episode_0222

Early in the morning, I sat around the dining table with everyone, sharing a meal.

‘Ugh, my head.’

My head felt like it was splitting from the hangover.

Usually, such hangovers could be expelled from the body using magic, and normally, they’d disappear quickly due to the body’s fast detoxification capabilities.

But this unique fruit wine was different.

It seemed to have some kind of magic penetration property, easily bypassing my resistance and giving me a headache.

Compared to me, the other two were perfectly fine.

Roxana hadn’t overdrank much to begin with, and Deborah, quite simply, had consumed the semen I gave her.

The semen, almost like an elixir, completely removed even the hangover from the fruit wine.

I couldn’t bring myself to consume my own semen, so I was reluctantly enduring the hangover.

But that wasn’t the only problem.

‘Why is she glaring at me like that?’

Strangely, Roxana, who had been laughing and chatting with me just yesterday, was now glowering at me fiercely.

I even asked Deborah if something was on my face, but she just told me I was handsome as usual.

Just as I was pondering, looking at Roxana.

A glance.

As if suddenly aware of my gaze, she darted a side glance and then carefully covered her chest.

It was as if she’d been sexually harassed.

‘What? Why is she acting like that?’

I just looked at her, and it felt a bit unfair for her to react like that.

Anyone who didn’t know would think I had assaulted her last night.

‘Wait, last night?’

Come to think of it, something must have happened in the early hours of the morning. I don’t remember well, but I was definitely in a very good mood…

‘Did I perhaps have sex with Deborah while drunk?’

I glanced at Deborah.

Unaware of my thoughts, she was cheerfully enjoying her breakfast.

Then, as if feeling my gaze, she looked back at me.

“Ruan. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Just because you’re pretty.”

“Hehe, really? Thank you.”

Women like compliments.

So even if I openly changed the subject like this, she would be lenient.

However, Roxana seemed displeased.

“Stop with the empty flattery and focus on your meal. And from now on, try to moderate your drinking. I tried to create some time for you two, but you ended up completely out of it. What if something had happened?”

Roxana, who had been nagging like a machine gun, glared at me again with her final words.

I might get indigestion at this rate.

“Yes. I’ll be careful.”

“Good. I’ll expect you to show it through your actions.”

With that, the conversation ended.

Deborah, too, seemed to judge that Roxana was more angry than she let on, so she didn’t bother speaking and quietly continued her meal.

I also focused on my meal so as not to displease her, and my plate was quickly emptied.

Afterward, it was time for a leisurely tea.

Roxana, who had been staring out at the street beyond the window as if deep in thought, opened her mouth.

“You two sometimes clear dungeons together, right?”

“Yes. We need strength to prevent future events.”

“Did you say I would die in the autumn?”

“…You did.”

I had already given Roxana a rough explanation about the future.

When she first heard about her death, she seemed surprised, but soon offered Deborah comfort with a bitter smile.

But what was her intention in bringing it up again now?

As I looked at her, puzzled, Roxana turned her head to me and got to the point.

“Then when will you go to the dungeon again?”

“Huh?”

“I’m busy, you know. We need to coordinate the schedule in advance.”

“You’ll help us?”

“Didn’t we make a deal like that?”

Her expression seemed to ask why I was asking the obvious.

Honestly, I thought she would just let it go since Deborah had found out everything, but it seemed she was taking responsibility for it.

That was good for me.

‘More importantly, dungeons…’

There were far too many dungeons to go to.

If Roxana was with me, I’d be able to go to places I couldn’t at my current level.

Among them, there were a few suitable ones that came to mind.

“Hmm… there are many places I want to go, but it’s hard to decide. Can I tell you later? I also have somewhere I need to go right after this.”

“Did you say you were going on a date with Alisa Bretes? How shameless.”

“Oh! How did you know?”

“Deborah told me. Just now when we were preparing breakfast. Are you feeling guilty?”

Roxana looked at me indifferently, as if asking if I was only now feeling such a thing.

I couldn’t say anything.

‘To think she’d tell Roxana that.’

I merely felt a mix of admiration and resentment for Deborah’s peculiar initiative.

Still, the fortunate thing was that Roxana wasn’t as sensitive to the “not-quite-two-timing” as I thought.

“If you feel guilty, just treat Deborah well. That’s all I care about. Understood?”

“Yep! Of course.”

“Good. But just because I said that, don’t go messing around with just any woman, alright? I won’t forgive you then.”

Roxana’s eyes gleamed eerily.

The intensity was too chilling to be a simple warning, so I quickly nodded… then paused and put forward a condition.

“Of course, I should. But in dangerous situations, I might not be able to help it.”

“I know. I’m excluding those situations. Anyway, if you understand, then go. You don’t have much time.”

“Yes! I’ll see you later!”

After respectfully bidding farewell, I received a goodbye kiss from Deborah and then left the magic tower.

‘We were supposed to meet at the botanical garden, right?’

I hurried my steps toward the meeting place.

*

In front of the botanical garden, covered in freshly fallen snow, a girl sat on a bench, waiting for someone.

Her brilliant hair looked as if it were melted gold, and her red eyes sparkled with a luminous glow, like perfectly embedded rubies.

A figure that was overall slim, yet absolutely not lacking in curves.

Her name was Alisa Bretes.

Alisa, who had realized her love a few days ago, was radiating a brighter vitality than ever before.

A red scarf over her white winter dress further accentuated her striking features, making her look like a princess from a fairy tale.

Her beauty was such that passing men didn’t even dare to flirt with her.

Just then, Alisa fixed her gaze on one spot and abruptly stood up.

Ruan was visible there.

She was about to run toward him with a bright smile, but then suddenly frowned, crossed her arms, and stood haughtily, waiting for Ruan to approach.

Ruan chuckled and walked closer.

“Sorry. Did you wait long?”

“Yeah. I waited for ages, you know?”

“Oh, really? You must be cold. Let’s go inside quickly.”

“Hmph! I’m not saying anything because I’m cold. Otherwise, you’d be dead. You know that?”

“Of course, I know. So let’s go in quickly.”

Ruan put his arm around her grumbling shoulder, pulling her into his embrace, and began to walk.

The large hand on her shoulder, the firm chest felt against her back, the warmth slowly spreading, all of it made her heart pound.

At his assertive skinship, Alisa pouted but obediently matched his pace.

She subtly observed Ruan.

‘He looks quite handsome today, doesn’t he?’

Ruan was dressed overall in black and blue tones, contrasting with her.

Usually, this would clash, but strangely, they created synergy by complementing each other’s lacking aspects, making the scene even more colorful.

His fashion sense was a pass, at least.

‘Well, he’d probably look handsome even in rags, anyway.’

Alisa, who had been making a cool assessment, unconsciously inserted a highly subjective personal opinion.

And belatedly embarrassed by her own thoughts, she bit her lip tightly.

“Alisa. What’s wrong?”

Ruan instantly caught her expression and asked worriedly.

To notice so quickly meant he had been constantly watching her. Her heart pounded wildly at his kindness and sensitivity.

Alisa was anxious that her pounding might be heard by Ruan.

‘Stop being so handsome!’

And with that, she ended up being unnecessarily curt.

“It’s nothing, okay? More importantly, we’ve arrived at the ticket booth. Move aside!”

“Good, if you’re fine.”

Even his gentle smile was handsome.

Alisa presented her ticket at the counter, then quickly moved inside the botanical garden.

It was a struggle to give herself some time to calm down, but no matter how quickly she moved her feet, she couldn’t shake Ruan off.

When she took two steps, Ruan took one large stride, closing the distance to zero.

‘Why are his legs so long, too?’

Alisa, flustered by the difference in leg length, tried her best to regain her composure.

Just then, a deep fragrance brushed her nose, and her gaze instinctively shifted sideways.

There were roses.

Touched by a gardener’s hand, the roses, artificial yet retaining a natural beauty, strongly asserted their presence.

Seeing them, Alisa felt a strange sensation.

‘They don’t feel unpleasant.’

In fact, she used to dislike roses.

This was because their hidden appearance, with thorns extended, reminded her of her own circumstances.

Their pitiful struggles to surround a stem that could be easily cut with a single pair of scissors, preventing anyone from touching it, were exactly like hers.

But not anymore.

She had half-escaped her family’s influence and gained hope of attaining freedom in the future.

And all of that was also something this man, who was now looking at her with satisfaction beside her, had achieved.

Alisa gazed at Ruan.

His dark eyes were so deep that it was hard to read his true thoughts, but one thing, the gentleness within them, was clearly visible.

Seeing that, she suddenly felt a pang of conscience.

‘Come to think of it, I never apologized.’

The daily life that followed the wedding had been so happy that she had neglected the past.

Unable to meet his gaze, Alisa looked at the roses and opened her mouth.

“I’m sorry.”

“Huh? For what?”

“…Everything I did until now. Blaming you, hating you, not trying to understand you. And for not keeping my promise, all of it.”

Her own selfishness, which had distorted and accepted others’ earnestness without seeing it properly, was the root cause of all problems.

Alisa definitively admitted that.

Ruan, who had been silent for a moment at her apology, strode closer from behind and embraced her.

“It’s okay. It’s already in the past.”

“But you were sad. You felt betrayed. You resented the world. Wasn’t that right?”

“That’s right. But… instead, I’m happy now, so it’s fine. For the sake of the present, I can overcome past events any number of times.”

At his whisper filled with conviction, Alisa bravely turned around to face Ruan.

Unlike what she had vaguely worried about, his face was full of a bright smile.

Relief and happiness overflowed.

“Ruan…”

“Alisa.”

Their eyes met, they called each other’s names, and without a moment’s hesitation, their lips met.