Chapter 34
“I don’t know either.”
Eden, with his arms crossed and a casual demeanor, yawned lazily, showing disinterest.
“Yaaawn, is this really something to get mad about?”
Sylvester, watching Eden doze off as if he had no care in the world, muttered quietly with a hint of disdain.
“What would kids know, anyway?”
It seemed he had forgotten that he, too, was still just a kid.
‘They’re really having fun….’
Watching the kids joke around, the comment section began to buzz.
—StopTheDrama (wwexxx): Wow, that misunderstanding is massive, LOL.
ㄴOwen (dowxxx): Poor Wendy, getting tossed around like a beaten drum.
ㄴGrilledOctopus (oplxxx): But this time, Wendy did kind of cross the line.
[You have gained favor from 5 observers.]
[Accumulated Favor: 50]
Some comments were critical, but the overall reaction wasn’t bad…
Most of the readers seemed to have a positive response.
‘Looks like the major misunderstanding has been cleared up.’
Though it hadn’t been resolved with the person who mattered most.
I couldn’t exactly run after someone who had already left.
‘He’ll probably come back after a while.’
When he does, I need to make sure to explain it was a misunderstanding.
‘And since I’ve gathered some favor, I could buy him a decent sword.’
Maybe I’ll get a backup pot for Yeriel as well?
Since his first awakening was as a tree, if he overexerts himself using his power, he might revert to a sapling.
‘It’d be inconvenient to carry him around in my hands….’
Yes, I should buy a pot.
And it should be a sturdy one!
That was my simple plan.
“For now, everyone’s hungry, so shall we eat?”
“Yaaay!”
And that night, I regretted not following Xenon.
***
***
***
“I’m so full…”
“Me too.”
Lyria and Celestine patted their rounded bellies contentedly.
“Was it good?”
“Yes!”
“Yeah! Totally!”
Watching the kids with a sense of pride, I couldn’t help but smile as the comment section buzzed with activity.
—HungryPerson (dytxxx): Wow, that ramen looks delicious.
ㄴTOT (dowxxx): Is it okay to have ramen in a romance novel? Is that the kind that makes men cry?
ㄴRomanceAssociationPresident (romxxx): Technically, it’s not ramen; it’s just one of the instant foods that commoners in this world eat.
ㄴTOT (dowxxx): Ah, it did look a little different.
—Jeje (ahexxx): Looks like the author is really serious about the food descriptions.
ㄴPli (2o3xxx): The noodles look chewy and firm.
—TodayI’mTheChef (chaxxx): But isn’t it Sunday? Shouldn’t we be eating that special ramen?
[You have gained favor from 12 observers.]
[Accumulated Favor: 42]
I had spent around 20 favor points on food ingredients, but overall, it wasn’t a bad outcome.
Sometimes, boosting the morale of your teammates with a good meal is important too.
“Sis.”
Just as I was feeling proud that everyone enjoyed the meal, Sylvester approached me.
“I thought you were only good at dodging trouble, but you’re pretty good at cooking too?”
“Haha, I try.”
In reality, all I did was buy ingredients from the shop and boil them.
The praise felt a bit too much, and I scratched my head, feeling a little embarrassed.
“To be honest, I was a bit surprised.”
“Huh?”
“You always have this innocent look on your face, but you do things others wouldn’t even think of.”
So, what he meant was…
“You act like someone who’s hiding something.”
Wait, that’s not a compliment… is it?
‘Or is this just some roundabout way of criticizing me?’
Even the most oblivious person could see that Sylvester’s words weren’t just casual praise.
‘Did I do something to make Sylvester dislike me?’
I… I’m pretty sure I’ve been decent and honest…
“……”
As I stood there, stunned by his unexpected words, Sylvester let out a light chuckle.
“No, never mind.”
“Huh?”
“We can talk about this later. Anyway, thanks. The food was great.”
“Wait, hold on…”
‘It doesn’t seem like it’s “never mind,” though?’
I reached out toward Sylvester as he walked away, leaving me with a lingering sense of unease.
How could he just leave like that?
I almost wanted to grab him by the shoulder and demand what he was trying to say.
But…
“Wendy, what are you doing here? I called out to you a few times, but you didn’t respond…”
Yeriel suddenly appeared out of nowhere like a shadow, preventing me from doing so.
“Were you having an important conversation?”
Seeing my serious expression, Yeriel quickly realized and began to back away with an apologetic look.
“Oh, I didn’t realize… Well, please continue then…!”
“No, no, it’s fine.”
Thanks to him, I snapped out of it and took a deep breath as I looked around.
Piles of trash and a chaotic mess inside the tent.
As curious as I was about what Sylvester would say next…
At this rate, we’d end up sleeping under piles of trash like blankets.
‘Where on earth is Xenon, anyway?’
With fewer hands to help, Yeriel and I were left to clean up the entire mess.
Sure, the kids could help with the cleaning… but they only had tiny hands.
And seeing Eden over there, snoring away, crushed any remaining hope I had.
Pressing down on my furrowed brow, I gently patted Yeriel on the shoulder.
“Let’s start with the cleaning, shall we?”
***
***
***
“Sigh…”
It was a night where the moon hid behind the clouds.
Lying between the sleeping Lyria and Celestine, I stared blankly at the ceiling of the tent.
There was more to clean up than I had anticipated.
Every dirty dish had to be scrubbed clean, every soiled piece of clothing washed.
And why were there so few places to wash up…?
Lyria and I had just dipped into a nearby lake to wash ourselves off.
After that, I helped Celestine wash up and dried the kids’ clothes…
Oh, and I had to scold the boys for knocking over the drying clothes, getting them dirty again.
Because of all that, I couldn’t even buy Yeriel an emergency pot or a sword for Xenon from the shop.
I also hadn’t had the chance to tell my companions about the inventory.
We hadn’t planned or discussed any strategies for the next challenge.
Though I hadn’t accomplished anything significant, I felt strangely at peace.
‘The sun sets on another day.’
I lifted my hand, letting the moonlight spill over my fingertips.
I spread my hand and tried to grasp the ray of light.
Something you can touch but not hold.
Something that has substance but is unattainable.
And just like that, the night of the second day, which I thought would never come, was slipping away in my hands.
No one had died.
We had peacefully ended another day.
For some reason, that simple fact made me incredibly happy.
I turned my head, imagining how wonderful it would be if all the days to come were like this.
“Mmm…”
As I turned, the soft pink hair brushed against my cheek.
It was Lyria’s hair.
“Sleep well, my dear.”
I gently brushed Lyria’s hair aside and smiled softly.
Everyone must have been exhausted, as the kids fell asleep the moment they laid down.
Eden was curled up, sleeping in an awkward position.
Celestine had draped a leg over Eden’s belly as she slept soundly.
Watching them tangled up like a game of Tetris, my gaze eventually landed on…
“……”
A man performing a bizarre sleeping pose.
‘What kind of position is that…?’
Yeriel looked like a salmon trying to swim upstream in his sleep.
‘He must be really tired.’
He had been left with all the cleanup work since Xenon vanished during this critical time.
Once he finished, he collapsed as soon as his back hit the ground, still feeling the effects of his awakening.
“A tree… I became a tree…”
How much of a shock it must have been for him to have turned into a tree…
“N-no, I don’t like… being all wobbly…”
Even his sleep-talking was like that.
He seemed pitiable, yet oddly endearing at the same time.
Meanwhile, Sylvester, lying beside Yeriel, remained as still as a frozen statue.
“……”
I even found myself wondering if he was really breathing and reached out to check.
‘But still, he’s really late.’
I had thought he’d be back by now.
Honestly, it was much later than I had anticipated.
‘I figured he’d come back after dinner.’
I let out a small sigh as I looked at the empty space I had left for him.
Maybe instead of waiting here, it’d be better to go out and find him myself.
It’s not like someone like Xenon would actually get lost, but…
‘Alright, let’s go.’
Even monkeys fall from trees sometimes.
With that in mind, I prepared to head out.
“Ugh, it’s cold.”
With the sun gone, the night had turned noticeably chilly.
I wasn’t entirely sure of the date, but…
Considering we recently celebrated Lyria’s birthday, which was in early April in the story…
‘It must be around the beginning of March now.’
In this world, March and April felt like late autumn back in Korea.
Snow would start falling around June, and from December, the long days of summer heat would begin.
It was easier to think of it as the opposite of the Korean seasons.
I pulled out a robe from a bundle of supplies tucked into a corner and wrapped it around myself.
Since it was a robe that was a size too small, having belonged to Eden, it only covered my shoulders like a shawl…
“But it’s warm.”
And that was good enough.
‘Tiptoeing…’
Carefully avoiding the kids and Yeriel’s outstretched limbs, I quietly slipped out of the tent.
Just as I was nearly out…
“Mmm…”
I almost tripped over Yeriel’s sleep-talking legs.
‘Hyah!’
But with quick reflexes, I managed to avoid falling.
Letting out a relieved breath, I resumed my steps.
—
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