Chapter 82: End of regular inspection!

“Heehee, Sihyun always seems to get involved in interesting things, doesn’t he?”

“Elissa… is that a compliment?”

“Hmm~ about half? Heehee.”

“Haa… it was really hard to clear up that misunderstanding.”

Sihyun leaned back on the waiting room sofa and let out a long sigh.

‘I thought I was used to being treated like a lolicon by now, but being treated like a scummy playboy who messed with two people at once was a first, and it threw me off······.’

Sihyun, who had barely managed to clear up the misunderstanding, was resting in the waiting room with Elissa.

Even though Sihyun was Leah’s guardian, he couldn’t be with her because the detailed information about the experiments and tests was confidential.

“By the way, Elissa, aren’t you participating in the experiment? I heard something or other about MDM-2.”

In response to Sihyun’s question, Elissa slightly crossed her legs and took a sip of coffee.

“There’s MDM Version 1 and 2, and I mainly participated in Version 1. Emilia is the lead researcher for MDM-2, and I’m only acting as a consultant, so I don’t have much to do with today’s experiment.”

“Do you know Emilia well, Elissa?”

“Oh, you don’t know her, Sihyun?”

“I don’t know a single thing. I just heard her name for the first time earlier, so how would I know anything about her?”

“That’s a bit… strange. I thought you already knew each other since Emilia called you ‘Oppa’······.”

“If I’d met such a beautiful girl before, there’s no way I would’ve forgotten her.”

“Hmm~ you never know, right? Maybe Sihyun is a bad guy who took something from her and completely forgot about it?”

“Oh, come on, I told you that was all a misunderstanding!”

“Heehee, I’m just kidding, just kidding~~

Sihyun waited for Leah’s examination to finish, chatting about this and that with Elissa.

After about an hour of casual conversation, discussing trivial things like how Victoria was doing and suggesting they should grab a meal together sometime.

—Click.

“Subject Leah’s periodic examination has concluded. Her guardian may now take her.”

A young researcher entered the waiting room and informed them that the experiment was over.

“Elissa, I’ll see you again then.”

“Sihyun, just a moment. There’s one last thing I want to tell you.”

Elissa called out to Sihyun, who was about to go straight to Leah.

She seemed to hesitate slightly, as if pondering something.

“What is it?”

“Noblesse… don’t get too attached to Leah.”

“What? What do you mean—”

“······.”

Elissa couldn’t continue speaking and just stared intently at Sihyun.

Her ocean-colored eyes, which seemed somewhat sad, held worry and concern.

‘If Leah truly turns out to be an urban legend, the Guild and Headquarters will try to eliminate her immediately. Of course, I know very well how dangerous urban legends are… but if that situation arises, Sihyun will be heartbroken······.’

Elissa couldn’t bring herself to tell him what was in her heart.

She could have said it in a businesslike tone, but for some reason, she didn’t want him to see her as a woman who would say such things so casually.

‘At times like this, I wish Sihyun could understand even without me speaking, just like me, who can read emotions… I know it’s a ridiculous thought, but······.’

—Slide.

As Elissa was filled with worry, Sihyun’s hand, which had been still, came to rest on her head.

“Si-Sihyun?! What, suddenly…?”

“Just stay still for a moment. This is all I can express right now.”

“Hwaaa…?”

Sihyun didn’t say anything and gently stroked Elissa’s head.

Elissa, who had little tolerance for physical contact with men, didn’t even have time to think about what was happening right now.

‘I-I-I don’t know why Sihyun is suddenly stroking me······.’

However, even amidst her confusion, Elissa could feel his emotions warmly enveloping her.

The emotions emanating from Sihyun were feelings like, ‘Thank you for worrying,’ and ‘I already know.’

He had already noticed the concerns Elissa was holding in her heart.

‘I briefly forgot… that Sihyun possesses a calm and warm heart, and is also perceptive… Heehee.’

Though they were the only two in the cold, quiet hallway, Elissa felt a somehow warm energy enveloping her entire body.

Sihyun soon bid Elissa farewell, saying he’d see her again, and left.

“Haa… I involuntarily felt a sense of regret when Sihyun’s hand left my head…”

Elissa stared blankly at his receding back for a long time.

“Hmm······ I feel a little sorry towards Victoria, don’t I? Heehee.”

She couldn’t understand why her heart kept going out to Sihyun, a perfectly ordinary person without any special awakened abilities.

No matter how much Elissa thought about it, she couldn’t find a clear answer regarding him.

****

“Elissa is kinder than I thought. She’s even worrying about me taking care of mischievous Leah.”

Even I, who am insensitive, could immediately understand the meaning of Elissa’s words to not get too attached.

It meant, ‘Don’t expect too much and get hurt!’

“She teaches me this and that, but Leah has a habit of causing trouble. She must be worried that I’ll get tired and quit being her guardian.”

It was clear she was worried I might feel disappointed by Leah, who, despite being consistently cared for with expectations, never changed.

But for me, who has already experienced Luna, it’s just a needless worry!

‘If anything, Leah is easier than Luna. It was hard to tell what Luna was thinking at all, but Leah’s emotions are clearly displayed on the surface.’

Besides, I’ve already received a massive contract fee under the guise of being Leah’s guardian, and a hefty compensation payment is due every month.

For me to quit taking care of Leah in this situation? That’s ridiculous!

“Well, still, I’m grateful she worried, so I should buy Elissa a meal sometime later.”

As I walked, lost in thought, I suddenly found myself in front of the isolation room’s iron door.

—Beep.

The moment I opened the door with my staff card and stepped inside, a black shape flew into the center of my vision.

“Huh? It’s suddenly dark—— Kwaaah!”

—Wham!

I nearly fell backward from the impact, which was enough to make my body sway, but fortunately, I didn’t tumble because something that had leaped into my arms was holding me tightly.

“Ugh… what in the world is this?”

“Sihyuuuuun!! It is you I missed!!”

Leah was clinging to my face, dangling as she hugged me.

‘Leah’s chest is quite big. So much so that I can barely see her face.’

—Squish.

“This soft, squishy feeling is… Leah, isn’t it?”

“Haa-woo… if you know it’s me by that, then it is embarrassing…”

“Haha, what’s wrong with that? By the way, how did you know it was me and come flying?”

“Oong! I heard Sihyun’s footsteps, so I ran over in advance!”

Leah looked down at me, her purple eyes sparkling brightly.

The girl had accurately distinguished and heard only my footsteps among dozens of people in the isolation room.

“Leah, you remember my footsteps?”

“It is natural. If we live together, I can remember them quickly.”

“Haha, really? Did you get your examination well?”

“Oong! It was hard, but I remembered Sihyun told me to endure it well, so I tried my best during the examination!”

“Our Leah is amazing, isn’t she? You did what you had to do heroically, like a knight.”

“Hehe… it’s been a long time since I was called knightly.”

Leah continuously rubbed her face into my arms and began to purr like a cat.

Her breath seemed a little ragged from running so hard, but her voice maintained a pleasant resonance.

‘It’s admirable that Leah, who can’t stay still for even a moment, made an effort because of me. As expected… my efforts weren’t in vain!’

I gently stroked Leah, who was in my arms, expressing my own gratitude.

Whether Leah understood my feelings or not, she simply grinned widely and remained in my embrace.

“Hehe, it is clear that Sihyun likes me the most.”

“The most?”

“Oong. It is clear you like me the most, with my red hair and purple eyes, not the strange weed-haired woman.”

‘The weed-haired woman? Ah, she must mean Emilia.’

Leah seemed quite displeased with Emilia, who was strangely clingy to me.

Just then, the problematic weed-haired girl, Emilia, trotted over to me, holding an examination chart.

“Shin Oppa… this is the examination result. You can take it.”

“Oh, really? Thanks. There’s nothing unusual with Leah, right?”

“If you’re talking about the gochujang-haired one you’re taking care of, she’s perfectly normal. She has no power whatsoever. Her body is just like a regular girl’s too…”

“That’s a relief then.”

Actually, I was a little nervous because an unheard-of new detection device called MDM-2 had been brought in. I was afraid something might be detected from Leah.

Only I should know that Leah is an urban legend. If the Guild members find out, it will clearly become difficult to resolve the apocalypse in many ways!

‘It’s advantageous for me in many ways if Leah continues to be regarded as a normal girl, just like now.’

I thanked Emilia, who had summarized the results for me.

“Emilia, thank you for conducting Leah’s examination so well.”

“Thank you…?”

“Yeah. Even though you bickered with Leah a bit, you still did the examination smoothly. Is it because you’re the chief researcher? Emilia, you’re amazing.”

“I’m amazing…?”

Emilia repeated my words and slowly approached me.

Soon, the girl, who had come right up to my face, began to stare intently at me with her coral-colored eyes.

—Stare.

“Uh, Emilia?”

“······.”

“Chief Researcher?”

“······.”

The girl simply looked up at me silently, without a word or action.

Although her face showed no emotion, I could immediately tell what the girl wanted.

‘This means she wants praise.’

Even with a face that doesn’t show much emotion, it’s no problem for me.

For me, who has experienced Luna, whose emotions were completely empty, this much is a piece of cake!

Emilia clearly wanted to be praised but was too shy to say it.

‘In times like these, a man should notice first and do it.’

—Pat.

I gently stroked Emilia’s head, just as I would praise Luna and Leah.

“Shin Oppa······?”

“Emilia, thank you for examining Leah well.”

“You said that earlier… but why your hand…?”

“Oh, this? It’s because Emilia seemed to want praise for some reason.”

“······Shin Oppa is really strange…”

“I hear that a lot. Hahaha.”

Emilia slightly closed her eyes and moved her head back and forth, following my touch.

The girl looked very cute, like a small animal.

I couldn’t understand why this small, unexpressive girl showed such particular interest in me.

‘She’s not really causing any harm… and since she seems to be in a position to handle Leah’s examinations in the future, it’s better to get along well with her anyway.’

After bidding farewell to Emilia, saying I’d see her later, I took Leah’s hand and exited the isolation room.

“Leah, since you behaved well today, I’ll give you three puddings when we get home.”

“Is that truly so?! As expected, Sihyun is the guardian who likes me the most!”

“Of course, a knight who returns victorious from the battlefield deserves a reward. Haha.”

“Hehe, the knight is tired from working hard during the examination! So, I want a hug!”

Leah stretched out both arms to me, making a gesture to be hugged.

‘No matter what, our Lady Knight is really cute.’

I lifted the knight with sparkling purple eyes, like a princess.

“Hehe, Sihyun’s embrace is truly warm and cozy…”

“And I like it because Leah’s soft chest is slightly touching me, so it’s a win-win, isn’t it?”

“F-Nyaaah…? If you say it so directly, then I am a little embarrassed······.”

“Hahaha, my bad, my bad.”

Holding Leah, who was squirming slightly in embarrassment, tightly, I resumed walking.

****

“Shin Oppa······.”

Emilia, the girl with shimmering lime-green hair and coral-colored eyes, stared intently at Sihyun through the window.

‘The gochujang-haired one is lucky… to be able to go back with Shin Oppa······.’

In truth, the girl also wanted to stay by Sihyun’s side.

Because she had finally met him.

She had given up, thinking she would never meet him again… but she had met him again, like a miracle.

“Oppa… you don’t seem to remember, but that’s okay…”

There’s no way Oppa could have forgotten me.

He’ll surely remember again soon. Right…?

Emilia didn’t take her eyes off Sihyun’s receding figure until he looked like a mere dot.

“Goodbye, Shin Oppa… when we meet again, stroke my head again······ just like ‘that time’······.”

A tiny hint of sadness was present in the girl’s voice, but its resonance only lingered in place, never reaching Sihyun.