Chapter 55: In Nepal (4)
Chapter 55: In Nepal (4)
I really slept like the dead…
Following Noona and Grace’s advice to rest quickly, I had fallen into a deep slumber. Perhaps because of that, I woke up naturally, feeling completely refreshed.
Maybe it was because I’d been doing morning drills every day lately, but my eyes tended to snap open around 5:00 AM, and I felt in peak condition.
I had slept so soundly, likely thanks to the long flight yesterday followed by six consecutive dungeon raids.
Noona and Grace had told me to rest, thinking I might suffer some aftereffects from overexerting myself, and I was glad I listened to them.
Fortunately, I felt perfectly fine.
I had been worried since I’d pushed my muscles to the limit yesterday, but waking up now, I realized those worries were for nothing.
Not a single part of me ached.
No full-body muscle pain… no blurred vision or headaches. I was perfectly fine.
I climbed out of the plush bed and did some light stretching to loosen up.
As I massaged my neck and shoulder muscles to work out the slight stiffness, I glanced toward the window, only to see a solid black wall.
Hmm… it’s my first morning in Nepal, so it’s a bit of a shame I can’t see the morning sun.
As soon as Noona brought me here yesterday, the first thing she did was activate the villa’s Defense Mode.
This villa was rectangular, featuring a terrace and large glass windows that offered a view of the outside.
It seemed the building was designed for emergencies; external walls were tucked away in various sections, and once activated, they slid out to perfectly enclose the structure. It completely shielded the interior from the outside world.
The fact that I could live freely without worrying about others' eyes was a huge relief. Well… I suppose this was a necessity.
Although I had come to Nepal illegally and was hiding my identity as much as possible, one could never be too careful.
If more people found out I was actually healthy and functional, it would only be asking for trouble.
After loosening up my body, I headed into the bathroom to wash my face.
Come to think of it, why is Grace being so quiet…?
Usually, morning training was part of our routine, so Grace would come find me shortly after I woke up.
But today, she hadn't shown up even by the time I finished washing.
She hadn't said anything specific yesterday other than telling me to rest, so I assumed we’d stick to the usual schedule…
It seemed she was letting me rest today since we had moved so busily and cleared six dungeons in a row yesterday.
The moment I opened the bedroom door and stepped out, the familiar scent of food hit my nose.
It was the smell I always encountered in the mornings back home—the scent of Noona making breakfast.
When I reached the kitchen, I saw Noona and Grace in the middle of preparing a meal.
As soon as I approached, they both turned toward me.
Both were wearing white aprons over their clothes, busy cooking, but they immediately turned to greet me.
“Oh? You’re up already, Shin-a.”
“Good morning, Han Shin-nim.”
“Yeah, morning.”
Both Noona and Grace were wearing sleeveless tops, leaving their shoulders exposed.
I decided to ask Grace first.
Judging by the fact that she was cooking, it didn't look like we were doing morning training, but I wanted to be sure.
“Grace, are we skipping morning training today?”
“Yes, Han Shin-nim. I believe you can skip morning training for the time being.”
Hmm… come to think of it, we can go to dungeons as often as we did yesterday while we're here.
It made more sense to get real combat experience rather than sticking to morning drills.
I was being a bit slow.
Thinking back, I had done nothing but train until I came to Nepal, and yesterday was the first time in a while I’d experienced real battle in a dungeon.
Since I had only been training with Grace in the Sanctuary, it was more important now to get through the backlog of real-world experience.
“Right, got it.”
I nodded to Grace and moved to help them with the breakfast.
“Ah… Han Shin-nim, we’re almost finished.”
“That’s right, Shin-a. Just sit and wait a moment. It’ll only get more crowded if you help.”
In unison, Noona and Grace stopped me from helping and ushered me to the dining table.
Back when my body wasn't normal and I was sick, being treated like this would have sent me into a spiral of self-loathing and self-deprecation…
But now, I could accept it without a second thought.
And just as they said, dishes were already being placed on the table, steam rising from them. It really did look like they were finished, so there wasn't much for me to do anyway.
Even the utensils were already laid out.
In the end, I had no choice but to sit and watch them finish up.
Wait…?
As I sat quietly as requested, a slight sense of incongruity began to coil in my mind.
Something felt different than before…
What is it? What am I missing?
The feeling was nagging enough that I gave it some serious thought.
After reflecting for a moment on what felt off, I asked myself a single question.
Wait, is this… the first time Noona and Grace have prepared breakfast together…?
I quickly arrived at the answer.
Ah… that’s right.
Usually, Grace would return home after training with me in the morning, and Noona would have prepared breakfast during that time.
Naturally, unless Grace or Noona could be in two places at once, they couldn't have prepared breakfast together.
They had always been doing different things.
Realizing this late, just seeing Noona and Grace preparing a meal together so harmoniously made me feel full even before eating.
Noona, with her black hair tied in a ponytail that reached her waist, and Grace, with her platinum-blonde bob.
Seeing two beauties of such different charms preparing breakfast just for me—it was only natural for me, as a man, to feel happy and excited.
I couldn't see myself without a mirror, but I probably had a foolish grin plastered on my face.
Having two people with such stunning looks and incredible abilities like me… I could only describe myself as an incredibly lucky bastard.
Honestly, they were far too good for me.
Wait… did Noona and Grace get closer?
Well, it didn't seem like their conversation topics or tone had changed much…
It was hard to put into words, but I could sense that the space between them had narrowed; they seemed more comfortable with each other.
Should I assume they got closer by preparing breakfast together?
This was surely their first time, yet seeing them help each other without any major blunders, looking so vibrant, made me want to join in.
I felt a twinge of envy, but also a sense of peace.
However, that feeling soon vanished.
Ah…
Guilt began to rear its head in my heart.
Come to think of it, I was essentially two-timing Noona and Grace.
There were unavoidable circumstances—like the fact that as the Proxy of Tiamat, I had to have sex with Grace, his follower, to grow stronger…
But I couldn't deny my own desire to have them both and to be loved by both.
In the end, it was my greed—my inability to give up either one of them—that led me to continue these secret relationships.
To be honest, when I was having sex with Noona, I only saw her. When I was having sex with Grace, I only saw Grace.
After the act was over, I would feel guilty as I thought of the other person…
But in the end, I was the one who couldn't let go of either.
Sigh… I have to tell them eventually…
I knew I couldn't maintain this state forever.
But since I had already crossed the line, I couldn't find a way to tell them, so I just kept searching for a solution.
Phew… thinking about it, just irresponsibly letting time pass like this is the worst thing I could do.
“Shin-a, it’s all ready. Let’s eat.”
“Oh, right. Noona, Grace, come sit down.”
While I was lost in thought, Noona and Grace approached the table with the final dish.
Forcing a smile to brighten my expression, I managed to settle my emotions and shared my first breakfast in Nepal with the two of them.