CHAPTER 177………………………………………….
It took me a little while to stop crying and calm my emotions.
Terence, who had been gently stroking my back the entire time, asked me,
“Have you calmed down, Idel?”
“…Yes.”
When reason returned, I felt embarrassed all over again.
I had cried in front of Terence once more.
Before, it had only been a few tears, but this time, I had practically sobbed uncontrollably.
And because I had buried my face in his chest while crying, Terence’s chest was damp.
My face burning with shame, I stepped back and tried to speak calmly.
“I’m sorry. I’ll wash my clothes roughly in the bathroom and return them to you.”
“That’s fine. They’ll dry soon enough.”
“I showed you such an embarrassing sight.”
He held onto my shoulder.
“Not at all. Show me more of yourself. Even your weaker side. Rely on me more.”
His gaze was utterly serious.
“Isn’t that what a lover is for? I am your lover. As I said before, you don’t have to bear everything alone—share it with me too.”
It was a heartwarming thing to hear. But…
“…But.”
I pouted slightly.
“You rarely show your weak side to me, Terence.”
“Me?”
“It’s unfair. I’ve never seen you cry, but I’ve seen you cry multiple times.”
Terence let out a soft, deflating sound.
“Is that funny? I’m being quite serious.”
“No, it’s cute.”
“In any case, I will definitely see you cry. So stay by my side.”
I grabbed his sleeve and pulled him toward me.
“The part in the letter where I said we would each do our own thing? Cancel that. Whatever we do, we do together.”
He willingly came closer and embraced me again.
“Of course. Even if you try to push me away, I will never let go.”
“That’s good. It’s nice… but…”
I felt guilty leaving Lucy and Kais in the bathroom, so I hoped these private moments would stay between just the two of us.
A little later, Lucy emerged with a parrot perched on her head, and we all gathered to share information.
“So, no one else can use a Warp Gate to move here like Terence did,” I said.
Kais nodded.
“Exactly. This gamble was only possible because the two of you had magically connected pocket watches.”
Terence clicked his tongue regretfully.
“Only one person can use a Warp Gate. That’s why I couldn’t bring anyone else who could be helpful. Vineta was really frustrated.”
In Kais’ case, he was a magical projection, not a real parrot, which made accompanying Terence possible.
“Now it’s my turn,” I said after absorbing all the information they had given.
“Liena has become an Apostle of the Evil God and gained the ability to control monsters. And…”
I explained everything I knew in as much detail as possible.
“Th-that’s impossible. The Evil God… and the Countess is truly a saint, while Princess Cassius is an Apostle of the Evil God…?”
Having only heard that I had been captured by monsters, Kais was utterly shocked to hear the truth.
Seeing my divine power and Lucy’s abilities only doubled his astonishment.
After all, who wouldn’t be shocked to hear that a god-like being intended to destroy the world?
Even the tiny parrot shivered, so I soothed him in a calm tone.
“It’s fine. We will stop the Monster Wave. And if you stay confined to this room, nothing will happen to you, Kais. Just assist us occasionally…”
Then the parrot suddenly shouted.
“Absurd! Stay cooped up in a room with this opportunity at hand?!”
“Excuse me? But if Liena notices, it would be dangerous.”
“The risk is worth it! Ah, to be present at this historic clash of the God’s messengers—my heart races!”
The parrot’s eyes sparkled with excitement.
“I’m also intrigued by this building built by demons! And I wonder what fascinating monsters exist in the Beasts’ Domain!”
“…Ah, I see.”
“I wish I could have come in person, though perhaps that would have been scary,” he muttered.
Well, as long as he was okay, it didn’t matter to me.
How could I possibly understand the mind of such a genius eccentric?
“In any case, we’re in this together now.”
I summarized the situation and formally greeted everyone.
“I look forward to working with you.”
Seeing their nods and trustworthy expressions made me feel unexpectedly reassured.
Even before, with Lucy, I had always felt uneasy and anxious.
But with Terence here, and his words about fighting not for duty but for our happiness, a sense of lightness spread through me.
My goal had remained the same since I ran from the Count Cassius’ estate to divorce—happiness.
Then and now, I had been moving forward to become happier.
“Yes, this is me.”
The overly serious, grave attitude of focusing on the world or divine missions wasn’t my true self.
Thinking back, after hearing from Miela about the Evil God and interacting with Arcia, who bore the weight of being a saint, I had temporarily forgotten who I was.
Terence reminded me what was truly me.
Slap! I lightly tapped my own cheek, steeling my resolve.
“I’m saving my loved ones, not the world.”
A sense of freedom and energy surged through me, more than when I had thought I needed to save the world.
I recalled each of my precious people in turn.
Vineta, Laura, Sharon, Diana and her family, Mr. Kaiden, Tara, Grandpa Roland, Isaac…
“Huh?”
Some strange names were mixed in there.
I decided to skip the last two. At least they were recently involved and came to mind involuntarily.
Anyway! Along with them, I would act to protect Lucy, Kais, and my dearest Terence.
Of course, I included myself—after all, I must be happy too.
“Let’s give it our all.”
I said it with determination.
From that day, we officially began our operation to defeat the Evil God.
“Remember the rope artifact Kais gave me before? I used it on Shadow. It was absorbed into his body at first…”
Kais listened in astonishment to my explanation.
“To think you could use an artifact’s effect in combination with a monster’s ability like that! Amazing. How did you come up with that?”
“Just… by chance?”
In reality, I had merely applied the method that Liena had accidentally discovered in the story.
Kais offered further advice regarding other inventions we possessed.
Even as a projection, having the artifact inventor nearby felt like having an army at our backs.
Furthermore, being connected to his main body, we could indirectly communicate with the outside world.
Currently, the world was already in chaos due to the early signs of a Monster Wave.
It seemed Liena alone could not stop this disaster.
“Shall we go to the nearby hill today? Bring some raspberries and eat like old times.”
Whether she knew it or not, Liena continued our childhood play.
Reluctantly, I had no choice but to go along while quietly waiting for the right moment.
“This is unpleasant.”
After our pseudo-picnic with Liena, Terence held me as I entered the room and murmured,
“You’re supposed to be my lover, but secretly meeting only in here feels like I’m having an affair.”
“There’s no choice. With monsters patrolling, if you or Kais leave, you’d be caught immediately.”
“Still…”
Unlike Kais, who seemed suited to indoor life, Terence seemed restless staying put.
“I wish you’d comfort me a little.”
He spoke softly, then suddenly kissed me.
It was a brief, fleeting kiss.
Flustered, I glanced at Lucy and Kais, but they were engrossed in conversation.
“Really…”
I scowled at him with a mix of embarrassment and inexplicable longing.
“Why? Did something happen?”
Terence merely smirked mischievously, feigning innocence.
I decided to tease this infuriating man and waited for nightfall.
When darkness finally spread outside, Terence prepared for bed as he had these past few days, intending to lie on the small sofa.
But I took his hand and led him to my bed.
“Idel?”
“Tonight, we sleep together. The sofa’s too small.”
His eyes widened at my insistence.
He tried various excuses to go to the sofa, but I stubbornly insisted on sleeping in the same bed.
A little while later, Terence finally lay down beside me.
“Now that I think of it, this is the first time we’ve lain in the same bed. Once, while charging divine power, we both fell asleep, but that was on the sofa, right?”
It had happened when I first received his strength.
Subsequent divine power sessions never repeated that moment.
He would always cling to me a little afterward but eventually return to his palace.
“…This is torture.”
Terence muttered weakly, lying close to me on the not-so-big bed.
