“KEEEEEN!!”
As I finally opened the door at the top of the tower, Raphne leaped towards me, sitting down on the spot.
“Hooowww…! You really came…! I thought you wouldn’t!”
“I-I told you I’d come, right?”
My legs, already worn out from carrying my stuff, gave way as Raphne clung to me.
“Man, talk about a swing in temperature.”
Just moments ago, I was receiving scornful glances from Emily’s mess, and now Raphne was welcoming me like I was her lifeline.
Ironically, the former was the righteous protagonist, and the latter the harasser.
I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Sniff, b-but what is all this?”
“Ahh, I said I’d fix Raphne’s curse, right? This is for that.”
As I mentioned before, the distance from the dormitory to the tower is practically the ends of the academy.
The items for breaking Raphne’s curse wouldn’t be made in one go. To avoid the inefficiency of coming here every time during test production, I decided to study item creation right here in Raphne’s tower.
This room, where Raphne is, is spacious enough for all that, and besides, it would be better for Raphne too.
“Hiccup, th-thank you…. Thank you, Ken.”
Raphne buried her face in my round belly and sobbed like a baby.
[ Ownership Trait: Despair – Current Value 56% ]
Fortunately, since I visited, the despair value that was at 100% had nearly halved.
She was crying hard enough to worry about dehydration, but if her mind was settling down, that should be okay.
“This and this, oh, and I prepared this too! Wh-what do you think? Do you like it?”
As I tossed my stuff aside and sat in a dining chair, Raphne started bringing me the food she prepared.
The table was piled high with an enormous amount of food, just like breakfast.
“R-Raphne… did you prepare all this?”
“Yeah, heh heh. You like it, right? And this and this too.”
The plate she offered was filled with various delicious meat dishes.
As soon as I laid eyes on that menu, my body reacted. My mind instinctively raced.
This is Ken Feinstein’s favorite food.
Grrrroooowl~
A tremendous sound echoed from my stomach.
“Take it slow! Take it slow! Here, have some water.”
I began devouring the food like a starving maniac.
I ripped into the chicken leg with my hands, slurped down the meat broth soup, and took a bite of the crispy pork.
This place is heaven.
Slurp, slurp, delicious…. It’s so good, Raphne!
“I’m glad….”
I’ve just realized the definitive reason Ken couldn’t lose weight.
Food was the only source of joy in life for this gal!
Stuffing my cheeks full of my favorite food, savoring the texture, and swallowing into my empty stomach.
The filling satisfaction and pleasure dominated my brain.
This is bad, how do I lose weight?
Slurp, umm, but, umm, Raphne, how did you know my favorite food?
Feeling somewhat satisfied, I pondered this question.
Sure, Raphne and I used to know each other, but we weren’t close enough to share meals.
We were more like tormentors, so it’s odd to know each other’s preferences.
Upon hearing my question, Raphne hesitated, then looked down with a trembling voice and said.
“…W-well, last year, I took the food Ken likes… I’m sorry, sorry.”
“Oh, I see.”
Certainly, for someone like Ken who’s crazy about food,
To take away the thing that makes him happiest would indeed be a brilliant form of bullying.
As I was inwardly digesting that while eating, Raphne seemed to interpret my understanding as anger.
Her expression suddenly darkened, and she flusteredly continued.
“W-what, are you mad? I’m reflecting… so please forgive me. I’m sorry for taking your favorite food…! I’m sorry for being so reckless when you love it this much…!”
Raphne suddenly bowed to me, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears.
[ Ownership Trait: Despair – Current Value 78%, 79%, 80%… ]
Whoa, whoa, don’t let your despair value rise for such a trivial thing!
“No, I really don’t mind! I’m actually happy to be enjoying delicious food right now!”
And I was!
I couldn’t care less if Ken had food, toys, or pocket money taken away from him in the past.
Raphne seemed to take my casual attitude differently, and she started crying again.
“Wahh, Ken is an angel. Thank you…. You’re really holding it in because you’re mad at me, right? Sorry….”
“N-no, that’s not it…!”
Dealing with a mentally shattered child is quite tough.
First, I need to somehow manage this ever-rising despair value.
I avoided that bad ending of finally coming to the tower for breakfast only to be welcomed by a hanging shadow!
“So that doll? I just got it this time…”
“Yeah, yeah.”
I remembered reading in a book before the possession that people want their stories to be heard.
So, I did my best to listen to her story.
I nodded, agreed, and focused on listening.
Having been isolated from people for a year, she must have so much to say.
The content could be anything from her imaginary talk show with her dolls, but just being able to talk about it means something.
And having someone real to listen to her would certainly help her mental state.
[ Ownership Trait: Despair – Current Value 42% ]
Phew, I’ve gotten through the worst of it.
Raphne chattered away, and I wondered how she had survived without talking for so long.
Thanks to that, my sense of despair seemed to lighten, and her eyes started to regain their spark.
“You know, I didn’t realize it, but I think I really connect well with Ken.”
This was the impression of someone who had been blabbering alone for about an hour.
Humans feel a significant bond with those who genuinely listen to their stories.
I never thought I’d witness proof of that.
…Huh?
Just as I noticed the lowering despair value, another statement caught my eye.
[ Ownership Trait: … Dependency LV 6 ]
…Level… 6?
Her dependency level had risen.
Wait, level 6? If that were a typical swordsmanship skill, it’d be on the verge of reaching master level!
Achieving that with a debuff skill like dependency…?
“Hey, Ken? I had a little thought while you were out earlier.”
While I was still stunned by that ridiculous statistic, Raphne suddenly spoke up.
Her expression was bright and smiling, but her eyes had an unsettling look.
“If you go outside, I mean, you said you’ll come back, but your feelings could change, right? You might suddenly say you don’t want to come to the tower anymore or that you don’t want to see me.”
“W-well, that would never happen! I promise I’ll come back no matter what…”
“…But I did things that would get me hated; I understand that. But if you leave, I know there will be no more hope for me.”
Raphne’s face hardened. She must have imagined a future where that could happen.
Then she relaxed and looked at me with a hopeful smile.
Her eyes lacked their usual light, but she was still smiling.
“So, I have a great idea!”
“…What, what is it?”
Watching her unsettling eyes, I swallowed nervously.
And what she said next was shocking.
“If I have Ken’s baby!”
“…Huh?”
She said it with a serious face, but it sounded ridiculous.
But there was sincerity in her eyes.
“Well, if you decide you don’t want to come here anymore, I can have and raise Ken’s baby, so I won’t be alone. Even if your feelings change, I’ll still have hope to live, and you won’t have to come here against your will. I think it’s a really good idea, what do you think?”
Having a baby isn’t something a girl should casually suggest!
What’s scarier is that there’s no hint of embarrassment, excitement, or even recognition of me as a man from her.
“A-and if I have a baby, wouldn’t Ken still want to come here…? Heh, heh heh.”
She genuinely wanted a baby so she wouldn’t be alone.
Her dark eyes looked at me greedily.
“N-no, wait! W-just think it through, Raphne!”
I quickly tried to stop Raphne.
“Why? Isn’t it a good idea?”
“Sure, but what about the curse?!”
It’s not good to just flat-out deny everything. If things go wrong, she could use her skill to create a baby by force.
It felt like she had that level of determination.
So in instances like this, I must approach it rationally and logically.
“…The curse? Why would that matter?”
“The baby could be affected by the curse.”
Exactly. The reason the curse of terror doesn’t affect me is undoubtedly because I’m a possessor.
But we have no idea if the baby would be subjected to the curse’s effects.
Raphne seemed to falter at my words as if I had struck a nerve.
I guess she hadn’t thought that far.
“B-but it’ll be Ken’s baby! Isn’t there a chance they won’t be cursed too?”
As if such a delicious thought exists.
“No, Raphne. Calm down and think it through. You need to consider the worst-case scenario, not the best one.”
“Worst-case…?”
“Yes, if the baby is affected by the curse, that child can’t stay here, right? Then someone will have to take care of the baby outside.”
There’s no way a baby could grow up in such a highly stressful environment.
And as if she realized the implications of what I said,
“Then….”
“Yes, I won’t be able to come to the tower to raise the baby. Then, Raphne, you’ll be alone again.”
“A-Ahh… Ahhh…!”
Imagining herself alone once more, Raphne’s eyes took on a look of despair again.
[ Ownership Trait: Despair – Current Value 74% …77% …81% ]
“So that’s how things could turn out! Right now, I’ll keep coming, so don’t worry!”
“Wahh, ungh. I’m sorry.”
I never imagined she could think so irrationally.
