"Why didn't the favorability increase? I did everything except for inserting it, so why still the same?"
It felt like my mind, which had been heavy due to the lingering emotions and fatigue from earlier, forcibly awakened my mind. Andrea gently pulled me closer and buried his face in my collarbone.
... Was this not enough? Would the favorability have increased if it had been inserted?
All night, I stayed in Andrea's arms and pondered this question over and over again.
***
Not only did I do something that would drain my stamina, but the unresolved question kept me up all night. So it was natural that the next day, my body hit rock bottom.
"Del, you didn't sleep?"
Basking in the morning sunlight, Andrea, who woke up fresh and in a good mood, lowered his gaze, expecting to see the beautiful angel in his arms, only to be surprised.
"Is something hurting?"
Wiping my swollen eyes with his thumb, Andrea asked with concern. I got up, and walked to the mirror.
In the mirror, a disheveled angel with dark circles under the eyes, rough skin, and pale, chapped lips stood. Still beautiful, but with a slightly faded charm than usual.
I blinked my tired eyes and slapped my cheek with my palm. I have lost weight compared to yesterday.
"Should I call a doctor? Is there a priest here by any chance?"
Andrea approached from behind and asked. I shook my head. There was no need to call a doctor, and there was no priest in Sablum. Insomnia was a daily occurrence, and my weak stamina slowly recovered when I rested alone. There was no injury and I didn't vomit blood, so there was no need for treatment.
"Sit here."
However, Andrea, with a serious expression, made me sit on the bed with a serious look on his face. He clicked his tongue as he looked at my pale complexion.
"Could it be because of yesterday's... activities?"
Before he could finish the sentence, I strongly protested. It was partly true, but if Andrea thought I was in pain due to yesterday's events, he might be hesitant to engage in such activities in the future.
I pointed to the desk. Andrea understood my intention and quickly brought paper and a pen from the desk.
[Still suffering from the insomnia penalty. It's not because of yesterday.]
"That damn god..."
Andrea muttered profanity. Surprised, I threw the paper and pen away and covered his mouth, but he faintly smiled. He held my hand and spoke gently as if comforting a child.
"How about getting some rest, Del?"
You heard I had Insomnia. I glanced at Andrea with that expression, but he ignored it and laid me on the bed. He covered me with the blanket up to my chin, gently closed my eyes with his hand, and patted my chest.
Even with this, sleep won't come.
Seeing Andrea futilely trying, both pitiable and adorable, I closed my eyes silently, letting him do as he pleased.
"I wish I could sing a lullaby, but I don't know any songs."
Andrea said with a shy smile.
"Instead, I'll tell you a story from the past."
Once upon a time, in a kingdom, there lived a nobleman who was very beautiful and had a bad temper. But one day, another soul entered the nobleman's body. This soul tried to imitate the nobleman but, with a naturally timid and kind personality, he suffered hardships every day.
Andrea's voice was the best among all the male voices he had heard so far (in the last three months). His voice was wonderful and soothing, with a low and tranquil tone that could calm people down.
I closed my eyes, deeply engrossed in Andrea's storytelling. Perhaps it was a folklore passed down from his hometown. It was likely. After all, the idea of another soul entering someone's body seemed far-fetched. People do have good imaginations.
Andrea continued the story.
"However, before the other soul entered, there was a monster secretly in love with the original nobleman. When the other soul entered, the monster decided to expel it. So, the monster kidnapped the "fake" and tormented him until the soul would leave the nobleman's body."
I closed my eyes and thought. The monster might be a bit scary, but I understood. Losing someone you loved so suddenly must have been absurd and frustrating. Of course, the other soul wasn't at fault...
"The "fake" couldn't endure the hardships caused by the monster. So, while the monster was not paying attention, he ran away to a distant place. But something strange happened. Did the monster feel sympathy after tormenting the "fake"? To get the real nobleman back, you have to bring back the "fake", but the monster didn't want to do that. He thought it was better to let the "fake" live the way he wanted than have a hard time because of the monster."
Hmm, interesting. Did the monster end up liking the "fake" more than the real nobleman? I thought to myself and waited for Andrea's next words.
"However, everyone in the kingdom started searching for the "fake" because they all fell in love with him. While the real nobleman was beautiful, people were captivated by the kindness and vulnerable side that the "fake" showed. The monster grew anxious as others began searching for the "fake". The "fake" ran away because he wanted to be free, but the others wanted to keep him in their kingdoms and prevent him from running away again."
The "fake" must have been quite charming.
"So, the monster had no choice but to find the "fake". After searching, the monster find the "fake". However, the "fake" had no memory of the monster."
He spoke with a bitter tone.
"It turned out that a god took pity on the "fake" and erased his memories of the monster. The "fake" never remembered the monster and the monster took care of the "fake" with a heart of atonement."
After that, Andrea fell silent for a while. I opened my eyes, looking at him, as if asking why he wasn't continuing.
"The story ends here. The moral of the story is not to torment people carelessly. Otherwise, you'll end up living with guilt and regret like the monster for the rest of your life."
Guilt and regret? It seems there might be more than just that. I wanted to ask him if the monster ended up liking the "fake", but the paper and pen were too far, and Andrea had closed my eyes again.
"Now, really sleep. I'll pat your chest until you fall asleep."
For over an hour, he gently tapped my chest. I counted his pats up to 278 before slipping into a light nap. It was a shallow and short sleep, but even that was a sweet rest for me.
***
When I woke up, my body felt much better. My mind was clear, and my eyes didn't hurt. I had gained some strength, enough to have the late lunch the servants had prepared. Andrea said he hadn't eaten anything until I woke up.
[Even if I don't wake up, bring Andrea's meal separately!!]
I tore a page from my notebook and handed it to the servant Fernando. He knelt down and held the paper with both hands as if he had received a holy relic.
"I will do as you say, Angel! Please forgive me for my sins!"
Feeling embarrassed, I tore another paper with 'I forgive you' written on it. Fernando accepted it with gratitude, apologizing several times, and then stood behind the table with the other servants.
Why isn't he leaving?
Andrea asked Fernando, and the servant, who had been greeting enthusiastically just moments ago, responded stiffly.
"Don't worry about it. I'm just here to serve Angel's meal."
I wanted to point out Fernando's tone, but I quickly forgot about it because Andrea flashed a cute smile at me.
We started our meal with plates piled high with various types of bread and seasoned meats. Despite knowing that I couldn't eat much, the people here always brought generous amounts of food. The leftovers were shared among the servants, so I didn't feel guilty for not finishing everything. However, I felt the need to explain this to Andrea.
So, picking up the pen again, Andrea suddenly wiped the corner of my mouth with his fingers.
"You had something on your mouth, Del."
Then he continued eating as if nothing happened. But I was frozen in place. It felt like my heart momentarily stopped, then resumed, pumping an explosive amount of blood.
This makes me feel like we've become really close.
For some reason, the tips of my ears were itching, so I put down my spoon and scratched my ears.
Huh? Wait a minute. Close?
I looked at Andrea's head. The favorability was at 54, If we get even closer, the likability should go up. My head was spinning.
I think I know how to raise Andrea's favorability.
I grinned as I looked at the number 54.
[Ya'll I really like Andrea wtf aaaaaaaaahhhhhh but then Hunter is like sooo cutiee patootie too He's like I'll give you everything and anything, just be mine 🫣]