Ch.58Chapter 58. Tigria Has Never Received Gratitude

His chest felt strangely itchy.

Something soft yet firm was slowly exploring Lin.

“Mmm.”

Having been in deep sleep, the itchiness disappeared when he shifted slightly.

But that didn’t last long. Once Lin settled into a comfortable position, the sensation began to creep over his body again.

Finding it subtly irritating, Lin reached out and gently pressed whatever was on his chest.

It felt like a soft ball of fur.

As he started to stroke it, the furball seemed to calm down before focusing intensely on one particular spot.

Unable to bear it any longer, Lin slowly raised his head and made eye contact with Lucy, who had her tongue sticking out.

“……”

“……”

“Hello, Lucy.”

When he greeted her as naturally as possible, Lucy withdrew her tongue that had been pressed against him.

“Slurp… Hello, Lin.”

“Was I sweating?”

Still mentally foggy, he asked without fully grasping the situation.

Lucy flinched and averted her eyes.

“N-not really?”

“Hmm, that’s good.”

He was still half-asleep.

Since he wasn’t fully awake, he tried closing his eyes again while the drowsiness remained.

As Lin’s breathing slowed, Lucy cautiously began to stick out her tongue again.

But then an unfamiliar voice interrupted the two.

“Lucy-ena’s statement is inaccurate. While the front wasn’t particularly sweaty, the back was completely soaked through to the sheets.”

“?!”

Both Lucy and Lin jumped up in surprise.

The magician Tigria was standing near the doorway, watching them.

“What are you doing here?!”

“Heard the porter wanted to greet me and was looking for me all day yesterday. Came without delay.”

“How long have you been there?”

“Not long. Since Lucy-ena was sticking out her tongue near the porter’s nipple, debating whether to continue or not…”

“Ahhh! Ahhhhh!”

Horrified, Lucy had no way to silence Tigria except by screaming louder.

Meanwhile, Lin pulled the blanket up to his chest.

Fueled by embarrassment, Lucy growled at Tigria.

“Coming without notice is incredibly rude!”

“My oversight. Recently my observation subjects have been instructed to move without making any presence known, so I’ve developed bad habits.”

“Get out right now!”

“Understood.”

Her calm apology was even more infuriating.

When Lucy ordered her to leave, the magician nodded.

“If you wish to greet me, come to my room. I plan to stay in my room from yesterday until today.”

“I’ll go right away.”

“Lin!”

Lucy protested, but when Lin hugged her, she didn’t push further.

“I need to thank her anyway. Let’s get it over with early and then spend time together.”

“…Alright.”

Seeing Lucy become docile, something flickered in Tigria’s otherwise expressionless eyes.

“For reference, there’s a dinner tonight that only the hero’s party is invited to attend.”

“Don’t need it, not going.”

“Understood. I’ll prepare to receive guests. Come whenever it’s convenient.”

Tigria’s form distorted.

Waving her hand, the magician disappeared like a mirage.

It was a bodiless doppelganger created by magic.

So that’s why there was no presence and she could pass through walls—because she used a magical projection.

But since it required complete concentration to control, her real body must be in her own room where she had set up defenses.

Unlike ninja skill clones, this could only be used as a messenger.

Lucy glared at where Tigria had been, grinding her teeth.

“Lucy, we need to go to the dinner.”

“Why? It’ll be full of people hostile to us.”

“That’s exactly why we should go.”

Lin stretched and got up.

The shock had fully awakened him.

“Who knows what they might be plotting if they gather by themselves?”

—

“I apologize for my rudeness this morning.”

“It’s fine. It’s nothing compared to you saving my life in the Zramun Archipelago.”

Having quickly prepared, Lin headed to Tigria’s room.

However, he had to leave the extremely tense Lucy waiting outside the door.

No matter what anyone said, it was a natural reaction considering the magician was the first person to blow off Lucy’s legs right after defeating the Demon King.

[She’s handling it well? Is the gratitude for getting closer to Lin greater than her grudge for losing her limbs?]

“Shut up.”

Lucy gripped the sword handle with maximum force in response to the demonic sword’s taunting.

Entering Tigria’s room, Lin was struck by how ordinary it seemed for a magician.

He had expected various magical instruments, but apart from books densely packed on a long desk, there was nothing special.

‘Romance books?’

Scratch that previous thought.

Glancing over without much thought, he realized they were all interest-based romance novels.

Just from the titles, the romance genres seemed diverse.

Pure love, harem, harem pure love, non-virgin pure love, even netorare.

‘Can harem have pure love? What concept is non-virgin pure love, and netorare is…?’

“Excuse me.”

Bringing tea herself, Tigria noticed the netorare book and immediately grabbed it, burning it with her hand.

Despite using no incantation, the book disappeared quickly without even the smell of burning.

“Purchased it as reference material just in case, but it was garbage.”

“I see.”

“Surrendering one’s dignity and entire life for mere carnal desire is no different from being an animal. Such wallowing only lasts while the woman is beautiful. It’s obvious she’ll be discarded mercilessly afterward, yet rushing toward such an ending for momentary pleasure is the worst.”

“Surprisingly, there are many beast-like people in the world, aren’t there?”

The magician’s movement paused slightly as she set down her teacup.

Whether she was surprised by his proper response when everyone else ignored her words, or because Lin’s statement cut deep into her heart, was unclear.

“Lin is correct. Still, it was content I couldn’t tolerate.”

“I haven’t read it, but I don’t think I could tolerate it either.”

“I hope you never do.”

“Which book do you like best, Magician?”

After thinking briefly, Tigria pulled out a book with a gray cover.

“This is my favorite.”

“What is it?”

“A love story between childhood friends. Because they’re both poor, the male lead leaves to earn money, while the female lead resists all temptations and waits until the end, welcoming him back and marrying him.”

How common.

A pure love story with nothing special.

However, Tigria seemed quite excited as she introduced the book.

Though her voice barely changed in pitch, Lee the transmigrator, a veteran of the Arrogant Saga, could tell.

“I believe love should be like that.”

“I see.”

“Having the right partner and the right love.”

“That’s true.”

“If that had happened… a doll like me wouldn’t have needed to be born…”

The last words were barely audible.

Lin deliberately pretended not to hear.

“I apologize for the late greeting. I heard you saved me with emergency treatment in the Zramun Archipelago. Thank you very much.”

As he bowed deeply, the magician experienced a feeling she had never felt before.

What was this sensation of her chest feeling ticklish yet warmly colored?

“I’d like to repay you.”

“In that case, I’d like you to spend some time with me.”

The purple magician straightened her posture.

“Do you like Lucy-ena?”

“As a comrade, yes?”

He drew a clear line with no room for interpretation.

However, Tigria found herself feeling both disappointed yet somehow relieved.

Why?

She put down the pen she had picked up to record his answer, and instead of looking at her notepad, she gazed at Lin.

“I am researching affection.”

“That sounds difficult just hearing about it…?”

“Correct. Very difficult. That’s why I need samples.”

I see, so that’s why she was reading romance books.

The magician’s personal history was barely revealed even in the game.

He had thought the romance books were just a gap moe setting, but there was a more serious reason.

“The tea has cooled. I’ll warm it.”

“Thank you.”

There it was again.

It was just a conventional expression of gratitude, but Tigria’s chest warmed once more.

Come to think of it, while the magician had received praise for doing well, this was the first time she had been thanked.

That strange yet touching sensation oddly made her want to keep observing Lin.

Yet whenever their eyes seemed about to meet, she found herself unconsciously averting her gaze.

Instead, she ended up looking at his hands, arms, and shoulders.

It wasn’t uncomfortable so much as tense.

“Ah.”

She spilled a little tea.

Lin casually took out a soft cloth and wiped the table.

“The tea is delicious.”

“…I’m glad.”

What was this emotion?

More accustomed to hostility than goodwill, Tigria wanted to know more.

So she decided to test him.

“Lucy-ena seems to like Lin very much.”

“Does she?”

“Otherwise she wouldn’t be licking bare skin.”

“……”

Speechless.

Lin sighed.

“Lucy has anxiety issues because of your betrayal. That’s what caused her obsession with me.”

Lin subtly criticized the magician’s betrayal.

As his hostility surfaced, Tigria felt a pang.

It should have been familiar, but this one hurt quite a bit.

“I want to confirm if it’s affection.”

“You want to observe Lucy? From beside her?”

“That would be difficult right now. Instead, I want to observe Lin.”

“That would be difficult right now too, wouldn’t it?”

“Even from a distance would be fine.”

Lin made a troubled expression.

“There’s nothing to gain from observing me, is there?”

There is.

She wanted to directly feel and understand what goodwill and affection were.

“There is. It would be valuable to see what actions of Lin’s make Lucy-ena more obsessive, or when her feelings wane, and so on.”

“I see. Then Lucy would need to be present for it to be meaningful.”

“No. I also need to understand what type of person Lin is.”

Tigria hastily added.

Lin knew it was time to reel in the fishing line.

“How about we talk about each other, just the two of us, when we get the chance?”

“By ‘just the two of us,’ you mean only me and Lin?”

“Yes, aren’t you curious about how others see you as a person?”

“Lin could do that with Lucy-ena too.”

“Lucy is… currently lacking objectivity…”

Tigria accepted Lin’s excuse.

“Understood. But I’m not sure when the opportunity will come.”

“Me neither. But that’s what makes it an opportunity—not knowing when it will come.”

It was a promise without a specific date.

But Tigria found herself vainly looking forward to that promise.

Knock knock

“Lin? It’s already evening. A messenger came saying we should attend the dinner.”

“Ah, I should go.”

Lin stood up at Lucy’s knock.

Tigria felt disappointment.

Disappointment?

She felt disappointment toward a person?

It was strange.

She was strange today.

“Would you like to come with us?”

Tigria quickly nodded.

“Gladly.”