Chapter 73: ☆The feeling of being loved
It was 8 PM, the busiest time at the tavern.
I was currently serving customers.
At this hour, the tavern was packed with adventurers who had finished their hunting or guild requests.
When I hear "full of adventurers," I imagine fights or too much noise.
But the adventurers who come to [Suzuya] are quiet and well-behaved — even when they’re loud, it’s within normal tavern range.
Today’s academy trip and walk home went smoothly with no incidents.
Nimi had moved from the counter to the kitchen to stir the pot on the fire.
...Nimi’s seasoning really can’t be copied.
A while later, Nimi came back to the kitchen looking troubled.
I stirred the pot to prevent it from burning and tilted my head at her.
"What’s wrong?"
"Raide-san, I have a request..."
Nimi rested one hand on her cheek and started explaining.
Apparently Lucian-san had come to the shop today.
Her work at Flower Garden had run longer than expected.
While eating dinner at the tavern, she had mentioned that the night streets were a little scary.
She was asking if Raide could escort her home.
I smiled, turned off the fire, and told Nimi,
"You don’t have to look like that. I’ll walk you."
"Thank you, Raide-san. I’ve been worried lately..."
"That doesn’t count as ’worried.’"
I gently stroked Nimi’s head and she smiled softly.
Together with Nimi, I went to the floor. Lucian-san was sitting at a table after her meal, having tea.
The moment she saw me, Lucian-san looked surprised and glanced at Nimi beside her.
"Nimi-san, what happened?"
"Lucian-san said she was scared, so I asked Raide-san to see her home."
"Don’t worry about it. It’s better to ask for help before something happens."
I smiled and said that, and Nimi nodded gently beside me.
Lucian-san looked startled by Nimi’s nod, her cheeks turning slightly red as she nodded back.
The two women’s nods felt a little strange, but there must have been something that only women can understand.
I handed Nimi the apron I was wearing and gently took Lucian-san’s hand to help her stand.
Holding the apron with both hands, Nimi smiled at me and said,
"Raide-san, ’please’?"
"Yeah, leave it to me."
Even though the streets had streetlights, Lucian-san and I walked the night road together.
Since leaving [Suzuya], I had been holding Lucian-san’s hand the whole time.
Her side-tail hair swayed left and right in front of her shoulders, and her watermelon-sized breasts bounced with every step, occasionally brushing my arm.
The wife-like vibe combined with the childlike reaction was honestly over the top.
Lucian-san kept blushing the whole time and didn’t say much.
That made sense.
If a married woman walked with a man at night, there was a chance she would be mistaken for someone else.
Thinking that, I spoke to the slightly embarrassed Lucian-san.
"Shall we let go of hands, Lucian-san?"
"Eh... I-I don’t want to."
"If it’s because you don’t want to..."
"...Yes."
When I suggested letting go, Lucian-san unexpectedly shook her head and refused.
Moreover, the hand I was gently holding was now wrapped tightly with the force of her huge breasts.
It wasn’t just pressing — my arm was completely buried in Lucian-san’s overwhelming bust.
Lucian-san looked up at me with determination, her cheeks flushed as she said,
"Call me Lu."
"Understood. Lu."
"Yes. I heard from Lucy... You’ve helped me so much..."
"You’re a student, so it’s only natural for me as an instructor."
"...Then why do you help me?"
Lu stopped walking and looked up at me with misty eyes.
The reason? I already knew her past, and she was involved in events.
But it was my personality — I couldn’t just leave it alone.
If someone needed help, I wanted to help. If there was danger, I wanted to eliminate it.
Of course, that was only for people I knew.
I turned my body toward Lu, smiled awkwardly, and said,
"If I’ve already gotten to know you... then it’s too late?"
"...If you know my past, you might hate me. You might think I should have never met you."
Lu lowered her eyes sadly and began speaking in a small voice about her past.
I couldn’t stop her.
Why? Because I knew nothing about it yet.
She told me about the neighboring country, being attacked, Lucy’s situation, working at a brothel, and why she was attacked recently.
Her shoulders trembled, and tears streamed from her closed eyes.
The pain was completely different from what I read on paper — it was the real thing.
I wanted to stop her from talking every time she said "I knew," but I couldn’t.
Every time, I wanted to praise her for stopping herself.
When she finished, I gently pulled her into my arms from the front.
Honestly, I couldn’t listen anymore, and it was enough.
"It’s fine now."
"Lu is loved from the heart... but I don’t know what it feels like to be loved."
"..."
"Teach me... please?"
It was over the top. I muttered to myself again.
I lowered my face and kissed Lu.
She didn’t resist, wrapped both arms around my back, and received the kiss.
I gave her light kisses over and over — first short, then longer.
When I stopped and pulled back, smiling, I said,
"I want you to be my lover."
"If you’ll have me..."
"Lu is perfect."
At my words, Lu’s eyes widened, then she blushed happily and smiled.
But when I told her there were multiple lovers and I wanted to love them equally, she stopped crying.
She pressed herself tightly against me, her breasts changing shape as she smiled awkwardly.
She told me she knew from Nimi and that we had tea together sometimes.
...Ah, so that’s why Nimi said "please."
I smiled and let out a small sigh of understanding.
After Lu let go, we held hands again and walked toward her house.
Along the way, Lu told me everything that had happened since we met.
But it was embarrassing — she was realizing for the first time how painful it is to talk about one’s own shameful actions.
As we walked, her house came into view.
When I tried to let go of her hand at the entrance, she refused to let go.
Tilting my head, I looked at her. She was blushing and muttered,
"Um... Lu is staying over at Roy-kun’s house tonight..."
"...Is that okay?"
Lu looked up at me with misty eyes without answering.
When I kissed her lips lightly, she responded by wrapping both arms around my neck and kissing back.
When she pulled away, she said,
"I want you to love me."
Profile
Rain
Height: 158 cm Age: 16 Hair: red hair, two ponytails with hair extending to her waist.
Her expression still has childish features Personality: bright.
Body type: slightly slender Breasts: slightly smaller than an apple.
She is one of the three popular songstresses who are just starting to gain fame.
She is said to be a small demon based on her speech, actions, and appearance.
She doesn’t actually intend to look down on people, so she feels a little down when she’s called that.
When that happens, she acts spoiled with Win.
Thanks to being helped by Raide, she has recently started wanting to be honest with him.
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