Chapter 25: 25 | A Real Smile
Natasha looked down at her student’s sleeping face, her hand still gently resting on his cheek.
His breathing had evened out, and the tension that had been pulling at his face was finally gone.
He looked peaceful for the first time since this whole mess had started. She didn’t move her hand, afraid she might wake him up.
’Did I really do the right thing?’ She didn’t know how her decision to make Dante the successor would play out in the future.
But she wasn’t the type of person who went back on her word.
Since she had said it, she was going to see it through. Her only worry was that it really was a huge responsibility to place on someone’s shoulders.
She knew very well how much a person had to sacrifice to become the successor of Eden’s Gate because she had lived through all of it herself. The sleepless nights, the expectations that never stopped growing, the future of an entire organization sitting on your shoulders.
It wasn’t something she should be putting on someone who was already dealing with his own shitty hand in life. Part of her couldn’t help but wonder if she had made a mistake.
’What am I even thinking? As his master, it’s my duty to make sure he doesn’t have to experience any of that.’ Natasha shook her head with a smile.
’It’s the least I can do to repay him after using him for system rewards.’
With that question answered, she turned her attention to another problem at hand.
Her eyes carefully examined Dante’s handsome face before travelling down to his chest and then finally landing on his groin area.
’W-when did he grow up so much?’
She quickly looked away as the memories of her "perfect landing" rushed back to her mind.
She had been so caught up in her own problems for the past few years that she had completely missed her own student becoming a man right under her nose.
"A man, huh," She spoke, her cheeks warming at the words.
The realization that she wasn’t just seeing Dante as her student anymore, but as a man too, made her heart race.
But she immediately pushed those thoughts out of her head.
After all, some mistakes couldn’t happen, no matter what.
She was his master, the woman who had raised him. That was where the line was, and that was where it had to stay.
’It’s just my body being weird. I haven’t been with a man in over twenty years.’ She told herself, holding onto the easiest excuse. ’It doesn’t mean anything.’
The excuse felt thin even to her, but she chose to believe it anyway. It was easier than facing the alternative.
’I should be more careful from now on. I’ll start by putting some distance between us.’ Natasha made up her mind.
Right then, a series of system notifications appeared in front of her eyes.
[Task 3 has been fulfilled.]
[Congratulations! You have successfully completed the chain mission, Care for Dante.]
[You have obtained 100 Mana Stones (Legendary).]
[Do you wish to collect?]
"Not now." Natasha said, waving the blue screens away without a second thought. She had promised to be by his side when he woke up.
So naturally, the mana stones could wait.
***
The morning sun crept across the room and slowly made its way to Dante’s face, pulling him out of his sleep.
"Master..."
That was the first word out of his mouth, the same one he had been thinking about when he fell asleep.
His vision focused and the ceiling above him was the same one from last night.
He was still here.
Dante let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding. ’It’s really not a dream.’
"Master?" He turned his head, his voice still rough from sleep.
His eyes landed on the figure beside the bed.
Natasha was sitting on the floor with her upper body folded over the mattress, her head resting on her arms. Her black hair was spread across the white sheets.
’...She really did stay by my side.’
A small smile appeared on his lips.It was not his scheming smile nor his fake one. It was a real one that he didn’t even know he was making.
For someone who had been alone his entire life back on Earth, not a single person waiting for him when he woke up, the fact that someone was keeping their word about something this small hit him deeply.
She woke up a moment later.
"...You’re awake." Natasha sat up slowly and pushed her hair back behind her ear. She rubbed her neck after sleeping in that position for so long. She added in a teasing tone, "I was starting to think you wouldn’t wake up."
"Sorry, Master. I didn’t know I would sleep the whole day." Dante said, scratching the back of his head.
"It’s fine. I’m the one who said I would be here when you woke up." She replied, getting to her feet and stretching her arms over her head.
A small yawn escaped her before she could cover it with her hand.
She glanced at the window, where the sunlight was pouring into the room, and then back at him.
"Rest a bit longer. I’ll go wash up and make breakfast."
With that, she turned and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.
The moment the door clicked shut, Dante let himself fall back against the pillow. He stared at the ceiling for a while.
It took him a few moments to get over the happiness of this actually being his new reality.
Once he had collected his thoughts, he immediately pulled up the system window and checked the notifications he had missed during his sleep.
[Natasha has successfully completed the chain mission "Care for Dante" and obtained 100 Mana Stones (Legendary)!]
[Triggering 10x rewards...]
[Congratulations! You have obtained 10 Mana Stones (Mythic)!]
[Natasha’s favourability towards you has increased!]
[Current favourability....]
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