Ch.57Chapter 57. We’ll Be Apart for a While

# First Day’s Palace Exploration Results

The first day of exploring the imperial palace yielded excellent results.

From the servants’ quarters to the attendants’ and maids’ rooms, the kitchen, and even the imperial guard training grounds.

Wherever we went, thanks to our hero, we could enter without restriction.

Normally, searching through servants’ rooms would yield some money, but since this wasn’t exactly a game world, Lin carefully collected only items to prevent unnecessary incidents.

To be precise, she collected skill scrolls hidden throughout the palace.

[Intermediate: The Unbearable Lightness of Being (Lv.6)]

A weight reduction skill obtained from dust particles forming a pattern in a sunlit corridor.

[Advanced: Presence Concealment (Lv.Max)]

A skill stolen from the clothes of a spy who was hiding in a ceiling chandelier.

For reference, they didn’t know which faction the spy belonged to, so Lucy simply handed them over to the imperial guards.

The most amazing find was:

[Special: The Era of Pixels Has Ended, 3D Has Come]

A special unique skill scroll obtained from the empty kitchen during break time.

“Wow!”

It was impressive enough to make Lin exclaim out loud.

Seeing Lin so happy, Lucy also smiled quietly.

When he was happy, she was happy too.

“Should we make some food while we’re here?”

Lin, feeling sorry for Lucy who had become as timid as Naidrian, decided to show off his special skills.

However, what Lucy wanted was surprisingly modest.

“A sandwich. The sandwich you made for me at Valtercrua.”

“The one with just mashed potatoes and jam? We have so many ingredients here, I could make something much tastier.”

“I really like that one.”

She was sincere.

When they first ate sandwiches at Valtercrua, Lin had smiled gently at Ravin and Lucy who said they were delicious.

That smile, along with the taste of the sandwich, was deeply imprinted in Lucy’s mind.

“But I’d like you to make a lot of them.”

For reference, Lucy is a big eater.

During the time when her limbs were severed, she had lost all will to live due to profound despair. Afterward, seeing how Lin was concerned about expenses, she had been careful on her own.

“It might be bland by itself. Should I add some bacon?”

“No, it’s fine.”

*Growl*

Her stomach rumbled right as she denied the offer.

Come to think of it, they had been walking around since morning without eating anything.

Lucy looked dejected because of her stomach’s immediate reaction to the mention of bacon, but Lin casually picked up a piece of bacon.

“The saltiness will enhance the flavor.”

“…Please do.”

Lin settled comfortably and began cooking.

He trimmed the edges of the bread and mashed the potatoes.

As he placed bacon on the heated pan, Lin asked Lucy:

“Crispy? Or moderately soft?”

“Crispy.”

Like a baby bird waiting for its mother, Lucy swallowed her saliva as she watched Lin cook.

Suddenly, she realized she had never properly watched Lin cook before.

During their journey to defeat the Demon Lord, he would tell her to call him when the food was ready and just do his own tasks. After being rescued by him, she was too weak to move and only consumed honey.

If she had known she would inevitably rejoin the hero’s party, she regretted not paying more attention to him cooking by the campfire during their time together.

How nice it would have been to help him prepare ingredients and have heated discussions about how well-done the bacon should be.

Instead of just thinking about it, she decided to take action.

“Um, Lin, is there anything I can help with…?”

“This is my domain. I can’t yield it to anyone.”

Firmly rejecting her help, Lin handed her a plate containing two half-cooked fried eggs and three strips of bacon, fried in their own grease.

“Did I sound too harsh? Sorry, if I lose even the kitchen, I’ll feel completely useless.”

Lin quickly added, checking if Lucy was feeling down.

He brought a ketchup bottle and skillfully wrote on the empty part of the plate.

[Hang in there, thank you.]

Seeing this, Lucy burst into tears without realizing it.

She hated herself for crying over something so trivial, but she couldn’t stop.

“There, there, it’s okay.”

Lin gently patted her back and wiped her tears with a soft cloth.

Then, for the embarrassed Lucy, he personally cut the bacon and eggs and offered them to her on a fork.

“Is it good?”

“Yes…”

“I’m glad.”

“Lin.”

“Yes?”

“Thank you always…”

Lin smiled slightly at her heartfelt gratitude and earnest gaze.

Yes, people can feel warmth in their hearts from such small things.

Clank!

One chain turned completely red-hot, burned away, and its warmth kept Lin’s heart warm for a while.

—

The sun had set.

Lin watched Lucy for a long time as she ate sandwiches non-stop after returning to their room.

“It’s nice to see you eating so well.”

“Ugh…”

“I’m not teasing you.”

When Lucy tried to put down her sandwich modestly with her cheeks puffed out, Lin encouraged her by giving her another one.

“You know, before you recovered, you hardly ate anything and suffered so much.”

“Before recovering” was a euphemism for the time when her arms and legs were shattered.

Remembering how she had angrily asked why he had saved her, Lucy chewed her sandwich diligently while looking elsewhere.

“Your hair got in your mouth.”

But Lin appeared in front of her again and removed the hair that had gotten into her mouth.

Finally, Lucy quietly put down her sandwich.

“What’s wrong?”

“I feel like such a pig…”

“Pig? You’re eating heartily, which is auspicious.”

“Saying it’s ‘auspicious’ is also kind of…”

It does seem far from being called pretty.

“You asked me about my ideal type before.”

“Yes, I did.”

At that time, Lucy had described her ideal type thinking of Lin, only to realize with horror that Rainford fit the description better.

“I definitely like women who eat well. That’s for sure.”

“…Who would like a woman who eats a lot?”

Coming from a fallen noble family, Lucy had been scolded by her parents for eating too much when she was young.

Perhaps because of this, Lucy thought that her big appetite diminished her charm as a woman.

But not knowing that it was all for providing nutrition to grow those two melon-sized mounds on her chest, Lin felt sad.

With that sympathy, he brushed back her flowing hair, causing Lucy’s face to turn red and making her unable to look at Lin properly.

“Besides, I saw you eating well every day during our journey to defeat the Demon Lord.”

*Flinch*

Ah, there she goes again.

Even when she wanted to remain calm, whenever Lin mentioned those times, her wrongdoings would surface in her mind.

That glutton of a hero who ate Lin’s portion too and handed him empty pots.

Lin also realized his mistake.

He had tried to lighten the mood but ended up reopening old wounds.

On the other hand, he also wondered if this dynamic was right.

He was the victim, yet he had to be considerate of the perpetrator who was immobilized by guilt.

Although it was much better than if she were shameless about it, Lin realized anew how tangled their relationship had become.

It was difficult for both the one apologizing and the one receiving the apology to untie this tightly knotted relationship, and Lin felt at a loss.

Yet, he still felt that something was lacking for him to fully forgive her.

“Lucy, I’ve told you it’s okay. The past has already flowed away. If we don’t focus on the present based on the past, the future will only be dark.”

This repeated topic still showed no sign of resolution.

After hesitating, Lucy painfully expressed the thought that had been circling in her mind.

“I think… no matter how true that is, it’s not something I should say.”

Teary eyes stared at the mask.

“I don’t deserve that right.”

In the room where the sun had set and no lights were on, only moonlight shone faintly.

Caught between not wanting to forgive easily and feeling sorry for Lucy trapped in regret, Lin spoke after a long contemplation.

“Then shall we just look at today?”

“Today?”

“Today, Lucy protected me all day.”

As a reward, he patted her head.

“You even got angry at the archer on my behalf.”

For that thoughtfulness, he let her lean on his shoulder.

“You also caught the spy hiding in the ceiling.”

In gratitude, Lin consciously gave Lucy a smile.

Only then did her tears subside, and Lucy could feel relieved.

“Looking at just today, Lucy has only helped me, not hurt me at all.”

Lucy exhaled deeply.

Even her breathing was trembling.

This was troubling.

Lin made a big decision and whispered to Lucy.

“See, Lucy did really well today.”

“I’m so glad.”

“So you deserve a reward.”

“A reward?”

“Actually, I know that your breath gets really rough whenever you listen to my heartbeat.”

Understanding his meaning, Lucy felt her arm hair stand on end.

As her whole body flushed and she didn’t know what to do, Lin deliberately calmed her down.

“You must have been under a lot of stress lately, but you’ve always worked hard by my side, so… I’ll grant you one wish.”

“Really?”

A voice barely audible.

“Really.”

“I can’t do it because it’s a perverted wish.”

He had prepared for that much.

Normally, he would never have agreed, but to prepare for what was to come, he needed to actively care for Lucy’s mental state.

“It’s okay.”

“R-really?”

“Well, if Lucy doesn’t want to, then never mind.”

“No, I do! I do, but…”

Completely flushed, Lucy stuttered several times before stating her wish.

“I want to lick Lin’s sweat.”

Wanting to take the essence of the one she loves into her mouth.

The hero’s wish contained quite a morbid affection.

Lin’s mind went blank for a moment.

“I guess it’s not possible after all…?”

“No, that’s not it…”

He closed his eyes tightly.

“Is it not okay to leave kiss marks?”

“Yes…”

“Um… what should I do?”

“Just lie down on the bed.”

I’ll take care of the rest.

Lin obediently lay down as Lucy instructed.

Lucy slowly unbuttoned Lin’s shirt.

As his bare skin was revealed, the man’s scent wafted strongly.

Lucy’s eyes glazed over at that bodily fragrance.

A gulp, an indecorous sound, resonated from the hero’s throat, and following the nose that touched the abdomen, a small tongue was gently extended from the round lips.

“Chu-up.”

The sensation, like a bird pecking at feed, was quite ticklish.

Lucy, who had been rolling her tongue along the contours of his abs, was now heading towards below the navel.

“Haa… Haa…!”

Lucy stared intently at what lay below.

Her eyes, as bloodshot as her red hair, clearly showed that her reason had completely gone.

She wanted to bury her face between there.

Was Lin actually responding to her?

She wanted to know.

She wanted to know if even a lowly woman like herself could arouse desire in him.

“Haak…!”

Breathing roughly like a vampire resisting blood, Lucy eventually pressed her tongue against his abs again.

This time, she moved upward, upward.

Reaching his neck, Lucy lightly kissed under his chin and then placed her ear against his chest.

His heartbeat, faster than usual.

Against that heartbeat, Lucy made a promise.

“I won’t do anything Lin hasn’t permitted.”

Gradually, his heartbeat returned to a peaceful rhythm.

As a large hand stroked her head, Lucy buried her face in his chest and smiled.

Lin’s sweat was ecstatic.

Besides the heartbeat and the red thread, it was an achievement she had earned, something Lin had personally permitted.

The two intertwined figures yawned, overcome by drowsiness.

“Lucy.”

“Yes.”

Barely lifting her heavy eyelids, Lucy responded to Lin.

“If my prediction is correct, we’ll soon be separated.”

What?

All sleepiness gone, Lucy sat up abruptly and looked at Lin.

“Are you leaving me? Is that why you granted my wish?”

“It’s not like that.”

“I did something wrong, Lin! I won’t make such wishes again. I’m sorry, Lin. Please, please…!”

Lucy, kneeling on the floor and begging, was heartbreaking to anyone who saw.

Lin hurriedly embraced Lucy, who was about to have a fit.

“Lucy, it’s not like that. It’s all necessary.”

“For what? I can’t be without Lin. You know that. I’ll do better. So please…!”

“Shh~.”

He held her tighter and waited for her to calm down.

As her trembling subsided, Lucy also embraced him.

“Lucy, do you remember what I said to Ravin earlier today?”

“To provoke the Crown Princess…”

“I said it was to prevent Rainford from intervening.”

“Yes, you did say that.”

Lin decided to be honest.

He believed that Lucy would understand if he was.

“Our temporary separation is for that purpose.”

“To prevent Rainford’s intervention?”

“More precisely…”

Lin whispered close to Lucy’s ear.

“I’m going to half-kill him so he can’t even set foot in the hero’s party.”

Retiring Rainford from the hero’s party.

This was Lin’s plan.

“I hate that guy.”

“Yes, I hate him too. Really hate him!”

Lucy agreed frantically.

She had intended to kill that traitor from the beginning.

“Lin, by ‘half-kill,’ do you mean I can kill him?”

“No, not that. Killing him outright would make the aftermath too complicated.”

“So I need to control my strength?”

“Even if not at full power, hit him hard enough that you’re sure he’d die. He’s quite tough.”

“Right. I’ll do as you say, Lin.”

If Arsil had seen this, he would have found Lin’s plotting to harm others unfamiliar.

But that was only because he had devised strategies considering Arsil’s straightforward nature.

When he was under Rinasien, he had employed many cowardly tactics even when presenting the worst plans.

The Sewage Alley was a place where the unskilled couldn’t survive.

“So it’s okay. We’ll have to be apart for a while, so until then, Lucy can make such wishes as much as she wants.”

“…Can I lick some more?”

“As much as you want.”

“No, now that I know you’re not abandoning me, I feel relaxed… I just want to sleep like this, listening to your heartbeat.”

“Alright, let’s do that.”

Before long, Lucy fell asleep, breathing evenly.

She still couldn’t sleep properly without Lin.

“I’m uncomfortable with this too, but there’s no choice.”

Despite deeply hating his opponent, Lin’s nature wasn’t cruel enough to kill him.

But there was still a reason why Rainford needed to be retired.

If they started a new journey with the shield knight intact in the hero’s party, it would be game over.

Unlike Rinasien, the meticulous Rainford would watch for an opportunity to take Lin hostage and threaten Lucy.

Lucy, disarmed quietly for Lin’s safety, would be exposed defenseless to the attacks of other party members and die.

And Lin, whose usefulness had diminished, would follow in death. Quite miserably.

All of this is known only to Lin, and he is acting to prevent this bad ending.

For now, we only need to know this fact.