7. Even If You’re Grateful, Don’t Cry
The next day.
Lina’s steps toward the west were light. What she earned in just one day yesterday was several times more than a week’s wages from the cemetery. A little tune naturally hummed from her lips.
“…He may be a little stern, but he seems like a good person.”
To give her such a good job—it made her want to do well. Maybe they could even become good friends.
Dante’s tone could sometimes sound authoritative, like he was speaking to a subordinate, but being with him somehow felt comfortable.
“Huh? Where did he go?”
The hammock in the giant oak was empty. After searching around, she heard splashing in the distance.
“…By the river?”
At the nearby riverbank, Dante was spearfishing.
For someone who lived wandering the forest, his skin was surprisingly fair. At a glance, he looked lean, but the open shirt revealed well-defined muscles. Droplets of water slid down his solid chest.
His bangs, perhaps bothersome, had been slicked back, wet and gleaming, making his black hair shine with a sensual luster.
Golden and blue eyes glistened under water droplets clinging to his cheeks like tears. Concentrating on his spear, his lips parted ever so slightly, as if a tongue might flicker out at any moment.
“…Dante?”
Lina’s eyes narrowed unconsciously. His tall nose and sharp facial lines scattered the reflected light dazzlingly. Was it just her imagination that he looked a little lonely?
Crunch.
At the sound of gravel under her shoes, Dante turned his head.
“You’ve come. No—…you’re here?”
He consciously corrected his tone. Tossing his spear aside, he washed his face. Beads of water glistened at the corners of his sensual lips.
“Did you sleep well?”
A round smile tugged at his eyes. Lina thought she heard a pounding, unfamiliar noise from somewhere.
Maybe it was one of those strange sounds she’d heard at the cemetery. Ever since losing her memories, she was convinced something was haunting her.
“Sorry, I’m late, aren’t I?”
But Lina refused to accept that she was going crazy. She forced herself to ignore the whispering at the cemetery, or the feeling that cats followed her. She just chalked it up to her imagination.
Yet the warm thrumming in her chest lingered.
“It’s fine. I figured you’d arrive around now.”
Dante roughly shook out his hair. His long fingers were so elegant that even such a simple gesture looked refined. Wet strands clung to his cheek, and Lina nearly reached out to brush them away.
“Let’s eat first before working.”
He strode off, motioning for her to follow.
“You expect me to carry all this?”
“Isn’t it obvious?”
“And you’ll just walk empty-handed?”
“Of course. That’s what an assistant does, right?”
Technically, he wasn’t wrong. It wasn’t too heavy either.
But holding the string of fish without letting them touch her clothes, while also carrying the spear, wasn’t easy.
The wet fish made her uncomfortable—it was one thing to eat them, another to have them against her.
“Ugh…”
Dante always carried a subtle musk scent. If fish smell clung to her, she’d reek of it in front of him.
“…?”
Noticing, Dante turned back.
“Why are you coming back?”
When she asked, he casually said:
“Give it here. I’ll grill them right away.”
The fish disappeared from her hands. Without them, the load was suddenly simple.
Did he help me on purpose?
Once the gear was moved, Dante was roasting fish over a campfire. He smelled fresh in a dry set of clothes. He even offered Lina bread, seemingly prepared in advance.
“Thanks.”
Sitting beside him, Lina accepted the bread. She had rushed out without breakfast.
The red sun dyed his hair crimson, casting a halo-like glow over his face. His odd eyes gleamed, capturing Lina’s dazed gaze.
“What, is there something on my face?”
“Huh? No…”
Flustered, Lina shook her head.
“You’ve got something, though.”
A large hand reached out.
“What?”
Her heartbeats roared louder.
He brushed a crumb from the corner of her lips.
“Here.”
His eyes still curved with that charming smile.
“O-oh, really?”
Mumbling with her mouth full of bread, Lina felt glad the bread hid her smile.
After the meal, they ventured deeper into the forest to begin the real hunt.
Then Lina accidentally stepped on something protruding from the undergrowth.
“…?”
It squished beneath her foot.
“Kuwaaaaak!”
A chilling cry rang out.
She had stepped on the tail of a Ruby Lizard. The beast was almost human-sized, its brown-scaled body gleaming. A massive crimson ruby embedded in its forehead gleamed ominously, as if about to fire a death beam.
“Gasp!”
Suddenly provoked, the lizard gaped its maw, threatening her with rows of dagger-like teeth. One bite could take off a wrist.
“…!”
Lina’s face went pale. But she forced herself to breathe deeply, setting her things down. She grabbed a thick branch nearby.
“Hyaaah!”
Without hesitation, she swung it at the lizard’s head—just like the time she knocked Dante unconscious.
Crack!
The branch snapped.
“Kuwaaaaak!”
The lizard didn’t even flinch—only grew angrier.
“Ahhh!”
Dante dashed in, blade flashing with a whistling note. In an instant, the lizard’s head was severed cleanly.
“Are you alright?”
“T-thank you.”
“You mustn’t wander carelessly here. That lizard’s level is something even a trained knight would struggle against.”
Truthfully, Dante had been watching carefully. This was the woman who had floored him with just two blows. He’d wondered if she might surprise him again with the Ruby Lizard.
But no miracle came. Tears welled in her eyes from the shock.
Of course. No way the Grand Duke would have sent her.
Feeling guilty for doubting her, Dante gently patted her head.
Maybe because he’d nearly been forced into marriage with her at their first meeting, he felt indebted somehow. His hand lingered without realizing.
“I was planning to get you a weapon today—for self-defense.”
As he showed her how to remove the ruby from the lizard’s skull, he said this.
“Really? What kind of weapon suits me?”
Dante looked her over, top to bottom, then sighed and shook his head.
“Phew, you don’t seem very… delicate.”
“What? What’s wrong with me?”
Annoyed at the dismissal, Lina snapped back.
“Anyone who can knock out a man isn’t ordinary.”
“That was only because you were weak.”
Dante shook his head, amused.
“The weapon for you is… yes, that’s it!”
“What is it?”
“A club!”
“A c-club?”
“Yes, like a golem’s club. Perfect for someone like you, who only has brute strength!”
“Ugh…!”
“Alright. Today we’ll keep hunting until we find a club for you!”
With a serious expression, Dante quickened his pace.
Hours later…
“Hm. No golems today. A club would’ve been perfect, but never mind. Just use this.”
He handed her a weapon.
“Uh…”
Lina was speechless as she received it.
They had gathered various weapons that day—clubs, daggers, machetes. She had expected one of those.
But Dante gave her a finely wrought stiletto. Even someone ignorant of weapons could see its craftsmanship.
I only hoped it wouldn’t look too crude, but this…
At the pommel glittered a thumb-sized amethyst, shimmering with elegance.
“Thank you.”
Her voice came out barely above a whisper. She wasn’t used to receiving gifts, much less something so precious.
“Don’t thank me. It comes out of your pay.”
“O-of course! Naturally!”
Embarrassed by her mistaken assumption, Lina quickly nodded. Laughing awkwardly, she froze when Dante said he’d deduct a hundred gold.
“Huh? Oh… okay.”
Her voice shrank. The stiletto must be worth at least a thousand—maybe two thousand gold. A hundred gold could never buy such a weapon.
“What’s wrong? Too touched? If you cry, that’ll be troublesome.”
“I’m not crying!”
Blushing, Lina turned her back quickly, clutching the stiletto tightly with both hands.
A few days later.
“Lina. Over here.”
They met at the market entrance. Today, Dante intended to part ways with her.
He still had important missions—exterminating dragonkin. He couldn’t keep wasting time like this.
Once he bought her a belt for the stiletto, he would introduce her to the job he’d arranged through his aide.
This ends today.
Glancing at Lina’s bright, expectant expression, Dante smiled faintly.
It had been brief, but pleasant. Enjoyable. And now, he thought, he’d had enough rest.
