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When I use words like ‘distance’, it normally means I am talking about the psychological distance. But I am also talking in a physical sense.

And so, maybe I should say that the distance here covers both of these? 

No, in the first place, coming closer physically also means that they are psychologically close too, so just one meaning should be enough, huh.

“Are you thinking of something absolutely pointless?” 

“Something like that.” 

I wouldn’t be able to endure this atmosphere if I didn’t. 

Purple, who I haven’t seen in a while, sat right by my side without hesitation, and stared at me intently. 

I would have been fine if it had been while doing something else, but…this is pretty rough.

“Flustering someone is a delectable experience too, don’t you think?” (Purple)

“It is suffering for the flustered one though.” 

The cooking food will be done if a little bit more time goes by. 

My sanity just has to endure until then, but it is by no means something so simple. 

It is in part because of the charm of Purple, but Dyuvuleori staring at me silently is also pretty painful. 

That said, I don’t really want him to leave. On the contrary, he can serve as a brake, so I would like him to stay. 

“If you don’t want to be swallowed by this atmosphere, you can continue with your tales about your trip, you know?” (Purple)

“About that…I barely have any memories of it…” 

I was telling her about what happened in Torin at first, but my memories were shifted to the past. 

The important defeat of Soraid is not even in the corner of my mind, and the best memory I have left is having met the Torin King. 

“Mix took on quite the rough role, huh? I would be fine with taking her place if I had been there…” (Purple)

“I wouldn’t really want you to meet my past self.” 

“Oh my, are you implying I would be disappointed by your past self?” (Purple)

“Not a chance.” 

“That’s right, not a chance. What I find special about you is the fact that you extended your hand to me at that place and at that time. No matter how much your past self were to say you accept me, it wouldn’t be nice that you can’t empathize with the memories of that time, right?” (Purple)

When someone falls in love with someone, what most often influences this is not the superiority in power but the situation. 

This is more remarkable in the case of Purple, so careless seductions wouldn’t work. 

“The reason I don’t want you to meet my past self is because I don’t want my past self to plant any weird ideas in your mind.” 

The past me planted something in the mind of Mix and the result is that she is far more aggressive than before. 

If Purple were to get even more aggressive than now…I don’t know whether my mind would be able to endure it. 

“But I would have wanted to meet your younger self, you know? I also wanted to see you with an animal tail and ears… Did you not take any photos?” (Purple)

“I don’t want to bring that device outside too much. All countries would want it if they knew about it.” 

A camera that anyone would easily be able to bring back visual information. 

This is a revolutionary invention for the technological level of this world. 

The current relationship between countries is good, but that’s just with the tops of the nations. 

Gahne seems to be moving against Gold, and there’s a lot of people who follow the teachings of the Yugura Church in Mejis. 

There may not be people who cross the line like Seraes, but there’s most likely countless people who would want to get rid of me. 

If the technology to take photos spreads, my face will be known with accuracy by those types of people. 

Using underground adventurers that you can’t keep tabs on or threatened civilians in order to assault me are methods they can easily take. 

Well, a drawing of my face is already dangerous, but we can narrow down the culprit with such information.

“You didn’t use it even in the battle against Scarlet, right? Even though it was an opportunity to get evaluated highly. That’s such a waste, you know?” (Purple)

“I am fine with that. I made happy the people that I wanted to make happy anyways.” 

“—Being treated like I am special makes me happy no matter when.” (Purple)

Oops. I did choose my words to make her happy, but I made her too happy. 

She is leaning onto me more than before. 

Save me, Dyuvuleori. Ah, he averted his gaze. 

“…By the way, where’s Ekdoik and Blue?” 

“Those two were in the way, so I drove them away, you know? Of course, just for tonight though?” (Purple)

Alright, let’s go back quickly. 

I must think of a plan with all I can. 

There’s definitely no savior who will destroy this atmosphere after all. 

“Doing something that will make Blue complain to you in the future…” 

“There’s decent progress between those two, right? It wasn’t that much for Blue, but Ekdoik was pretty conscious of Blue, you know?” (Purple)

“So it seems.” 

“You are blatantly trying to not expand on the topic, aren’t you? Want to talk about Ruko or something?” (Purple)

So she really did know too. 

I didn’t touch on it because I wanted to avoid talking about engagements with Purple, but it is pretty difficult after getting this far. 

“…Sorry about that. It would be painful if we go even further.” 

“Fufu, you are so kind. You won against me, so you have the right to do anything to me, you know? You could just distance me from you if you want. It should be easy for you to draw such lines, right? Even so, you are permitting me to be in a position where I can lean on you. You even feel bad for me. You may be thinking you are not answering my feelings, but this is enough for me, you know?” (Purple)

“Humans have unexpectedly strong desires. Even if they say they are satisfied, they would feel mortified about not using a method they can that will allow them to obtain more than they already have.” 

It would be a relief if you could be satisfied and that’s the end of it, but I end up feeling bad when I think I am having her just be satisfied with this. 

She thinks this much of me, and yet, I am not answering her feelings completely. 

The desire to answer her feelings is like a slow acting poison that erodes my heart. 

“A difference in values? I think it goes both ways, you know? There’s no doubt I would be even happier than I am now if you were to ignore all your connections to answer my feelings. But I would end up like the current you. Because, you know, I am satisfied as I am now, so just how much should I love you if you were to give me even more than this?” (Purple)

“Is it that difficult?” 

“Yeah, incredibly difficult. I love you to a degree where I am filled to the brim after all. I can’t think of a way to love you even more than I do now.” (Purple)

She is also known as the Purple of Enticement. 

I think it is a nickname fitting for her even without the power Yugura gave her. 

I seriously feel like I might be enticed by her if I were to lower my guard. 

It is to a degree that I would even want to throw away all of my problems and wish for a world with only her. 

“I will do my best within reason…” 

“Alright. Allow me to enjoy being pampered by you with that mindset, okay?” (Purple)

The food should be ready by now. Purple got up with a teasing smile. 

I was thinking about helping her out and tried to stand up, but I was gently stopped. 

“I want to prepare the food while enjoying the afterglow. Play around using Dyuvuleori, okay?” (Purple)

“How am I going to play around…?” 

Moreover, it is not ‘with’ but ‘using’. As if I can be such a daredevil. 

That said, it is true that I have nothing to do, so I had a devil’s consultation with Dyuvuleori to kill time. 

◇◇

Bad feelings land more than you might think. 

I should have been able to understand this to a sickening degree due to my past experiences, but…the dejection one feels when it actually happens is still big. 

I waited for that man for a long while, but Wolfe and the others finishing their meal and returning was sooner than that. 

Wolfe and the others apparently met up with Ekdoik and the Blue Demon Lord when they finished eating at Dog’s Bone, and according to them, he was brought to the residence of the Purple Demon Lord and invited to dinner. 

“…Haah…” 

Rakura was dead drunk, and Wolfe is already asleep. 

I am having dinner alone. 

Wolfe brought back food from Dog’s Bone for me. Thanks to that, I may be eating by my lonesome, but my palate is decently satisfied. 

He must have finished eating dinner too. 

Him not coming back despite that must mean he is going to be staying there? 

The size of the house and the quality of the beddings is better over there. Also, the Purple Demon Lord is…

“I understand that I am not in a position to say anything though…” (Ilias)

I was thinking about sleeping after I finished cleaning up, but I don’t think I will be able to sleep immediately even if I were to collapse on the bed like this. 

Even if so, I don’t feel like killing time doing something, so I just sit somewhere where I can watch the entrance without much reason. 

This result was brought about by my own assumption. It is not like there’s clear fault on him. 

I don’t think at all that he should have prioritized greeting his landlord after having returned to Taizu in a long while. 

“You are totally thinking about it. You are one hopeless person.” (Ilias)

I laugh by myself. 

My laugh is pretty out of place here. If Wolfe were to see me in this state, she would look at me weirdly. 

Rakura would…unexpectedly be worried about me. 

A lot has changed since then. 

That goes for Wolfe and Rakura, but my surrounding environment as well. No, I must have changed too. 

It might be more accurate to say that I was changed… A lot happened after all. 

“It is about time I go to sleep… Hm?” (Ilias)

I felt the presence of someone at the entrance just when I thought of getting up. 

It is not only one. A monster with strong mana… That man and Dyuvuleori, huh. 

I thought for sure he wouldn’t return today though. 

I heard faint voices when I was thinking this. 

“Thanks for seeing me back home, Dyuvuleori.” 

“You didn’t have to come back. You could have stayed the night. My Lord would have been happier that way.” (Dyuvuleori)

“That’s what it meant with the fact that Purple didn’t prepare for it. It is her way of saying ‘I will spare you with this much for today’.” 

“—I request to continue the talk of before when there’s the opportunity.” (Dyuvuleori)

“Got it. Well then, good night.” 

The moment he said this, he opened the door and entered. 

And then, he faced this way and made eye-contact with me who was sitting. 

I could have stood up at once, but it must have looked like I was sulking here just like before. 

It has been a while since we have seen each other again, but I can tell there’s awkwardness between us two. 

“…Welcome back.” (Ilias)

“I-I am home… Were you waiting this whole time?” 

“I was just sitting for a bit before sleeping after I finished dinner. I thought that you might come back after all.” (Ilias)

When I said this, he stared at me for a bit, and then laughed as if baffled and sat by my side. 

A faint scent of alcohol. He must be a bit drunk. 

“I see. It is true that waiting like this makes you feel like someone might return.” 

“Right? But I mostly end up just waiting in vain when I think that and do so though.” (Ilias)

“You were sulking an awful lot at that time. But I followed up properly, right?” 

I can still remember that day clearly. 

The first time he came to this house, I was away from home because I had to deal with the aftermath of the bandit subjugation. 

I left him alone for a whole day, and once I returned, I was the one who was left alone the whole day. 

I was blatantly sulking from being made to wait, so he forcefully brought me to Dog’s Bone. 

“Right. That wasn’t bad.” (Ilias)

“I will make it up to you next time. You have already eaten today, right? It is not like you are in the mood for drinking either.” 

“You really will make it up to me, right?” (Ilias)

“I don’t make promises I have no intention of keeping.” 

That’s where you normally say ‘promises I can’t keep’.

That said, it is not like I am angry or sulking. I have expectations towards this ‘make up’ of his despite that. 

Let’s just say it is because of his influence. 

“I will look forward to it. However, it is not also me. Don’t forget about Wolfe. She was rubbing her eyes not that long ago, hoping to see you today, you know?” (Ilias)

“I get it, I get it. Well then, I will stay here for a while in your stead. You go to sleep already.” 

“There’s no one else coming back, right? Is this your way of reflecting?” (Ilias)

“No. I just wanted to experience how you felt even if only a bit.” 

That’s a bit embarrassing. 

I might end up feeling from nearby how he comprehends every bit of me if I were to stay here.

I want to talk about a lot of things with him, but I am also a bit tired. Let’s do this some other time. 

“—I see. Then…no, let me say one last thing.” (Ilias)

“What is it?” 

“I just said it halfheartedly, but I would like to put a bit more feelings into it… Welcome back.” (Ilias)

“Yeah, I am home.” 

Umu, this isn’t bad. 

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