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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Teottry
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“Why isn’t Faster around? Because a useless guy like that isn’t needed in Liar’s Trap.”
“Well, Scarlet wanted this, didn’t she? If she’s calling him useless in front of everyone, how much must she hate him?”
“I didn’t want a little mudfish polluting the clear waters. And I figured I’d score some points with Scarlet while I was at it, so I told him to get lost.”
“It was a problem from the start that an F-rank like him even got into Liar’s Trap. I don’t know what his relationship with the Guild Leader is… but this was bound to happen. Our guild isn’t soft enough to let someone without any ability stick around.”
“It was a bit harsh to tell him to get lost in front of everyone… but Scarlet wanted it, so… Did I do well, Scarlet?”
After that, my memories were hazy. I only vaguely remembered feeling angry, scared, and sad.
The thought of Faster leaving me triggered a tsunami of negative emotions.
I wished it was all a dream. I closed my eyes and prayed to the heavens to wake me up from this nightmare. But I couldn’t wake up, so I set things on fire out of frustration.
Maybe that would get God’s attention and wake me up.
When I came to, I was surrounded by flames, cradled in Faster’s arms.
Seeing the flames, I knew it wasn’t a dream. Everything that had happened, everything I had done, was real.
But being held in Faster’s arms felt like a dream. Being held by Faster was something that only happened in my dreams.
That dreamlike day ended with a happy ending.
There were some trivial aftereffects, like the guild headquarters burning down and the Team 1 leader being hospitalized with severe burns, but my family, the Rate family, would take care of it, so it wasn’t my concern.
And now, two years later, Faster was trying to leave me again.
That nightmarish day replayed in my mind, and I couldn’t think straight.
Unlike back then, Faster could now escape any situation, outrun anyone, if he really wanted to.
That realization crushed my heart, and negative thoughts filled my mind.
No. No. No… Faster, you can’t leave. Don’t go. Please. I can’t live without you. I can’t even imagine a life without you. So please, Faster. I’m begging you.
A desperate plea rose in my throat. If those words could stop Faster from leaving, I would have screamed them.
But I didn’t want to beg. My dream was for Faster to depend on me, not the other way around.
When I was young, my mother taught me that women who depended on men were abandoned, so I should become a woman a man could depend on. That way, she said, he would never leave me.
Raised with that teaching, my dream naturally became having Faster, the man I loved more than anything, depend on me.
Even if Faster wanted to leave, it was too early to give up on my dream. I believed I could still plead with him when he’d made up his mind.
So, I resorted to a petty trick, muttering loud enough for him to hear,
“N-No. I don’t want to be separated from Faster. What should I do? How can I stay with Faster? Should I burn everything down? If I burn down the whole world, leaving him nowhere to run, he’ll have to come back to me, right? That’s a good idea. Yes, I’ll do that…”
“Agh! Scar! Stop! Stop thinking such negative and extreme thoughts!”
Faster’s face paled as he grabbed my shoulders, his voice filled with urgency. Seeing his panicked expression, I knew I’d managed to stop him, at least for now.
Scarlet’s biggest gamble had paid off. But I was a little annoyed by Faster’s reaction.
Faster, even I wouldn’t seriously consider burning down the world. What do you take me for? If it weren’t for this situation, I would have hit him.
Of course, if Faster really abandoned me, I would definitely lose my mind, and I didn’t know what I’d do then.
Wait… Faster abandoning me? Because he hates me? Because he resents me…?
Ugh. Just the thought of Faster abandoning me made my chest tighten. My vision blurred, and my nose started to tingle. I felt like I was about to cry.
“S-Scar. Let’s talk. Let’s have a heart-to-heart about what we’ve both done wrong. Okay?”
Just as I was about to burst into tears, Faster held my shoulders, looked into my eyes, and suggested we talk.
If I had a heart-to-heart with Faster, would he stay?
“Faster…? If I talk… you won’t run away…?”
I was scared. The memory of that day two years ago made me even more afraid. Even though I was an S-rank Awakened, ranked second in the world, the thought of Faster leaving terrified me.
So terrified that I pleaded with him, almost clinging to him.
Seeing me like this, Faster sighed, a hint of exasperation in his voice, and answered my question.
“Yes, I won’t go. But promise you won’t get angry while we talk. Promise.”
He held out his pinky finger. His hands were always so beautiful.
Long, slender fingers with neatly trimmed nails. I couldn’t resist taking his hand.
I linked my pinky with his. He chuckled and gently swung our joined fingers.
“Okay, it’s a promise.”
Faster, smiling gently and speaking in a kind voice, made me fall for him all over again.
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Damn, I never thought I’d be making a pinky promise with Scarlet. Life is full of surprises.
Scarlet, impervious to words, was a disaster in human form. To be making a pinky promise with her, agreeing to a conversation… it was almost laughable.
All we had left was to talk.
But what were we supposed to talk about?
I’d suggested the conversation because I’d been so shocked by her outrageous threat to burn down the world if I left. But now that I had the opportunity, I had nothing to say.
“…”
“…”
A suffocating silence filled my bedroom. Scarlet’s hand gripping my sleeve made the silence even heavier.
I’m going to suffocate. Why does Scarlet look so satisfied? Is she happy just holding my sleeve?
Scarlet gazed at me with dreamy eyes. Not her usual intimidating, predatory gaze, but the gaze of a tamed pet.
Seeing that gaze, my fear of Scarlet subsided. And with the fear gone, I found my voice. Emboldened by the fact that we were actually having a conversation, I asked her a question.
“Scar, is there anything you want to tell me? This silence is awkward.”
“Huh? Something I want to tell you…?”
“Yeah, anything.”
Her answer would determine how I treated her from now on.
What would Scarlet say? Would she just confess her feelings?
Or would she, like always, tell me not to talk to other women, not to follow them, not to accept their gifts?
Or would she order me to obey her every command, reminding me that I was her slave?
Whatever she said, my next move was to “reform” her.
Just like her reaction to me saying I was leaving, Scarlet liked me. More than I could have imagined.
So, if I offered her a deal… obey my commands in exchange for my compliance with her demands… she would definitely take it.
That’s how much she liked me. She would do anything to be with me.
It was an arrogant thought, but probably not wrong.
I didn’t understand why Scarlet liked me… but I had a vague idea. We’d known each other for a long time, and I was the only man who had ever been this close to her, this… “friendly” with her.
So, the equation “man = Faster” had probably formed in her mind.
And considering her possessive nature, even with things she considered her ‘possessions’. I, whom she treated as a possession, had probably become someone she desperately wanted to keep.
It was a chilling thought, and the fact that it seemed plausible made it even more terrifying.
As I shuddered at the thought, Scarlet finally found her voice.
“Faster… about that hypnosis app… d-did you use it on other women?”
It was a completely unexpected question.
I’d said she could ask me anything. Why ask about the hypnosis app, something she already knew about?
Confused, I nodded.
“Yeah, I did.”
“Ugh…”
Even though she knew, the fact that I’d used the app on other women seemed to bother her. Scarlet gritted her teeth.
But she quickly shook off her anger and, looking up at me with pleading eyes, asked hesitantly, as if forcing the words out,
“D-Did you… have sex with them?”
huh?????
It was a surprisingly sad question. Sex? Damn. I wished.
When I first got the hypnosis app, I had briefly entertained the thought of a sex-fueled orgy. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to lose my virginity.
But when I actually used the app and it ‘worked’, the realization that having sex without consent was rape hit me like a ton of bricks.
That realization was so powerful that it completely extinguished my desire for sex. I’d convinced myself I didn’t want sex, focusing only on my hatred for the women who tormented me.
Like a fox declaring the grapes were sour because it couldn’t reach them.
Knowing now that the app was fake, it seemed like a divine intervention. But the fact remained that I was still a virgin.
Anyway, I couldn’t stutter or act embarrassed or flustered. I had to be confident.
I lifted my chin slightly and answered Scarlet in a haughty tone, imitating Lapis Julie, our team leader.
“No. I didn’t.”
“Really?! Th-Then what about women you didn’t hypnotize?”
“Nope.”
“Gasp…! What about women you met while dancing at a club?!”
“Why would I go to a club? And you know I hate clubs. No…”
“Th-Then!”
Why so many questions? I didn’t have sex! I’ve never had sex!!!
I wanted to yell, but I didn’t have the courage.
Was she this happy about me being a virgin? Well, since she liked me, she’d probably be even happier knowing I was a virgin. Just like I preferred my first partner to be a virgin.
Lost in thought, I heard Scarlet stammer, then say with sudden determination,
“Faster! Let’s have sex!”
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Booom is it going to be a mature scene next chap? Gimme your thought!😏
