Chapter 79
Xenon’s gaze, fixed on me after my words, felt awkward for a moment.
What’s with this guy?
Why is he staring at me like that?
‘Could he… be jealous?’
Lost in thought for a moment, I shook my head.
The idea of jealousy was absurd even to me.
There was no reason for either of us to be jealous of the other.
Our relationship wasn’t like that.
It was one forged out of necessity.
A bond formed simply because we needed each other.
That’s all there was to it.
Once I thought that far, my heart settled down a little.
‘Stop messing with my feelings.’
Consumed by such thoughts, I couldn’t help but feel annoyed and snapped at him.
“What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
Xenon seemed as though he was about to say something but only parted his lips without uttering a word.
Whatever he said would probably just grate on my nerves.
Already anticipating his response, I turned my head away sharply and spoke.
“If you don’t have anything to say, go get ready for bed. Our missions start again tomorrow.”
Technically, it wasn’t Xenon’s fault, but I was already a little irritated.
I turned my back to him after setting up my sleeping spot.
‘Emotionless rock, clueless idiot, insensitive jerk who doesn’t care about other people’s feelings…’
While mentally grumbling about Xenon, I heard his voice break the silence.
“Me too.”
That one sentence.
“Could you promise me that, too?”
It wasn’t something I had anticipated at all.
‘What…?’
What did I just hear?
Did he really just ask if I could make that promise with him, too?
My brain froze, struggling to process Xenon’s unexpected question.
“What… did you just say?”
Slowly, I turned my stiff neck to look at him and was met with his stoic face.
But something about his expression was slightly different.
His lips were faintly bitten, his eyes trembled slightly, and even his thick, straight brows twitched.
The changes were subtle—so subtle that you’d miss them unless you looked closely.
My confusion vanished as his next words struck like a bombshell.
“I asked if you’d promise to go on a date with me, too.”
It was a verbal bomb.
His words stirred up the calm surface of my heart.
What was this? Had I fallen asleep without realizing it?
Was I dreaming?
As I continued staring at him blankly, Xenon tilted his head, seemingly puzzled by my lack of response.
“Is that a no?”
At the same time, his brows drooped slightly.
I felt like I could finally read his expression a little better.
“You… What do you mean by that?”
My voice trembled faintly as I spat out each word.
Never in my wildest imagination did I think this guy, who might’ve invited me to spar instead, would shyly ask me on a date.
“Are you serious?”
That wasn’t the most important part, though.
What mattered was what he meant by his words.
I couldn’t trust them at face value.
Xenon silently stared at me, as if gauging something, before quietly replying.
“It’s because I feel like I’m losing to Darwin. And I don’t like it.”
“…Losing?”
He nodded lightly in response to my question.
‘Of course.’
In the end, it was nothing more than some competitive spirit driving him to ask for a date.
The flutter I felt just moments ago cooled quickly, leaving behind only a sigh as I pulled the covers over myself.
“Whatever, I’ll think about it later.”
“…Did I do something wrong?”
Xenon sounded flustered at my curt tone. He called my name several more times after that.
‘Hmph, like I’d answer.’
Silence was the only proper response to such a cheeky request.
Thankfully, before I could dwell too much on this whirlwind of emotions, sleep claimed me swiftly.
“Mmm…”
Without even needing to count sheep, I fell into a deep slumber.
…And maybe it was my imagination, but—
In my half-asleep state, I felt like I vaguely heard Xenon’s voice.
What was it again?
‘…I will.’
Or something along those lines.
But I wasn’t sure if I’d heard it right since I was dozing off.
“Idiot…”
I mumbled some incoherent sleep talk aimed at no one in particular and completely passed out.
***
As always, waking up early was a struggle.
Awoken by the murmuring of my companions, I rubbed my eyes and looked around.
“Huh? What’s this? Everyone’s already awake?”
Just a few days ago, they’d barely managed to get up when I called for them.
“Finally awake, Captain?”
Now they were waking up earlier than me, getting ready on their own.
‘This feels strange.’
Was this what a mother felt like, watching her children grow up so quickly?
I suddenly felt a pang of realization—my companions had adapted to this world much faster than I thought.
After wiping my face clean with a damp cloth, I poked Eden’s cheek when he called me “Captain” and corrected him.
“The Black-and-White War is over, so don’t call me Captain anymore. It sounds so impersonal.”
“…Then, what should I call you?”
Eden, rubbing his poked cheek, looked a bit sulky.
“Hmm, let’s see.”
What would be something less awkward and easier to say?
“Nuna?”
“Nuna…”
Eden repeated the word after me, his cheeks turning slightly red.
‘Why though?’
Was the word “Nuna” embarrassing to say in this world, just like with Darwin earlier?
I scratched my head in confusion.
“Did you sleep well, sister?”
Smiling brightly, Lyria approached me and greeted me warmly.
There was steam wafting from behind her back, but I pretended not to notice.
‘I saw nothing. Nothing at all…’
I consciously averted my eyes.
“Here.”
Soon enough, a bowl of warm mushroom stew, emitting a delicious aroma, was presented in front of me.
It looked far tastier than the one from yesterday.
Before I could ask how she did it, Lyria spoke up first.
“I woke up a bit earlier and made it again.”
She explained that one of the party members from the Black-and-White War, someone skilled in cooking, had helped her remake the dish.
I was genuinely surprised—Lyria had put so much thought into this.
Honestly, I hadn’t expected much.
Cooking was just about throwing in good ingredients, right?
“Thanks, Lyria. I’ll enjoy it.”
Smiling warmly, I took a big spoonful of the stew.
Without hesitation, I brought it to my mouth.
“Hm?”
The stew was as warm as a hearth and as creamy as silk.
A subtle sweetness and nutty flavor lingered on my tongue, filling me with warmth.
Whatever ingredients she used, the umami of the mushrooms combined perfectly with the stew’s savory saltiness, creating a harmony of sweet and salty flavors.
As I silently devoured the stew, Lyria, perhaps curious about my thoughts, fiddled with her fingers and hesitantly asked me.
“How is it? It’s not weird like last time, is it?”
I polished off the bowl in no time, giving her a thumbs-up in response.
“What’s there to say? It’s amazing!”
[The constellation, Master of Fine Dining, is curious about the stew’s taste.]
[The constellation, Wand of Love, wants to try the stew.]
[The constellation, Ecstasy of the Night, wants to buy the recipe for the stew.]
Messages from the constellations poured in like a waterfall.
Judging by their reactions, it seemed I’d eaten it quite deliciously.
Apparently, regardless of the world, watching someone enjoy food was universally appreciated.
“I’m so glad. Yesterday, I really thought something bad would happen to you.”
Lyria breathed a sigh of relief, patting her chest as if a weight had been lifted. I shook my head reassuringly.
“Come on, it’s not like someone would die just because they ate something bad.”
Although, to be honest, I did feel like I’d almost died yesterday.
But there was no need to ruin the mood by saying so.
“Our Lyria is such a great cook~”
“Hehe…”
As I patted Lyria’s head, Eden suddenly appeared and brought his head under my other hand.
“Me too. Pat me too.”
Lyria shot Eden a brief, withering glare, her voice low as she muttered.
“Get your rotten head out of here… sister’s hand is mine.”
Her words were so quiet that I decided to pretend I hadn’t heard them.
‘Anyway, it’s about time for a quest to appear.’
In the Forest of Spirits, I’d recklessly tried to sleep even after receiving a quest.
But now, I was so used to quests that I could almost predict when they’d show up.
For example, in about five seconds.
[A new quest has arrived!]
‘See?’
I shrugged as the notification window appeared, right on cue.
—
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