Chapter 561 - 561: A Confession from the Past

A gentle breeze blew past, stirring Heith's pink hair.

"Heith-san, what did you just say?"

The human girl had spoken so quietly that Bell hadn't caught her murmured words.

Although the air of exhaustion that once clung to Heith had disappeared, it had been replaced by another subtle sense of distance that Bell found difficult to read.

They had only met a handful of times. Aside from their first encounter, when they explored the Dungeon together, fought a giant Goblin, and went through the Silver Spear incident, most of their other meetings had left Bell with the impression that Heith belonged in the rather troublesome category.

There was her confession during the Viola incident, her blessing when Syr went on a date with him, her visit when Artemis launched the Holy War, and the time she recklessly broke the lock and barged into Airmid's cabin to visit him.

According to Airmid, Heith had specifically asked her about intimate matters, even questioning her in painstaking detail about how it felt and what the experience was like. Laurier also trusted Heith greatly and had told Bell that if he ever ran into trouble, he could ask her for help.

Syr, meanwhile, was also quite close to Heith. From the little clues Bell had picked up from his girlfriend, he had even begun to suspect that Syr might have some extremely unusual connection to Freya Familia.

In short, as far as Bell was concerned, this Level 4 Healer who had deliberately concealed her identity when they first met was a rather mysterious person.

"Nothing..."

Heith gave the boy a suspicious look, then hurriedly said, "Y-you were definitely thinking something rude just now, weren't you?"

"Even if I was, that would still be Heith-san's fault. You do remember what you asked Airmid, don't you?"

Bell tossed the question right back at her.

He sometimes had the strange feeling that although the pink-haired girl before him looked lively and adorable, the slightest misstep would cause Heith to reveal a side of herself that few people knew. After all, what respectable young woman would ask someone she barely knew for a detailed account of what it felt like to lose her virginity?

"I was asking for a friend! Everything I said was true! I have a friend who's also a patient, and she cares a lot about that sort of thing, so that's why I asked!"

Heith immediately remembered her own reckless behavior.

She waved her hands in embarrassment, then complained, "Ugh... Airmid-san actually told you about that?! How could she do that? She has no professionalism as a Healer at all!!"

"No, this had nothing to do with treating a patient. The one who should reflect on her behavior is Heith-san, who'll ask absolutely anything..."

Bell muttered quietly.

Judging by her expression, Heith didn't seem to be lying.

What kind of patient could possibly make this Healer go that far?

Although Heith's reputation had improved somewhat in Bell's mind, he was becoming increasingly convinced that Freya Familia was full of mysteries.

"Hehe, I can confess to someone the very first time I meet them. Pretty impressive, right?"

Heith proudly thrust out her ample chest, her words seeming to hint at something.

"..."

Bell couldn't help recalling the first time they met.

Heith had a cute face, an alluring scent, a well-developed chest, flawless white skin, a delicate body, shapely hips suited for childbirth, and slender, beautiful legs...

The pink-haired girl might not possess the breathtaking beauty of certain goddesses, but Heith was exactly the kind of adorable girl who could make a man lose himself simply by speaking shyly and closing the distance between them a little.

Faced with such obvious bait, Bell refused to bite.

"Heith-san, you've never actually been in love before, have you? Saying things like that is going to hurt any boys who genuinely like you."

It wasn't that Bell distrusted Heith. The fact that she had twice stood in front of him and fought without regard for her own safety was enough to prove that she meant him no harm.

But Bell knew very well that Heith's affection for him was mixed with something else. Perhaps it was loyalty, perhaps jealousy toward other girls, or perhaps loneliness that had built up over a long time.

Whatever it was, Bell couldn't simply ignore what occupied Heith's heart.

"Ugh... Bell, you big idiot..."

Heith pouted unhappily.

Just as she had told Goddess Freya, Heith valued the Goddess more than she valued the boy.

Gratitude toward the one who had recognized her, and deep admiration.

What filled Heith's heart was something close to fanatic devotion. Bell had witnessed it himself during the Silver Spear incident.

Heith believed that someone as perceptive as Bell had definitely understood what she was implying.

There was only one reason she had brought up her confession from the past again. Heith truly did have feelings for him.

Yet Bell had skillfully turned her down.

Heith's intentions reflected the state of her heart. Part of them came from her own affection, but an even larger part came from her loyalty to the Goddess.

Freya wanted their relationship to progress, so Heith had acted accordingly.

Now Heith no longer knew whether she should call Bell clever or foolish.

A cute girl was openly flirting with him, yet instead of losing himself in her charms, Bell had gone out of his way to consider what she truly wanted.

It was exactly the same as when they first met.

"All right, I've decided!"

Heith patted her cheeks as though steeling herself.

She marched straight toward Bell with great determination and stopped only inches away from him.

"Bell, I heard from Syr-san that you're leaving Orario, right? I'm coming too! And I'm going to stay right by your side the whole time. I won't leave you for even a single step!"

Heith opened her crimson eyes wide, a blazing fire burning within them.

This was a war between three people.

If the boy was really that perceptive, and if Freya was willing to indulge her this much, then Heith had no reason to keep hesitating.

Fight against the fanatic devotion she had built up all these years?

If Heith from only a moment earlier had heard such a thought, she would have slapped herself across the face twice.

But now, she was burning with fighting spirit.

The boy she liked was thinking carefully about her, right down to the smallest details, without allowing desire to cloud his judgment. For a girl who had spent so long working herself to exhaustion without anyone caring for her, what could possibly make her happier than that?

"Heith-san, don't you have important work to do? If you leave, what happens to Freya Familia's meals?"

Bell asked curiously.

If the city's strongest Healer could hide her identity and travel with him, there would be nothing but benefits.

"I don't care anymore. I'm on vacation anyway. When those stupid pigs get hungry enough and realize there's nothing to eat, they can figure out how to cook for themselves."

Heith vented all her pent-up resentment.

Her body was already almost pressed against Bell's, but she paid it no mind.

"On this trip, you absolutely, absolutely cannot leave me behind! Otherwise... I'll lie around in your bed every single day!"

"Isn't that a little extreme? Besides, I never said I was against you coming..."

Bell quietly replied as he looked at the strange intensity surrounding the girl.

"Anyway, I'll be in your care on this trip!"

Heith forcefully pushed the conversation forward.

"Mm. If Heith-san is willing to help, I'd be glad to have you."

Bell answered gently.

Heith was as changeable as the weather. The moment she got the answer she wanted, she took a coy step back and gave him a brilliant smile.

"So... where exactly are we going again?"

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