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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Yuziro
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“I hear Iyerpol and that receptionist, Rigati, are quite close. She helps him a lot, being blind and all.”
“…….”
“She’s considered quite beautiful by human standards, and she has a gentle personality. It’s only natural a man would be drawn to her. Iyerpol’s a man, after all…”
The two of them, laughing and chatting at the counter, looked like close friends.
Wolf knew Rigati often assisted Iyerpol with various tasks, given his blindness, and they had naturally become friendly.
‘Though I doubt they’re close enough to exchange gifts like that…’
Wolf chuckled.
Despite being a beastman, he’d spent enough time in human society to understand the implications of such a gift.
A man wouldn’t give a woman jewelry unless he harbored some affection for her.
Perhaps they were laughing out of embarrassment, he mused.
He was sure Guinness, unaware of their true relationship, would interpret the scene differently.
‘Let’s see how you react, lizard girl. Is it simple gratitude, or something more?’
If she showed no reaction, it was mere gratitude towards a benefactor.
But if she reacted strongly…
Anticipation was being built, Wolf turned to gauge Guinness’s reaction.
The smile vanished from his face.
“Lizard girl…”
“…….”
Her eyes were wide, her mouth slightly agape.
The usually sharp glint in her eyes was replaced with a flicker of…pain?
Even the sharp angles of her face seemed to soften, her brow furrowed in distress.
“Hngh…”
As Rigati fastened the necklace around her neck, Guinness lowered her head, her hands gripping the windowsill, trembling.
Wolf, who had orchestrated this scene for his own amusement, sobered instantly.
‘Did I go too far?’
Affection came in many forms: familial, platonic, comradely.
Each felt different, held different weight.
And the quickest way to recognize romantic affection was through jealousy.
He had wanted to gauge the nature of Guinness’s feelings for Iyerpol, to see if there was any romantic inclination.
He had staged this scene, hoping to provoke a reaction.
He hadn’t expected such a visceral response.
It seemed Guinness’s feelings for Iyerpol ran deeper than he’d anticipated.
For someone who had likely never experienced such emotions, the sudden pang of jealousy was overwhelming.
“Ugh…”
Guinness stumbled back from the window.
“Hey, lizard girl…”
Before Wolf could stop her, she bolted, disappearing into a nearby alley.
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Pain.
A crushing weight in her chest, as if someone were squeezing her heart.
It was a different kind of pain than the physical torment she had endured throughout her life.
The whippings, the injuries…none of it compared to this agonizing ache.
The image of Iyerpol, laughing with the receptionist, was seared into her mind.
It overlapped with the memory of him tending to her wounds in the cave, his touch gentle and reassuring.
Now, that same gentleness was directed at another woman.
The thought was unbearable.
“Aaaaagh!”
She slammed her fist into the alley wall, the rough stone scraping against her skin.
The physical pain was a welcome distraction from the torment in her chest.
“Lizard girl!”
Wolf’s voice startled her.
He grabbed her hand, pulling it away from the wall.
Blood trickled down her knuckles.
“Let go!”
She wrenched her hand free, her eyes filled with a raw, unfamiliar sadness.
“I didn’t want to know this feeling! This…this desire…!”
“That, too, is desire, lizard girl.”
Wolf said softly, his usual playful demeanor gone.
“Shut up!”
“You desire for Iyerpol to not be involved with another woman.”
He pointed at her.
“People call that jealousy.”
Guinness opened her mouth to retort, but the words caught in her throat.
He was right.
She had felt a surge of negativity towards both Iyerpol and the receptionist.
She hadn’t cared when he was with Wagner.
But seeing him give that necklace…it had felt like a physical blow.
“And jealousy usually arises when you have feelings for someone.”
“What are you trying to say…?”
“Think about how you’ve been acting around Iyerpol.”
Your gaze is drawn to him.
You follow him around.
You enjoy being near him, even in silence.
Your face flushes when you talk to him.
You do him favors without hesitation.
And seeing him with another woman…it hurts.
This was new.
A feeling she had never experienced before.
It both exhilarated and terrified her.
“That’s affection.”
Wolf said gently.
“Or, in other words…love.”
Guinness clenched her fists, images of the humans she had encountered flashing through her mind: the cruel noble, the indifferent servants, the disdainful shopkeeper, the condescending adventurers, the leering thugs…
She couldn’t accept it.
“I…I’m in love with a human?”
The words were a choked whisper.
Wolf shook his head.
“You’re not in love with a human. You’re in love with Iyerpol.”
Guinness’s shoulders trembled.
She couldn’t deny it, but she couldn’t accept it either.
It was too much, too overwhelming.
“You don’t have to understand it right now. It takes time to recognize your own feelings.”
“Just remember…this feeling exists within you. You can decide what to do with it later.”
Guinness looked down at her trembling hands.
It wasn’t just from hitting the wall.
She knew that, deep down.
Wolf grinned.
“Iyerpol is quite popular, you know. He’s well-respected, both for his skills and his character.”
“So…?”
“Someone as inexperienced as you wouldn’t even know how to approach him. And time waits for no one.”
Guinness glared at him, resentment flickering in her eyes.
He was right, damn him.
“How about I help you?”
“What?”
“I’ll give you a little push. A little nudge in the right direction.”
Guinness met his gaze, suspicion warring with a desperate hope.
“What do you get out of it?”
Wolf laughed.
“Oh, I get plenty out of it. I get…fun.”
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“What…what is this…?”
I stared at the small mountain of burlap sacks piled before me.
The pub madam approached, a smile on her face.
“These were delivered for you.”
I knew that.
That’s why I was here.
I cautiously opened one of the sacks…
“Oh…damn it…”
Mushrooms.
Strange, multi-headed mushrooms.
Six sacks full of them.
Each sack the size of a human torso.
I remembered these mushrooms.
The useless things I’d collected after that goblin subjugation, based on that ridiculous rumor.
“These have been here for days. They’ll spoil soon.”
The madam said, her voice laced with concern.
“Really…?”
“You’ll need to dry them if you want to keep them longer. Need some help?”
She was so kind.
I wanted to cry, but her kindness kept the tears at bay.
“Please.”
I mumbled, defeated.
She beamed and rolled up her sleeves.
As I turned to leave, her hand, thick as a log, clamped down on my shoulder.
“You need to pay for these, Iyerpol.”
“Huh?”
“The mushroom delivery. I paid for it and put it on your tab.”
My legs gave way, and I collapsed onto a nearby chair.
She didn’t release her grip.
I finally escaped after promising to visit the bank and repay her.
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After settling my debt with the madam, I left the pub, a deep frown etched on my face.
“I should have told them not to send them…”
What was I supposed to do with all these mushrooms?
Eat them all?
I wracked my brain, trying to think of dishes I could make with them.
A familiar figure approached.
Wolf Who Chases the Wind.
“Iyerpol! Do you have a moment?”
He asked, his voice unusually urgent.
“I have plenty of time…What is it?”
“Perfect. I have a favor to ask.”
I had a feeling I’d heard this before. I nodded.
He grinned, a familiar glint in his eyes.
I had a feeling this wasn’t going to be a simple favor.
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[Bro got some shrooms]
