Chapter 92 - She really still has it in her heart
‘Alright, this little silver-haired dwarf must think I've used some mysterious magic scroll or alchemy potion that Vanessa gave me. After all, Aesphyra has always had this lingering suspicion that Vanessa and I know each other.’
Well, now she's treating Vanessa like his Doraemon.
“What person who knows me? I have no idea what's going on in that bread head of yours. To be honest with you, this godforsaken place has only had the two of us for the past few days. No one else. And I don't think anyone would willingly live in this deep, remote forest even if they had the means.” Winnie spoke with confidence, as these were all true statements. He wasn't lying, so naturally, he was confident.
“So, has no one else really been here?” Aesphyra continued to ask.
“I've answered you so many times already. If you ask again, I won't answer you anymore!” Winnie said irritably. “Alright, it's impressive that you're still talking so much despite being so badly injured. Time to sleep!”
“Wait.”
“Tsk, can't hear, can't hear. Whatever you say, I can't hear it. I'm already asleep!” Winnie covered his ears and asserted.
“I'm thirsty.”
“...Tsk.” Remembering that Aesphyra hadn't had water for days, Winnie had no choice but to get up and use one of the only two wooden cups in the cabin to pour her some water.
“Is this water clean?”
“No, it's not. I got it from the stream, didn't even boil it. Drink it every day, get diarrhea every day. Drink it if you want.” Winnie rolled his eyes at Aesphyra.
He handed the water to her, and Aesphyra began to drink it in small sips, giving Winnie the impression of a kitten drinking water.
After several minutes of fussing, Aesphyra finally finished drinking. Winnie, now exhausted, put the cup down and lay on the floor.
“Are we done now? If you call me again, I'm not getting up!” Winnie yawned. He had been busy these past few days while Aesphyra was unconscious, and he was truly worn out.
This time, Aesphyra didn't call out to him. As soon as Winnie closed his eyes, he fell asleep and didn't wake up until the sun was high in the sky the next day.
Winnie groggily got up from the floor, feeling the hard surface had left his back sore.
Sleeping on the floor just isn't as comfortable as a bed. It's so uncomfortable.
Winnie thought regretfully.
It's getting late. Time to get up, go hunting, and dig up some wild vegetables. There's still a vegetative person at home waiting to be fed.
But then again, Winnie suddenly thought of a serious problem. He could help Aesphyra with eating and drinking for now, but what about in the long term? Aesphyra couldn't possibly have no metabolism, right? She'd have to use the bathroom eventually.
What would they do then?
Speaking of which, what time is it now?
“Sniff, sniff…” As he pondered, Winnie suddenly caught a whiff of a meaty aroma, which made his taste buds tingle after days of rabbit meat and wild vegetables.
Huh?! Who's cooking? It seems to be coming from outside the cabin.
Speaking of Aesphyra...
Winnie turned to look at the wooden bed and found that Aesphyra was no longer there, no longer lying motionless on it.
Huh??
Winnie was stunned for a moment, then quickly got up and pushed open the door. Outside, he saw smoke rising from the wilderness. The grill and iron pot from inside the cabin had somehow been moved outside, and the pot was boiling with wild boar meat and some wild vegetables Winnie couldn't name.
Winnie watched this scene in amazement, his eyes naturally catching the elegant figure cooking the meat.
Just yesterday, she had been lying weak and motionless on the wooden bed. But after regaining her mobility, she instantly regained her grace.
It has to be said, as long as someone is good-looking enough, they can make any outfit fashionable. Despite the harsh conditions, Aesphyra was still wearing her tattered, stained school uniform, yet she looked as radiant and graceful as ever, even adding a unique charm to her appearance.
Aesphyra, this girl can move now??
Winnie was surprised. Just a moment ago, he had been worrying about what to do if Aesphyra remained paralyzed and her recovery was slow.
Judging by the situation, she must have recovered this morning. After regaining her mobility, she quietly went out hunting on her own, and even moved the grill outside while he was asleep to avoid disturbing him with the sound of cooking.
This silver-haired shorty has always been meticulous with details.
“Awake?” Hearing the door open, Aesphyra realized Winnie was awake. She crossed her arms and changed back at him, her enchanting violet eyes exuding a captivating charm that made it hard to look away.
Somehow, she had managed to find a comb, and her hair seemed to have been groomed this morning, looking smooth and sleek.
“...You've regained your mobility? When did that happen?” Winnie asked.
“When? Hmm, let me think. Probably when I was woken up this morning by Winnie's thunderous snoring,” Aesphyra said, tilting her head.
“Hey, hey, don't spread rumors! I sleep very elegantly, with proper posture. There's no way I snore! Don't make things up!” Winnie immediately protested. He had never had a habit of snoring. This damn silver-haired dwarf was incorrigible, starting to slander him again as soon as she recovered.
“Oh? Really?” Aesphyra smiled at Winnie. “Are you sure, Winnie?”
“If you're wrong, you won't get any breakfast later, okay?”
“I'm sure!” Winnie was momentarily stunned, then gritted his teeth and said.
Well, he had never shared a room with anyone before, so he really didn't know if he snored in his sleep.
Aesphyra's words made him doubt himself.
No, it can't be, right? He had never snored in two lifetimes. Could he really have developed this habit in this life?
Ah, please don't let it be!
Winnie was deeply averse to this habit. It was just too inelegant.
“Oh.” Aesphyra gave Winnie a playful look, then, after a long pause, turned away under his nervous gaze. “The meat's ready. Come and scoop some, Winnie.”
What? So she was just messing with him??
And he actually took it seriously.
Tsk!
Early in the morning, he had already been tricked by this silver-haired dwarf.
"Speaking of which, you recovered really quickly. You were so badly injured before, I thought you were on the verge of death. But after regaining consciousness, you could move in just one night," Winnie touched on at Aesphyra.
“It's not that bad. As long as it's just mobility, it's easy to recover.”
This made Winnie think that although Aesphyra shouldn't have any lasting effects after Vanessa's holy light treatment, it wasn't entirely certain, as Aesphyra's organ damage was due to the improper use of her bloodline, [Divine Blessing].
Just to be safe, maybe he should research and see if he could develop a potion to completely eliminate any heart-related aftereffects once they returned?
As Winnie pondered this, he suddenly remembered something.
“Wait, if I'm not mistaken, there's only one set of utensils in the cabin, right?” Winnie asked.
“Here, I carved these this morning. They'll do in a pinch.” Aesphyra handed Winnie a wooden fork and plate.
“Ah, so you know woodworking too??” Winnie looked at the utensils in his hand, which had been carved cleanly without any rough edges, and couldn't help but comment. “Is there anything you can't do in this world??”
“It's not that hard. Just learn a little and you'll get it,” Aesphyra replied casually.
Here we go, the classic humble brag.
Ah, forget it. Whenever he felt like a complete waste compared to Aesphyra, he'd suddenly remember that she was Aesphyra, the destined protagonist, and then it didn't seem so bad.
Winnie walked over to the pot and touched inside. Hmm, the pork had been cleaned thoroughly, with no traces of blood, a stark contrast to his own rough handling.
“By the way, what are these wild vegetables you put in here?” Winnie asked. He had never seen these before. Were they even edible?
Where did Aesphyra even find these?
“Winnie, just focus on eating. Don't worry about the rest.”
“...I'm just worried it might taste bad,” Winnie said. Without any seasoning, who could make something decent to eat?
Winnie scooped himself a large piece of pork, waited for it to cool, then took a bite.
The pork was tender, with no gamey taste, and had a subtle, fragrant aroma.
These wild vegetables seem to have enhanced the pork's flavor, making it taste surprisingly good despite the conditions.
“So, Winnie, how does it taste?” Aesphyra asked with a smile.
“It's, uh, not bad. Well, it's a bit worse than mine, but it's still decent,” Winnie said, though he knew the truth. But being stubborn was his default, especially when it came to admit Aesphyra's skills. He just couldn't help but be a little stubborn.
“Oh, really?” Aesphyra was already used to Winnie's stubbornness, or perhaps she even enjoyed it, as a hint of amusement played on her lips.
“If it's good, eat more. There's plenty in the pot,” Aesphyra added.
Winnie buried his head in the meal.
Honestly, Aesphyra could do everything. There was nothing she wasn't good at, even cooking. If only she were straight and not the destined protagonist...
Ah! What was he thinking?
Crap! He must starve out of his mind to even have such thoughts about Aesphyra. Did he want to die?
“Munch, munch. By the way, why aren't you eating?” After eating for a while, Winnie suddenly realized that Aesphyra hadn't touched her food. Instead, she stood nearby with her hands behind her back, smiling as she watched him eat. This makes Winnie feel both strange and uneasy.
“I've already eaten,” Aesphyra tilted her head. “Winnie woke up so late, I finished breakfast ages ago.”
“Oh.” Winnie didn't press further and continued eating, but the more he ate, the more he felt something was off.
It wasn't the food that was off, but the way she was looking at him. It was becoming increasingly unsettling.
What's going on?
Winnie pretended not to notice and changed at Aesphyra, only to find her gaze fixed on him, not moving, and growing more and more。
“Ahem, uh.” Winnie quietly put down his plate, pretending to look for a toothpick to mask his discomfort.
“Winnie, are you full?~” Aesphyra asked with a smile, her voice as light as a feather tickling his heart.
“Uh, uh, not yet, not yet.” Winnie shrunk back a little.
“Oh, then keep eating? Make sure you're full, okay?”
“Uh, sure, sure.” Winnie sensed something was seriously off.
A few moments passed.
Winnie put down his plate and swallowed hard.
“Winnie, are you full now?” Aesphyra asked again.
“Uh, almost, I guess.” Winnie replied uncertainly.
“Oh, then take a break.”
“Uh, okay.” Winnie pursed his lips, feeling that Aesphyra's tone was overly gentle, as if she was planning something. This was not normal!
At this thought, Winnie decided he couldn't just sit around. He immediately stood up.
No, he had to leave!
“Winnie, where are you going?”
“Uh, Aesphyra, I'm full. I'm just going for a walk.” Winnie replied weakly, turning around to see Aesphyra gently caressing the blade of her sacred sword.
“Uh, Aesphyra? Why are you holding your sword? Is there danger nearby?” Winnie gulped, feeling a chill down his spine, but he forced himself to ask.
“Nothing, just sharpening it.” Aesphyra smiled.
“Sharpening? What are you sharpening it with?”
In response, Aesphyra smiled without answering.
Holy crap!
A sense of foreboding instantly washed over Winnie, and a big “Danger” sign flashed in his mind. He couldn't sit still any longer.
He abruptly stood up.
“Winnie, are you rested now?”
“Uh, yeah, I'm pretty much rested. I'm going for a walk...”
“Good that you're rested. A walk? I'll go with you.” Hearing Winnie say he was rested, Aesphyra's smile deepened.
“No, no, that's not necessary! I like to walk alone.”
“Oh! Winnie, there's a really disgusting bug on your head!”
“Huh?! Ah, a bug?!” Winnie was started and quickly patted his head, but he didn't feel anything.
“Uh, where's the bug??” Winnie asked tentatively.
“Don't worry, Winnie, I'll help you kill that disgusting bug. Don't move, okay~?” With that, Aesphyra smiled and walked towards Winnie with her sacred sword.
Only then did Winnie realize that Aesphyra's intentions were elsewhere.
What bugs disgusting? Just say I'm the disgusting bug and be done with it!
“No, no, that's not necessary. I can handle it myself!” Winnie quickly took a few steps back.
“No trouble at all, we're classmates. It's no bother~” Aesphyra smiled and quickly closed the distance.
“No, no! No need... Ahhh! Someone help! The silver-haired nut is trying to kill me!” Winnie shouted as he ran, stumbling in his panic.
“Run slower, Winnie. Be careful not to fall~” Aesphyra smiled, holding the sword as she chased after him.
“If you're worried about me falling, then stop chasing! You petty silver-haired shorty, truly narrow-minded! No wonder you're short and won't grow taller! You're still holding a grudge over that incident, aren't you?? You said you'd let it go, but it was just a temporary truce. Now it's time for the reckoning!!” Winnie wailed.
“Winnie, don't say things like that. I just want to help you kill that bug on your head.”
“So, I'm the bug, right??”
Ah, no wonder Aesphyra kept asking if he was full and rested. It was so she could start this running race after he was full and rested!
And so, the two of them ran, one after the other, for who knows how many miles, straight out of the unnamed forest.
Aesphyra wasn't serious, of course. She smiled the entire time, and whenever she caught up to Winnie, she'd give him a light kick to make him feel the danger and speed up, leaving Winnie red-faced and out of breath, his heart and lungs working overtime but not daring to stop. To an outsider, it would look like they were herding a donkey.
'Virtue + 300.'
'Current Virtue: 2064.'
After who knows how long, Aesphyra finally seemed to have had enough and stopped. Winnie collapsed on the ground, gasping for air like a fish out of water, feeling like his butt had been kicked to a pulp.
As for Aesphyra, she sat by the stream, having rinsed her mouth with the water several times.