Shall We Stay Together Forever?

It must have been because it was the weekend for once. The theater streets of Daehangno were packed, and the problem was that most of the crowd consisted of couples. Ah, college kids. So this was what youth looked like. Ugh, I was so jealous! If I'd joined the Hero Association, I'd probably be in some fresh, budding romance with a hero by now, wouldn't I?!

"Hmm......"

I snuck a glance at Articetia. She was looking around nonstop, like a child on a field trip to the zoo. Was people-watching really that fascinating? Then, ever so casually, she slipped her arm through mine. She squeezed so tightly I couldn't pull free no matter how I tried.

Damn it....

Just as you become a tree to hide in a forest, playing the couple would have been the natural move among all these lovers. But this... this felt more like a master dragging her pet out for a walk.

First things first — I needed to keep our Lord in a good mood.

"Arsha. How about that? Have you ever tried one?"

I pointed at a waffle shop. Articetia looked up at me, expressionless, and scrawled letters across the bicep of the arm she'd linked with mine, the writing ticklish against my skin.

Ugh! Wasn't this physical contact getting a little too frequent? Every time those slender fingers brushed across my arm, my whole body shivered.

I hurriedly whispered in her ear.

"We can't exactly expose Lady Articetia's real name to the heroes. So I thought I'd disguise it as a pet name, the way lovers do. Ksssssss..."

I straightened my back and gave her a bright smile.

"If you don't like it, we can try something else?"

But Articetia shook her head and pointed at the waffle shop.

Whew.... Thank goodness. No mention of the execution block yet. Walking this tightrope was making my legs shake.

"Have you never had a waffle before?"

Articetia nodded. That was surprising. I'd figured a queen would have tasted every delicacy this world had to offer.

I scanned the waffle shop's menu.

"Hmm... since it's your first time, want me to recommend something?"

I deliberately phrased it as a yes-or-no question. If I asked what she wanted to eat, she'd start with the skinship again! And that feeling was... weird!

Just as I'd expected, Articetia nodded.

Good. I had the go-ahead.

I covered my mouth with my hand and whispered.

"Alpha... search for the waffle flavors with the highest preference ratings among average female taste buds."

Data bloomed across the lens worn by my clone.

I looked up at the menu board. Cold sweat beaded on my forehead.

A choice with my life on the line. My fate would be decided among those ten menu items! Be careful, Lee Dogwang. We were verifying this based on data.

The parfait she'd eaten last time had fresh strawberries in it. Plus Nutella. About 56.3 grams of sugar per 100 grams. A glucose-fructose mix that would raise blood concentration within fifteen minutes. Stimulating the hypothalamus meant dopamine release. The calculation was perfect!

"Kyshishit! You there, clerk! One Strawberrry―! Nutella and one Apple Cinnamon, if you please!"

The clerk stared at me blankly, mouth hanging open. Why was he looking at me like that?

"Uh... yes... Strawberry Nutella and Apple Cinnamon. I'll... have those ready in a moment."

Wow. He just gave me a once-over like I was a lunatic. What a look.

That was when Articetia tugged on my T-shirt sleeve.

What? Why would I need to act here? If I pulled the Maesat act in public, people would think I was insane......

Ah...... crap!

I'd been so focused on Articetia that the Maesat speech pattern had slipped out unconsciously! That was why the clerk had looked at me like I was a psychopath!

Wait, but... the Maesat speech was supposed to be an act, so why had it come out so naturally......

I shook my head. Set the stray thoughts aside for now. Focus on the mission!

"Sorry, sorry. I guess I got nervous going out with Arsha. Ha... hahahat!"

Articetia patted my head like I was a child. Judging by her reaction, she was letting it slide. But I couldn't afford any more mistakes going forward. I needed to infiltrate a clone into the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Association if I wanted to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠recruit the SS-class hero Sinnyeo!

I took the waffles from the clerk and handed them to her. Articetia held the strawberry Nutella waffle to her lips and only smelled it.

Come to think of it, her mouth was stitched shut — how had she been eating this ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠whole time?

Fortunately, that mystery was solved quickly. Articetia shoved the strawberry Nutella waffle into my mouth.

"Mmph?!"

I wondered if maybe she just didn't like strawberry. Then she snatched the apple cinnamon too, sniffed it, and jammed that one into my mouth as well.

"Mmphh!"

Two waffles were being forced into my mouth at the same time. I... I couldn't breathe!!

Gulp!

I barely managed to swallow and looked at her. Had my choice failed? Neither of them was to her taste?!

Tsk! I had to salvage this somehow. Anything but execution!

I whispered to her.

"Did they... not agree with you? Hoyoyoyo......"

Articetia shook her head and tickled my forearm.

Then she patted my head.

Whew...... That took ten years off my life.

Anyway, that solved the mystery. The Lord of the Underworld was a being of the dead. So she only smelled the food.

Just then, a mysterious woman shouted from inside a tent on the street.

"Oh my, my! Feeding each other — how sweet and lovey-dovey!"

Huh? Who was being lovey-dovey?

I looked around. Maybe it was because everywhere you turned there were couples. But she pointed right at us, gesturing.

"Come on! Why look anywhere else? I'm talking about that handsome oppa and that unnie who pretends to be indifferent but is overflowing with affection!"

Ugh. She was obviously a scam artist. A quack. What had just happened was her dumping leftover food on me, no matter how you looked at it!

I pulled Articetia's arm.

"Superstition is a product of crowd psychology born from cognitive error! Scientifically unverified nonsense is......"

But the one doing the leading got reversed. I was the one being dragged.

"W-w-wait? Arsha?"

We entered the tent and sat down side by side. A crystal ball and all manner of tarot cards were scattered across the table.

"Hohoho! Fortune-telling isn't just for fun. The gods give cards as signals to those whose fates go unspoken, you know?"

The fortune teller shuffled the deck and asked me.

"Yes, yes. Welcome, oppa. What kind of reading shall I do for you?"

I let out a sigh at the fortune teller's question. We were already in here, so there was no helping it. I flicked my index finger, pointing at myself and Articetia.

A ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠question I'd been secretly curious about. The core issue that would decide my fate.

The fortune teller smiled coyly and laid out the cards.

"Hmm! I may not know, but the cards do! Draw three cards with your left hand."

"Then... this one, this one, and this one."

I flipped the three cards over in a row.

What was this? A card of The Lovers standing beneath an angel — reversed. A card of a dog and a wolf looking up at The Moon — upright. A card of people falling from The Tower — upright.

The fortune teller looked down at the cards and her expression hardened for a moment.

"Ah... well......"

Ooooh! It was a bad one? Please... please let it be the worst compatibility imaginable! Let me out of Articetia's clutches!!

But contrary to my hopes, the fortune teller beamed and said,

"Wow! The Lovers card came out! This is proof that the two of you have a very strong bond."

"But it's upside down?"

"Aigoo! You know how it is — things are rocky at first, but you end up together anyway!"

"Then what's this Tower? It looks like we're about to fall to our deaths......"

"Oh dear. This means a big event will happen between the two of you."

See! I knew it was bad......!!

"But it's not necessarily a bad thing. You need trials to grow even stronger together! Lovers who never fall apart again? Something like that!"

This is fucking bullshit!

The fortune teller pointed at the Moon card and smiled bitterly.

"This means you're both thinking about each other too much. But you're too embarrassed, so you only think it on the inside. Sometimes you need the courage to confess, oppa. I don't know about the rest, but remember this one thing."

What a load of crap! The truth was, I was going to stage a coup and take the Lord of the Underworld's head! ......The moment I confessed that, it would be a chop-chop ending under Durakh Han's guillotine.

I knew I shouldn't have gotten a fortune reading. Soulmates with Articetia. I'd rather you just kill me!!

No, wait — if I died, we really would become soulmates.

Aargh!! What the hell was I supposed to do?!

"Haa... so how much is the fee?"

Time to wrap this up and get out of here.

"I never overcharge. No change needed — a clean hundred thousand won!"

"Kek? A hundred thousand won?"

"My readings have never been wrong. You'll thank me later."

A hundred thousand won to a fortune teller who had just given me the worst possible reading. I held out a debit card. It was Hwaminam's card anyway, so it wasn't like I was losing my own money. Still, it was infuriating.

"Let's go. Arsha."

Articetia stood up and casually drew a single card. Then she tossed it at the fortune teller.

"Eek!"

What on earth had she seen that made her react like that?

Hmm.... Well. Who told her to charge that much. She'd gotten too greedy with the Lord of the Underworld.

The fortune teller looked around wildly and shouted.

"What are you people?! G-get away! Hiiiek! D-don't come any closer!!"

There was nothing there, but she was putting on a one-woman show all by herself. There really were all kinds of ways to drum up customers.

Anyway, looking at Articetia's blank expression, she seemed to be getting bored. She was the Lord of the Underworld, after all — an ordinary day out probably wasn't enough to satisfy her.

So then...... shall we move on to the highlight?

I covered my mouth with my hand as we climbed toward Naksan Park.

"Alpha... launch the strategic bomber Ex-Bomora from the Super-science Dungeon. Operation Talent Show... commence."

Articetia, this was the highlight you'd been waiting for. Once you saw this, you'd have no choice but to give your permission.

Heh heh heh.