YM778.TV Chapter 348: The Puzzle Pieces
Chapter 348: The Puzzle Pieces
"A regressor? What is that?"
"Just as it sounds."
Ruby stared at him with a serious expression and spoke.
"I asked you, are you a regressor who has experienced the future and returned back to the past?"
In response, Frey gazed at Ruby, momentarily rendered speechless.
"Pfft."
After a brief silence, Frey began to burst into laughter.
"Pfft…Hehehe..""W-what, what\'s so funny?"
"A regressor, you say? That\'s impossible, right?"
Looking at Ruby with pity, Frey sighed and said.
"You should know it too. It\'s impossible to turn back time."
"But–"
"What do you mean by but? I never imagined you would be so silly, Ruby."
As Frey sneered at her and moved forwards, Ruby began to look confused.
He’s not a regressor?
It was so strange.
Clearly, all the events that had happened so far could be perfectly explained if she assumed that Frey was a regressor.
However, Frey just denied that he was a regressor.
It was completely different from the conclusion Ruby had come up with after analyzing him over and over again for several days.
"Frey..."
Experiencing a throbbing headache due to the situation, Ruby attempted to stay close to Frey. However, she soon widened her eyes.
No way, how did she know about it already?
The mental transmission that Ruby secretly planted in his mind was conveying Frey\'s thoughts into her mind.
Should I just tell her the truth?
Frey\'s expression looked very gloomy as he clenched his hands.
"Uh-um..."
For a split second, Ruby looked stunned as if she had been hit on the head with a hammer.
"What are you doing, Ruby? Hurry up, let\'s go."
"W-where are we going?"
When she asked with a flushed face, Frey replied with a bright voice.
"Of course, we should go on a date."
"D-date?"
It was truly a strange word for her.
Going on a date with the Demon King like her?
That wasn’t something that the Hero would do, right?
She thought he was just teasing her so far.
Nevertheless, his gaze looked very sincere.
"What are you doing? Aren\'t you coming?"
"A-are you really going on a date? With me?"
"Of course, it\'s natural to go on a date with someone you like, right?"
"..."
As Frey\'s words were becoming a reality, Ruby, who had been hesitating, spoke with a slightly open mouth.
"I-I\'ve never been on a date before."
"Hmm?"
"I have no experience in this. I don\'t even know what to do, so it\'ll probably be quite awkward..."
"It doesn\'t matter."
Frey lifted the corner of his mouth and whispered.
"Because I\'ll lead you."
"..."
"You just need to follow my lead."
Frey held Ruby\'s hand and continued.
"Hurry up. Follow me."
"..."
Ruby could easily brush off Frey\'s frail hand.
He always did something unnecessary, like when he blocked the attack for her earlier.
So, it was only right to brush off a temptation from such swindlers.
"...Alright."
However, Ruby just nodded and let herself be led by Frey.
It’s not that I fall for his tricks. I\'m just trying to like this bastard enough to be able to attack him.
Just like that, Ruby continued to mutter inwardly.
The truth about Frey being a \'regressor,\' which she had thought about until a moment ago, was now pushed to the back of her mind.
- Thump, thump...
Now, even without Frey adjusting her heart, Ruby\'s chest was pounding hard.
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"How do you feel about today, Ruby?"
"..."
Several hours later, inside a carriage racing through the downtown streets of the Western Continent.
"I had a great time with you today."
Under the deep night sky of the Empire, Frey gazed at Ruby with a sweet expression as if honey dripped from his eyes, his hands pressed against his face.
"I-It wasn’t that good."
"Hm?"
As Ruby turned her gaze away, avoiding that burdensome look, Frey calmly tilted his head.
"Really?"
"Yeah, it was the worst. It was awfully boring, and all I did was yawn. I\'ve never had such a terrible time before."
Ruby reacted quite exaggeratedly.
- Thump, thump...
However, her true feelings were quite the opposite of what she said.
I\'ve already purchased the anti-eavesdropping skill. So, that bastard won\'t be able to pry into my heart so easily.
Of course, although Frey had the \'Mind Reading\' skill, Ruby too had spent points she cherished so much to purchase the \'Anti-Eavesdropping’ skill.
From the start, their ‘Special Abilities’ were part of a system designed to assist in the battles between the Demon King and the Hero.
She had an overwhelming advantage so far that she didn\'t even think about acquiring that skill, but now Ruby must truly face Frey with everything she had.
Thus, she needed to purchase the anti-eavesdropping skill for psychological warfare between them.
No matter how much I thought about it, he definitely purchased the \'Absolute Love’ skill... But then, if that was the case, there was no need for me to buy the ‘Anti-Eavesdropping’ skill. Did that mean all his emotions are genuine? Or…
"So, were the clothes I bought for you today not to your liking, too?"
Ruby clutched her head due to some strange sense of discomfort, and lost in her thoughts. She slowly lifted her head in response to Frey’s question.
"I thought it was quite to your liking."
"No, it was terrible."
As he continued, Ruby gritted her teeth and spoke.
"This is the first time I\'ve seen such a horrible design. The moment I get away from you, I\'ll tear it to shreds."
Of course, that was also a lie.
The turquoise dress that Frey gave her as soon as they left the desert area was surprisingly to Ruby\'s liking.
To Ruby, who had spent her entire life wearing plain and dull clothes or school uniforms without paying much attention to fashion, the dress with a complex design made of the finest fabrics held a different significance.
It wasn\'t just about putting on clothes; she had to wear them with utmost care and in accordance with etiquette, like any noblewoman. So, when she put it on, her feelings became peculiar.
She was only putting on a dress, but Ruby suddenly became aware of her femininity.
"I specifically don\'t like the color."
Also, she actually really liked the color of the dress.
"Are you mocking me with that color?"
Ruby had spent many years confined to the Demon King\'s castle before the system awakened.
The only color prevalent there was \'red.\'
Throughout her life, she had consistently been surrounded by the color ruby and red, from the ground, living creatures, the sky, and she even embraced every aspect of it in her own body. Consequently, she had subconsciously developed a deep aversion to the shade of red.
Perhaps that was why she truly liked the turquoise dress that Frey had gifted her.
It was a color combination of blue and green, which did not exist in the place she used to live. So, it might have been natural for her to be drawn to it.
"This is strange; you always liked that color."
"Shut up."
Nevertheless, as Ruby deliberately turned her head towards the window and spoke, Frey posed another question.
"Then, what did you think of the food we had today?"
"It was indeed the worst."
That, too, was a blatant lie.
"You really took me to eat rye bread and soup just because I said I liked them. Seriously, what a terrible sense of choice."
Ruby indeed loved rye bread and potato soup more than any other food.
If Frey had taken her to a fancy restaurant, she would have probably overturned the place.
"You should have at least taken me out to eat a tuna sandwich."
"You don\'t like that, right?"
"Nonsense."
The thing she hated the most was seafood.
In that sense, choosing a rundown inn on the outskirts of the city was the right decision.
By the time she saw the seafood stalls scattered around her, she was on the verge of throwing up.
By the way, how did Frey, a person from the Southern Continent, know about such an excellent place?
Had he visited it in the past? But considering that the owner didn\'t seem to recognize Frey, it didn\'t seem likely.
Could it be that he really...
"Still, you seemed to enjoy the ice cream."
"..."
While keeping her gaze fixed outside the window, Ruby, who had a sullen expression, twitched her eyebrows.
The ice cream was so delicious that words couldn\'t describe how much she enjoyed it.
She never imagined she would like such a tacky dessert.
Upon reflection, Frey knows herself too well.
"Hehe."
Originally, she thought he had glimpsed her preferences using his mind-reading skill.
However, Frey effortlessly guessed her preference, a preference she herself didn’t even know she had.
Whether it was the play she saw tonight, the brief stop at the masquerade ball, or the rabbit she encountered by the roadside bushes…
Even if she was reluctant to admit it, she had truly enjoyed her time with Frey today.
And during that enjoyable time, she inevitably became certain of one thing.
As expected, Frey is...
"Munch, munch..."
"Hm?"
Ruby, who was quietly lost in thought, casually turned her gaze to the sound coming in front of her.
"What are you eating?"
"Oh, this? Ice Dragon Berry."
"Ice Dragon?"
"No, it\'s a Puppy Love Fruit."
"Where did you get that?"
"The Ice Witch’s thought form gave it to me earlier. It\'s refreshingly delicious."
Watching Frey nibble on the fruit with an indifferent expression, Ruby, who had been silently observing him, finally asked.
"Anyway, why did she give me this fruit? Is there any meaning to it?"
"By the way, where are we going now?"
"Huh?"
"I asked where we’re going this late at night."
In response, Frey wore a big grin and answered.
"A motel."
"What?"
"We’re heading to a motel."
Upon hearing his answer, Ruby\'s expression began to stiffen.
"M-Motel? Why?"
"Of course, to get some sleep. What are you thinking?"
After a moment of silence, Ruby burst into a cold sweat and asked.
"I-I didn\'t think of anything."
"But why is your face turning red?"
"Just shut up."
As Frey began teasing her again, Ruby showed a stern expression.
"And you have to take responsibility."
"What?"
"You ruined my stomach, didn’t you?"
Frey gazed at Ruby, then he stood up and approached her and made eye contact with her. Then he began to gently stroke her lower abdomen.
- Grab...
"I\'ll take responsibility for it, Ruby."
- Thump...!
Hearing Frey’s words, Ruby\'s heart began to pound wildly.
"S-stop talking nonsense. Know your place–"
- Slap!!!
"...Huaah?"
Feeling her uncontrollable heart, she closed her eyes tightly and muttered. But suddenly, her cheek forcefully turned to the side. She blinked rapidly, trying to assess what had just happened.
"I won\'t hit your stomach for a while."
Frey had slapped her cheek with all his might.
"Until we collected all the puzzles."
It was so painful that her cheeks turned red and swollen, then tears were streaming down her face.
"Got it?"
"..."
It felt as if she, the precious daughter of a duke who had grown up with no fear in the world, was thrown into the unfamiliar streets without any preparation and experienced her first assault.
"...Y-Yes."
While having such thoughts, Ruby unintentionally responded with a dumbfounded expression.
It was the moment she obediently submitted to Frey\'s unreasonable violence for the first time.
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Meanwhile, at that moment…
"Is this... the Western Continent where the Hero is..."
"We don’t have time for this! We need to find the Hero quickly!"
"We should hurry up before the Hero falls into corruption because of that damn bastard...!"
Upon hearing Frey\'s declaration, the 1st-year Class A students and the Hero Party who had landed on the Western Continent were leaving the port with pale expressions.
"Should we deal with those things first?"
"...Fine, where is that slut now?"
"Hmm."
Coincidentally, the heroines\' party, who had also arrived at the Western Continent on the same day, found themselves in a similar situation.
"His energy lingered the most in the desert area. Let\'s go there first and see if we can find Young Master."
"Errr..."
"Wouldn\'t just one be alright? Just one ultimate magic..."
The puzzles pieces were gradually gathered in one place.