Chapter 8
Chapter 8
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: The Saint's Inner Thoughts
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◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "My ideal type? Hmm. I haven't really thought about it deeply, so I'm not sure..."
At my question, Victoria rolled her eyes and fell into thought. As if pondering deeply, she began to look me over slowly from head to toe.
"...First of all, you probably aren't it."
"You. You yourself are my ideal type." Once again, Victoria's words differed from her inner thoughts. Her face, pale as ice, spat out cold words.
"First, my ideal type does not drink or smoke. I have a belief that I don't want a human who succumbs to mere desires by consuming things that are utterly harmful to health by my side."
Striding forward, Victoria pointed her chin forward as if aiming her words at me. Her gaze held a sharpness mixed with contempt and reproach.
"I'm worried about Astal-nim's health. The previous Pope also had a fondness for drink, and later he was poisoned by it..." Hearing her worried voice directly in my mind, my heart couldn't help but waver.
"...To smile at such an insult, you truly are an irredeemable pervert. Are you perhaps some piglet driven mad by lust?"
Victoria said this while chewing her lip. Her expression as she calmly lowered her eyes and looked at me with pity was like that of a venomous snake.
"Astal-nim really likes this sort of thing... Later, if I whisper such words in your ear, will you get even more excited? I wish you'd say you'll make me your woman, succumbing to the provocation..." "No, I'm thinking I can't be your ideal type after all. Alcohol and tobacco are like my girlfriends, so they're things I can't quit."
Reading Victoria's sinister thoughts, I brought out the words I had prepared in advance. Since this was a contract relationship, I had to manage it well so that others wouldn't misunderstand.
Show that we like each other, but maintain an appropriate distance so it seems we could break up at any time without issue.
That was my winning strategy for dealing with Victoria. After all, she hardly ever shows any sign of approaching me first.
"Your lover right now is me, yet you dare declare you'll cheat? Or perhaps, are you unable to control your lower half and sway your hips for anyone?"
"Even if it's a contract relationship, Astal-nim's lover right now is me... Am I less attractive than alcohol or tobacco?" Victoria was struggling not to show her unsettled feelings. Seeing her say the Saint sways her hips or use words like 'lower half,' she seemed incredibly angry.
"...Clearly, I confessed first because I liked you, and I know you still don't have any particular feelings for me. But, this part is personal privacy, right?"
As I said this, I took a magic leaf from my robe's inner pocket and rolled it into a circle with my fingers. Making pointless lies I didn't even mean made anxiety creep in.
I had said I confessed to Victoria first. The more I fabricated, the more the lies piled up like a snowball.
"Still, I dislike it. Why must you smoke something that smells toxic and makes your hands tremble if you don't?"
"If I even imagine that you might pass away before me someday from lung disease, it feels like the world is collapsing..." Victoria used her divine power to make my tobacco leaf grow and transform into a flower. Only now did I understand why she forbade my smoking, but...
"I can't live without this."
Understanding and acceptance are different matters. For now, this is the only way to suppress my anxiety.
"Then live like that for the rest of your life. I've clearly stated I dislike it."
Victoria let out a deep sigh and even snatched the bouquet from my hand with hers, crushing it under her foot. It seemed she didn't want to leave even a trace of tobacco.
"...Anyway, secondly, he must be a pious man like me. Someone who never skips prayers even during meals and always expresses gratitude for all things."
"The more I think about it, the more opposite he is to me..."
I scratched my chin and fell into deep thought. If such a person was Victoria's ideal type, why did she come to secretly love someone like me?
"Well, an ideal type is just an ideal after all. I simply found you cute, desperately confessing to win my heart."
"Things like prayer or piety can be cultivated later when we become husband and wife and attend church together. You don't need to worry too much...!" Seeing my slightly gloomy expression, Victoria chuckled and patted my back. The warm, ticklish sensation was making my heart beat faster.
"Lastly, I think a man who can enjoy delicious food with me would be nice. When enjoying culinary travels, being alone has many disadvantages."
"...I think I can do that too."
I let out a slight snort as I spoke. I already knew very well about Victoria's hobby of seeking out delicious food.
Seeing her expression of happiness, stuffing food into her cheeks like a squirrel, even made me feel somewhat proud.
"You two often go out to eat together even normally, right? Did you start liking each other that way?"
"There was no particular meaning to it. In our party, Astal-nim is the only one besides me who handles spicy food well."
"But you two are dating now, aren't you? Shouldn't you be fawning over each other more then?"
The Spirit Mage Anima, who had been listening to our conversation, noticed something strange and questioned us.
"Why are you two, who just started dating, so cold to each other...?"
It seemed she had been suspicious of our relationship all along, immediately spotting such contradictions.
"Th-that's..."
"It's because Victoria is shy. You're also not the type to show affection openly with Taryon, from our perspective."
I wrapped one arm around Victoria's waist, pulling her body snugly against my side, and began making excuses.
After all, the other couple in our party, the archer Taryon and the Spirit Mage Anima, also often seemed not to show much affection to each other.
"H-hyuk...!"
"That's a sensitive spot...!" Caught by my arm around her waist, Victoria let out a short scream. Her thin, soft body part, looking as if it might break with a touch, was completely wrapped around my arm.
"We're like that too, right? Victoria? This morning we were hugging each other like crazy."
"Yes, that's right..."
For some reason, Victoria covered her face with both palms, as if extremely embarrassed. Her flushed cheeks and widened pupils were visible between her fingers.
"My chest is touching Astal-nim's arm... I always thought they were heavy and useless, but in times like these, they're helpful..." "......"
Only after hearing Victoria's inner thoughts did I become aware of the mountainous presence felt on my arm. It made me understand where all the food she ate went.
I slowly released my arm so her chest wouldn't touch me, changing my posture to gently hold just her side with my hand.
"Hmm, it seems you're not lying after all. I also try to separate private and public matters as much as possible."
Seeing the two of us clinging together with flustered expressions, Anima finally withdrew her suspicion and smiled.
"...So, what is your ideal type? Since you've asked about a maiden's pure heart like this, I believe you should also tell me your ideal."
"Good...! Victoria, you succeeded in asking without being awkward! I'll become a woman closer to Astal-nim's ideal type from now on!" Sticking close to my side, Victoria looked up at me and asked. The floral scent stimulating my nose and her soft voice entering my ears stimulated my mind.
"...Astal-nim? Is something wrong?"
"I want to become a woman more attractive to you." Perhaps it was because her affectionate inner thoughts were heard alongside. For a moment, Victoria, whom I usually thought of as just a straightforward male comrade, felt somewhat like a member of the opposite sex.
"My ideal type is an understanding older sister."
To dispel my anguish, I decided to tell Victoria my true inner ideal type. No matter how I thought about it, it was something far removed from her.
"Am I not younger than you?"
"No...! I didn't know you preferred older women! So that's why you treated me like a child!" "That's right. Well, ideals and reality are different after all."
I nodded while looking at Victoria. In fact, one of the reasons I didn't see her as a member of the opposite sex was this.
She was a fresh adult who had just undergone her coming-of-age ceremony, a year younger than me, so no matter how I thought about it, I couldn't shake the image of her as a child ignorant of the ways of the world.
"For example, in what aspects should she be understanding? I'm curious about the pitch-black desires lying at the bottom of a man like you."
"There must be aspects I can compensate for!" Victoria hid her inner thoughts and began asking me for more details about my ideal type to use as reference.
Good, I need to make her lose interest in me.
"When I come home exhausted from magic research, I'd like a sister who says, 'You've worked hard, honey♡' and prepares dinner and bathwater. Of course, it would be even better if she wore an apron while naked."
"......"
Upon hearing my statement, Victoria seemed at a loss for words, her mouth slightly agape. As if imagining herself doing such a thing, her cheeks gradually flushed red, soon turning her ears crimson as well.
"I suspected it might be true, but you really are a pervert... How could this be..." Good, she's disappointed.
Hearing Victoria's inner thoughts, I felt a sense of accomplishment, as if I had succeeded at something.
This is how I should gradually kill her affection for me. I thought that would be the way to avoid hurting each other's feelings.
But,
"...I'll keep that in mind for the future."
Contrary to my expectations, Victoria responded immediately with a blunt expression and tone.
"We must be destined for each other...! I also like naughty things, secretly smelling Astal-nim's robe!" Victoria's crush was thicker than I thought. She was hiding her joy, screaming inwardly with glee.
"But will there be an apron that fits my body...? No matter how large a size I buy, the chest area will probably be tight. Ah, I could just greet you naked!" Victoria's inner thoughts were more passionate and daring than anyone's. Seeing her already planning how to become my stated ideal type sent an involuntary shiver down my spine.
And then,
"Please, Astal. Can you just hold your breath for an hour?"
"......"
"I'm really ashamed that you're my comrade."
Under the Hero Kyle's scorn and contemptuous gaze, I moved my steps toward the village shrouded in thick fog.
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