Page 178

For now, I put aside the issue of Midra.

A guy whose true nature was impossible to grasp.

And someone who seemed too burdensome to dig deeper into at this point.

‘I have no choice but to observe him slowly.’

Since he wielded celestial magic, I had to be even more cautious.

So, for now, I decided to watch and wait.

Even progressing through the scenario was overwhelming enough.

The Winter Demon Dungeon had begun in a chaotic mess.

To properly navigate this place, I needed to form a preemptive team.

Professor Vega entrusted me with forming the team.

She had acknowledged my abilities thus far and left it in my hands.

I must carry out my duty faithfully.

With that in mind, the first person I asked was Sharin.

"Sharin, we need an exploration team for the Demon Dungeon. What do you think? Want to come along?"

"Is that something you can ask so lightly?"

It's always easier to approach someone in a lighthearted mood rather than a heavy one.

Sharin listened to my question and stared at me intently.

"Husband."

Then, without hesitation, she lifted her hands and started pressing my cheeks from side to side.

"Do you not remember that you almost died in the Demon Dungeon recently?"

She was right.

Though I somehow survived, I had truly been on the brink of death at that time.

"And now you want to go down there again? You promised me, remember?"

The promise I made to Sharin—to not return injured anymore.

When she reminded me of it, I put on an awkward expression.

"That's why I want to go with you."

"What if something happens again?"

"I figured that a genius mage like you would have already come up with a solution."

Sharin puffed out her chest, slightly proud.

"Of course!"

I didn’t expect her to have actually prepared something.

That was just like Sharin.

But even so, her face still held a pouty expression.

"Husband, you’ve always had that tendency, but lately, you've been even more reckless."

Sharin clung tightly to my shoulder.

She had become more physically affectionate as time passed.

"It’s because of that."

She was talking about the Veil Bandages I had been using.

Sharin had long seen through my true identity.

So, she had also realized that the problems happening to me stemmed from the Veil Bandages.

Come to think of it, I hadn’t told her about the side effects of the Veil Bandages.

I hesitated for a moment.

Should I tell her the truth?

But Sharin had helped me so many times before.

I couldn’t keep hiding things from her forever.

"Sharin."

I told her about the penalties of the Veil Bandages.

At first, she listened quietly with her usual drowsy expression.

But soon, her face started changing.

By the end, she was frowning deeply.

Her eyebrows scrunched up sharply.

In her eyes, a cold light flickered dangerously.

"…Husband."

Sharin grabbed my collar tightly.

"Why didn’t you tell me sooner?"

"I never really got the chance."

"The reason I never pried into your identity was that it didn’t matter to me who you were."

I had never seen Sharin so serious before.

"But this is different. You’re constantly putting yourself in danger."

"…That’s true."

I suddenly felt like a guilty criminal and obediently listened to her.

Sharin scolded me gently but firmly.

"Do you know what happens if you lose even your sorrow?"

I didn’t.

I was already in the process of losing the last remnants of my sorrow.

Recently, I had found myself becoming less and less aware of my own peril.

That was probably the effect of losing my final bit of sorrow.

"Even if I tell you to take it off, you won’t, will you?"

Instead of answering, I lowered my head.

In a few months, I wouldn’t be able to enter the Demon Dungeon anymore.

For someone like me, there weren’t many choices left.

Sharin looked into my face and let out a deep sigh.

Then, she lifted her arms and pulled me into a tight hug.

"Fine. I’ll take care of your emotional defects."

I looked at Sharin.

Resting her chin on my shoulder, she gave me a small nod.

"As your wife, it’s my duty to support what you want to do. So, whatever emotions you lose, I’ll help you get them back."

She truly seemed determined to be my wife.

First Seron, then Isabel, and now Sharin.

They all vowed to help me reclaim my emotions.

I no longer knew what love was.

But I could tell that their sincerity was born from love.

Maybe that’s why I felt curious.

Before, I always had emotions, so I never really thought about them.

But now that they were gone, I found myself wondering about love.

‘So that’s it.’

The emotions lost to the Veil Bandages.

The first step to regaining them was curiosity about what I had lost.

The love that the three of them had shown me.

Since I had seen and received that love, I could now wonder about it.

‘I can get it back.’

If those three were with me, I could surely regain love.

So, I reached out and gently ruffled Sharin’s hair.

It was the first time I had taken the initiative to touch her.

Sharin’s big eyes widened in surprise.

"Alright, I’ll be counting on you."

A small smile spread across my lips.

If it was Sharin, she would surely help me find my emotions again.

Hearing my words, Sharin stared at me.

Then, she suddenly stood on tiptoe.

A soft sensation brushed against my cheek.

Sharin’s lips had touched my skin.

A moment later, she pulled back and grinned.

"A reward for being so good."

Could unsolicited affection really count as a reward?

I wasn’t sure.

But seeing Sharin’s bright smile, it certainly felt like one.

Even if I didn’t understand other emotions, I knew happiness.

And Sharin’s joyful smile brought me that same happiness.

“More than that, now I understand why my husband has been so blunt even though I’ve been around all this time.”

At last, Sharin nodded as if all the pieces had finally come together.

“He likes me, but he doesn’t know what love is, so he couldn’t express it.”

What kind of nonsense was that?

“Since when did I like you, Sharin?”

“From the very beginning?”

“Where does that baseless confidence come from?”

Sharin propped her chin up with her hand, her expression utterly languid.

“Because I’m pretty.”

She was, indeed, pretty.

“Men can’t help but like a pretty woman.”

“Who told you that kind of biased nonsense?”

“My mom.”

“She only ever spoke the truth.”

I had almost blasphemed the late mother in an instant.

Sharin giggled, then suddenly spun around and dashed off.

“You’re going to find the next person, right?”

Apparently, she had already decided to accompany me to the Winter Demon Dungeon.

I nodded and followed after her.

“We’re going to create the best search team.”

“What rank am I in that?”

“First place.”

“Correct answer.”

In matters like this, Sharin and I were perfectly in sync.

We had found the greatest mage.

Now, it was time to find a warrior.

* * *

The next member of the Winter Demon Dungeon search team was easy to predict.

“You really are something.”

It was none other than the main heroine, Isabel.

Her divine wings were especially suited for the Demon Dungeon. Including her in the team was a given.

She stared at me with an expression filled with unspoken words.

Not long ago, we had dealt with Vulcan right after the Autumn Demon Dungeon.

We had faced crisis after crisis then, yet here I was, willingly walking into another one.

“Do you think I was lying when I said that?”

Isabel glared at me, clearly unwilling to accept my reckless behavior.

She must be talking about when she threatened to lock me up.

Judging by her eyes, she might actually try it this time.

“What did you say back then?”

Sharin, who had been following me, tilted her head in curiosity.

When Isabel met Sharin’s gaze, she flinched and quickly looked away.

An awkward tension lingered between the two.

More precisely, Isabel was watching Sharin’s reaction.

Sharin had openly expressed her feelings for me long ago.

On the other hand, Isabel had realized her feelings much later.

She was probably struggling with the fact that she liked the same man her friend did.

Unlike her, Sharin never cared whether someone else liked me first.

Sharin was the unusual one here—Isabel’s reaction was entirely normal.

“Bel.”

Sharin called Isabel’s name.

“You confessed to my husband, didn’t you?”

Isabel’s shoulders flinched.

She hadn’t expected Sharin to bring it up so directly.

Her eyes wavered violently, unable to meet Sharin’s gaze.

“I don’t really mind.”

At Sharin’s words, Isabel finally looked up.

Sharin maintained her usual languid expression, no matter how Isabel reacted.

Instead, she casually hooked her arm around mine.

“It doesn’t matter anyway—I won’t lose.”

She acted as if I had belonged to her from the very beginning.

I was left speechless by her sheer audacity, while Isabel stared at her in a daze.

However, Isabel still didn’t admit that she had confessed.

Instead, her previously smiling face turned cold.

Her expression became so chillingly emotionless that even I, who had long forgotten fear, felt goosebumps rise.

“……Since when was he yours?”

“I’m his fiancée.”

“Oh, just a fiancée.”

Isabel’s gaze shifted to me.

Then, she smiled.

“It’s just an engagement promise, that’s all. Right?”

Could an engagement really be dismissed as "just that"?

I wasn’t sure, but the atmosphere was turning sour.

Sharin and Isabel glared at each other.

Two childhood friends who used to get along were now clashing over me.

This was obviously not a good development.

“Bel, why won’t you admit that you confessed?”

Sharin pointed out Isabel’s reluctance, even though everything had already been exposed.

Isabel hesitated for a moment, then looked away.

She seemed hesitant to openly reveal her feelings in front of Sharin.

“……”

Sharin’s eyebrows twitched at Isabel’s continued silence.

“If you keep hesitating like that—”

Isabel’s defensive stance only seemed to aggravate Sharin further.

“Isabel, Sharin, calm down. Why are you fighting over this?”

I quickly intervened between them.

But Sharin shot me a sharp look, clearly displeased.

“Husband, you’re the problem. You can’t even choose.”

I regretted speaking up.

Isabel glanced at me but couldn’t bring herself to say anything, only lowering her head.

She was still too afraid to acknowledge her feelings in front of her friend.

Even though it was obvious, admitting it out loud was a different matter entirely.

Because it meant acknowledging that she had fallen for the man her dear friend liked.

Isabel’s conscience held her back.

“Bel, it’s obvious who my husband turned to first.”

Meanwhile, Sharin smirked, poking her head out from beside me.

I pressed down on her head in response, while Isabel bit her lip hard.

“……He only asked you first because you happened to be closest. That’s all.”

For a moment, her greed won over her conscience.

“……”

“……”

Sharin and Isabel remained locked in their silent standoff.

And the worst part?

They weren’t the only ones.

There was also a certain red weasel who wasn’t here right now.

He was probably having dinner somewhere, blissfully unaware of this mess.

I let out a quiet sigh.

I needed to find love and put an end to this.

Otherwise, this was bound to spiral into something much, much bigger.

Lucas, you actually survived in this kind of situation in the game?

I have newfound respect for you.