Edward simply spread his hands with a gentle, affectionate smile on his lips.
“See?
Isn’t it back to normal now?”
“This way, your mood will recover faster too.”
…
This kind of behavior…
It was truly too much.
Being gazed at with such overwhelming gentleness by Edward made it impossible to hold onto any strong negative feelings.
Vill-V could no longer maintain her displeased expression.
A faint sheen of nervous sweat appeared on her fair palms, and her slender fingers kept fidgeting with the hem of her clothes.
She was utterly defeated in an instant.
The two sides had never been on equal footing.
Wasn’t this quite nice, though?
She had received comfort from Edward once again.
Something a certain girl could never obtain.
…
“Although I don’t know why, your drawing style almost turned into stick figures earlier.”
“If I hadn’t stepped in, you would probably be wallowing in self-pity again, repeating the same cycle of shutting yourself away and wasting a lot of time.”
“I’ve told you before, we’re not alone anymore.
If you don’t try to rely on me, how can I feel comfortable relying on you?
Wouldn’t that make me seem even weaker than you?”
Edward crossed his arms, his eyes clear and sincere.
He took no pleasure in the panic or nervousness of others.
Such malicious behavior was not something he would ever do.
He never had, and never would.
Simply walking by in silence was already far better than being a mocking bystander.
All of this had been one of the girl’s own requests.
“Oh…”
“I suppose you’re right.”
Vill-V gently shook her head and stroked her soft chin.
A spark of insight flashed in her silver-grey eyes.
Thinking about it carefully, there was nothing wrong with what he said.
She even felt a strange sense of excitement when he called her a pervert.
A gentle person like Edward using such words with a look of disdain…
The contrast was quite striking.
Still, she couldn’t shake off a strange feeling of unease at the back of her neck, as if someone was secretly watching them nearby.
“However…”
Vill-V suddenly looked up.
“Edward, you keep mentioning panties.
Do you actually like them that much?”
“Huh?”
“How could that be?”
Edward’s usually calm expression finally showed a crack.
He could no longer maintain his composed demeanor.
To be fair, when he had lived with Elysia before, he had been quite normal.
It was only during her periods of self-doubt and isolation that she sometimes needed something more stimulating than simple comfort.
But this approach now seemed rather pointless.
As their eyes met, the pink hue in her pupils seemed to bloom intensely.
He caught a complex, chaotic emotion deeper than mere shyness…
along with a joyful surprise at being understood.
Her eyes had never looked softer.
The word “amorous” alone could not describe them.
“I…
don’t believe you~”
The last words he heard came in a tone he had never experienced before.
A soft, alluring voice that even professional voice actors could not replicate.
It carried all her courage, as if she were burning her bridges…
or simply following a path that had already been laid out.
Suddenly, something covered Edward’s eyes, leaving him in a golden-tinged darkness that reminded him of the girl’s khaki hair.
Their bodies pressed close together, creating an ethereal sensation.
He could clearly feel the softness against his torso and skin.
He had barely hugged Elysia since he was nine years old.
As he grew older, physical contact had become even rarer.
This moment of closeness was an entirely new experience.
Warmth and a gentle fragrance enveloped all his senses.
It felt as if he had truly been immersed in honey.
This time, it wasn’t just a sensation.
He could almost taste the sweet allure.
Edward felt his right hand being gently held.
Soft fingers, like rose petals, placed a piece of warm, slightly damp cloth into his palm and pressed it against his fingertips.
Close it.
===
His lips curled up unconsciously.
Having a companion made even being called a pervert somewhat acceptable.
A person’s life was not meant to be lived in solitude.
The only problem was…
Why did it feel a bit damp?
[He who hunts geese all day is eventually pecked by a goose.] [Even though he was not a pervert and was only following her requests, he had been counterattacked by Vill-V and branded as one, with no chance to explain himself.] [If anyone else saw this scene, he would be completely finished.
Even Elysia would surely look at him with disdain.] [Anyone witnessing this would view Edward as a pervert who collects beautiful girls’ panties.] [Vill-V has just given him the title “Panties Fanatic”…
He would remember this grudge.]
Edward fell into complete silence.
He hesitated to speak, but ultimately closed his mouth.
He had to admit that the feeling was genuinely pleasant.
Breaking free from loneliness and constraints, living together with someone who truly understood him, whose heart complemented his own…
This was an extreme luxury, a beautiful state that countless people longed for but could never attain.
Although the girl’s emotions were somewhat intense, she had even tried to create a kind of total dependence.
Giving everything of herself to another person and becoming almost like a devoted companion.
If her partner was noble, it could resolve itself naturally.
But what exactly did this “Panties Fanatic” title mean?
It felt rather strange.
In his previous decades of life, he had never encountered anything like it, yet now he had earned this unique label.
It meant that those few minutes held more significance than all the years that came before them combined.
Although, in truth, that was accurate.
His previous way of thinking had been flawed.
He had overlooked the simple fact that he was also a person who needed emotional support.
The feeling of being ignored, of having no place or meaning in life, was truly painful, as if his heart was being crushed.
Rather than forcing himself toward something that did not align with his heart, it was better to follow his true feelings and live freely.
He just wondered how Elysia was doing right now.
Was she doing well?
Was she still living her perfect life?
She probably was.
After all, the flawless elf could not be restrained by anyone.
Living with someone whose nature was fundamentally different brought torment to both sides.
All problems were shared.
He didn’t need to worry about any of this.
How could Elysia’s life be diminished because of him?
There was no need for concern anymore.
His future would likely be spent entirely by Vill-V’s side.
Given her personality, he couldn’t expect even a moment of separation.
If he left her even briefly, her mood would collapse and she would withdraw into herself again.
That flawless girl, that beautiful elf, couldn’t possibly be the one secretly watching him.
Vill-V was far more likely to do something like that.
Perhaps much of her previous knowledge of him had come from similar means.
…
…
[Sitting alone in the restroom, staring at the cold fluorescent light on the ceiling, no matter how many times you try to deceive yourself, you can no longer hide.] [All the masks you carefully wore have shattered in this moment.
Every defense has crumbled, crushed by emotions that can no longer be suppressed.
Only the fragments remain, embedded deep within your entire being.] [It hurts…] [It truly hurts.] [Breathing feels difficult, as if razor blades are coursing through your veins toward every part of your body.] [You finally understand why some people turn to self-harm.
Why they would use physical pain to fight against their own survival instincts.] [Because it is a form of self-preservation.] [To numb mental anguish with physical pain.] [Edward has left.] [The one who had never been separated from you, who appeared like a hero from a fairy tale the moment you came into this world, has left.] [The one who felt so close, who seemed like he would never leave you, is no longer by your side.]
How could this be?!
In another corner of the world.
Elysia stepped into a private room in a coffee shop.
A heavy pressure, pain, and sorrow weighed on her heart, as if carrying a burden of ten thousand tons.
Her fingertips pressed deep marks into the fruit in her hand.
A faint thumping sound revealed the girl’s heartbeat.
At this moment, even that vitality felt listless.
It was like discordant notes intruding into a beautiful melody, or flowers meant to drift gracefully in the wind now being battered by a violent storm.
She had never experienced such a feeling before.
In her flawless journey, in her lovely and humorous perfect life, there had been almost nothing ugly or painful, no sorrow that could not be overcome, no beauty that would fade or wither.