Conquest Complete, So Why Is the Affection Dropping? - Chapter 17
While the system was infuriating, the waffle and butter potato were delicious.
Marvis watched me eat with an intrigued expression. His gaze was like someone observing a new species. I feel like a zoo panda.
“Why are you staring? If you want some, just ask.”
“No, I’m just fascinated.”
“What’s so fascinating? Never seen someone eat a waffle before?”
“Yeah. First time.”
“Stop joking.”
“I’m serious.”
Does Marvis dislike waffles? But they’re tasty.
I chewed and swallowed the last piece, then wiped the cream from my mouth. The sweet treat definitely improved my mood.
“Aren’t you going to eat?”
“I’m satisfied just watching you eat.”
“Then let’s continue our previous conversation. What’s your purpose?”
“Hmm.”
Marvis crossed his arms and tilted his head, then shrugged and started walking away.
“Hey, what is it?”
“Follow me.”
Why does he keep telling me to follow? Am I a dog on a walk?
Past the food stalls, we came to stands selling miscellaneous items.
After passing stalls selling handmade accessories and potted plants, Marvis stopped in front of one selling animal masks.
He scanned the animal masks on display with a contemplative expression.
What’s he up to? He’s not planning to wear an animal mask because he’s too shy to talk face-to-face, is he?
“Joo-ah, how about this?”
What Marvis picked up wasn’t a mask but a white rabbit headband hanging on a display stand.
The ears were covered in fluffy fur, focusing more on cuteness than realism.
“…Don’t tell me you want me to wear that?”
“I think it would suit you.”
When Marvis naturally tried to put the rabbit headband on my head, I quickly stepped back to protect my head.
“That’s silly. At my age!”
“How old are you?”
“Why does that matter?”
“I’m curious.”
Marvis tilted his head. Isn’t he being too casual for a kidnapper holding a rabbit headband?
Feeling slightly annoyed, I decided to launch into a rambling speech.
“Actually, I’m not that old. Not old enough for my knees to ache when it rains, and not quite at the age where I need to worry about anti-aging! But you know what? In high school, I thought everyone over 20 was a real adult. Even though that’s impossible, I thought the moment I crossed from minor to adult, my immature past self would transform into a mature adult. Although I did spend New Year’s Eve watching the server clock with bloodshot eyes, waiting for the exact moment I could verify my age to see adult content!”
The 150-year-old kidnapper listening to my outburst laughed with an incredulous expression.
“Your definition of maturity seems quite different from what I know.”
I hated how my heart fluttered at his handsome smiling face.
‘Kidnapper: 1 point…!’
Anyway, when I strongly refused, he apparently didn’t plan to force it on me. Instead, Marvis fiddled with the rabbit headband before putting it on himself.
‘Whoa.’
Until now, I never liked the bunny girl concept. I had this prejudice that it was a maniacal costume preferred by older men.
In high school, when a friend making games with me mentioned male bunnies, I recoiled with an “ugh.”
But now, seeing Marvis wearing the rabbit headband, I finally understood why bunny costumes have been beloved as provocative outfits for so long.
How can a grown man, especially one with such a muscular build, look so good in a rabbit headband?
I thought sexiness combined with cuteness would look awkward and out of place, but I was wrong. The impact of this imbalance is breathtaking.
‘Right. Excitement comes from encountering unexpected situations.’
Like seeing someone naked with just a ribbon, shyly saying [I’m your present♡].
Unable to resist commenting on this topic, the system window suddenly popped up to express its opinion.
‘Well, I wouldn’t mind seeing Marvis naked… No, no! I haven’t fallen that far yet!’
The moment you tried to cut off that thought with [that far], you’ve already stepped onto the edge of perversion.
‘Shut up, you evil system! Don’t slander me!’
Is it really slander?
‘Hey, close that mouth! If you’re going to treat me like a pervert, at least remove the rating restrictions. Will you let me touch Marvis’s chest?’
Search result not found. Please enter the command again.
‘It’s too late to pretend to be a help search now!’
The system that had barged in trying to act like a user-friendly GM quickly went quiet. I deactivated the interfering windows and approached Marvis.
“I don’t like beating around the bush. Get to the point.”
“I think you’d be prettier if you smiled.”
“Stop with the unnecessary sweet talk.”
“I want to leave good memories for the end.”
“What?”
“Because the world is heading toward destruction.”
He brought up such a gloomy topic so unlike his usually cheerful self. I looked up at Marvis with slight confusion. His red eyes were gazing somewhere far away.
“Even building a city underwater to avoid the Dawn Sky, there’s ultimately no way to escape.”
Whether it’s the Holy City where humans live or the Dark City where demons live, it makes no difference. The desert beyond the walls, the deep blue sea – every world is equally moving toward destruction.
The Divine Master is the savior from destruction. While the Divine Master exists, the world won’t be destroyed. But having the world’s entire fate depend on the Divine Master also means the Divine Master is this world’s owner.
“You’re the owner of my life, not me. The same goes for everyone else in this world. Have you ever seriously thought about what that means?”
“Since the world won’t be destroyed while I’m here, doesn’t that mean nothing has really changed?”
“Because you won’t stay here forever.”
Come to think of it, there was no setting about the Divine Master’s lifespan.
‘Does the Divine Master have a normal human lifespan? Or are they ageless and immortal?’
If it’s the latter, there’s no problem, but if it’s the former, the world would perish when the Divine Master dies, so it couldn’t be considered true salvation.
But since this isn’t some deeply philosophical game, the basic setting must be the latter, right?
Given that Marvis is 150 years old, demons seem to live much longer than humans, so for a happy ending, the Divine Master should live at least that long.
“Wouldn’t there be something like an immortality potion if we look?”
“…You’re not understanding my point at all.”
“Or maybe divine power could extend lifespan?”
No matter how dark a commercial game might be, there’s always a happy ending. So there must be a route where the player doesn’t die before the romance target.
Though I spoke with confidence, Marvis sighed deeply at my response.
“It’s dark, Shin Joo-ah. So very dark.”
“Well, it’s the Dark City because it’s dark…”
Still, after talking with him, I think I understand what kind of character Marvis is. He seems cheerful and reckless, but actually has his own troubles, right?
I thought the Dark City was dark simply because it’s underground without sunlight, but maybe it’s a manifestation of anxiety about a potentially doomed future.
‘Marvis doesn’t seem like such a bad guy after all.’
Though I criticized him for being a kidnapper, there’s no way a romance target in an all-ages game could be truly evil.
If this weren’t a game but a normal fantasy world, even I wouldn’t be able to go on something like a date with Marvis so quickly.
I can interact so casually with him from our first meeting because I know this world I’m possessing is an all-ages game, Marvis is a romance target, and there’s a happy ending where we fall in love.
‘In that case, there’s only one way to solve his gloominess.’
I clapped my hands to get his attention.
“Alright, Marvis. Let’s drink!”
“Suddenly?”
“It’s fine. Alcohol solves most problems. The suffocating subway, city smog, the department head’s cigarette smell that makes you hold your nose even though he claims he aired out – and those mysterious company dinners that are supposedly less common these days but somehow always target you – the moment you believe the corporate card will pay for the most expensive dishes, your mind becomes at peace.”
“I don’t think alcohol is the reason for that peace of mind…”
“A man shouldn’t worry about such trivial details.”
When I patted his back vigorously, Marvis looked down at me with an incredulous expression before chuckling.
I thought he looked handsome when laughing cheerfully, but seeing this fleeting smile makes my heart flutter even more. Not just anyone can be a romance target, indeed.
I grabbed Marvis’s sleeve to pull him along. It wasn’t because we weren’t close enough to hold hands yet. I absolutely wasn’t worried that pulling his already revealing clothes might make them fall off completely.
While I started pulling confidently, I soon hit a snag. I couldn’t find where the bars were.
Marvis looked at me with an expression suggesting he had a lot to say but finally gave up and led me somewhere.
