It was exactly the information I needed.
The whereabouts of Belsus's master, Jeyaroe.
‘Provided that what Paladin is saying is true, of course.’
No matter how I thought about it, Paladin, who was strictly my competitor, had no reason to tell me this.
He wouldn't have come just to share information out of pity.
If it were me, I would never take a loss in this one-time competition out of mere sympathy. Paladin must definitely have something to gain from passing this information to me.
‘To keep Thief, who snatched Jeyaroe, in check?’
It was a possibility. Starting in the Holy State, Thief and Paladin must have crossed paths and clashed, just as Archer and I had.
Furthermore, the Holy State was practically a ruined country, making the environment atrocious. Order and commerce had collapsed, and even securing basic supplies right now would be difficult.
‘Paladin crossed over here to Demihaad to hand Endymion over to me, and he's even stayed here without returning yet, but...’
Come to think of it, Paladin still being here was an enormous issue in itself.
Paladin wasn't someone to be taken lightly; he was smart and desperate. Leaving his original base in Venaro, staying here for a long time, and now delivering this information to me definitely meant he had a bigger objective.
"...Right."
I finally came to a conclusion.
"Are you eyeing Endymion again because he's looking a lot better now?"
This guy wanted to get Endymion back from me.
I thought of the Priest, who was probably leisurely sweeping my farm right now, completely oblivious to all this.
Ever since taking Endymion in back then, I had kept him cooped up on the farm, completely severing his contact with the outside world.
But that isolation had been broken once recently.
‘It couldn't be helped. I almost died.’
To fight fiercely against the Doctor, Belsus had emptied his subspace and laid me down in an inn room. Endymion also had to leave the farm to take care of me.
Looking back, it was incredibly dangerous. Both Endymion and I were completely defenseless at that time.
Bard and Archer now knew that Endymion was in my custody.
‘And Paladin was in the vicinity too.’
I didn't hear Paladin mentioned during that incident, but it was highly likely he had seen Endymion, even if only from a distance.
Then he must have also noticed how much better Endymion looked.
"Even though we made a contract to transfer Endymion, it was only a verbal agreement, not a legally binding document. Even if there had been some kind of paperwork, you could just tear it up and betray me, and that would be that."
Seeing a perfectly fine Endymion... he couldn't help but get greedy again.
I condemned Paladin right to his face, launching a psychological attack. Whether I was right or wrong didn't matter; all I had to do was shake his mind.
Paladin kept his straight lips shut for a moment, staring at me intently. Then, his lips slowly parted.
"I won't deny it. I am breaking my promise and eyeing Endymion again."
He could have beaten around the bush a bit, but Paladin was unnecessarily honest.
Well, I didn't think Paladin would back off cleanly forever, either.
Wasn't it pathetic to go back on his word? Both Paladin and I knew it. This wasn't that kind of issue.
"However, I can't think of doing anything right now. If I take the farm away from Endymion again, his mental state might deteriorate."
"At least you know that."
"I respect Endymion's opinion. It might be better for Endymion if someone like me stays out of sight."
It felt like he was purposely speaking strongly...
To keep himself from being at too much of a disadvantage, Paladin changed the subject.
"You're going to Venaro to retrieve Jeyaroe, right? If you want to grow Belsus."
"..."
"Shall I help you?"
I deliberately frowned. At that, Paladin immediately stepped back, as if acknowledging he had overstepped.
"Take care of your health."
Paladin leaped upwards and vanished from the spot. Not long after he disappeared, Belsus appeared in his place, following along like a puppy.
"What did you talk about?"
"Um... I'll tell you later. Let's finish grocery shopping first."
Belsus and I returned to our original path. The bustling noise of the busy streets could be heard in the distance.
Come to think of it, this was our first time grocery shopping together.
Belsus would watch with interest as I selected meat, or ask for advice on which one was better. His reaction was particularly unusual when I haggled with the merchants.
"To think you're trying to correct the prices of this entire alley with that small body. You are amazing."
No, it's just because I'm a cheapskate.
Since we were already out, we visited the blacksmith to tune up my sickle and Belsus's knuckles. We also bought a sack each of seasonings like sugar and salt.
Belsus carried all the luggage and walked side-by-side next to me.
The silence felt burdensome. It had never been like this before, but I felt the urge to walk fast, get back home, and shake off this awkwardness.
A strangely suffocating and uncomfortable air flowed between us, one that felt like someone needed to speak up and break it.
I suddenly stopped walking. Belsus stopped with me. I could feel him looking at me curiously.
When I turned my head to the side, I saw a dining establishment that looked quite upscale for a commoners' eatery. It looked almost like a fine restaurant. Since it was an awkward time of day, there weren't many customers.
"Do you want to grab something to eat before we go back?"
Belsus's eyes widened. He hastily set the luggage down on a nearby bench and examined my face from side to side with both hands.
"Heean. Are you alright? What's wrong?"
"It's just that sometimes I don't feel like cooking either... I need to scout out other restaurants so I can get recipe ideas too."
"I. I see."
Belsus sheepishly withdrew his hands from me. He suddenly seemed startled and conscious of his palms that had touched my skin, then quietly clenched his fists and hid them behind his back.
"..."
A sense of foreignness and heat seemed to rise simultaneously from both sides of my face where Belsus's palms had touched. The two were conflicting sensations.
We entered the restaurant and took a seat by the window. Not long after we ordered, steaming golden chicken gratin and a dish resembling bourguignon, beef and various ingredients braised in wine were served.
As soon as the food came out, I channeled my inner detective armed with a magnifying glass and began my investigation.
With eyes burning with intensity, I scooped up each ingredient with my spoon, placed it on an empty plate, and observed it.
The preparation method, the strength of the heat, the ratio of seasonings used.
I wanted to figure out every single detail and absorb it as my own knowledge.
Honestly, barging into the kitchen and taking the chef hostage would be the easiest way, though.
Observing with my eyes, sniffing with my nose, and poking with my fork like someone seeing food for the first time to gauge its tenderness. only after this entire series of procedures was complete did I take a deep breath and take a bite.
Just as I did that, my eyes met Belsus's.
Belsus hadn't even touched his food and was just resting his chin on his hand, watching me.
The smile that graced his lips was incredibly full of affection, but it lasted only for an instant.
That smile vanished like an animal darting into its burrow the moment our eyes met.
I let out a fake cough and belatedly pushed the dishes toward Belsus, pretending to be a civilized person.
True to a man who was always serious about his meals, Belsus ate the outside food quite well.
However, he remained expressionless throughout, as if he wasn't particularly impressed.
"You know how to cook potatoes more tenderly."
"That's true."
"The meat you cook is much softer."
"That might be true too."
"You always season things perfectly. As if that food exists solely for me..."
"Did I perhaps brainwash you?"
I was satisfied at first, but listening to him made me a bit embarrassed and fed up. I glared up at Belsus.
Belsus flinched slightly, but soon met my gaze confidently. An expression of utter innocence.
In the end, I surrendered. Fanning my face with my hand, I muttered bluntly.
"Don't you get sick of it? You always eat food made by the same person."
I modified existing recipes every time and mastered dozens of types of dishes, but from the eater's perspective, it might all taste the same.
No matter how great the chef cooking for you is, aren't there times when you just want to order some junk food?
But Belsus had never said such a thing even once.
His unwavering gaze was beyond loyal; it was blind. It almost reminded me of Endymion serving his god.
"No matter how much I eat, I never get sick of it."
Belsus emphatically gave the exact answer I had anticipated, just as I had imagined.
...Did I ask that just now because I wanted to hear him say he wouldn't get sick of it?
From the moment that sudden thought took over my mind, I couldn't taste anything from the food.
‘Did I trap Belsus inside the farm?’
I was afraid that the things I did, claiming they were for Belsus's sake, ended up confining him.
What if I ruined Belsus?
The agony I had tried so hard to deny all this time washed over me. I was helplessly swept away by it. Automatically, I found myself confronting the moment that had been tormenting me until now.
The sensation of hot flesh remaining on my lips.
The moment I was subjected to a kiss from Belsus, something I had never done with anyone before...
I ended up deadpanning at Belsus for the first time. My entire body literally froze.
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