Chapter 42. Ah... I Like Laila.
Chapter 42. Ah... I Like Laila.
"Well, it's a bit funny to ask after I've already accepted... but what exactly is this artifact?"
"Hmm... we don't know the details either."
They don't know?
Wait, were we getting scammed here?
"Did you think our family achieved this level of wealth after the cataclysm simply through a knack for serving the gods?"
"Then how?"
"That artifact made all of this possible. Of course, some might think it was just coincidence and timing falling into place..."
"Don't beat around the bush. Be specific."
"After obtaining the artifact, people became strangely favorable toward our family. Not a single child born into the family has ever suffered even a minor illness, and every one of those children possesses at least A-rank potential. Children who aren't even ten years old yet."
"Potential could be a matter of genetics..."
Reina firmly shook her head at my words.
"No. My father has many concubines besides my mother. Naturally, some of them are ordinary people."
"An ordinary person with no spiritual ability or mana gave birth to such a child?"
"Yes. Of course, if you think this is merely our speculation, I have nothing more to say..."
"Wait... that's a bit strange. It hasn't been that long since gates appeared..."
"The other successors of this family and I awakened almost immediately after the gates appeared. Every single one of us, without exception."
"So you're saying you obtained that artifact right when the gates appeared?"
"A revelation... the god we serve granted us a revelation."
No matter how I thought about it, this deal felt too lopsided.
So, regrettably, I was about to change the terms.
"Look..."
"Hero!"
"?"
"I think it's best to just accept it."
"Laila, but this is too superstitious..."
I stopped mid-sentence.
Gods definitely existed. And Laila was a Saintess who believed in those gods.
'...Though I didn’t know if they exist on Earth too.'
Besides, it was rare for Laila to push so strongly for something.
Back when I adventured with my old comrades, listening to Laila's words always brought good fortune, even in the deepest sleep.
"Alright. Then we'll set out tomorrow."
"Yes, I'll make all the preparations without delay."
I stood up as I said that.
There was still a bit of time left, so maybe some sightseeing in the city with Laila...
"E-excuse me...!"
"?"
"You've come all this way as our guest. The least we can do is offer you a meal..."
I looked at Laila.
Without any change in expression, she simply nodded.
"Well, I am curious."
"You'll definitely be satisfied."
Reina gave a captivating smile at my answer and walked out.
---
In a space so vast it could be mistaken for an auditorium, it was just Laila and me.
The dinner prepared by the family's people hadn't been served yet.
"We're eating in a place like this...?"
"Hero, a meal enjoyed like a banquet in a place like this is called kaiseki cuisine!"
"Oh..."
─ Slllide...
The sliding door opened smoothly, and quiet footsteps echoed through the room.
Entering the room were young women carrying trays of drinks.
They were dressed in outfits that were barely decent.
They had the framework of traditional kimonos, but the necklines were deeply cut, and their waistlines were subtly exposed.
'...?'
I didn't know where to rest my eyes.
'What were they trying to pull...?'
The women set down the drink trays one by one with quiet smiles, then sat beside me with smooth movements.
And then, the last person to enter the room.
It was Takamine Reina.
She also walked in softly and quietly sat down next to me.
"Do you always eat like this?"
Even at my sharp tone, she brushed it off with an unbothered laugh.
"We must treat an honored guest who has come from afar with the highest courtesy our family can offer."
I immediately set down the cup I was holding.
I couldn't help but be flustered.
"These are dancers handpicked by our family. A joyous occasion would be lacking without song and dance, after all."
The dancers showcased their talents—singing, dancing, and playing instruments.
I stared blankly at them, then casually turned my gaze to the side.
Laila.
She was quietly lifting her chopsticks and eating.
'That's strange...'
That serenity of Laila's, not even raising an eyebrow... for some reason, it bothered me.
I couldn't even define this feeling myself.
Just then, Reina poured a drink and placed her hand on my shoulder.
A soft, pale hand. A subtle fragrance brushed past my nose, but I instinctively pulled my body back a little.
It wasn't outright rejection, but I didn't feel good about it at all.
A beauty like this was approaching me, yet my heart didn't race. I didn't feel nervous.
If anything...
'It's irritating.'
At that moment, a thought suddenly flashed through my mind.
'When Laila did this kind of thing to me, I didn’t feel anything negative...'
When she linked arms with me at the department store,
When she fell asleep leaning on my shoulder at Baekdu Mountain,
My heart didn't race, my face didn't flush.
It was just... familiar and comfortable.
'Was the alcohol getting to me?'
No.
I hadn't drunk nearly enough for that.
But then, why did I feel so uncomfortable at that moment?
My heart was unsettled, yet the dancers were merrily enjoying the music and dance.
It was such a stark contrast.
"Hmm... Hunter, I turned up the heating quite a bit, but for some reason I still feel a chill..."
I looked at Laila again.
What was she feeling right now?
Was she bothered even a little? Or... was she truly unfazed?
I was going crazy.
At Laila's perfectly calm and unfazed demeanor, I felt irrationally petty.
'What the hell, why am I thinking like this...!'
My thoughts spiraled.
And at the end of that spiral, I finally realized.
'Ah... I was in love with Laila.'
Quietly, yet so clearly.
The moment I acknowledged the feeling, my heart began pounding fast, and my face started burning hot.
No matter how much the women approached me, my gaze no longer wandered.
"Excuse me, restroom..."
As I stood up, Reina got up as well, offering to guide me.
"No, I'm not a child. I'll go by myself."
I went into the bathroom, locked the door, and sat quietly on the toilet.
Suddenly, I remembered what Nudungji had said a long time ago.
─ You'll meet a good match. That kind of match might be closer than you think, you know?
My heart was already right next to me.
The person who was always beside me, even when I was too stupid to notice anything.
The person who had always been there, but only now truly began to come into view.
After composing myself and returning to the room, no one was there.
No, to be precise, Laila was there alone.
"Hm? Where did everyone go?"
"I asked them to step aside for a bit. I wanted to eat quietly."
"I see..."
That smile she always gave me, so bright and cheerful.
For some reason, it was hard to meet her eyes.
"Hero, did you drink a lot? Why is your face so red?"
"They turned up the heating... it's a bit warm."
When it was just the two of us, Laila would sometimes start rambling on with old stories in endless detail.
Even now, she started chattering away on her own, grinning and laughing about whatever she found amusing...
'...'
I needed to confess to Laila.
I didn’t think I could be with anyone but her.
---
While Song Hoon briefly went to the restroom.
The atmosphere in the room shifted.
Laila set down her cup and spoke, with no change in the corners of her lips or in her eyes.
"Reina."
"Yes?"
"Could you dismiss the others?"
As Laila spoke in a serious tone, Reina nodded and gestured to the dancers.
The dancers nodded in turn and filed out of the room one by one.
"I've sent them all out. If you have something to say..."
"Are you trying to seduce the Hero?"
Laila's direct hit came out of nowhere.
Reina couldn't continue speaking, as if the breath had been knocked out of her.
"Well... I'm well aware that nobles marry for power."
Laila's tone was composed.
But at the end of her words, there was a short yet sharp edge.
"Reina. This is a warning."
She looked directly at Reina again.
Her gaze was unwavering, clear, and quietly cold.
"The Hero is mine. I hate it most when someone tries to steal what I've already claimed."
As if it were a truth established in advance.
A declaration without doubt, without room for question.
But Reina was no ordinary woman either.
"...You're not even lovers yet, are you?"
Reina's words were quiet, but there was unmistakably a sharp edge within them.
She instinctively feared Laila, that was true.
But her pride suppressed that fear.
"There's no owner yet, and... approaching an attractive man is..."
But that was the moment.
─ Fwoop!
Laila's hand shot out like lightning.
And grabbed Reina by the collar.
"Reina. I told you."
Laila's voice was quiet, but it was sharp, like a metallic ring piercing the ear.
"This is a warning."
Reina was flustered and couldn't speak.
Her eyes widened, and a small breath caught in her throat.
"You're trying to seduce the Hero with such indecent attire?"
Laila pulled tightly on the collar of Reina's clothing.
"The only person who can show their body to the Hero..."
The corner of her lips slowly rose as she whispered into Reina's ear.
"Is only me."
In an instant, Laila put strength into her hand and pushed Reina back.
"Don't test my patience."
And then Laila looked at her and smiled gently, far too calmly.
"That should be... enough for you to understand, yes?"
And finally, wearing the most chilling smile, she added one last thing.
"We'll handle the meal ourselves, so please leave now."
Reina, unable to utter a single word, clutched her disheveled hair and clothes and hurriedly fled the room.
The moment the door closed, silence settled over the room once more.
Laila quietly drew a breath and, as if nothing had happened, took her seat and lifted her cup again.
"Hmm... I can't just stay still like this."