After achieving a great victory in the recent battle, the Demon King’s Army is retreating on a grand scale.
It was an understandable situation.
One of the Four Heavenly Kings, Raialaide, met a hollow end, not befitting his notorious reputation.
Even the lower-ranking officers are being killed off one by one.
All thanks to me and my comrades’ efforts.
Of course, the monsters and demons affiliated with the Demon King’s Army, even the lowest-ranked ones, are still quite strong. It would take at least ten elite soldiers from the Imperial Army to defeat one.
Nevertheless, losing one of the Four Heavenly Kings and many of the officers was a pretty lethal blow.
They’re probably busy reorganizing their forces for the time being.
– It should be calm for about ten days.
According to the wise Haebaji, it seemed there would be no urgent deployments to the battlefield for at least ten days.
Still, I shouldn’t let my guard down; however, for now, I wouldn’t have to bear the weight of needing to save everyone.
That alone made my heart feel a lot lighter.
“O Sun, please continue to shine bright sunlight upon our future.”
Having prayed since morning, I decided to make the most of my long-awaited rest after two weeks.
By doing absolutely nothing and lying in bed, of course.
– Lady Clitia, you should utilize your free time constructively….
“Oh, shut up.”
I tossed the annoying saint’s robe onto the table, preventing her from bothering me. Typically a weakness, but now it was an advantage.
Then I jumped into bed, clad only in my underwear.
So fluffy.
The feel of the cloud-like mattress enveloped my body.
Where did I even get such a bed? Its unusual resilience and softness in this world were quite delightful.
“I must thank them when I meet them later.”
Suddenly, the face of the Tower Master, who gifted this high-level magic tent to our hero party, popped into my head.
He seemed to be doing great on the battlefield these days.
As long as he doesn’t get hurt from overdoing it. If he died, Erin would be devastated.
“Being a Tower Master, he should be fine.”
Worrying about the most capable wizard, aside from the royal court magician? That’s just silly.
Deciding to set aside unnecessary worries, I concentrated on the cozy feeling the bed provided as I let my body relax.
Even that simple action made me feel like I was floating.
But could it be that the comfort was making me lose my focus?
Suddenly, Liam’s words from last night came to mind.
“Now you can think of me as someone you like, right?”
Recalling that, my face slowly heated up.
I also thought of Liam’s serious yet playful expression when he questioned me.
Honestly, he looked cool.
I can’t believe I’m finding that troublemaker hero attractive.
It’s still hard to believe, but it really happened.
Moreover, just picturing that guy’s face is making me blush. I must be severely afflicted.
“Ugh….”
I buried my flushed face into the pillow and got lost in my thoughts.
Given the situation, it was inevitable.
“Am I starting to like that guy?”
That’s ridiculous.
How could I possibly fall for that troublemaker? Especially since it’s only been two weeks since I decided to abandon my identity as ‘Park Si-woo.’
Maybe it would make more sense if I had taken a long time, but this pace is too absurd.
So it’s not love yet; it’s just a concern similar to how I felt before.
…But even that thought feels somewhat out of place.
Just accepting Liam’s feelings was enough to raise questions.
If I had absolutely no feelings for him, I would have rejected him outright.
“I probably would have dumped him without a second thought.”
And claiming I fell for Liam in just two weeks doesn’t make sense.
On the first day I possessed this body, the different memories and identities in my head harmonized rather than clashed.
That’s how I’ve lived as both Park Si-woo and Clitia until now.
However, the past life’s influence was significantly stronger. My mind and identity were already aligned with that.
Then one day, I realized that the coexistence of the two minds was causing conflict between them.
I was suddenly faced with a crossroads and ultimately accepted Liam’s feelings, giving up my past life.
That is, I had only recently shed my male identity, but before that, I couldn’t say I wasn’t ‘Clitia Eluke.’
“…But isn’t it too fast?”
After thinking it over, if affection for Liam had developed, it would have to have started recently.
Before that, my environment was such that I couldn’t harbor any positive feelings while I was busy dealing with a troublemaker.
So, does that mean I started to like the changed Liam?
“This is confusing….”
With so many complicated factors intertwined, sorting my thoughts was challenging.
In times like these, I should get some love advice.
The problem is, I didn’t have anyone to help me.
Erin is too young to be helpful.
Ivar is a clueless fool obsessed with training and combat, making him unsuitable.
And Logan… well, it’s complicated with him, too.
It seemed there was no one among my comrades I could turn to for advice.
So, there was only one option left.
“I really don’t want to….”
Reluctantly, with no other choice, I ruffled my hair and put on the robe I had tossed on the table.
After a moment of silence, I hesitantly spoke up.
“Haebaji, can I ask you something?”
Our holy artifact, who always answered my calls quickly, took a while to respond this time.
She still sounded sulky.
– Didn’t you say you wouldn’t accept advice regarding love at all?
“……”
As a holy artifact assisting a saint, she was pouting longer than I expected. I thought she would be more open-minded.
Under normal circumstances, I would have given up on the conversation due to pride, but….
This was a special situation.
To navigate the waves of emotions I was experiencing for the first time, I needed Haebaji’s advice.
Thus, I spoke as gently as I could.
“I’m sorry. You must be really upset, right? I promise to listen to you from now on.”
-…….
“Can you let this one slide? I won’t do it again.”
I might be the only person begging a piece of clothing for forgiveness.
It’s embarrassing as a human, but I forced a smile as I pleaded.
“Please, just this once. This time I’ll do what you say….”
– Understood. Please stop.
Maybe my sincere feelings reached her.
Haebaji finally agreed to give me advice. It felt like my humility paid off.
With that, the holy artifact’s calm voice continued.
– Lady Clitia, I understand your dilemma. You have feelings for the hero, but you’re confused about whether it’s really love, correct?
“Right.”
There were deeper details, but ultimately, my main question was just as Haebaji summarized.
“What do you think?”
– It’s love.
“…Are you sure? Isn’t it a bit too soon?”
– According to my observations, it’s undoubtedly love.
What could she have analyzed to be so certain?
– First, Lady Clitia, you can hardly make eye contact with the hero. If there was no love at all, you would be able to interact comfortably like with the other comrades.
“…….”
– Second, you have been conscious of the hero more recently—even in the battlefield. It’s clearly different from how you used to regard him as just a troublesome burden.
Her logic was so sound that I couldn’t counter it.
– Third, whenever you’re in the same space as the hero, your body temperature rises. Your heart races, and your face often turns red. That’s undeniable evidence of love.
The longer Haebaji spoke, the more I felt cornered.
However, it wasn’t a suffocating pressure but a sense of stability filling my chest.
Why is that?
Why do I feel more at ease?
– Fourth, your gaze has been lingering more frequently on the hero’s face. Recently, you even check him out occasionally.
“…I did that?”
– Fifth.
“There’s more?”
– I’ve begun to clarify the reasons why you love the hero, and gradually, your mental chaos is settling down. You unconsciously regard my words as not just falsehoods but as ‘proven facts.’
After saying that, Haebaji paused for a moment before continuing.
– How do you feel? Is there any part you’d like to refute?
“…….”
I slowly shook my head.
The reality was too clear to deny. Ignoring it would make me a fool.
So.
I decided to accept my feelings as they were.
“I suppose you’re right.”
It seems I really do like Liam.
Somewhere along the line, I fell for that guy.
Naturally, like getting wet in a drizzle.
– Did my advice help you?
“Yeah.”
Once I admitted it, my chaotic thoughts finally cleared up.
Then I felt a refreshing and comforting sensation.
Why had I stubbornly denied my feelings until now? Love is such a natural emotion.
– I’m glad to hear that.
“Thanks.”
That’s Haebaji for you.
Always providing me with clear answers without disappointment, I sought her advice.
“Should I reward you with some sacred power?”
Just as I began to channel some sacred power with a smile, Haebaji firmly replied.
– No. Instead, let’s move on to the next step.
“Next step?”
– Yes. Now that you’ve acknowledged your feelings, you need to delve a bit deeper.
“…….”
Somehow, that doesn’t sound good.
It seems she intends to demand something significant from me, and I tried to refuse in advance, but it was too late.
– Earlier, you declared you would follow my instructions. Therefore, I cannot accept a refusal.
“…What exactly do you want me to do?”
– It’s quite obvious. You must advance your relationship with the hero. Through physical means.
“…….”
Haebaji seemed to want to have a more intimate conversation.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.
