Salvation Through Delusion C111

Chapter 111

If the box had contained the most precious gold and jewels in the world, she would have thrown it away without hesitation.

But reality was the complete opposite.

Inside lay a single, insignificant leaf.

Its shape, however, was unusual. It split into five lobes like a maple leaf, yet the tips were blunt like human fingers, and the divisions ran unusually deep.

This plant grew only in one remote region at the very edge of the Tuvine continent—Black Bear’s homeland. But the last time she had seen that tree had been decades ago.

Because her homeland no longer existed.

On the day she fled in desperation and looked back, her home was burning red beneath enemy attacks. As if that weren’t enough, the invaders used magic to ensure that no one could ever return, turning the land into a dead zone.

She was the sole survivor.

And so began a long, drawn-out period of vengeance.

Yet throughout that prolonged struggle, defeat was always Black Bear’s.

No matter how much damage she dealt, her enemies remained vast and unshakable. And then, three years ago, at the brink of death, she met Adeye Lantua.

Absurdly enough, Lantua showed no concern at all for who Black Bear’s enemies were. Instead, she asked something strange about her homeland.

“You said there were a lot of native plants there, right?”

As it turned out, she was searching for a particular plant—one that did not exist in Black Bear’s homeland. And only then did Black Bear realize that her life had been saved for the sake of that simple confirmation.

“That’s all you wanted to know?”

“Yeah.”

“……Then you wasted your effort. There’s nothing to gain from saving me.”

“Is there, though? You said there was a tree with finger-shaped leaves. That’s fascinating.”

“It’s gone now. Everything there is dead.”

“That’s only how it looks to people. If it’s restored properly, something might still sprout.”

You’d do that? Why? Just because it was interesting?

Black Bear couldn’t understand it. Lantua had no connection to that land whatsoever. Yet she spoke as if it were nothing.

“I’ll bring it back to life, then.”

“Why?”

“Because Tuvine’s nature isn’t at fault.”

The answer was completely unexpected.

Black Bear sensed there might be deeper meaning behind it, but she didn’t ask. She simply assumed it was the idle fancy of a wealthy woman bored with life. Besides, it couldn’t possibly succeed.

Or so she thought.

Then the box arrived.

Inside was a leaf from her homeland.

Only then did Black Bear remember the last conversation she’d had with Lantua.

“If I succeed in growing the tree?”

“Then you’ll have repaid your homeland’s debt.”

It was nothing more than a single leaf.

Yet to Black Bear, it was heavier than any debt she had ever carried.

And for the first time in a very long while, she returned to her homeland.

Enemies still lurked around the region, waiting for her in case she ever reappeared. Even knowing that, she needed to see it with her own eyes.

There it was.

Land owned and managed by the Adeye Trading Company.

And growing there were several saplings, chest-high, all bearing leaves shaped like fingers.

That was why Black Bear chose to repay the debt willingly. It didn’t matter if the person she was to protect was infamous for scandalous rumors.

Yet Adeye Rue, whom she met at Crystal Lake, was nothing like the rumors described.

Despite a body on the verge of collapse, he tried to hide Duke Tyroc and his mage.

Black Bear watched as Rue nearly lost his grip on his injured companions again and again, yet never gave up, carrying them to safety.

At first she was shocked. Then she became curious—just how far would he go?

Then she witnessed something unbelievable.

After securing his companions, Rue went back to face the monster.

That wasn’t all.

Even after suffering a grievous wound to his leg from a monster bursting up from the ground, instead of fleeing, he tightened his grip on his club.

And when he heard Black Bear’s name as she rushed in to help, his response was—

“No! Ngh—another monster’s coming up…… Bear, you’re in danger!”

How many people could worry about a mere animal—no, about someone who wasn’t even human—in such a moment?

By looking into his eyes, Black Bear knew his concern was genuine.

“You’re precious.”

Precious.

The Rue from that moment overlapped strangely with the Lantua who had gazed out the window long ago.

Black Bear slowly sat down on the rock and muttered in disbelief.

“Those siblings really are identical. Like people from another world.”

Bang.

The office door slammed shut behind me, but unlike my legs that had moved on their own, my mind felt frozen.

The sheer absurdity of Tyroc’s words made them hard to process. And accepting reality took time.

Why?

Why did sleeping together even come up?

And what was with that vulgar sexual harassment? Was this a new kind of provocation?

I was so dazed that I didn’t notice Rick calling me several times from the side.

“…Rue-nim, Rue-nim!”

I turned my head slowly. Rick stared at me as if to say what’s wrong with you?

I looked at him blankly.

About the same height as Rue. Glasses. An ordinary face. Pale skin, thin build, dark circles so deep he always looked exhausted. Even setting that aside, he wasn’t the type people would call attractive—he looked unpopular at a glance.

But this was Tuvine. For all I knew, he might have slept around just like everyone else.

Right. This is that obscene hell called Tuvine.

“If you’re finished, please return to your room—huh? Huh?!”

I grabbed the hem of his shirt and dragged him into a far corner.

“Wh-what are you doing? I have an urgent report for the Duke—”

“Rick.”

I cut him off abruptly.

“Are you a mo-sol?”(“Single since birth”)

“…Excuse me? A mo-sol? What does that mean?”

“Have you ever dated anyone?”

Rick’s face stiffened immediately.

“No matter if you are the Duke’s fiancée, I refuse to answer such personal questions.”

Oh, so you’re fine with all kinds of lewd talk, but this is where you draw the line?

I reflected briefly on whether I’d been unfairly stereotyping Tuvine, then apologized.

“Sorry. And… it’s hard to believe you’ve never dated.”

Rick turned his head away without answering.

Anyone could tell—he hadn’t.

That wasn’t surprising. But what I wanted to ask next was such an invasion of privacy that I hesitated. Seeing my expression, Rick leaned back warily.

“What exactly are you curious about?”

“I was just wondering if you live like other Tuvine people. You know. Meeting people.”

Horror flashed across his face.

“Why on earth are you curious about my love life? You’d do better asking about my favorite position.”

“…What did you say?”

“Positions. Or my sexual preferences. Asking about d-dating crosses a line.”

I barely restrained the urge to smack him with a stick for crossing my line as an Earthling.

“My favorite position is missionary, but especially when one leg—”

“That’s enough! Don’t answer!”

I stopped him in panic, and Rick looked genuinely wounded.

You asked first, his eyes accused.

Since Rick was Tyroc’s chief aide and I needed to stay on decent terms, I forcibly cranked up my social skills.

“Well, you probably don’t need help there anyway.”

“……”

He turned his head away again.

Are you bad at it? No. I didn’t want to know. Don’t imagine it.

As I was scolding myself internally, he cleared his throat.

“Ahem, well, even with missionary—”

“Enough. So you sleep together before dating, then?”

“Why ask something so obvious? You have to see if your bodies match before dating.”

He looked at me oddly again.

Right. Why did I ask? I thought I understood Tuvine, but maybe I only understood it intellectually—not emotionally.

After hearing Tyroc’s nonsense and then applying it to myself, I was only now coming to my senses.

Misinterpreting my silence, Rick probed cautiously.

“Are you perhaps curious about the Duke’s love life?”

Before I could answer, he cut in firmly.

“I absolutely cannot disclose the Duke’s past relationships.”

“I don’t want to know.”

I replied irritably. He eyed me suspiciously, so I shrugged as if it were the truth.

“Who he met in the past doesn’t matter.”

“Well, Tuvine men all sleep around, so I suppose you wouldn’t care.”

“…Not all of them.”

“Then what are you curious about?”

“…Just—whether sleeping with someone is nothing special to His Grace. Even without feelings.”

The moment I said it, I realized how strange it was.

Why was I asking this?

Of course it was nothing special. Why did I need to confirm it?

It wasn’t like he was asking me to sleep with him because he liked me—

“Yes. Of course.”

Rick’s firm answer pierced straight through my thoughts, and suddenly I felt embarrassed for cornering him like this.

Right. It was obvious.

Then came a cold warning.

“So even if you spend an incredible night with His Grace, don’t misunderstand it as affection.”

“I won’t. We haven’t had such a night anyway.”

Tap.

Rick stepped back suddenly, his entire body radiating shock.

“What is it?”

“You proceeded with the engagement without even testing compatibility?!!!!”

That startled me. What was so shocking about that?

“This is unbelievable!!!!”