Chapter 33
The shock didn’t last long.
“Everyone’s gathered!”
The children’s voices came from nearby.
“Mister, you’re back to normal! I’m so glad.”
Celestine bowed her head upon spotting Yeriel.
“It’s thanks to all of you taking good care of me.”
Yeriel responded, bowing slightly in return.
“Sis, your clothes look great.”
Lyria, dressed in a white tunic adorned with flowing lace, ran over and hugged me.
As the soft, fluttering fabric traced a gentle line, it felt like I was holding a bouquet of flowers.
“You look great too.”
It wasn’t just flattery.
In the original story, she was known as the “Saint of Flames,” and her appearance was exactly that of a saint.
Her personality, too, matched the role perfectly.
I gently tousled her soft pink hair, smiling along with her.
“What about my clothes?”
Eden, who had suddenly appeared, tugged on the hem of my clothes.
He looked up at me with an expectant gaze, like a puppy waiting for praise. I chuckled and patted his head.
“You look cool.”
He was wearing a long, charcoal robe that complemented his ash-gray hair.
“Cool?”
Eden wagged his tail energetically and repeated the word a few times, as if savoring it.
“M-me too…”
Next up was Celestine.
She approached shyly, covering her mouth with her sleeve.
Her top was made of a rigid armor-like material, while below, a translucent black lace flowed down to her feet, giving her an air of mystery.
It was almost like she was a princess with a sword.
“You look great too, like a real princess.”
Celestine blushed deeply and stammered.
“Wendy, you’re really beautiful too. Like…”
“Like?”
“Like an experienced explorer!”
“Pfft!”
Sylvester, who had been eavesdropping on our conversation, burst into laughter as he appeared.
He hadn’t picked out a new outfit, so he was dressed as before in a loose shirt and light shorts.
“You idiot, at times like this, you’re supposed to say she looks like a princess too.”
“Is that how it is?”
“It’s usually a compliment for girls.”
Sylvester’s words made Celestine’s face fall instantly.
I bent down to meet her eyes.
“It’s okay, thank you, Celestine.”
“…I-I didn’t mean…”
“I know, and besides, I’d rather be an explorer than a princess.”
“……”
“An explorer can go anywhere, and if they work hard, they can become anything. Don’t you think?”
Sylvester beamed again at my words and nodded enthusiastically.
“Then, I want to be an explorer too, not a princess!”
“Me too! I’ll be the guide who helps you on your adventures, Sis!”
“Then I’ll be the knight who protects those explorers.”
Celestine, Lyria, and then Eden each chimed in.
I watched them fondly, but then a large figure appeared in the distance, walking toward us.
“Xenon.”
It was him.
He, like Sylvester, seemed not to have chosen new clothes.
He wore his tattered long-sleeved shirt and leather pants just as before.
“Hey, but…”
Yeriel, standing beside me, scanned Xenon and me with a serious look, then spoke quietly.
“Your clothes are similar.”
“What?!”
I jumped back, startled, while Xenon looked at me with an incredulous expression.
“Is that really something to get worked up over?”
“Of course! It’s annoying!”
“Annoying, you say…”
He seemed to think for a moment, then casually began to strip off his clothes.
“There, is that bet—”
“Hey, you lunatic!”
I slapped him on the back, my face flushed, and shouted.
“Put your clothes on! What are you doing in a public place?”
“It hurts quite a bit.”
“I didn’t mean that! I meant your clothes… Ugh, forget it. I’m done talking to you.”
Xenon just looked at me with a genuinely puzzled expression.
With that innocent expression on his face, it made me feel like I was the strange one here.
But he’s the one who shamelessly took off his shirt in a public space!
“You act as if this is the first time you’ve seen a man’s bare body.”
His words made a wrinkle appear between my brows.
What, is he crazy? When would I ever have the chance to see a naked man?
“Of course, I haven’t! I’m not even married yet, and I’ve never had a boyfriend either…!”
My shocking declaration stirred up the comment section.
—President of the Romance Association (romxxx): Really? Wendy’s never had a boyfriend?
ㄴMi-a (miaxxx): Seems like it? I thought she’d be charming everyone with that appearance.
—Hihi (hihxxx): She’s one of us. Cease fire.
[The constellation, Wisdom’s Owl, admires your purity!]
[The constellation, Hunting Moonlight, insists that you have the qualities of a nun.]
[The constellation, Wisdom’s Owl, invites you to join the ‘Radiant Solo Club.’]
<Radiant Solo Club>
- Membership condition: Any woman who has never been in a relationship.
- Membership benefits: Receive perks related to the nun’s club.
- Violation of conditions: Automatic expulsion from the club.
[Would you like to join the ‘Radiant Solo Club’?]
No, no…
‘That’s not what I meant!’
Desperately ignoring the indirect messages from the chaste goddesses, I averted my gaze.
For the record, any avatar who joins the ‘Radiant Solo’—shortened as ‘Brightpine’—club is destined to never experience romantic love in their lifetime.
The constellations that form this club are fiercely independent and dislike avatars who become infatuated with men.
Naturally, relationships are out of the question.
I haven’t dated yet, but that doesn’t mean I never want to!
At that moment, Xenon’s expression, which met mine, seemed awkward.
“…That’s not what I meant. It’s just that siblings or brothers often take off their shirts when they’re sweating during training.”
In other words, Xenon’s argument was this:
People with siblings often build camaraderie while growing up by seeing each other’s bodies.
So they’re usually accustomed to it.
Lyria shook her head at his words.
“There’s only my sister and me in the Porcelain family. And in noble families, it’s rare to see someone else’s bare body before marriage.”
“……”
“Especially of the opposite sex.”
Her comment, implying that Xenon was in the wrong, made his lips tighten.
…Surely not.
‘He wouldn’t be upset by a little kid pointing that out, would he?’
Fortunately, he wasn’t that unreasonable. He nodded lightly.
“I see.”
Acknowledging it calmly, he put his shirt back on.
“Is this better?”
“…Yeah.”
As I took a moment to calm down, Yeriel tilted his head beside me.
“It’s not like it’s your first time seeing one.”
Wait, why is he bringing this up now?
A bad feeling ran through my body.
“In fact, Wendy, you saw my body just earlier—”
Before Yeriel could say anything more outrageous, I covered his mouth with my hand and feigned ignorance.
“Haha, I’m suddenly so hungry.”
“……”
“Shall we go eat now?”
But the reaction from the others was cold.
“…What did you just say?”
“Did Sis see another man’s body…?”
“With Yeriel?”
Everyone stared at me and Yeriel in shock.
‘This is driving me crazy.’
Why do Xenon and Yeriel seem so eager to create misunderstandings?
They should explain the reasons, not just state the facts!
“Yes, it’s true that I accidentally saw Yeriel’s body, but there were circumstances…”
“Enough.”
Suddenly, Xenon cut off my words and turned away coldly.
“I understand. That’s enough.”
No, that’s not it!
I need to clear this up properly.
I don’t want to be misunderstood for something like this.
“Xenon, it’s a misunderstanding. What I’m saying is…”
Yeriel, realizing his mistake, tried to stop Xenon too.
“Is there anything to misunderstand? Your private matters aren’t my concern.”
His tone was as cold as a winter frost.
“Eat on your own.”
With that, Xenon left quickly, as if he didn’t want anyone to hold him back.
“Ugh…”
What’s his problem now?
He’s acting like he just heard something terribly offensive.
Sure, it’s strange for teammates of different genders to see each other’s bodies.
But it’s not such a big deal that he’d react like this.
He just said himself that brothers and sisters often train together and build camaraderie while shirtless.
Right? That’s what he said!
Feeling a bit wronged, I pouted my lips.
Seeing my frustration, Yeriel spoke up anxiously.
“Everyone, I’m sorry. I was trying to explain the situation but ended up skipping over the details…”
He glanced at me, and when I nodded, he continued.
“So, what happened is…”
He explained that when he transformed from a sapling into a person, he had been inexplicably naked.
And that I had seen him by chance in that state.
But it was only for a brief moment, and he immediately put on the clothes provided from the supplies.
As Yeriel spoke, the kids’ expressions gradually shifted from shock to understanding.
“I see. I wish Xenon had heard this explanation before leaving.”
Lyria sighed regretfully, and Celestine, standing beside her, nodded in agreement.
“But why was he so angry in the first place?”
—
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