Rin pulls her lips away with a blushing face.
For a brief moment, a silver thread seems to connect us before breaking.
Her face is completely red as she raises her hand in a daze to touch her lips.
Our eyes meet.
Rin, startled, quickly turns her head to avoid my gaze.
“T-this is an accident… it’s just an accident, so it doesn’t count! So don’t worry about it, Deok-Sung.”
“Okay, just calm down a bit.”
“…Thank you, Deok-Sung.”
Rin smiles faintly.
Her pink cheeks look even prettier today.
Just then, I’m at a loss for words.
“Ugh! Black Beast! How could you do this? Back at the pool, you lewdly humiliated the Sacred Lady Hongryun’s breasts and lips… and now you’re trying to kiss another girl?!!”
Beatrice’s voice echoes through the cave.
She looks at me with teary eyes.
A genuine look of grievance.
It’s absurd.
Even in a light novel world, is this for real? Why is she acting like this?
“Mr. Kim Deok-Sung?”
“Deok-Sung…?”
Evangeline and Rin’s gazes turn toward me.
Rin’s pupils waver.
Ah.
I can’t hold back anymore.
What’s with the artificial respiration as a kiss? A kiss is different.
And on top of that, breasts? Doesn’t CPR traditionally involve removing clothing?
How could you desecrate the holy CPR like that?
Unforgivable.
“Hey, what nonsense is that? You almost drowned at the pool, and I saved you with CPR and artificial respiration, and you’re talking about lips? Breasts? Offending?”
“T-that’s true, but… still, we did touch lips…”
Beatrice twitches her fingers.
“If you say anything else about CPR, I’ll just toss you back into the sea, so behave yourself.”
“Eek! I-I’ll let this one slide… just this once…”
Beatrice shrinks back with a hiccup.
Then why in the world are you saying such ridiculous things?
Rin’s shoulders droop.
She lowers her head.
“I-it was really like that. Artificial respiration… u-uh… if that’s the case, then there’s nothing I can do…”
She looks like she’s about to cry.
[Partner. What are you doing? You need to comfort the lady’s sorrow quickly.]
Even without the Black Prince prompting, I was planning to do that.
If Rin cries here, things will get complicated.
And for some reason, I don’t want to see her cry again.
“U-uh… it’s really nothing, so don’t worry about it. Please don’t cry over something like this.”
“I-I’m not crying. Not yet… but still, it’s my first experience with CPR, so… artificial respiration doesn’t count…”
··. This, artificial respiration is no count, you know······.”
Rin awkwardly laughs.
Swish.
She slowly leans into my embrace.
Rin’s ample chest squishes against me.
“So it’s fine. Deok-Sung. Thanks for worrying about me.”
Rin whispers in my ear.
She smiles softly.
Her expression is relaxed, different from usual.
A bit unfamiliar, but not unpleasant.
“Ha, ha-wa-wa-wa······. Shinozaki-sama······.”
“Eek······!”
Evangeline and Beatrice add their commentary upon seeing Rin’s state.
“Deok-Sung, did you sleep well? Is your body feeling better?”
Regardless of that, Rin places her hand on my forehead and speaks in a worried tone.
“Ah······. Yeah.”
In the face of Rin’s overflowing maternal instincts, I can only nod.
Honestly, I did feel a bit better.
“The fever······ seems to have gone down a bit. I’m glad the emergency medicine worked.”
Rin smiles softly and pulls back from my embrace.
“Ahem.”
She coughs, her face flushed, and stands up, extending her hand to me.
“Now that Miss Stewart and Miss Smith are here, let’s tidy up and head out, Deok-Sung.”
“Right, well, that’s what we should do.”
I firmly grasp Rin’s hand and rise to my feet.
“By the way, is your ankle all healed?”
“Of course. Thanks to you carrying me, I was able to rest in the cave, and it’s all healed, Deok-Sung.”
Rin says with a smile.
Glad to hear she’s fully recovered.
I nod in response.
After tidying up inside the cave, we head toward the entrance together.
The pouring rain that had been battering my body has lightened to a drizzle, and there’s no sign of thunder or lightning.
Rin slightly bows her head at Evangeline.
“Miss Stewart. Thank you. I was panicking because I sent a rescue request message via the Hunter Watch but couldn’t get any signal, and I didn’t expect you to come looking for me. I appreciate it.”
“Not at all, Shinozaki-sama. It’s only natural for a teammate to do that. I was startled too when I saw the communication wasn’t working. Oh, but now it seems to be working again.”
“Could it be due to the weather······?”
Rin and Evangeline exchange conversation.
But the Hunter Watch communication was down?
[Partner, the communication issues seem a bit suspicious······. I might be overly sensitive, but still······.]
I agree with the Black Prince’s words.
Sure, there’s a chance it’s just a coincidence, but it does feel a bit off.
I subtly touch the communicator in my backpack.
But I can’t use that right now.
I need solid evidence first.
“Then regarding the communication issue, let’s have Miss Stewart report it to the administration.”
“Understood! Kim Deok-Sung! You can trust it to the girl!”
Before I finish speaking, Evangeline raises her hand high.
A smile is etched on her face.
This should be fine.
[That was a good call, Partner.]
Just then, as the Black Prince compliments me.
“Contractor, it seems that the rain is starting to let up.”
Beatrice speaks up.
And indeed, as she says, the rain was gradually stopping.
“Now that the rain has stopped, it’s time to head back to the base camp.”
“Let the girl take the lead!”
With a flourish, Evangeline places her hand on her chest and leads the way, followed closely by Beatrice.
I exit the cave alongside Rin, following Evangeline.
The sun was slowly setting.
Soon, the first evening on the deserted island would be upon us.
*
Deserted Island.
Base Camp.
“Ugh… Finally arrived. I’m exhausted. Why does a saintess of the Scarlet Lotus have to partake in such meaningless trials with these humans…”
Beatrice complains as she sprawls out like a wilted vegetable on the table.
“Stop whining.”
“Eek! I-I was just saying something… D-Don’t pay me any mind, you human!”
Before I can finish my sentence, Beatrice jolts and shakes her head in panic.
She even hiccups.
I was just making a comment, why such a sensitive reaction?
Seeing this, Evangelin chuckles and tickles Beatrice at the waist.
“Hehe. Is Trixie having a hard time with Mr. Kim Deok-Sung?”
“Ugh… Contract partner… I fear that man.”
“Mr. Kim Deok-Sung isn’t a bad person. Trixie. He’s just a tsundere and a cool guy. The nickname Black Beast also comes from that chilly demeanor like a tsundere.”
What?
Tsundere? Cool guy?
Where on earth did such nonsense spread?
And cool guy? When was that even trendy?
It’s driving me crazy.
[Oh, Evangelin’s insight is no joke! To immediately discern our partner’s tsundere trait is truly the insight worthy of the President of the Kim Deok-Sung Love UK Branch. Partner.]
“Shut up.”
I retort to the Black Prince’s nonsense before taking my seat.
Grrr.
A thunderous sound comes from Beatrice’s stomach.
“Ugh!”
Her face turns beet red.
“Oh my. It seems Trixie is hungry. Mr. Kim Deok-Sung. Prince Shinozaki. Since it’s dinner time, shall we start eating soon? I’ll take charge of dinner!”
She dramatically places a hand on her chest.
What? She wants to take charge of dinner?
Not as much as Rin, but Evangelin still retains the characteristic of being a terrible cook known to the British.
In the original work, she created horrifying dishes by dousing poorly made British food with mayonnaise, and now that mayonnaise has been replaced with spicy chicken sauce, I cannot entrust cooking to her.
Spicy chicken sauce with British food?
I can’t bear to witness such a tragedy with my own eyes.
Last time’s deadly cooking experiment was enough with the ‘Kimchi Stew’.
I’d rather…
“No, Stuart. This time I’ll take charge of dinner. Can you let me take this one time?”
Just as I was about to stand up.
Rin steps forward with a serious expression.
Rin? This one has improved a bit in cooking, but still seems somewhat unstable.
“Understood. Prince Shinozaki. Then, I’m counting on you.”
“Thanks for yielding, Stuart. Deok-Sung, leave this evening’s meal to me.”
But as Rin earnestly speaks while patting her ample chest, I find myself speechless.
Is this a true battle between the English girl and an officially recognized cooking disaster?
My chest swells with emotion.
“Uh… Sure. Do your best.”
“Alright! Deok-Sung. I won’t let you regret entrusting dinner to me; I will make the best meal!”
Hearing my answer, Rin clenches her fists and steeled herself.
She awkwardly speaks before sitting back down.
[Oh, partner. Are you becoming too soft on Shinozaki?]
“Shut up.”
I respond to the Black Prince’s nonsense as I watch Rin putting a white apron over her swimsuit.
“So, what’s on the dinner menu today?”
“Deok-Sung, your favorite… Kimchi stew.”
What?
Kimchi stew?
In an instant, terrible memories of Imgan School flash through my mind.
The unidentifiable purple substance that Rin made, which couldn’t possibly be called kimchi stew.
Rin made some mysterious purple substance that could hardly be called kimchi stew.
Is she really going to make it again?
Cold sweat starts to drip down my back.
“I’ll make a proper kimchi stew this time, unlike when we were at Imgan School, so just trust and wait!”
“Uh… okay…”
I try to suppress my anxiety.
If it goes wrong, I can just cut up some mangoes.
“Hmph, hmph hmph.”
Rin hums as she chops a whole head of cabbage with a knife.
Draping a white apron over her bikini is quite an outfit choice.
I can’t help but notice how provocative she looks.
Next to her, the pork, tofu, and various vegetables are neatly prepared.
Bubble, bubble.
A large pot on a solid fuel burner is boiling.
Rin adds the ingredients and cooks the kimchi stew.
“It smells delicious!”
“Looks like a daily staple to fill our hunger is on the way. Heh heh.”
The smell is promising.
Even Evangelin and Beatrice look a bit shaken.
But it’s still too early to relax.
The smell might be great, but the contents could be weird.
After a waiting period mixed with anticipation and anxiety.
“I’m done. Deok-Sung. Here’s the kimchi stew.”
The pot of kimchi stew that Rin brewed is set on the table.
She scoops up the stew with a ladle and serves it alongside pre-warmed instant rice in front of me.
I take a look at the kimchi stew.
Red broth, well-fermented kimchi, and pork with white tofu.
Visually, it passes.
I grab a spoon.
Gulp.
I can hear Rin swallowing her dry saliva.
Her navy blue eyes are on me.
After taking a deep breath to prepare myself, I squeeze my eyes shut and take a spoonful of the kimchi stew.
My eyes fly open.
This taste…
“W-what do you think? Deok-Sung? M-my kimchi stew…”
It’s a bit salty.
It’s definitely salty.
But it’s not so salty that it’s inedible, and if I eat it with rice, it’s manageable.
Aside from the seasoning mishap, the flavor is surprisingly decent.
It’s not that delicious, but it’s impressive that Rin, known for her hopeless cooking, has pulled this off.
Eating white porridge in a cave is easy-peasy, but kimchi stew is several times harder and more complicated than that.
Honestly, I was ready to give up on taste entirely, but this is quite unexpected.
[Partner. The girl is watching. What will you say?]
The Black Prince points out in my mind.
“Deok-Sung…”
Rin looks at me with a fidgety expression.
Her eyes are shaking.
Honestly, it’s not that great, but considering her growth from a certified cooking disaster, it feels like a triumph of the human spirit.
Plus, it’s Korean food I haven’t had in a while.
When it comes to Korean home cooking, kimchi stew is the go-to.
Doenjang stew isn’t bad either, but I definitely prefer kimchi stew with pork.
“It’s pretty good. Not bad. Delicious. A little salty, but… it’s fine.”
So I decided to give her some praise.
Rin’s eyes widen at the compliment.
Her face turns bright red.
Tears well up in her eyes.
“R-Really…?”
“Yeah. Really.”
Rin wipes away her tears with the back of her hand.
“Th-thank you… Deok-Sung. F-for saying it’s delicious… thank you.”
She smiles while wiping away her tears.
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