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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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Luna had defeated the Demon Lord, just as the book foretold. It had been a long and difficult battle, but I was proud of her for persevering.
“So this is what it feels like to be a teacher.”
“Hehe, you’re proud of me, right! You’re happy and satisfied! I can see it all over your face!”
“…Be quiet, Luna.”
“You are! You’re just not honest!”
Luna, ever so straightforward, clung to my arm, grinning.
Seeing her happy expression, I noticed a subtle change.
‘…Isn’t she a bit too close?’
Normally, I would push her away, but after the Demon Lord incident, Luna had been strangely clingy.
For example…
“Luna, go to your room for a bit. You’re in the way while I’m preparing dinner.”
“I’m not in the way! I’ll just watch!”
Now that we were back to our normal routine, Luna refused to leave my side, even if she was in the way.
‘It’s not like she’s dependent on me…’
It felt more like she was fixated on spending time with me. I wasn’t sure what she was thinking, but it was something along those lines.
I took out a kitchen knife to prepare the food.
Hare arrived at the perfect moment, carrying ingredients in both hands.
“M-Mister…! You’re not supposed to be up yet…!! You need more rest…!”
Hare tried to pull me back to my room.
‘I’m not that injured…’
I had occasional headaches, but it didn’t affect my daily life. I waved Hare off and asked about the errands.
“By the way, were they selling ingredients?”
“N-Not a lot… a lot of shops were closed… or had signs saying they were temporarily closed… so I couldn’t buy everything…”
The city was still recovering.
Hare lowered her head, as if it was her fault. I patted her head.
“It’s not your fault, so it’s okay. Show me what you bought.”
“O-Okay…!”
Hare placed the bag of ingredients on the table.
‘Basic vegetables, but… no meat…’
The knights must be prioritizing the recovery efforts, so they weren’t selling meat to civilians.
“We can still cook with this. You did well, Hare.”
“H-Hehe… th-thank you…”
“One more thing. Can you help me?”
“A-Anything…! I’ll do anything you ask, Mister…!”
“…It’s not that serious.”
That was a bit much. I asked Hare to help me prepare the ingredients.
I planned to check on Saten and Estia upstairs while she did that.
“…Luna.”
“Yes?”
“Why are you following me?”
“J-Just because?”
“If you have nothing to do, help Hare with the ingredients.”
“…”
Luna, unable to come up with an excuse, lowered her head.
Seeing her unusually subdued, I chuckled.
“I’ll be back soon, so wait for me, okay?”
“Okay…! But I have a favor to ask when you come back!”
“What is it?”
“P-Pat my head… like you did with Hare!”
“…Huh?”
Hare gasped.
I wanted to refuse, especially since she asked in front of Hare, but after seeing what Luna had been through, I couldn’t bring myself to be harsh.
I smiled faintly.
“If you do a good job preparing the ingredients, I’ll grant your request.”
“Hehe, just you wait! I’ll show you the power of the Hero!”
“Do as you wish.”
I left the kitchen, leaving Luna to her enthusiastic, and potentially destructive, vegetable chopping.
“…She’s needlessly energetic.”
Still, it was better than seeing her depressed.
I was glad she wasn’t suffering from any lasting trauma. Perhaps because she was the Hero, Luna had a strong mind.
She had endured hundreds of deaths and somehow remained sane.
“It feels a bit… strange… but I guess it’s fine.”
I needed to check on Saten and Estia.
I walked upstairs.
‘I feel lighter.’
The weight that had been pressing down on me seemed to have vanished. I felt strangely light and carefree.
It wasn’t my imagination.
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In the kitchen, the rhythmic thud of the kitchen knife against the cutting board filled the silence.
“…”
“…”
Thud, thud, thud-!
Luna and Hare chopped vegetables without speaking.
They were performing the same action, and ironically, thinking the same thought.
‘She’s annoying. Too close to Mister.’
I never thought about it before, but…
Today, it bothers me.
Hare felt the same way about Luna.
‘…Annoying. Why is she suddenly clinging to Mister…?’
Wasn’t she uninterested in him before…?
Why is she trying to stay by Mister’s side after defeating the Demon Lord…?
Silence hung heavy in the kitchen.
Gulp-
They both swallowed and spoke at the same time.
“Hey, Hare-“
“Luna-“
“Oh, we spoke at the same time… no, you go first, Hare!”
“…No, you go first, Luna.”
“Really? Okay!”
“…”
Luna, given the opportunity, didn’t hesitate.
“Ahem-“
She cleared her throat, looked at Hare, and asked,
“Do you still like Mister?”
“…W-What?!”
Luna’s sudden, blunt question caught Hare off guard.
Luna pressed on, not giving her a chance to recover.
“I’m just curious! So what about now?”
“W-Well… Luna, that’s a bit sudden…”
“What’s so hard about saying you like him! Just say what you think! What do you think of Mister!?”
“W-Wait, Luna… give me some time to think…”
“Hmm? Okay.”
Luna stopped her barrage of questions, and Hare finally took a breath.
She quickly thought,
‘…Why did Luna ask me that?’
Suspicious.
Her actions are suspicious.
Her words are suspicious.
Hare observed Luna.
‘She’s pretending to look at the ceiling… but her eyes keep glancing at me…’
She’s pretending not to care, but my answer is clearly important to her…
‘…Don’t tell me? Luna…?’
A thought crossed Hare’s mind, and she tightened her grip on the kitchen knife, her gaze sharpening.
“W-Whoa! H-Hare! Why are you looking at me like that!”
“…Am I right?”
“W-What are you talking about?!”
“…Luna, I think you’ve fallen for Mister.”
Hare continued to stare at Luna, her grip on the knife unwavering.
Luna, flustered, shouted,
“Put down the knife, Hare! What are you doing! It’s a misunderstanding!”
“If this is true, we can’t be friends… we’ll be enemies…”
“No, it’s a misunderstanding! I would never like that bearded Mister! It’s something else!”
“…Really?”
“Y-Yes! It’s a misunderstanding!”
“…”
*Clang*
Hare dropped the knife.
Still suspicious, she asked,
“…What were you going to say? Why is it a misunderstanding…?”
“Ahem, well! First, a question for you, Hare!”
If Mister changed…
If he became a different person…
Would you still like him?
“Even if his soul isn’t the Mister we know, but his appearance is the same! Can you still like him?”
“I like everything about Mister… but if only his appearance is the same… and his heart isn’t… then he’s not Mister…”
“So you don’t like the Mister with a different soul?”
“I like the Mister who saved me… but if he’s gone and replaced by someone I don’t know…”
…I’ll kill him.
“Huh?”
“That’s not the Mister I know… Mister is… the one who saved me… that’s the only Mister…”
“Huh…?”
Luna was speechless. Hare had forgotten that moment. She was saying she would kill Mister now?
‘Really? Seriously? She forgot that one moment?’
How does Hare’s mind work?
Luna found Hare terrifying.
“Hare… you scary child…!!”
“…What?”
“N-Nothing! I didn’t say anything!”
Luna forced a smile.
‘So Hare still likes Mister! I don’t want to fight with my friend, so! I have to be careful!’
Friends are precious!
I got the information I needed.
And I know what Saten is thinking.
Luna didn’t reveal her own feelings. But Hare still had questions.
“So why did you ask me that…? Did something happen to Mister…?”
“No, it’s just… he’s a bit strange!”
“Strange how…?”
“Well…”
Luna scratched her head and said cautiously,
“Mister feels a bit different…! He’s… softer than before…!”
“Really…? I haven’t noticed…”
“I have! Mister used to be so harsh with me! So strict! But now…”
He’s lost his edge.
Like he’s been eating too much honey.
He’s not obsessed with training anymore.
“He’s… not exactly cooler…! But he’s gentler! Less strict! Like a sweet Mister!”
It wasn’t just a temporary change.
His personality seemed to have fundamentally changed. Luna had instinctively noticed the shift in Lee Jun-woo.
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