Chapter 16
“There’s no problem at all.”
No, there’s a ton of problems. A ridiculous amount!
“That’s… impossible…”
“Well then… it’s nobody’s fault, I guess.”
You made the situation worse!
This damned brat!
—President of Romance Society (romxxx): LOLLLLLLLLLL
—Bread Eater (mukxxx): Xenon… you… destroyed Wendy’s social life….
—SomSom (sorxxx): Is this the place? Where getting beaten up helps you grow?
ㄴKim Sunshine (yesxxx): Yes, that’s correct. It’s where the male lead personally helps.
—Positive Life (posxxx): Now they’ll confidently ask to be hit harder. Love it.
ㄴHolalala (holxxx): In exchange for losing their humanity, they grow stronger.
[You have gained favor from 7 observers.]
[Total Favor: 51]
As if mocking me, the status window unfurls before my eyes.
I want to curl up on the ground, clutching my head. Who cares about favor right now?
***
Sometime later.
“Well, I’m sure you’re all shocked, but please, just for a moment, listen to what I have to say.”
In the end, I had to spend an entire hour explaining everything to my colleagues, who were drowning in a mix of shock and fear.
“First of all, this entire situation is nothing but a misunderstanding from start to finish.”
Starting with an explanation of the skill I gained, Big Data.
Then I explained how I was struggling to figure out what to do and ended up asking for help from Xenon, who had woken up just in time.
Lastly, I clarified that what Eden saw was also a misunderstanding.
By the time I finished explaining everything, the layers of misunderstandings were finally starting to clear up.
“Hahaha… I see. I’m really sorry for misunderstanding so much.”
Yeriel’s embarrassed apology, paired with his awkward smile, brought me a little bit of relief.
At least I’d overcome the biggest hurdle.
Taking a deep breath, I felt much more at ease.
“So, does that mean you’re going to keep training like that, sis? You can’t! It’s too dangerous!”
Lyria’s worried words warmed my tired body.
“If that was the case, you could’ve woken me up instead. I also could’ve….”
Eden, who was sulking after getting a smack on the head from me, said something a bit suspicious, but I just tilted my head in confusion.
Anyway, the commotion had finally come to an end, and for that, I was grateful.
“Why did you say something so strange?”
I glared at Xenon, the socially inept idiot who caused all this trouble with his half-baked explanation.
“Did I say something wrong?”
Of course, his words were technically correct.
But Xenon, with his habit of only saying exactly the right things, had turned everything upside down.
“Anyway, everyone, I’m sorry for all the trouble I caused in the middle of the night.”
Come to think of it, they all needed to rest and regain their strength.
They’ve been running around all night because of me.
I should do something to make it up to them.
I’ve also accumulated quite a bit of favor.
[Total Favor: 51]
Maybe it’s time to hand out some gifts?
“Let’s see….”
Crossing my arms, I looked up at the square window that appeared before me.
<Magic Cart>Special Delivery Service for Items in This World
[Total Favor: 51]
[Total Purchasable Items: 33]
—Lower Random Box (Favor: 10)
ㄴA random box. You never know what you’ll get, so why not open one and find out?
—Lower First-Aid Kit (Favor: 20)
ㄴIncludes Xcidin universal ointment and a MadeXsol set. The red medicine and gauze are freebies.
—Extremely Useless Dagger (Favor: 5)
ㄴQuite useless. Is its performance just as bad?
.
.
.
There were a lot of items I had seen before.
But now that I had enough favor, the list of items I could buy had grown significantly.
As I scanned the list, I stopped at one item.
<Necklace of Memories>
A cute pink rose gemstone. Staring into it brings back memories of childhood.
<Faded Leather Bracers>
Gloves that have seen better days. They’re worn and torn, but time heals all wounds.
‘Oh, interesting.’
<Necklace of Memories> and <Faded Leather Bracers> huh.
The necklace was the perfect gift for Lyria.
It had a pink gemstone that matched her hair color exactly.
The leather bracers would be useful for Eden, who mainly used a bow.
As for Yeriel, there wasn’t a suitable gift, so I decided to give him a random box.
I would have liked to give them all something nicer, but I couldn’t afford it.
‘As for Xenon, I’ll just buy him anything random.’
He wasn’t the type to care much about gifts anyway.
With my mind made up, I quickly made the purchases.
‘Ding!’
[All items have been successfully purchased!]
[Total Favor: 20]
My precious favor vanished like the receding tide.
It’d be a lie to say I didn’t feel regret, but this was all an investment for the future.
I had to build rapport now, so I wouldn’t end up abandoned in that damned forest twice.
“Lyria, can I see you for a moment?”
With the gifts I found through the Magic Cart, I started gathering my party members, one by one, who were preparing for bed.
“Here, take this.”
The gift for Lyria was the necklace.
It was completely different from the necklace belonging to her Nanny, which she had lost during the tutorial mission.
It was just a simple necklace with a small, cute rose gemstone.
“I know this can’t replace that necklace, but I hope it can provide some comfort….”
“Sis!”
As soon as I handed her the necklace, Lyria’s large eyes welled up with tears, and she suddenly hugged me tightly.
I could feel Lyria’s trembling as she clung to me, softly sobbing.
Her intense reaction left me speechless, and I gently patted her back in silence.
My heart ached a little.
Because I knew this wasn’t out of pure kindness.
The girl before me was the protagonist of this world.
I, originally just a villainess, clung desperately to the only lifeline I had for survival.
Was it really okay for me to accept the sincere affection of this pure-hearted girl?
“You’re so sweet, Lyria.”
But whether it was genuine or not, what did it matter?
The original story had already gone off the rails, and I was living Wendy’s life now.
‘That’s good enough.’
I continued to embrace her until Lyria calmed down.
Not long after, she pulled away with a bashful smile.
“I’m okay now. Really!”
“You’re such a fool.”
I playfully pressed down on Lyria’s messy hair as I patted her.
…And then, the prickling sensation I’d felt for a while.
“Eden.”
I turned my head toward the direction the gaze was coming from.
Eden was crouched in the opposite corner, staring at me enviously.
“…Huh?”
He flinched, clearly not expecting to be called out, and looked at me with wide eyes.
His expression was one of quiet disappointment, as he avoided my gaze.
I walked over to him and sat down beside him.
“Were you trying to protect me earlier?”
Eden blinked a few times and mumbled as if he was chewing over my words.
“Sorry… I spoke out of line.”
He lowered his head dejectedly, looking like a puppy caught in the rain.
Man, I really need to stop comparing people to puppies….
But I couldn’t help it—his demeanor suited the image too well.
“And I’m not as fragile as you seem to think.”
Upon hearing this, Eden curled up even more.
I chuckled softly and flicked his forehead lightly with my fingers.
“And for a little kid, you sure are cheeky.”
“I-I didn’t mean to….”
On the verge of tears, Eden’s face looked so pitiful that I gently patted his head.
“Still, thank you.”
Even though he’d misunderstood and jumped into the situation without thinking, his intentions to protect me had been genuine.
It was hard to be angry at him or blame him for it.
“But calling me weak and soft was a bit much, you know. You brat.”
I ruffled his hair playfully as he stared at me with wide eyes.
“Oh, and here’s a gift. You’re pretty good with a bow.”
I rummaged through my things and pulled out Eden’s gift.
It was a set of bracers designed for archers, covering the back of his hands.
“Make sure you use it well.”
Though it was meant to help him shoot his bow, it also served another purpose.
I chose it to cover the slave mark on the back of his hand.
Eden seemed to despise that mark, always trying to hide it.
“Oh, and one more thing.”
As I stood up, I remembered something and turned back to him, lightly tugging on his cheek.
“Ow.”
“Don’t talk so casually to your elders. You’re just a kid.”
I couldn’t let that go—my inner pride wouldn’t allow it.
Leaving behind Eden, who was standing there rubbing his cheek, I went off to find Yeriel next.
—
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