Cursed Villainess' Obsession-Chapter 22

S-rank materials, as expected…

I swallowed hard as I reviewed the list of materials in my mind. This wasn’t just any spear; this was an S-rank legendary weapon, something you rarely even saw used in the game. The materials involved were things you couldn’t find in a regular market. Fortunately, Anette had made things easier by agreeing to provide all the necessary materials.

Dragon bones… and orichalcum? Can she even get her hands on that?

These were materials you usually only found in the later stages of the game, and even then, you had to venture into demon territory on the continent of Karab. Acquiring them in the kingdom of Lillias would cost a fortune.

Well, she’s rich. I don’t need to worry about that.

It wasn’t every day I had the chance to work with such high-quality materials. I decided to write down a list, making sure to ask for more than I needed, just to be safe. After jotting it down on a piece of paper, I pulled out a small whistle from my dimensional pouch. Anette had given me this to summon her familiar, a magical bird.

Let’s get this delivered.

I blew the whistle, which sounded like a reed pipe, and soon, a magical bird appeared before me, formed from pure energy.

“I’ll be counting on you.”

“Caw!”

The bird grabbed the letter in its beak and swiftly flew off, disappearing into the distance as it turned invisible mid-flight.

Now, I’d better get started while I wait for the materials.

Anette had given me two days, so she’d likely send the materials soon. In the meantime, I had one task: grind my repair skill!

Thankfully, I had plenty of weapons lying around from when I crafted Siegfried’s black blade, which I could break and repair for practice. A silent prayer for my poor test subjects, and I picked up my hammer, ready to smash them apart.

Bang!

Bang!

The sound of metal clashing filled the room as I began breaking the weapons, turning them into shattered and battered pieces.

"Ken, are you still not done?"

I had been repeating the cycle of breaking and repairing weapons for hours. After having the dinner Laphne prepared, I continued the process, and my repair skill had now reached level 2. My goal was to push it to level 3, though reaching level 4 might be unrealistic in such a short time.

“Yeah, I’ve still got a bit more to do. You should go ahead and sleep, Laphne. Can you use a Silence spell?”

The noise from my repairs would probably make it hard for her to sleep, so I asked her to set up a barrier to block the sound. However, Laphne shook her head and came closer to me.

“Oh, no. I’ll wait until you finish!”

“Huh? There’s really no need for that. You must be tired; it’s fine to go to bed first.”

“I’m fine! Let me help! Is there anything I can do?”

Laphne sat down next to me, her expression full of determination.

I guess I should finish up quickly…

She didn’t mean to put pressure on me, but knowing she was staying up for my sake made me feel a bit guilty.

“Alright, could you change the water in that barrel?”

“Sure! Just leave it to me!”

Laphne cheerfully accepted the task and hurried off with the barrel. Her enthusiasm motivated me to focus and get back to work, hammering away.

[System: Crafting proficiency has reached its maximum. The related skill has leveled up.]

[Crafting – Repair LV 3]

…Finally.

I didn’t know how many repairs I had done by this point, but I looked at my status window with bleary eyes, holding a dagger I’d just finished fixing. Outside, night had fallen, and it was late.

“Laphne, you should sleep in bed.”

Laphne, who had been helping me earlier, had fallen asleep with her head resting on my lap. Despite the noise from my repairs, she hadn’t woken up.

She really didn’t mind staying up with me, huh?

I carefully lifted her head, trying not to wake her, and cradled her in my arms. She was sleeping so peacefully, and I felt a little bad for disturbing her.

This is what they mean by “you could carry her to bed, and she wouldn’t notice,” huh?

Laphne remained completely unaware as I carried her princess-style to her bed. For some reason, she seemed more relaxed than usual. Normally, there was always some tension or anxiety on her face, but now she looked so calm.

"…Ken… hehe."

I wonder what she's dreaming about.

Whatever it was, it seemed to be a good dream, given how peaceful she looked. I gently laid her down on the bed, placed her head on the soft pillow, and carefully pulled my hands free. After making sure she was comfortable, I pulled the blanket up to her chest.

I guess I should get some sleep too.

Of course, we weren’t sharing the same bed or anything like that. No matter how much I liked Laphne, I wasn’t going to cross that line.

I’ll check on the materials tomorrow.

I laid out a blanket on the floor a little way from her bed and lay down. Despite being in another world, there was something oddly comforting about sleeping on the floor—it felt strangely familiar.

I drifted off to sleep, my body exhausted from the long day.

“…Ken… Ken…”

Is someone calling my name?

In my drowsy, half-asleep state, I heard someone whispering my name. If this had been my empty dorm room, it would have been terrifying, but here there was only one person who would call out to me like that.

“…Laphne?”

I sat up and looked over at the bed.

“Ken… no… I’m sorry… don’t leave…”

“Laphne? Are you okay?”

Her voice was shaky and soft, and when I looked closer, I saw tears forming in her eyes. She was caught in a nightmare, and before I could wake her—

"Ke-eeen!!"

“Whoa!!”

She jolted awake with a cry, startling me so much that I screamed as well.

“Ken… where am I…?”

Realizing she was awake, Laphne stared at me with wide, teary eyes.

Then, as if something inside her broke, she burst into tears again.

“…Waaah, Ken…!”

“Laphne? What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

Tears streaming down her face, Laphne reached out and grabbed my waist, hugging me tightly.

“Ken, don’t go… I’m sorry… I did something wrong… I’m so sorry…”

She must have had a really bad nightmare.

Even after waking up, she couldn’t stop crying. She buried her face in my chest, sobbing.

I think I know what this dream was about…

“Hic, you… you said you hated me… that you never wanted to see me again… and then you left me…”

Just as I thought…

I stroked her hair gently, trying to calm her down. In response, Laphne clung to me even more tightly.

“It’s just a nightmare, Laphne. It’s not real, so don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere.”

“I-I know it’s just a dream… but… it still scared me so much…”

Watching her trembling like this made me wonder how many times she had experienced this kind of nightmare alone. What had she done when she woke up in the middle of the night with no one around?

She must have been really scared.

The thought made my chest tighten. I helped Laphne lie back down, gently resting her head on the pillow.

“Sniff… hic.”

Even as she lay back down, tears continued to flow. Crying that much would probably give her a headache.

I pulled the blanket up over her again, tucking her in carefully.

"Hey, Ken…"

She tugged at my sleeve as I was about to leave.

"Hm? What is it?"

Her tear-filled red eyes gazed at me like a little chick searching for its mother.

“I’m scared… Can you sleep with me?”

Oh no, this is a dangerous request.

“L-Laphne, I’m a guy, you know…!”

“But… but if I fall asleep alone, I’m going to have the same nightmare again. If you’re beside me, I think I’ll be able to sleep peacefully. Please?”

I thought back to how peacefully she’d slept earlier. Was it because I had been nearby? Was she usually so tense and anxious, even when trying to sleep?

The thought made my heart ache. But still, I’m a guy. I can’t just…

As a gentleman, there were certain lines I shouldn’t cross.

“…Hehe. Thank you, Ken.”

“Alright, but just this once.”

With a quiet smile, Laphne wrapped her arms around my neck like a pillow and quickly drifted off to sleep, her breathing becoming soft and even.

"…Smelling Ken’s scent makes me feel so calm."

"…Uh-huh."

I’m glad you feel relaxed, but could you please not whisper that in my ear? The gentle breath and warmth were a bit too much stimulation.

“Mmm… Ken…”

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With her head resting on my chest and her arms wrapped around me, Laphne was soon completely asleep.

…This is a problem.

But I, on the other hand, was finding it hard to relax. The soft warmth pressed against me, combined with her scent, was definitely not conducive to sleep.

It looked like it was going to be a long night...