* * *

Even though I’ve stumbled countless times in my attempts to treat him well, he still goes out of his way to care for me.

It’s hard to earn his trust, but once you’re in, he doesn’t easily push you away.

I suddenly felt incredibly guilty.

Here was someone who treated me so well, and yet I had repeatedly forced him into things he didn’t want.

Whether it was for humanity’s sake or not, it was wrong.

I no longer wanted to pressure him into arranged pairings.

To maintain the bond we’ve built, I knew that was the right thing to do. I didn’t want to upset Zerbin.

But how could I make him realize love?

…I still didn’t know.

That’s something I’d have to think about.

Though my matchmaking efforts have all failed, at least I’ve shown him the pleasures of s*x.

Maybe that’s a step forward?

If I notice any signs of progress, I’ll be sure to encourage him from the sidelines!

But will I be able to stay by his side?

I don’t want to miss any opportunities, so I hope I can stick close.

However, Zerbin, who values solitude, might find that burdensome.

After a brief hesitation, I spoke up.

“Hey, Zerbin.”

He looked at me instead of answering.

His silence no longer felt awkward.

The familiar quiet comforted me.

“Recently, with all the monster outbreaks, a lot of adventurers are being hired by nobles to stabilize their territories.”

He gave a small nod.

“You’ll probably get called soon too, right? I doubt they’d leave you out of it.”

Zerbin is practically the king of adventurers, even without his hero title.

Anyone would want to hire him first if they could afford it.

The results are always guaranteed when it’s him.

“If you’re going far, could you let me know beforehand?”

It wasn’t realistic to expect to see him every day, and this seemed like a reasonable request.

While he was near Swindlin, there were plenty of people who could relay his whereabouts, so I didn’t need to see him often.

But if he went too far, I’d undoubtedly feel uneasy.

If it was going to take a long time, I wanted to find an excuse to join him.

Of course, I couldn’t say that outright.

“I’ve gotten used to being around you… If you suddenly disappear, I think I’d feel lonely.”

“….”

Was I being too clingy?

Zerbin paused his hand on my tattoo and stared at me.

He didn’t let go of the arm holding me, which was reassuring.

“…Alright.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

It was an unexpectedly easy agreement.

I felt incredibly relieved and happy.

“Thank you!”

Now I can relax for a while!

“And you?”

“Huh?”

The unexpected question left me dumbfounded.

“What about you? Do you have plans?”

Me?

My plans are simple: stay close to Zerbin, look for opportunities to help him realize love, and train diligently so I can continue to be useful in the aftermath of the demon invasion.

Not that I could share any of that.

Especially not the first one—I’d rather die.

“Well… Since monsters are getting stronger, I thought I’d focus on training. I haven’t thought about anything else yet.”

Right now, I’m too preoccupied with thoughts of Zerbin.

“So, nothing?”

I guess that’s one way to put it.

“Yeah. Why?”

Zerbin didn’t answer.

While I was used to his silence, I couldn’t help but feel curious.

Why did he want to know about my plans?

I held back my questions, not wanting to bother him unnecessarily.

After a brief pause, he cupped the back of my head and pressed me against his chest.

My vision went dark.

“Sleep a little longer.”

“I’ve already slept a lot.”

“Sleep.”

If Zerbin says sleep, I sleep.

There’s nothing I can do about it.

His strength made it impossible to escape.

Enveloped in his warmth, my eyes naturally closed.

Maybe I’ll nap a bit while he holds me.

Just a little…

His embrace was incredibly comforting.

When I woke up, Zerbin was gone.

Well, of course.

It wasn’t disappointing or anything—it was the natural course of events.

In fact, I felt incredibly refreshed.

I couldn’t remember the last time I had slept so deeply.

The dark circles under my eyes had even lightened a bit.

“I’ll have to thank him again later.”

No amount of gratitude could ever be enough for Zerbin.

Not only had he forgiven my rude attempt to forcibly pair him with someone he didn’t want, but he had also treated my wounds.

On top of that, he even held me so I could sleep soundly.

If Aimone heard this, he’d smugly declare, “See? I told you he’s into you.”

Stretching and stepping outside, I found Aimone waiting for me.

“Uh…”

“What’s with the defeated groan the moment you see me? Rude.”

“No, I mean, when did you get here? Weren’t you supposed to be on a week-long trip?”

“This morning. It’s already been a week, you know. Don’t tell me you’re losing track of time again.”

A whole week had passed?

I finally grasped how long I’d been holed up in my room.

Even someone like Zerbin, who never seemed fazed by anything, must have been a bit concerned after not seeing me, his usual shadow, for almost a week.

Wait a second. If Aimone arrived this morning…

“Honestly, I’d be disoriented too if I’d spent time with, of all people, a Reaper.”

“…!”

He met him!

He definitely met him!

“You go on and on about how you’re not interested in a relationship, and then you go and sleep with him?”

“Hey, watch your mouth.”

“What should I call it, then? Even with his armor on, I could tell your neck was all marked up. How much biting and sucking did you two get up to?”

“Stop! Just stop!”

Even hearing it made my face flush a deep red.

“Oh my.”

Aimone’s eyes widened, his expression brimming with delight.

He’d found himself a juicy piece of gossip.

I could already feel the doom settling in.

“It’s not like that! Really, it’s not!”

“Not like that? You’re acting like a boy hopelessly in love with his first crush!”

“No, seriously, it’s not! I mean… sure, I have feelings for him, but it’s more like admiration! He’s someone I deeply respect!”

But love isn’t just one thing, is it?

I’ve never read it myself—too complicated—but a famous alchemist and philosopher once said there are many kinds of love.

Romantic love, friendship, parental love… something like that.

I’m not sure how many types there are, but surely admiration counts as one of them!

“So, you sleep with people you admire?”

Ugh.

That one stung.

But I swear, I’ve never harbored any intention of sleeping with Zerbin.

I’m innocent.

Explaining why Zerbin slept with me, though, felt even worse.

The truth—that he was a virgin curious about s*x and wanted his first time to be with someone skilled—was too tempting a tale.

It would spread like wildfire, no matter how much I begged Aimone to keep quiet.

I didn’t want Zerbin to become a subject of idle gossip.

“It was… beyond my control.”

“Sure it was.”

“I’m serious! It was just… a way of repaying a favor, that’s all.”

“Repaying debts with your body, huh?”

“Stop making it sound so indecent!”

Aimone laughed loudly.

I made him promise not to talk about it, but who knows if he’ll actually listen.

“Hungry? I brought lunch.”

“Starving.”

Come to think of it, I was ravenous.

Makes sense, considering all that… physical exertion. I sat down at the table immediately.

“Do you really not like him?”

I almost choked on my food.

“I like him, sure. But it’s not like I want a romantic relationship with him.”

Zerbin deserves a true, profound love!

He should be with someone extraordinary—someone captivating enough to sweep a hero like him off his feet.

Only then could he awaken the holy sword.

Once the holy sword was awakened, defeating the Demon King would be a breeze.

I truly believed that.

“If you like him and want to sleep with him, isn’t that the kind of love that leads to a relationship?”

“I sleep with Vicente, and we’re just friends.”

“You’re a mess. And boring, too.”

Who’s messier—someone who changes boyfriends constantly, or someone who doesn’t have any at all?

Coming from Aimone, the accusation felt particularly unfair.

“Ugh…”

But now wasn’t the time to feel wronged.

My plan to match Zerbin with a suitable partner had completely fallen apart.

I needed to figure out what to do next.

With his personality, he’d never start a relationship on his own.

Heck, he might not even make friends.

How could I get him to experience true love?

Seriously, what am I supposed to do?

I racked my brain until a sudden thought struck me.

“Wait a minute.”

Come to think of it, the gods didn’t specifically say it had to be romantic love.

They just said it had to be true love.

So, wouldn’t any kind of love count?

* * *