The Battle Where the One Who Loves More Loses (1)

Gyeotmwa Josyegigot, Agnes, Celista, Silena… and the rest of the Hero’s party members.

Even excluding the usually silent Luke, just hearing the voices of the others chatting as they entered the shop was enough to confirm it. Gyeotmwa Josyegigot had chosen this place as the after-party spot for his entire party after their Geology Exploration class.

‘…Well, even heroes can’t resist fried chicken, I guess.’

They had entered the dungeon two days earlier than us and stayed longer, so their accumulated fatigue must have been relatively greater.

I could understand the hero’s psychology of wanting to unwind with some chicken and beer after all that, which is why they came to this restaurant.

The only problem was that Ethan and I had already arrived first and taken our seats.

‘This is just going to make Ethan uncomfortable for no reason.’

And, to be honest, I wasn’t particularly keen on getting involved either. Aside from Gyeotmwa Josyegigot and Agnes, the other members of the Hero’s party weren’t close enough to me to call them friends yet.

Thinking that, I quietly continued my meal to avoid unnecessary entanglement, but Agnes-the only somewhat familiar face in the Hero’s party-sneakily approached our table.

“What’s this? You two on a date?”

“…You could say that.”

“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t disturb us, Lady Blaze.”

“No, I wasn’t trying to disturb you or anything…”

Though the three of us often hung out together, today Ethan and I had a reason to be alone.

Even if Agnes was a mutual acquaintance, neither Ethan nor I wanted to get involved with her right now.

“Agnes? What are you doing over there?”

“Ah, well…”

“Do you know someone there or… Oh.”

The moment Gyeotmwa Josyegigot, who had come to retrieve Agnes after she wandered off, naturally discovered Ethan and me on our date.

And just as Ethan’s expression was about to stiffen in response, Gyeotmwa grabbed Agnes’s arm and pulled her away from us.

“Sorry for interrupting your date. We’ll just stick to our table in the back, so don’t mind us and enjoy your time.”

“…I’d appreciate that.”

“Let’s go, Agnes. Don’t disturb them.”

“I really wasn’t trying to disturb them…”

Agnes, with a slightly wronged expression, was dragged away by Gyeotmwa toward the back of the restaurant. Thanks to his quick handling, what could have been an awkward situation was smoothly defused.

“…That hero guy might not be so bad after all.”

“Huh?”

“…Never mind, Lilith. Just talking to myself.”

“……”

Wait, did Ethan just develop a favorable impression of Gyeotmwa Josyegigot because he took Agnes away?

He usually found the hero annoying, but now his opinion changed just because of something this trivial?

Does that mean as long as he doesn’t interfere with our time together, Ethan doesn’t care how many girls Gyeotmwa dates?

‘Well, if he judges people based on such simple reasons, it might be easier for me too…’

But, whatever.

At least the situation passed without any trouble, and that’s what matters.

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

After coincidentally enjoying some chicken and beer-no, not sex-with Ethan at the restaurant.

To help digest our dinner, Ethan and I took a leisurely stroll along the lakeside of the Island of Knowledge.

The sun had long since set, and the moonlight was now brighter than the fading daylight.

As the night deepened, casting a strangely sentimental mood, our conversation gradually dwindled while walking by the lake.

-Step, step, step.

“…The moon is beautiful.”

“…The lake is so clear.”

-Step, step, step.

“……”

“……”

This is seriously unbearable.

At this point, I thought Ethan would finally say something, but he just kept drowning in sentimentality without making a move, leaving the situation frustratingly stagnant.

So, what’s the problem? Why is he dragging this out?

Just to be clear, I don’t think it’s absolutely necessary. It’s not like I’ll die if we don’t do it. Besides, if anyone’s going to regret not doing it, it’s Ethan, not me.

So I’m absolutely not going to bring it up first. Not until Ethan mentions the reward he earned from our last victory.

“Hey, Lilith.”

“Yes, Young Master Ethan.”

“…Since we’re already out in the shopping district today…”

“……”

“If it’s okay with you… how about we stay at an inn outside and go back tomorrow?”

…There it is.

It’s here, it’s here, it’s here.

Of course, there’s no way Ethan would forget the reward he’s owed. He’s practically obsessed with me-how could he forget?

Judging by his behavior, he must have been really frustrated about not getting to do it with me last time we were alone in the forest. The fact that he suggested staying out instead of going back to the dormitory room he shares with Isobel proves it.

“I don’t mind, but what about Isobel…?”

“…I already told her. That I might stay out tonight, so she can go to sleep if it’s past midnight.”

“You already made plans to stay out without even confirming my agreement? Was my consent just a tentative formality, Young Master Ethan?”

“Half… no, 80% of it. I figured you’d agree.”

“……”

“Because… you like it too, right? You’re not going to pretend otherwise now, are you?”

…Ugh, he’s gotten way too bold since he found out my weakness.

Yeah, I do like it. Just not as much as Ethan does.

But the fact that I still hold all the power when it comes to initiating intimacy is undeniable, so I calmly nodded in response to his provocation.

“I’ll agree to Young Master Ethan’s proposal, but please understand that this agreement is not made in anticipation of sharing a bed with you.”

“Huh?”

“I am Young Master Ethan’s exclusive maid, and any intimacy between us is solely an expression of my sincerity in response to your achievements. I’d appreciate it if you kept that in mind.”

“…Hmm, is that so?”

“Yes, that is correct.”

“So, does that mean you’ve been forcing yourself to go along with sleeping with me even though it makes you uncomfortable?”

“……What?”

…What kind of question is this all of a sudden?

Weren’t we just going to naturally head to the inn? What’s with this weirdly probing question?

Sure, when I first let him touch my chest, there was definitely some reluctance… but at this point, that’s not even worth considering.

After all, even I can’t deny the truth-as Ethan’s temporary lover, I do enjoy our intimate moments.

“I don’t understand what you’re implying, Young Master Ethan. Did it seem to you that I was reluctantly going along with sleeping with you?”

“Well… Lilith, sometimes I can’t tell what you’re thinking. Maybe you were just pretending to like it for my sake, even though you didn’t.”

“…You’re free to believe whatever you think is right, Young Master Ethan. There’s no need for me to explicitly confirm my feelings for you.”

“One of the things I believe most strongly is that I won’t force myself on someone who doesn’t want to sleep with me, Lilith. Especially if that person is someone I love.”

…Why is he being so annoying today?

I thought that after his sword duel with Harold, sleeping together had become a natural routine. But Ethan’s sudden roundabout questioning feels oddly out of place today.

Almost as if he’s trying to confirm something from me through this conversation.

I’ve been carefully avoiding direct answers to prevent giving him any leverage, but Ethan isn’t backing down. In the end, it was my patience that ran out first, not his.

“Seriously… you’re so dense.”

“Huh?”

“If I really hated it, what kind of reaction do you think I would’ve had when you asked to sleep with me? You’ve known me since childhood, Young Master Ethan. Don’t you know how I react to people I truly ‘dislike’?”

“…Yeah, I do.”

Of course he wouldn’t say he doesn’t. Especially since Ethan has personally witnessed my anger at its worst.

So he should understand-I’m the type to clearly voice my dislikes, even to him. If I don’t say anything, it usually means I don’t mind.

“Just remember one thing, Young Master Ethan. No matter who it is, if I dislike something, I’ll say so.”

“…Alright. I’ll accept that answer for now.”

“Huh?”

“But next time I ask… I hope you’ll be a little more honest than today.”

“……”

“The inn district is that way, right? Let’s stay at a nicer place this time. The one we stayed at during the entrance exam was a bit cramped.”

“…Understood.”

For some reason, after my answer, Ethan suddenly seemed more confident.

His demeanor, which had been somewhat hesitant before, now carried an odd sense of ease. It was as if he had realized something from our conversation just now…

‘…Well, at least I won the psychological battle.’

By saying that I “don’t dislike” sleeping with Ethan, I managed to avoid revealing my true feelings. In other words, I still firmly hold the power to decide whether or not we engage in intimacy.

In love, the one who loves more is always destined to lose.

In that sense, I still haven’t lost to Ethan. Right.