The smug smile was wiped off from Lufure-sama’s face when he heard what I said.
He looked taken aback, seemingly thinking that it was just a lie, then his eyes darted around — afterward, he pursed his lips, as if he was looking for the right words to say.
“Ah…Ehm…are you serious….”
His voice didn’t have the same force as before.
He kept on restlessly fixing his hold on the basket, then he timidly snuck a glance at me.
“…So-sorry. Look, I didn’t mean to…”
“Nah, it’s fine.”
Lufure-sama was unusually docile, so I glanced at him sideways before heaving a sigh full of complicated feelings.
Actually, there’s nothing okay about this — still, being able to see his expression already helped ease my annoyance.
“It’s not Lufure-sama’s fault. It’s true that I’m not docile, nor am I cute.”
“T-that’s not…! Yeah, I just got carried away and went out of the line, but that’s not —”
“Of course, I’m not trying to be meek at all!”
Lufure-sama hemmed and hawed as he mumbled while I clenched my fists tightly.
If Lufure-sama already reflected on his actions, then I won’t complain to him anymore.
Rather than that, it was more important to focus on how to make Eric cry.
“I don’t care if I’m not cute! I’ll definitely make him regret breaking the engagement! It’s better if he realized that I’m not some docile and cute girl that he can mess with!”
I unwittingly chuckled with malice as I imagined how Eric would hang his head in tears, begging me to retract the engagement cancellation.
Well, I still didn’t come up with a specific method to teach him a lesson, though!
It was true that I wasn’t calm, and I couldn’t even solve this proxy saintess business that Amalda forced on me.
In that case —
‘Let’s just kick that good-for-nothing father in the balls, and make him spit out the truth!’
Father was probably cowed by Eric, so he couldn’t say the truth, so I should just threaten him, too.
In short, it was something I could solve by force.
What a pleasant idea, so simple and clear.
“…What the heck.”
I had been vigorously nodding my head when Lufure-sama muttered.
It was fleeting — just a teeny tiny instant — but his expression loosened up a bit. Well, he shook his head forcefully right away, though, and that moment vanished in thin air.
“What’s up with you, huh! Y-you’re so lively, aren’t you! Just what kind of personality do you have, looking like that even though your engagement was cancelled!”
There was not a trace of his admirable attitude earlier.
His cheeky, saucy expression returned, and his words were a lot more brazen than his face.
“Normal people will be depressed, you know! They’re going to cry, and feel down, right!? You’re just like that, so that’s why you’re not cute!”
“Sorry, then, for being like this! I had been depressed too, like normal people , you know!”
I couldn’t help but raise my voice again in anger, caught up in the mood due to Lufure-sama’s impertinence.
Of course I was affected because of the broken engagement, too.
I was mortified, vexed, and I had been restless to the point that I didn’t know what to do.
Yeah, I knew there was not a single particle of cuteness in me. Anybody would choose Amalda, between me and her! — that was my attempt in apathy.
“But…I was already comforted.”
I had become desperate, totally losing my temper, and yet he still listened to my story.
He didn’t laugh at my aspirations.
He didn’t negate my negative feelings of sadness and bitterness.
‘He could’ve just laughed it off.’
I slowly blinked, and I recalled the voice behind my back.
He had been so straightforward, so I couldn’t stay depressed forever.
I squeezed my eyes shut and took a deep breath.
“I was already comforted, so of course I need to be more cheerful! I must be positive, lively — and crush that guy to pulp!”
“Ugh, crush to pulp, you said!! So scary!!”
Lufure-sama stepped back in horror.
He increased the distance between us, but he kept on spouting vitriol.
“Hey, who on earth would comfort you, huh! Is he nuts!? Hey, don’t tell me it’s a guy!? That guy doesn’t have any taste!!”
“I don’t care even if he doesn’t have any taste! Say another word, and I’m going to crush YOU into pulp!!”
Well, he was already thoroughly smashed in my mind, though.
This deity and Eric should be mashed together! I’m so gonna make them beg for mercy in tears!!
“Isn’t it fine! Even if he’s strange, he still made me happy!”
I clenched my hands tighter, and bit fiercely on my lip.
Kami-sama wasn’t peculiar, he was just too kind for his own good, and he would probably answer frankly to everyone, without any favoritism or inequality.
He was really kind and honest, so he just comforted me because of the way he was.
‘Still.’
His words had taken on a special meaning for me.
“It was the first time I was told that way!”
My agitated voice rang out loud and clear in the Shrine that was shrouded in the darkness of the night.
This deity would definitely mock me, anyway — I already prepared myself for that, but I didn’t hear any retort.
Only a deafening silence, followed by the rustling of the wind, answered me.
‘Lufure-sama?’
I was taken aback, so I looked up to him, and our eyes met, without a single word. He seemed shaken.
There was no trace of his irritating, mocking smirk — only bewilderment was painted on his handsome face, looking as if somebody played a prank on him.
“…………..Y-you’re happy because he comforted you….”
Well, as expected, that expression also lasted for less than a second.
He immediately averted his eyes, then scowled, obviously annoyed.
“What’s up with that expression! Aren’t you stupid, you simple woman! What an idiotic face that was!!”
“H-Huh!!!????”
Yep, Lufure-sama was Lufure-sama, no matter what, as expected.
Maybe I should crush him like a bug for real now, huh……..
…….This dangerous thought flew out of my head the moment Lufure-sama opened his mouth.
“You, showing me that face….D-do you like him?”
Eh?
….What?
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