He Became the Only Ally of the Abandoned Warrior

Chapter 9

Lin closed his eyes late at night and slept straight through until the next evening.

It was clear how much he had been through.

Despite everything, one of his few strengths was his robust body, so just a good night’s sleep was enough to clear his exhaustion.

On the other hand, Lucy, who had woken up around noon, was frantic with worry, watching him lay motionless as if dead.

If it weren’t for Lin’s breath tickling her hair, she would have raised a ruckus.

She gazed at his sleeping face, making sure not to wake him.

His cheeks, which had once been plump, were now sunken enough to reveal his cheekbones, a stark reminder of their past struggles.

Yet, even in his gauntness, Lucy found his features more appealing than before.

She couldn’t take her eyes off him.

The more she looked, the more handsome he seemed.

Lucy, smitten and unable to resist, soon found herself lost in watching him.

Occasionally, she would bury her nose in his chest and sniff, or rub her cheek against his, indulging in the physical affection she couldn’t express while he was awake.

Her eyes eventually landed on his lips—dark, rough, and distinctly masculine.

They were nothing like the pink lips of Reinhold she remembered.

Still, she liked them.

Those rugged lips had never lied to her, always offering words of concern or reassurance, unlike her own deceitful and dismissive ones.

Negative thoughts crept into her mind, and she squeezed her eyes shut.

She desperately wished for those lips to say they loved her.

But she knew, given her past actions, it wouldn’t be easy.

Nevertheless, she had no intention of giving up.

She couldn’t live without Lin now.

Even if her limbs healed, she wouldn’t let him go.

He was hers—her only ally, her best partner, her Lin.

One day, she would hear him call her “my Lucy.”

Could she really achieve this?

Her thoughts turned negative and anxious again.

She stopped staring at his lips and listened to his heartbeat.

It was slightly slower than usual.

She couldn’t sleep without this sound now.

Curious about her mental state, she once tried to sleep while Lin was away, only to be met with disaster.

“Aaah!” she had screamed, the nightmares consuming her as she clung to Lin, who had come running at her cry.

She wept in his arms, resolving never to leave his side again.

She gave up trying to fix her trauma.

She didn’t need to—she only needed Lin. Yes, only Lin mattered.

Everything else could go to hell.

Whether the hero party or anything else, she didn’t care.

Even as Lin hinted that new threats would continue to emerge, Lucy was unbothered.

Let the world end for all she cared, as long as she had Lin.

There was one thing she had to do when her body recovered, though: exact revenge on Reinhold.

It wasn’t just for betraying her.

As long as he lived, Lin wouldn’t respond to her love, always associating her with Reinhold.

He was her dark past.

She would kill him.

Erase Reinhold, the one who had stained her pure affection, her heart, with his false love.

She couldn’t offer this tainted love to Lin.

He deserved her completely.

She would wash away her guilt and Reinhold’s blood and beg Lin for forgiveness. @@@@

Would he be happy then?

He had been more concerned with when his duty would end, worn out and disheartened.

[What is your wish?]

The goddess’s question had felt ominous, like the monkey’s paw.

Lin had spoken his heart.

“I don’t want to receive any more ■■.”

The goddess had wept.

[Only true ■■ and ■ can save and forgive you.]

Correction, she hadn’t just cried.

But what exactly she did was fuzzy in Lin’s memory.

He just knew he became a better porter afterward, and the goddess hadn’t mentioned the two horns then.

It was a fabrication to explain to Lucy.

“So, the goddess told you,” Lucy said, uncomfortable with the idea.

If Lin’s story was true, it meant the Demon King or something like him remained—a new threat to the world.

That meant no peaceful future with Lin.

“...We can’t let that happen,” Lucy resolved.

The world had to survive for her to marry Lin.

Lin, misinterpreting her determination, was relieved.

“Right. The world can’t end, no matter how awful it is.”

“Yes, very inconvenient.”

She also planned to have at least two children with Lin.

She couldn’t leave a ruined world to their kids.

“Don’t get excited if we encounter demons. We aren’t strong enough yet.”

“Got it.”

“When you’re fully healed, we’ll hunt them down.”

“Of course.”

Lucy was unexpectedly eager.

Lin, feeling hopeful, reached for the door handle.

Then Lucy’s sharp voice stopped him.

“Wait.”

“What?”

“These demons aren’t like succubi, are they?”

“Uh...”

“This city has a red-light district, right?”

Sharp as ever, Lucy’s tone was icy.

Lin chose silence.

“Wait.”

“Mmm.”

“If that bitch so much as speaks to you...”

Danger.

Her abdomen, wrapped in the sling, was heating up rapidly.

“I’ll personally show you how long a demon’s tongue is.”

The weight of her words was suffocating.

Lin took a deep breath and replied, “Don’t touch something so dirty.”

“...You’re the only one who cares for me, Lin!”

Her abdomen was still hot.

But maybe it was for the best.

The cold outside was fierce; her warmth would help.

With a baseless optimism, Lin finally opened the door.