”

I’ve never been one to care much about grooming.

Even before possessing this body, I simply wore whatever clothes my parents provided and went out in whatever order they were stacked.

Not quite a fashion terrorist, but utterly ignorant about fashion nonetheless.

My sense of style as a man could be deemed atrocious; would it be any different for a woman’s body?

Gazing at my pitiful reflection in the mirror, I let out a long sigh.

“Phew.”

Undeniably pretty, albeit in a filthy way.

Due to my hair, eye color, and innate facial features, I might resemble a villain, but being called ‘ugly’ was far from the truth.

After scrubbing off the grime with hot water and applying some lotion, barring any magical transformation like in ‘Stroheim,’ most would be captivated by my appearance.

Despite admiring Beatrice’s looks repeatedly, I hung my head low.

“Why must it be me who looks like this?”

Out of all the characters, why did it have to be Beatrice?

Sure, there were reasons related to Beatrice, but couldn’t they have possessed a different male character relevant to her instead of forcefully embodying Beatrice through a TS beam?

Glaring at the dark sky outside, I muttered curses under my breath.

“That damn author.”

Nearly two months had passed, yet I still couldn’t grasp the author’s intentions.

…Why did she, or he, thrust me into this insane novel?

If it were any other story, I might have understood quickly.

After all, an isekai typically involves overturning the original storyline, whether it leads to a bad or sad ending.

But the story I found myself in was vastly different, almost devoid of frustration.

Was there a flaw in the plot?

Considering the chaotic world, it was hard to pinpoint any issues in the story.

Was it necessary to alter the content by possessing someone else?

Announcing a remake, wasn’t it unnecessary to involve the readers through possession?

Indeed.

Just as a sane person can’t comprehend a madman’s thoughts, I couldn’t fathom the author’s reasoning.

To remake the mediocre witch Beatrice into a sinister figure, was that the sole purpose of the remake?

“…There seems to be something, but I truly don’t understand.”

Closing the window, shedding my clothes to prepare for a wash, I glanced suspiciously at the unfamiliar ceiling.

Did the author truly remake it just to change Beatrice’s character?

Or did they have another motive for sacrificing its high popularity to start afresh?

“The truth lies solely with the author.”

If I ever meet the author, I’ll inquire about the reason behind the remake.

Then, after hearing their response, I’ll stomp on their body without mercy.

As many times as I’ve been humiliated.

With that determination, I immersed myself in the bathtub filled with warm water.

…Perhaps due to the hot water, my body felt slightly relaxed.

—–

Meanwhile, in another room.

Alone in his single room, Karl paced around, displaying an uneasy demeanor.

“Is this right?”

Checking over the date schedule, he furrowed his brow.

Having pondered over the plan for nearly a fortnight, as the date approached, he began feeling reluctant.

“…Is it really the right thing to do?”

Honestly, they weren’t typical activities for an ordinary couple.

Who in the world goes on a date to a library to search for ancient texts and, on top of that, hunt for rare herbs?

Moreover, the Beatrice in Carl’s mind wasn’t that type of person.

Rather, she was just an ordinary woman who enjoyed sitting comfortably and snacking.

…For a witch gazing at the end of the world, could she be considered somewhat eccentric?

Shaking his head, Carl decided to rethink everything from the beginning.

“This doesn’t seem right. Let’s reconsider.”

To settle his confused emotions, Carl first sat down on the bed.

Then, based on the stories he had heard from his parents, he began rewriting his plans.

“Covering it up and thinking later… Mother’s advice doesn’t seem to work, and Father… is just not helpful. Damn it.”

His mother, emotional and very proactive, contrasted with his father, who was blunt and quite passive.

While most nobles opt for strategic marriages, Carl’s parents were the only couple who seemed happy with their love (?) marriage.

Unfortunately, that example was of no help to Carl now.

“…Quite a different case. The two of them fell in love at first sight when they met… Beatrice is currently disgusted by me.”

Carl didn’t know why she felt disgusted.

He just speculated that since she was someone who carried around a dimensional library in her mind, she might even know embarrassing things about him.

As he started to reorganize his plans from scratch, he glanced at the mirror in the room and cocked his head.

“By the way, why does she really dislike me?”

As evidenced by his sympathy, he had never experienced a vagabond-like lifestyle.

While he did like women, due to his parents’ teachings to love only one person, he never entertained the idea of turning his gaze to another woman.

He wasn’t as reserved as his father, so why did he keep being cautious?

Carl’s head began to ache.

If someone just pointed out where he went wrong, he could fix it immediately.

If he disliked the mischievous nature of witches, he could also try to treat her more gentlemanly.

…Surely, he wasn’t into women like Lorian, the crazy priestess he had seen back then?

No, that wasn’t it. She looked at me with those eyes as if seeing me for the first time, right?

He hadn’t sent lustful glances to other women.

“This is driving me crazy.”

She was truly an enigmatic woman.

At times seductive like a celestial female, while at others, showing a close friendship like childhood friends of ten years.

Yet, if you got too close, she growled, but if you distanced yourself, she would come seeking attention.

Should she be called a fox-like woman?

Well, with dozens of charms, she must have stolen my heart at first sight. I grew tired of women who acted like elves, drawing me in before losing interest.

Thinking this, Carl lay down on the bed.

“Maybe I’ll think about it tomorrow.”

After all, there were still two days until the date started.

With no other plans, he could spend the next day exploring the city and considering his schedule.

Feeling lethargic, he quietly closed his eyes.

Tomorrow, good thoughts would come to mind.

Expectantly.

—–

…The day broke.

However, the fatigue remained.

The reason… Beatrice appeared in my dream.

Was it because I kept thinking about that woman too much?

In the dream, she appeared not in a disheveled state but in a neat appearance, smiling, which made me flutter, causing me to wake up.

I woke up when the moon was still casting its presence over the world.

To suppress the rising libido, I had to go outside the inn and swing my sword wildly, resulting in this utterly exhausted state.

“Are you okay? How far did you run yesterday?”

“…”

“You almost ran yourself to the bone, you fool. Want to end up like that dwarf inspiration? You’re young, don’t burn out too quickly, okay?”

Beatrix patted my back as if she understood me completely.

Ridiculous, really. No way, you idiot.

And why am I in this situation, huh?

If I speak, can you handle it?

I wanted to ask with contained anger, but I didn’t even have the energy to ask. Squeezing myself to the limit left me in worse shape than when I finished a battle in the West.

Thanks to the untimely night training, I was extremely hungry.

Unfortunately, I didn’t even have the strength to lift a spoon now.

Stew was served, but I couldn’t eat it like a civilized person.

Should I just do what Kotas does and bury my face in the plate and eat?

I hesitated for a moment, but before my contemplation could amount to anything, a spoon was presented in front of me.

“Eat.”

“…?”

“Can you even lift the spoon? I doubt I’ll be able to move properly until lunchtime.”

“…”

Correct.

Nodding my head in agreement, Beatrix looked at me with a concerned expression, a witch worrying about me.

While I was grateful for her concern, more than anything…

My heart raced –

I was excited.

…Hey, do you hate me?

Does she not know what she’s doing right now?

As I stared blankly, the witch urged me impatiently in an irritated voice.

“Your arm hurts, eat quickly!”

“No wait, let me feed you…”

“You’re not eating fast enough?!”

“Uh?!”

As the spoon suddenly entered my mouth, Beatrix started to enjoy her stew with a satisfied expression.

She really has no self-awareness.

Well, rather than provoking her by speaking out now, it’s better to just accept it quietly.

You never know when such a great opportunity might come again.

So I waited for the spoon again, but my attempt was thwarted by the clueless dwarf companion.

“Oh! Is that what they call feeding or something! Haha! Looks like we’ve gotten quite close without me noticing!”

“…”

“…”

“Oh, sorry. I thought I was trying to announce our intimate relationship… cough!”

…Anyway, he’s as useless as a detonated bomb.

I ended up having to eat breakfast like an orc, burying my face in the stew just like Kotas.