Chapter 51
It was said that only true love could find the treasure, but it was nothing more than a flawed set-up game.
Did only the protagonist have true love?
‘It's an insult to love.’
It's a dismissive treatment for a couple who love each other 100%, one man and one woman.
At this point, if the protagonist fairly divided the love she gave to the handsome men, would it be about 12%?
Let's take food as an example.
She loves ramen, jajangmyeon, noodles, spaghetti, and cold noodles...
At this point, shouldn't we consider that she likes all kinds of noodles?
‘A protagonist who likes all handsome men who are kind to her is true love? That's an insult to love!’
Sararak~
However, the protagonist discovered the hut that countless couples who loved only one person could not find.
So, it's not a groundless rumor that ‘true love’ exists, and shouldn't we have a reasonable doubt that anyone can find it if they meet certain conditions?
‘Chocolate, cake, coffee, swimming, competition, winner, man, woman.’
There were definitely unnecessary conditions among these elements, but I didn't want to bother verifying them.
Wasn't it enough to find it?
“My lord, do you think there's treasure inside the hut?”
“No, Valentine. There must be a well around here. The legendary sword is trapped inside it.”
Inside the hut, various supplies were prepared for the protagonist and the handsome men to experience ‘married life’.
Laundry, cleaning, cooking, childcare...
An episode where the protagonist demonstrates and teaches noble handsome men who have never done housework.
It's a heartwarming story of handsome men clumsily doing housework as if learning to walk, laughing and chatting.
The legendary sword be damned!
A weapon that a novelist who hates battles just put in is my goal.
“Oh my! There really is a well...?”
“Let's investigate quickly.”
“Have you been here before, my lord?”
“No, if I had been here before, we wouldn't have wandered all day.”
“That's a relief.”
“Pardon?”
“Oh, it's nothing!”
“...Let's take a look quickly.”
At the bottom of the deep and dark well, there was indeed a blade that seemed to be a sword.
“Hmmm...”
How can I get this out?
Valentine pointed to a tool with her fingertip as I pondered.
“It seems like we can use that.”
“...Right.”
A rope with a hook on the end, shaped like a fishing hook, was kindly placed next to the well.
‘It seems like they're blatantly telling me to use this!’
Plop!
I easily pulled out the treasure hidden at the bottom of the well using the tool.
But...
“It's such a beautiful sword...”
“Isn't it childish?”
The guard between the blade and the handle was a pink heart shape! And inside the heart, there was a small red gem in the shape of a heart.
‘I can't possibly carry this!’
Still, I decided to check its performance first.
Scrape- Zzak!
A huge rock scattered throughout the ruins was easily cut like pudding without any resistance.
“Whew~♪”
A whistle naturally came out as soon as I saw the result.
The blade of the sword wasn't as thin as a razor, but wasn't it an unbelievable cutting power?
Fantasy was indeed fantasy.
“I'm worried if there's a suitable scabbard since it's too sharp.”
“What should we do?”
“For now, we can only wrap the blade in cloth and tie it with a string so it doesn't come loose. We can have a skilled blacksmith make a custom scabbard later.”
“Then I'll find cloth and string in the hut- Huh?”
Poof!
The legendary sword that was in my hand disappeared without a trace.
‘Where did it go?!’
It was even more bewildering since there was no such story in the original novel.
No-
There was no mention at all. The legendary sword didn't appear again until the novel was completed.
The legendary sword's value ended as proof that the protagonist was in ‘true love’.
“The sword... disappeared.”
“......”
I became depressed.
“My lord, don't worry too much. You were able to witness the legend with your own eyes, right?”
“Sigh... I struggled to find it-”
Poof!
Before my lament was over, the legendary sword reappeared.
“......”
“......”
Both I and the native of the fantasy world were surprised by the phenomenon that ignored the laws of physics and couldn't close our mouths.
“How did you do that?”
“What I did...”
Poof!
I realized that I could freely summon the legendary sword at will.
“I guess we don't need a scabbard?”
“...That's right.”
“I don't know, my lord. I sincerely congratulate you. You've become the owner of the legend.”
“Uh... Thank you.”
I felt awkward in the fantasy that I couldn't get used to even after experiencing it several times.
Still, I quickly regained my composure and spoke to Valentine.
“Since we achieved our goal, let's leave here. They'll be waiting for us outside.”
“Yes.”
We headed outside without even bothering with the hut, where the novel writer's desires and tastes were concentrated.
Sararak~
But the hut reappeared!
I doubted for a moment that it was another hut, but even the position of the hook left by the well was the same.
In other words, we were back to square one.
“...That's strange.”
“...Let's try again.”
Sararak~
However, no matter which direction we went, we returned to the hut.
Running, changing directions in the middle, going in different directions...
No matter what we did, we eventually saw the hut.
“My lord, it seems like we're trapped.”
“This is... unexpected.”
“Isn't there a way to escape?”
“There must be a way to go back the way we came. We just don't know it.”
“My lord, in my humble opinion, there may be hidden clues in the house we haven't investigated yet.”
“...Alright. Let's go.”
With no other viable options, I followed Lady Valentine's suggestion.
* * *
The huge hut, which could accommodate 10 healthy adult men and the protagonist with room to spare.
Its interior was a mess.
“The floor is covered in dust. The dishes aren't even washed.”
As soon as I opened the unlocked door and entered, my eyes frowned at the terrible interior environment that greeted me.
“Shall we start investigating right away?”
“Please check the second floor. I'll look around the first floor.”
“Yes, my lord.”
I knew there would be no clue to escape here, but I couldn't just give up easily, could I?
Kitchen, bathtub, bedroom, warehouse...
There were settings everywhere that were too far-fetched for a house that had been abandoned long enough for dust to accumulate.
Especially,
“Even if alcohol doesn't spoil, raw meat and vegetables are too much!”
I let out a hollow laugh while scolding the creator of this world who wouldn't hear my voice.
Giggle.
“...I'm sorry.”
I didn't fully understand the deep intentions of the writer, who valued the protagonist's survival and romance more than realism!
After filling up on food from the warehouse to relieve my hunger, I headed to the kitchen.
“Uh... Thank you.”
I had no choice but to do the dishes if I didn't want to eat food with unclean hands.
I fetched water from the well...
Clatter, clatter.
I washed the dishes with an unidentified detergent.
“Oh my! I'll do it!”
Valentine, who had finished investigating the second floor, rushed over to help me with the dishes when she saw me.
“I'm almost done. Valentine, please just wipe the table.”
“...Yes.”
I opened the tightly closed windows for ventilation and cleaned the chairs that were too dirty to sit on due to the dust.
After that?
“Uh... My lord, do you know how to cook?”
“Just a little bit. If Valentine is confident, I'll step aside...”
“No, I only know how to throw anything into the soup and season it.”
She said that, bowing her head deeply.
I sliced the carrots and said,
“Not everyone can cook. Instead, Valentine is excellent at swordsmanship, isn't she? So there's no need to be ashamed.”
“...I used to think that way, but today feels a bit strange.”
“Take a break.”
“......”
Feeling her gaze on the back of my head, I used the cooking skills I had forcibly acquired to live alone.
‘I didn't expect to use them like this.’
I practiced knife skills and memorized various seasonings and cooking methods to get a job at a restaurant.
The difference from back then?
There was a slight inconvenience in that there was no faucet in the kitchen and I couldn't light a fire, so I had to go outside.
Thud!
“Please eat. If it's bland, let me know.”
“...I'll enjoy it gratefully.”
There were coffee beans in the warehouse, but I skipped them and took out only beer and wine from the liquor barrel.
Gulp!
After filling two glasses, I suggested to Valentine.
“Shall we toast?”
“Yes.”
“To a safe escape! Cheers!”
“Cheers. To my lord.”
Clink!
I learned that a toast was nice when my swimming coach bought me beef.
When transparent glasses filled with liquid touch, making a brilliant sound, it feels like our souls are connected, right?
It's the same now.
“Valentine, thank you so much for trusting me and following me.”
“I'm the one who's happy... to be able to serve you, my lord.”
“Is it okay to drink too much tonight?”
“It's safe here, so it's okay.”
Clink!
We enjoyed our drinks in a soft atmosphere.
* * *
“Uh... Huh? What's this?”
I tried to get up, but something heavy restrained me.
When I slowly opened my eyes...
“Snuggle snuggle.”
“......”
Lady Valentine was sleeping next to me with her arms and legs placed on my chest and thighs.
‘What happened last night...?’
I didn't remember anything happening. I got drunk quickly because I mixed beer and wine and headed to bed first.
In other words, she laid down beside me on her own while I was asleep.
“......”
I had invited Song Seon-young to stay at my place so she wouldn't commit suicide, and we slept together.
But at that time, I slept on the floor after giving her the bed, so it wasn't a big deal...
Thump, thump!
Now, my heart was under a little strain.
“...Are you awake?”
“Huh? Weren't you sleeping?”
I thought Valentine was fast asleep, but she opened her eyes. However, she had bright, clear eyes, not sleepy ones.
“I slept.”
It seemed like she was meditating with her eyes closed after waking up early.
“But why...”
“I was guarding you.”
“Aha!”
"...Did I make you uncomfortable?"
“Not at all. I was just surprised to see a beautiful lady so close to me when I opened my eyes.”
“...My lord.”
“Yes.”
“I believe in the legend.”
“That's- Huh?!”
I was taken by surprise when Valentine kissed me, and my sleepiness instantly went away.
* * *
As I straightened my disheveled clothes and left the bedroom, I was surprised by the sound of men coming from the first-floor kitchen.
“Good morning! My lord!”
“You woke up earlier than I thought.”
“You could have come later...”
Valentine's servants and attendants greeted me in the morning while eating the leftover food I had made.
Did the fantasy that prevented them from finding this hut disappear?
Anyway, it was fine.
“Their expressions are too sinister. What are they imagining?”
“Hehe...”
“Hehe...”
They all answered with a sinister smile, as if to say, don't ask if you know.
Then,
“My lord, shouldn't we show them that our search wasn't in vain?”
Lady Valentine, who followed me down the stairs, made a good point.
“That's right. Pay attention! Take a good look!”
Poof!
I summoned the legendary sword and held it up for everyone to see.
“Gasp! Is that the legendary sword?!”
“So the rumor was true!”
“Oh! Congratulations, really!”
Poof!
After canceling the sword's summon, I smiled and replied to them.
“Thank you.”
However, it didn't sound like they were congratulating me for finding the legendary sword.
...Is it just my imagination?
“My lord, please sit down. A warm soup will help calm your surprise.”
“Yes.”
“Do you have any other plans?”
“No.”
Although the novel writer hid more treasures for the protagonist, I have no intention of going on an expedition since they have no practical use.
The ancient queen's mirror, the mermaid's ring, the witch's necklace, the goddess's earrings...
They're no help in the war.
“Shall we go back right away?”
“Of course. By now, Duke Somac must be desperately looking for me.”
There are only two weeks left until the protagonist's wedding.
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