【Emotion Points +1,500】
【Emotion Points have reached 10,000. 'Saintess of Salvation' (Gold) copied successfully.】
The powerful comprehension granted by two Gold traits allowed Lynn to master the curse-dispelling spell almost instantly.
‘That shorty really wasn't bragging.’
‘This Heart-Devouring Curse... only needs this... and then that...’
A brilliant golden glow gently enveloped the girl's entire body.
The dark purple patterns on Veronica's body faded bit by bit, and her pretty face gradually regained its color.
Lynn let go of her.
Veronica leaned back in his arms, her lips slightly swollen and glistening with moisture.
Her delicate, pretty face was flushed bright red, the color spreading from her ears all the way down to her neck.
“You... you...”
Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?
Her mind was a complete blank, her thoughts in disarray as she mechanically repeated her confused words.
Her blurry vision gradually cleared. Filled with a mix of shame and anger, she looked at the youth in front of her, only to find—
“Ah... looks like it was dispelled perfectly...”
“As expected... of... me...”
His smug tone grew weaker and weaker.
“Thud—”
With the final task complete, exhaustion finally snapped his last remaining thread of consciousness.
The youth collapsed heavily to the ground.
“Lynn?!”
Veronica hurriedly supported Lynn's body.
As her condition gradually improved, she finally got a clear look at the youth's appearance.
Hideous wounds covered his entire body, blood seeping from them. Purple-gray patterns spread from his limbs, and his breathing was so faint it was barely audible.
She could even see the ground on the other side through the terrifying hole in his abdomen.
“...?!”
Her beautiful eyes widened in shock.
What on earth did this guy do?
“You bastard... you were already in this state, so why did you keep talking to me for so long?!”
“This is too reckless! Don't you care about your own body at all?”
Without the slightest hesitation, she cast healing and curse-dispelling spells of all sizes, throwing them onto the unconscious youth as if they cost nothing.
‘Thankfully, as expected of me~’
Seeing the hideous wounds gradually heal and scab over, and the youth's complexion rapidly improve, Veronica finally let out a sigh of relief.
Then, her mind drifted back to that kiss that had thrown her into such confusion.
What... what did he mean by suddenly doing that?!
And... and when did this guy learn so many of the Cathedral's secret curse-dispelling spells?
“Ugh...” With no one to answer her flood of questions, she pouted petulantly.
Flustered and angry, she pinched Lynn's cheek, but fearing she might hurt him or wake him up, she only dared to gently knead the soft flesh of his face.
“You meanie... you only know how to bully me...”
The ground here was also a bit too cold. This guy was so weak right now, what if he caught a chill?
As if imagining such a scenario, her arched brows furrowed tightly, and she finally let out a dejected sigh.
“I really can't do anything with you...”
At any rate, this guy saved me. This... this is just a perfectly normal way of repaying a favor.
Yes, that's exactly it.
There is absolutely no other reason!
After convincing herself, she parted the youth's messy hair and cradled the back of his head with her soft, slender hand.
Gently lifting him, she knelt on the ground and slowly laid him down across her lap.
Good! This is fine.
She casually pinched a small lock of the youth's golden hair.
It was so soft...
Watching the lock of golden hair being shaped into various styles in her hand, she almost burst into laughter.
( -_-) Stare—~
She stretched out her finger, tentatively bringing it close to his face.
Poke, poke.
( -_-) Stare—~
Poke, poke.
( -_-) Stare—~
Seeing his handsome face puff up like a hamster from her pokes, she couldn't help but let out a silvery, bell-like laugh.
“Looking at him like this... this guy... is actually quite good-looking...”
As she gazed and gazed, her eyes couldn't help but lock onto the youth's lips.
‘This is where... just now, to me...’
Her steady breathing gradually quickened.
Coming back to her senses, Veronica realized that she had somehow leaned in close to the youth.
Their noses were almost touching, and she could even feel his warm breath.
Possessed by some strange impulse, she closed her eyes.
“Boom—”
The wall of the dark cave was suddenly smashed open, and sunlight poured in.
“My dear nephew and little Pera! Don't be afraid, your Uncle Landon is here!”
A tired old mother wolf, carrying several pups in her mouth, led the chubby man as they rushed onto the scene.
But seeing the intimate scene of the two pressed close together, the anxious man suddenly froze.
“Little Pera, I took a wrong turn. You two continue~ continue~”
“...”
Veronica smiled, but her tone was bone-chillingly cold.
“Uncle Landon~”
“Since you're already this late anyway...”
“...why didn't you just arrive even later?”
...
Lynn had a rare, wonderful dream.
In the dream, that arrogant shorty suddenly became incredibly easy to talk to, acting completely soft and sweet.
Pressing her index fingers together, she said bashfully in a sweet, soft voice, “Actually... recently, whenever I see you, my heart beats a little fast...”
Unfortunately, that soft and sweet shorty only lasted for a few short minutes before showing her true colors, lunging at him like a rabid dog.
And to think I had so caringly asked her—if her heart felt uncomfortable, I could use a healing spell to check it out for her.
“Stop, stop, stop—shorty, stop biting, stop biting!”
Waving his arms, he opened his eyes wide and suddenly sat up straight in bed.
The soft blanket slipped off him, and what entered his sight was an unfamiliar ceiling.
“You're awake?”
A cool voice came from beside him.
Having changed into a new outfit, Veronica sat quietly on a stool beside the bed, resting her chin on her hand as she stared at the flustered youth.
She narrowed her eyes, her tone somewhat unfriendly. “Just now... what did you mean by 'stop biting'?”
“Ahem, you misheard.” Lynn coughed twice, quickly bypassing the topic. “How long was I asleep?”
“Not long, just about two days.”
“Two days?!”
Doesn't that mean—
As if seeing through Lynn's thoughts, Veronica said with a mischievous smile, “Ah, yes. The hunting competition—is already over.”
“Congratulations, Master Lynn, on getting sec~ond~ place?”
“???”
Second? Doesn't that mean my bet—
Seeing the youth's face gradually darken, Veronica really couldn't help but laugh. “Alright, alright, I won't tease you anymore.”
“The competition was obviously canceled. After what happened, how could it possibly continue~”
“Silly, silly~” She tapped the youth's forehead reproachfully. “As for our bet... we'll calculate it using the victory points from before the cancellation.”
“Mhm, I lost,” she said softly, as if speaking of something completely trivial.
Before Lynn could speak, she stuffed a piece of fruit into his mouth to block any words.
“Eat up, they're already peeled.”
The sweet, fresh juice burst in his mouth, and Lynn bit down without standing on ceremony.
“The taste is pretty good, but this skin...”
“It wasn't even peeled cleanly at all. I say, shouldn't the servants in this manor be replaced?”
This bastard!
I was the one who fucking peeled that!
With a fake smile, Veronica grabbed another apple and stuffed Lynn's mouth once more.
“Let me briefly tell you about the aftermath of this incident.”
“As it turned out, most people were just suddenly teleported back to the domain, ending the competition. They don't know the truth about the Order's invasion.”
“To avoid unnecessary panic, the public announcement is: a powerful magical beast suddenly appeared in the competition area, and the competition was cut short for safety reasons.”
“Heh~” She let out a mocking laugh. “Each excuse is more high-sounding than the last. Those useless, parasitic officials just want to cover up their own incompetence.”
“And this was actually the result of Uncle Landon pushing through all opposition. Originally, those guys—they even wanted to sweep this matter under the rug.”
They even wanted to sweep the fact that the Saintess and the future Grand Duke were almost killed under the rug?
This level of stupidity—it was practically as absurd as the politicians of a certain land of the free in his previous life.
Thinking of that old rogue crying snot and tears, wailing, “My dear nephew, my dear girl, your Uncle Landon has failed you. I shall retire to my hometown immediately...”, Veronica couldn't help but feel a dark line cross her face.
“It seems the North... is about to face a massive purge very soon,” Lynn remarked with a sigh of emotion.
“Hmph, they reaped what they sowed. They wanted to—” Veronica cut herself off mid-sentence.
She glanced toward the shaking doorway.
“It seems some people just can't wait any longer...”
“Then I won't disturb you for now~”
“...Master Lynn, whom I am to serve for the next three years?”
She turned and left without the slightest hesitation, and in the next moment—
The tightly shut bedroom door burst open, and a weeping pink-haired dumpling threw herself forward.
“Waaah! Young Master~ You're not dead~”
Rate on N.U.
