Chapter 646: Guwon, the Devoted Man
Chapter 646: Guwon, the Devoted Man
And so, after teleporting up to the Guild, I immediately rushed over to the Arachne Clan House.
Elder Sister Rachel looked at me quizzically when she saw I'd come up alone, but I just mumbled something about needing to grab something.
“Hello. We seem to run into each other often.”
“Eeeek?!”
I had just offered a casual greeting to enter the clan house, but the gatekeeper's reaction was anything but ordinary.
Huh? Could it be that this isn't the same gatekeeper I saw a while ago?
No. I mean, it's not like the same person would be on gate duty all the time.
But I had a feeling it was the same face I'd seen before, so I took a guess.
You're wondering if I can't even remember people's faces properly?
As befitting a member of a clan that levels up by making men fall into carnal lust, this gatekeeper was also beautiful enough to be considered a looker, but, well. I'm a devoted man who only has eyes for my girls. You could say other women's faces don't really stick in my memory. Hmph.
…Well, this isn't the time to be patting myself on the back.
“Huh? Aren't you the person from the other day?”
“Ah, no! I mean, yes, I am…!”
It seemed my memory was correct after all.
Then what's with this reaction… Ah, no way.
I glanced around and, just like last time, felt countless eyes on me.
Of course, unlike last time, there were no shrill screams. Instead, they were holding their breath, creating an atmosphere thick with tension.
Could it be… Could it be that not just that trio, but the entire clan knew Alicia liked me?
Just how obvious has Alicia been about it?
If she was going to be that obvious, she should have done it in front of me.
“What… brings you here?”
The gatekeeper peeked at my face, her expression tense as if she were on high alert.
“I'm here to see Alicia.”
“May I ask your business with her?”
“If I said I have something to discuss with her… just the two of us, would you let me in?”
As I said that, the gatekeeper took a sharp breath.
Somehow, I was starting to get a sense of Alicia's position within this clan.
The fact that so many clan members were interested in her love life… She must be really loved in this clan.
She definitely has a hot temper and is quick to throw a punch, but she's also straightforward and decisive.
She's the type of person who's comfortable to be around. That's why I got along with her, too.
“Hmph! P-Please wait! Just a moment, please!”
With that, the gatekeeper scurried inside the clan house.
Is she going to be okay? According to the trio, Alicia's been drowning herself in alcohol ever since then.
A long time passed after the gatekeeper went inside.
So long, in fact, that it was approaching nearly an hour.
Should I just barge in?
Just as I was seriously starting to consider it, the gatekeeper who had disappeared finally reappeared.
“I'm sorry for the delay! And I'm very sorry to have to say this, but as for your meeting with Lady Alicia, if you could please come back another day….”
And just like that, the worry I'd had when the gatekeeper went inside spectacularly came true.
Seriously? After making me wait an hour, they're telling me she can't see me?
But I couldn't just back down like this.
Even though I made a promise to Amy, I'd left my girls to hunt downstairs without me.
I can't just leave with nothing to show for it.
“Can I go in and check on her myself?”
“What?! Ah, no. That is. But.”
When I said that, the gatekeeper became visibly flustered.
Does she not want me to see Alicia drunk and in a mess?
Seeing her desperation, I once again realized how loved Alicia was.
“I already know she's drunk right now.”
“S-Still. That is.”
“If you let me in, I'll make sure to smooth things over so you don't get in any trouble.”
“Ah, I... understand.”
Only after I went that far was I finally granted entry into the clan house.
And so, I was guided back to Alicia's room.
The very place I'd fled from not long ago. I never thought I'd be back like this.
And in front of her door, an unexpected person was waiting for me.
“Hello there. What brings you here today?”
It was Lutia, the Arachne Clan executive who boasted the most sex appeal.
Come to think of it, she was the one waiting outside the door when Alicia tried to seduce me before.
That's what spurred on my misunderstanding that Alicia's seduction was a meticulously planned trap by the entire clan.
Thinking back on it now that I knew everything, that wasn't the case at all.
Certainly, when Alicia tried to seduce me last time, she wasn't acting like herself.
Well, it's not like her way of speaking had completely changed, but she was definitely trying to seduce a man with her body. That Alicia.
Which means she must have gotten advice from someone on how to seduce a man and was just following it.
And the person who gave her that advice was likely this very woman standing before me.
Worried, she must have been peeking from the doorway to see how Alicia was doing.
Well, as she saw, the result was a grand failure, a combination of my misunderstanding and Alicia's awkward seduction.
Having witnessed the whole thing, she must have heard I was here today and rushed over, worried.
“Just a moment. I have something to talk about with Alicia.”
“Hmph? Even though you ran away like that last time?”
Her tone was a little aggressive, as expected.
She probably can't even imagine what kind of misunderstanding I had, so I guess it's only natural she'd have this attitude.
From her perspective, without knowing the circumstances, I'm just the guy who abandoned a woman who threw herself at him without even giving a proper answer.
Of course, I don't think Alicia's method of trying to seduce me with her body was entirely without fault, but this is that kind of world. Besides, we're both adventurers.
Adventurers, who are the most sexually open-minded people even in a world like this.
Maybe I'm the only one who would see a problem with that kind of seduction.
“There was a bit of a misunderstanding back then. I came to clear it up and to apologize.”
“And nothing else to talk about?”
“Of course there's more to say than just that. Though it's not something I'd say in front of you.”
I'm going to have a serious talk with Alicia. So don't eavesdrop this time.
With that meaning implied, I retorted to her prickly attitude.
“…Fine.”
And it seemed my answer received a passing grade.
Hearing my reply, Lutia shifted her body slightly to the side, allowing me to open Alicia's door and pass.
“Kiddo. Our Alicia might not look it, but she has a surprisingly fragile side. So, you'd better not make her cry, understand?”
Of course, it seemed her worries hadn't completely vanished, as she didn't forget to say that just as I was passing by.
Wrapping her arms around me, pressing her body softly against mine, and whispering in my ear.
Sorry, but I can't make any promises about that.
I gave a slightly troubled smile and opened the door, heading inside.
Just as the door opened, Lutia elegantly pulled away from me, just as gracefully as she had embraced me.
“Alicia. I'm coming in.”
“Daaamn it! What! What the hell is wrong with me! Son of a bitch! Shouldn't have said things to get my hopes up! Bastard! You impotent fucker who can't even eat what's spoon-fed to him!”
The moment I opened the door, the sharp stench of alcohol hit my nose, along with a stream of curses whose target was painfully obvious.
She's so drunk she doesn't even know someone came in.
The state of the room was a disaster, too. Bottles were strewn everywhere, and there were even shattered ones that looked like they'd been thrown.
And the culprit behind this mess was slumped halfway over her desk, chugging straight from a bottle.
I have no idea how drunk she was, but Alicia didn't show any sign of noticing me as I entered and approached, just kept gulping down her drink.
“Fucking wimp. Probably can't even fuck right. Fucking idiot. I bet it's so small he can't even get it in…”
“Nope. It's big. You've seen it.”
I really couldn't let that last comment slide, so I tapped her on the shoulder and retorted.
“Huh? What bastard comes in without permiss…ion…”
Alicia weakly turned her head, her unfocused eyes landing on me. Her words trailed off, and then she froze as if time had stopped.
“Hey. You okay?”
Alicia didn't even twitch at my call, but one thing did change.
Her pupils, which had been completely dilated.
Her drunken, unfocused eyes trembled and slowly began to focus. The moment I felt she had fully registered my face, the bottle in her hand fell to the floor.
“Hic…!”
Then, as if trying to say something, her jaw started trembling, and she began to hiccup.
“You! Hic! Y-You! Hic! G-Guwon!”
“That's right. It's Guwon, the man you love so dearly.”
Her reaction was so funny I almost burst out laughing, but I desperately held it in and replied.
And at that moment, with a loud clatter, Alicia flailed and fell backward, chair and all.
“Ah, ahh, ahhhh…!”
Was she that shocked that I'd figured out her feelings? Alicia lay sprawled on the floor, letting out a series of unintelligible groans.
“Hey. Are you alri—”
There was no way her body would get hurt from a fall like that, but seeing her in that state still worried me, so I tried to approach to check on her.
But before I could get close, Alicia moved first.
From her sprawled position, she used a flick of her wrists and the strength of her core to leap to her feet, then shot toward me like an arrow.
I couldn't react in time to the beast-like movement, but her destination wasn't me.
“D-Don't look at me! G-Get out! Get oooout!”
She threw open the door behind me and dived onto the bed in the inner room, completely covering herself with the blanket and starting to shout.
“No. I came here because we need to talk, so I can't just leave.”
“I have nothing to say to you! Why are you here?! Did you come to make fun of me?! To laugh at me?!”
“Do you really think I'm that much of a jerk…? I'm not. If it's about what happened, I came to apologize.”
Well, an apology isn't the only thing I have to say.
“……A-Apology?”
The moment I said that, Alicia's frantic thrashing, which had been obvious even under the blanket, came to a sudden halt.
“Yeah. About what happened before… I had a bit of a misunderstanding at the time.”
“…A misunderstanding? What are you talking about?”
As if my words had sparked a little hope in her, Alicia peeked her face out from under the blanket.
“It's a pretty long story.”
With that preface, I once again explained my misunderstanding, just as I had to the trio.
And after hearing my full explanation, Alicia's reaction was this:
“You had that kind of misunderstanding?! And that's why you rejected my seduction?! Is your head just for decoration?!”
Finally throwing off the blanket and leaping to her feet, Alicia rushed at me as if to grab me by the collar and shouted.
“No. I think the misunderstanding happened precisely because I used my head.”
“What good is using your head?! You have to use it properly! Appropriately!”
Furious that her seduction had failed because of such a misunderstanding, Alicia grabbed my head with both hands and shook it, shouting in frustration.
“You speak the truth.”
By the way, does she realize she's currently grabbing the head of the man she likes with both hands and shaking it?
When I gave a lukewarm response, Alicia stared straight into my eyes in annoyance… then suddenly, as if realizing something, she whipped her head to the side, avoiding my gaze.
“Uh, huh? Wait. Wait a minute. Does that mean I haven't been rejected yet…?”
“Right. About that.”
“Hah! W-Wait! Wait a minute! I'm not mentally prepared yet!”
“Sorry!”
Before Alicia could say anything else, I bowed my head and apologized to her properly.