Is it wrong to try to meet someone in a dungeon?

Page 1048

As the least possible way to atone, fearing the boy might hurt his neck, she offered her lap out of concern so he could lie on it until he woke up. That's absolutely true. There's no other possibility.

Her cheeks were burning with fever, and as she looked down at the unconscious boy's face, she was almost bursting with rage.

at this time……

The two orcs, arm in arm, passed by an alley that was originally deserted.

They were probably already quite drunk, and when they saw Ryu and Bell, reeking of alcohol, they laughed heartily and said:

"Whoosh~ Whoosh~!"

"Oh~ Oh~! Misses, you're showing off your love, ah………………"

They stopped halfway through their rambling.

Because the elves were staring at them with eyes that were dilated to the limit and faces that were terrifying enough.

"Don't make a sound."

“Okay, okay!”

"Forget about it."

"Ah, ah-woo."

"Get out of here."

"Yes, sir!?"

The duo then fled at high speed, arms around each other's shoulders and backs.

After the two drunkards left, leaving only the two of them, Ryu murmured to himself with a sorrowful expression:

"...Strange. From just now until now, I've been..."

Above my head was a vast night sky, cut into the shape of alleyways.

The sky was studded with stars that resembled the forests of my hometown.

She let the boy rest his head on her lap, placing him in a quiet space.

"I'm still the same, a difficult person to get along with... still a troublesome and annoying elf..."

Self-loathing swirled in my mind.

She recalled herself when she first arrived in Orario.

(Just like when I met the goddess Astraea and Alexandra...)

Back then, Ryu hurt everyone who got close to her.

Ryu's narrow-minded views have made her look foolish in many ways, just like now, unable to escape the maze.

"...Bell."

She didn't want to go back to her old self, so she spoke up.

Liu couldn't help but lightly touch the white bangs that fell in front of his eyes with her finger.

That alone made her heart flutter.

"I don't dislike you at all..."

There's no point in arguing at a time like this.

However, she felt that only now did she dare to speak.

With a slight blush on her cheeks, she spoke to the boy lying on her lap.

Liu thought to himself, "Luckily, his bangs covered his eyes."

If Ryu saw the boy's closed eyelids and eyelashes, she would be at a loss for words for no reason, stammering and unable to speak.

She brushed the hair hanging over the slender elf ears with her fingers and brought her face close to the boy's.

She approached until her breath touched the other person's face, and murmured:

"I can't possibly hate you. On the contrary—"

Just as the story was getting to this point...

Ryū stopped there.

She stopped talking.

They donned an unnatural cloak of silence.

Then, she quickly narrowed her sky-blue eyes.

"Bell...you're awake, right?"

The boy's cheek twitched and swayed slightly.

Seeing that the boy insisted on playing dead and refused to move, Ryu raised her face and stared at him with eyes that were below freezing for a while...

"…………yes."

Bell opened his eyes as if helplessly—no, extremely embarrassed.

Liu raised his eyebrows.

"Didn't I already tell you... please don't do this anymore?"

"Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!? I'm so sorry!?"

She couldn't resist pinching the cheek of the boy who was pretending to be asleep.

This also applies when lingering in the "deep layers".

After the "Arena" territory collapsed, the boy had to feign death under duress and clearly heard Ryu's weak cries, which sounded like those of a young maiden.

As she recalled what had happened, shame returned to her heart.

With a flushed face beneath her eyes, Liu increased the pressure of her pinch on Liu's cheek, her gaze filled with resentment.

Bell's scream rose eight octaves.

"I'm so sorry... I was in this position as soon as I came to my senses, and I was so confused... I didn't know how to start..."

Bell touched his cheek and got up from Ryu's lap.

The warmth of her body leaving her thigh made her feel a little reluctant to leave; it must have been psychological.

"...By the way, when did you wake up?"

"Uh, I really just woke up... right when Ms. Ryu said 'on the contrary'."

Then it's alright. He hasn't heard that fatal slip of the tongue yet.

Liu breathed a sigh of relief.

I don't understand what this sense of relief means, but I'll just put my mind at ease for now.

"So, Ryu-Miss Ryu, why did you make me lie on your lap...?"

"...Because my actions hurt you, I should at least make amends for my mistakes..."

"I see...I see?"

Bell sat down next to her, turning his head frequently as Liu explained what had happened to him.

She refused to look at Bell, keeping her eyes fixed on the alley wall in front of her.

"Um, I still feel like I might have done something to upset Miss Ryu?"

"what?"

"Because ever since last time, Miss Ryu hasn't been able to look at me..."

As if drawn by something, she turned her eyes to look and saw Bell wearing a helpless smile on his face.

His expression looked somewhat sad.

Ryu felt a tightness in her chest and quickly told him:

"No!"

"what?"

"That's not how it is, you didn't do anything wrong!...It's not your fault..."

Liu spoke softer and softer, pulling her gaze away from Bell's wide-eyed stare and looking down at her feet.

She tried her best to calm herself down, carefully organizing what she wanted to say before she spoke:

"I...could never hate you. And you haven't done anything to me."

"is that so……?"

"It's just that your face is so unbearable to look at."

"Why is that!?"

Ryu didn't realize that changing her perspective on the statement could lead to misunderstandings, nor did she notice that Bell, at such a sensitive and delicate age, was somewhat hurt by it.

Ryu continued to explain, but still refused to look Bell in the eye.

She was very close to the boy, and never thought of leaving his side.

"...I'm sorry, Bell."

"Eh?"

"Including this time, I've caused you trouble and upset you time and time again. I'm truly sorry..."

"Ah, no! It's alright! As long as I know Miss Ryu doesn't dislike me, should I say I'm relieved or happy? So..."

“…I see.”

"yes!"

"..."

"...Are you sure you're okay not going back?"

"Uh... Welf said this is too troublesome and he wants me to explain things to you properly, so staying a little longer is fine. Miss Ryu, you're the one who should stay, are you sure you don't want to go back?"

"I... Mia's mother will never forgive me, so it doesn't really matter whether I go back or not now."

So it shouldn't be a problem to go back a little later.

Ryu thought to himself.

Having had this idea, she decided to stay a little longer.

"Anya, Chloe, Lunova, and even Seele have skipped work before... so it's fine if it's just for a short while."

“Ahahaha…”

Bell gave a wry smile.

At this moment, Liu Cai was finally able to smile.

Later, the two talked about their recent situations. They asked each other about their experiences after returning from the "deep layers".

What's the condition of Ryu's left arm? And his right leg?

I told the goddess (Hestia) "I'm back." I ate the food cooked by Mia's mother.

I'm resting well now. I'm working at the pub now, just like before.