Chapter 32 : I love you

This Gate subjugation… honestly wasn’t very difficult.

Firstly, Caspar did everything, and secondly, it ended without any conflict inside the Gate.

Sometimes, I even wondered why such things were designated A-rank Gates.

“…Well. That’s because you’re too strong, Ms. Agathe. Catching the dragon itself is the main task, but you handle it like a sparring partner, so of course, it seems easy.”

Lee Yeonah said this at the Association, which I visited for post-processing after the subjugation finished.

“Caspar caught it, not me. I mostly just provided support from behind.”

“Well… Still, you can handle an A-rank Gate alone, can’t you?”

Saying so, Lee Yeonah handed over a document. Where the red pen had underlined, a passage about S-rank Hunter qualifications was written.

…A Hunter with experience raiding S-rank Gates, capable of soloing A-rank Gates, with at least 6 months of career experience. Additionally, someone deemed trustworthy within the Association.

Furthermore. Someone judged sufficient to be called an S-rank Hunter through various cases.

“This time. You’ve met all the conditions. S-rank Hunter Agathe-nim.”

Somehow. It feels a bit strange.
Normally… shouldn’t this kind of S-rank Hunter certification be given much later?

“Honestly… something feels rushed. It doesn’t seem like the rank means much anyway. Does this even have any meaning? It doesn’t feel real at all.”

I fluttered the paper, staring blankly at the document. Yeonah looked at me as if fed up and replied.

“No. Normally, it would feel very real. It’s just that you don’t go outside much, Ms. Agathe… Usually, A-rank Hunters are incredibly popular. The two S-rank Hunters in Korea, even more so. The other S-rank Hunter, Magic Girl-nim, has an enormous fanbase despite her strange concept.”

Ah. I’d heard about her too. The S-rank Hunter calling herself a magic girl. Her name was Magical something. I erased it from memory, so I forgot what it was.

“…The procedure being a bit rushed. Well. I think it can’t be helped. Other countries don’t even have such rank designations. Actually, our country, adopting a ranking table that existed only on some internet wiki, is the strange one. It’s not like grading meat or anything…”

She suddenly became talkative.

As if holding a grudge about the Hunter rank classification criteria, Lee Yeonah grumbled, her face slightly scrunched.

“But. Then shouldn’t Caspar also get S-rank? He’s stronger than me, after all.”

Caspar didn’t seem to care, but. This was a rather important issue.

“Ah… Well, for him, this is still his first activity. His track record is still…”

“So. You can’t give it?”

My voice dropped.
I wasn’t someone who cared about ranks like this, but I was reluctant to receive a rank higher than Caspar, at least.

Not only was I reluctant to stand above Caspar, but there was another reason.

Isn’t it a bit shameful if someone stronger than me is right beside me, yet our ranks are reversed?

“Um. Well, we can give A-rank…”

“Then give that at least. And I refuse the S-rank Hunter qualification. When you give it to Caspar later, I’ll receive it together then.”

I whipped my head around and gently pulled Caspar’s arm. Caspar, who had been spacing out while sitting on some plush chair, annoyed by the wait, blinked and followed me.

“…Uh. Huh? Let’s go? Okay. Got it.”

No, but still S-rank Hunter. The benefits you get if you accept it, blah blah blah—I ignored Lee Yeonah’s words.

Haa.

Just wasted time unnecessarily.

Because of such a trivial matter, Caspar got bored.

When reporting to the Association, I said the spoils obtained were just one landscape painting, but actually, I obtained several other paintings as spoils too.

Dozens of ink paintings depicting dragons, drawn by the painter.
Each a painting of a dragon without eyes, which would surely come alive the moment the eyes were dotted.

I had already tested it once at Geumgangsan.
Thanks to that, my painstakingly dried clothes got soaked again.

So now, I was busy with housework, ironing and washing Caspar’s clothes.

“…Agathe. Wouldn’t it have been okay to stay longer back then? I don’t really know, but. They said they give a lot of money too.”

Caspar said this while lying on the sofa, admiring the landscape painting.

It was the landscape painting obtained as spoils before.

Since the painter drew her final picture and entered the painting herself, the painting thus drawn showed a constantly changing landscape centered around the painter.

For now, that painting was placed in the room.
Thanks to that, Caspar often stared at the painting when bored.
Having lived in a world without photos or videos, it seemed quite intriguing to him.

Of course, I sealed it thoroughly too.
What if someone came out of the painting? It would be dangerous.

“Ah. Sorry. Dear husband. From now on, I’ll ask before doing things.”

I bowed my head and apologized.
Certainly, I was a bit emotional back then.

This is why I shouldn’t handle important matters.
Getting ahead of myself like an emotional woman.

“The title ‘dear husband’ is a bit… No, never mind. Agathe, you’re strangely… stubborn in these aspects. Hmm. Seems you haven’t changed as much as I thought from before.”

“Huh? Wh-What do you mean?”

Could it be I did something wrong again?
Anxiously, I stopped my housework and listened intently to Caspar’s words.

“No. It’s because I like it. It’s nice that parts of your old self remain.”

Caspar lightly patted my head, smiled, and continued.

“Honestly… To me, this is a completely different world. The environment changed so suddenly, the only thing similar to before is you. So I think I’ve grown fonder.”

My face flushed bright red.

…Grown fonder, he said.

He means me, right? Yes. It must mean that.

Right. We were dating in the first place. So expressions of affection aren’t strange.

Though I heard it often during s*x… Actually, I hear it several times every day.

Hearing it suddenly like this, feels a bit… a bit nicer.

“Can you… say it more?”

I stammered, fiddling with Caspar’s sleeve, blushing.

“Huh? What?”

His gaze, blinking as if he knew nothing, suddenly felt resentful.
Why is he so clueless?

“That. You like me. Word.”

I squirmed, lightly biting my lip.
My lips felt like they would curve into a silly smile.

That appearance… would look strange, so I turned my head away.

“…”

A brief silence followed.

Anxiety momentarily flashed through my mind.

What if I overstepped too much? Again. Did I make an unreasonable demand like before? Ah. I swore never to assert my own views again. Did I forget already?
Again. Again… Why am I like this?

Just as negative thoughts began to consume me, his lips slowly parted.

“I like you. Agathe.”

Thump. Thump.

I heard my heartbeat.
Unable to bear it, I turned my head to look at Caspar.
He had somehow moved right in front of me.

“Ah…”

A strange moan escaped my lips.
Ecstasy shot up from my toes, engulfing my entire body.

‘…Sorry. Painter. My lover’s embrace feels much better than painting together with you.’

I was relaxed enough to have such foolish thoughts for a moment.

Well, it couldn’t be helped.
I endured consecutive battles in the gloomy rain for days.

Besides, Caspar even got injured by my gun; the stress I felt was greater than I thought.

“Sorry. Honestly. It’s been tough for me too, lately. So I think I haven’t paid enough attention to you. I’m sorry. I should have guessed how hard it must have been for you to become like this.”

I shook my head vigorously. No, I intended to.

If only I hadn’t already buried my face in his chest.
I surely would have. Probably.

“No. I’m, I’m sorry. I should have taken better care of you…”

My voice broke, muffled by tears.

What on earth should I do?
Always resolving to be the perfect wife, yet always causing worry.

My failure in managing my own emotions made Caspar worry about me.
I should have disguised it more perfectly.

More. More perfectly.
Leaving no room for doubt.

I should have. Done that…

“…As I said before. You don’t need to be perfect, Agathe. And it’s not like I want a perfect you.”

I felt his hand patting my back.
Felt his breath, exhaled in worry for me.

“Still. Still… For you. Caspar. For you… I just want to show my perfect side.”

“Why? You don’t really need to go that far.”

Aah.

You speak such obvious words.

Well…

“Because I love you.”

Because I realized how much I love you.
Because I keenly felt that I absolutely cannot live without you.

So. I can say it.

“Caspar. I love you. So, please love me too. Other than that… I wish for nothing else.”

I’ll give you my all, so just give me your love.

.
.
.

His answer was the same as always.
Sweet whispers. A brief touch.

And love.