Chapter 3

Endurance really was an essential quality for an overpowered hero.

The pearl was hardly the only time I’d made his life difficult during our three months in the secret realm.

Xie Wei accepted it all without a word.

I tugged at Meow Sprite.

[I’m going to die from my own poison when the time comes, right? Xie Wei isn’t going to kill me?]

Why wasn’t he reacting at all? I was afraid he was saving up something truly dreadful for the end.

Meow Sprite pulled its antenna out of my hand.

[Relax, Host. This little bit of teasing is practically flirting.]

I clicked my tongue and gave it a tap.

“There you go, talking nonsense again.”

Meow Sprite huffed and ignored me.

Bored, I looked around.

We’d just finished a fight when Xie Wei suddenly came over.

He held out a brilliantly colored crystal core.

“For you.”

I was puzzled. What was this supposed to mean?

He pressed his lips together.

“You seem to like these.”

It was true that, in my efforts to find fault with him, I kept ordering him to fetch shiny things for me.

I simply hadn’t expected him to bring me one on his own.

His hand was still trembling a little from the exertion of the fight.

I quickly snatched the core from him, remembering to stay in character.

“Only giving it to me now? Were you planning to keep it for yourself?”

But Xie Wei smiled. “No.”

I’d never seen him smile before. Now that I had, I discovered he was rather good-looking.

I frowned and waved him away.

“Go on, get away. You’re filthy. Don’t come near me.”

He paused, then silently moved away.

Meow Sprite floated in the air, making a few inexplicable humming noises.

I sat down to rest. Young master or not, I was actually very weak in a fight.

The only powerful thing about me was probably my poison.

If necessary, shedding a little blood could save my life.

This expedition had thoroughly worn me out. Xie Wei, by contrast, had merely dirtied the hem of his clothes.

Two hours later, the secret realm closed.

We went to a nearby town to rest and recover.

But so many people had come that the inn didn’t have enough rooms.

By the time we arrived, only five were left.

Since Xie Wei and I were engaged, we were naturally assigned one room together.

Whatever else might be said, that relationship still stood.

I deliberately scowled to show my displeasure.

As soon as we entered, Xie Wei found a corner and sat down.

“I’ll be quiet. You can pretend I’m not here.”

I narrowed my eyes at his shoddily made clothes.

“Hurry up and change. Those clothes stink.”

He didn’t actually smell, and we both knew cleansing spells. I just couldn’t stand that ugly outfit.

What a waste of such a pretty face.

Xie Wei stared for a moment. After some hesitation, he took another ugly outfit from his storage ring.

I nearly despaired and began rummaging through my own ring.

Then I tossed him a set of fitted black clothes.

“Why do you wear such ugly things? You’re embarrassing me.”

He held the clothes for a long while before speaking.

“Thank you.”

I rolled my eyes.

“What did I do in my past eight lives to deserve a penniless fiancé like you?”

He lowered his eyes, looking uncomfortable, as though I’d struck a nerve.

Having achieved my aim, I left him alone and flopped onto the bed.

My frail body really couldn’t take any more.

Half asleep, I thought I heard him say,

“I’m sorry. It won’t be like this in the future.”