R4STWH - Chapter 97

Chapter 97

The only thing that mattered to him was Ilesha's heart. As long as she remained on his side, nothing else would be a problem.

'I need to end this quickly and rush back to hold her...'

He was going crazy with anxiety, worried that thing might try to touch Ilesha while she was in a state of confusion.

'If it starts talking about the duty to produce children and tries to touch her, what are the chances she'll refuse? I deeply regret my hasty decision to leave her side.'

However, being an S-rank boss monster enhanced to its limits, he couldn't afford to be distracted.

The minutes it took to completely cut off the lizard's breath felt unbearably long.

You have succeeded in defeating an enhanced S-rank monster, the first of its kind in world E-17ACEM H-2. Achievement rewards will be distributed.

Dungeon - Memories Dwelling in Ruins (S) - has been cleared. Calculating total contribution.

1st - Elias Lakdel Tenaclad
2nd - Ilesha Tenaclad
3rd - Leonard Bytan Lucendria (CODE NO.0)

'CODE NO.0. So that's the identity of the thing that took over Leonard's body.'

He remembered seeing similar characters next to Ilesha's name when they first cleared a dungeon. He could only make out the number 124 at the end back then.

Since then, whenever contribution was calculated, only this world's names were displayed, like now. It seemed this information was shown just once, after their first clear following migration.

Elias memorized the shape of the characters with wide eyes.

'There seems to be a reason they shouldn't be called by their names from that world. This might come in handy someday.'

By now, the First Princess and Howell Ricks had arrived and were engaged in a war of words with CODE NO.0.

Elias left them behind and carried Ilesha out of the dungeon. Her breathing was unstable, as if she were having a panic attack—something he had never seen from someone who had never shown signs of wavering before.

His chest tightened in response.

'Did being a Pair, being destined, mean that much to Ilesha?'

Now Elias understood too.

That status, honor, power, wealth—nothing this world deemed valuable could keep Ilesha by his side.

Everything depended solely on her choice.

'What should I do? How can I make her see that destiny means nothing? How can I make her choose me?'

Though he was confident he could catch up soon, right now that thing's power level was several steps above his.

And the face... honestly, the shell of Leonard that it occupied seemed better looking.

While he was deep in thought, Ilesha called his name with a heart-fluttering beautiful smile on her lips.

What followed from her lips was,

'Should we have sex?'

It was a sweet temptation he hadn't expected at all.

At that moment, he couldn't fathom Ilesha's psychology at all. Various thoughts crossed his mind.

'Did that bastard touch her? Or did he say something vulgar?'

"What nonsense... Who else but you could make me feel this way?"

From Ilesha's following words, he realized one thing.

'Ilesha likes my body.'

Though she didn't tell him the truth, it was fine. He was grateful just to have gained a clue.

'Right. If nothing else, I'm confident I can please Ilesha's body better than anyone.'

Hadn't he been given titles and characteristics specifically for this?

Once she got a taste of their relationship, she surely wouldn't be satisfied with anyone else.

Having found a way, he employed all his abilities to bring pleasure to Ilesha's heated body.

...Though he occasionally made the mistake of losing his own rationality in the process, that was truly beyond his control.

'How could anyone maintain their sanity with someone so pretty and lovable?'

He would wildly move his hips like a beast in heat, then suddenly come to his senses, then desperately taste her again before barely regaining his reason, repeating this cycle.

'Should I take off my shirt? Ilesha likes my chest after all.'

He roughly pulled open his shirt, not caring if buttons flew off, and whispered lewd words in her ear.

'So she can't think of anything else...'

Even after returning to his nature, his mind was full of such concerns.

Making an excuse about work, he stopped by his office to quickly scan through previously collected materials for anything applicable.

'Article 7, escape relationship ruts through stimulating role-play. Article 10, anxiety and pleasure are separated by a paper-thin margin. And also...'

Even when told that those who possessed Leonard and Selena's bodies were trying to destroy this world, even when told that the evil dragon Ermitar who supposedly died by Ilesha's hand was alive, his priorities remained unchanged.

In a way, this was natural.

She was the one who first—truly first—loved him unconditionally, without asking for anything in return. Ilesha, who loved him when he had been abandoned even by the parents who gave birth to him, when his only way to survive had been to prove his usefulness, when he had no one to share his heart with and only yearned for the day he could shatter the Tenaclad family.

Once he knew that fullness, that joy, that brilliance, he could only blindly pursue it.

If he were to be abandoned by her too, he would never be able to live as he had before.

How could he? Now that even revenge had lost its meaning, what purpose would he have, what could he hope for?

After all, during those many days of his childhood when he was trampled and crushed and left like garbage, hadn't he wished for either the end of this world or his own death?

So whether the world ended or whatever happened to it, compared to losing Ilesha, it didn't matter.

"Elias?"

He turned his head at Ilesha's sudden call from beside him.

"The Saintess, she's cute, isn't she?"

Since he was sitting across from her, she must have thought he was looking at the Saintess.

Elias glanced at the Saintess's face.

The Saintess, who was looking back and forth between Ilesha and him with round eyes as if wondering what was going on, looked like a frightened rabbit. Her eyes were red from crying, which made her look even more so.

Come to think of it, he remembered Ilesha suddenly hugging his sister Clea Protia when she visited too.

"Do you prefer the Saintess over me?"

"Huh?"

"If that's your preference..."

"Ah, n-no, that's not what I meant."

"That's a relief then."

Elias gripped her hand tightly, leaving no gap.

The Saintess being female wasn't reason enough to feel at ease. Just because the possibility was small didn't mean it didn't exist.

Every time Ilesha showed interest in someone other than him, he feared that her affection might completely transfer to them and she would never look back at him again.

He had been worried about how pathetic he must look in her eyes, being so anxious and restless about every little thing, but fortunately, it seemed he wouldn't have to worry about that anymore. She too had started showing similar signs of anxiety.

Whatever change of heart had occurred, he found her incredibly precious and lovable as she actively expressed her interest and affection.

He wished she would be even more curious about everything, more obsessive, more jealous too. Just as he was with her.

"We'll be arriving soon."

Crow, who had been watching them with what seemed like a nauseated expression, said while looking out the window.

When entering the imperial capital as Count Lakdel, although the attitude was respectful, they had to have everyone in the carriage checked, but the Amern Order's carriage was never stopped.

They didn't question it simply because the Saintess was riding in it.

Though he had borrowed the Saintess's carriage knowing this would happen, he couldn't help feeling unpleasant.

Because it made him clearly realize that the Lucendria Imperial Family didn't trust him at all.

While using him so conveniently, they had always kept in mind that he might harbor other intentions.

"Elias..."

As they entered the imperial capital and headed toward the temple, while he was glaring at the distant towering imperial palace, Ilesha gently stroked the back of his hand.

"You really don't like them either, do you?"

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