Chapter 85: I Might Really Be Crazy For You

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After hearing everything Riven was willing to do for her, Elisa felt even more moved, and guilty that he was pushing himself so far for someone as useless as her.

"Riven... I feel bad! You’re doing so much for me... it’s not fair... It’s not fair..." she muttered, shaking her head as tears began to well up again. The weight of being a burden pressed heavily on her chest. She felt completely useless, trapped in a body that refused to move the way it once did. "Why do you even bother with me?! With such a big goal, you shouldn’t really care about me... you should seriously just leave me. I’ll be fine. I can pay someone to take care of me... the world depends on you. There’s nothing I can do to help—"

But Riven did not let her speak any longer. He pulled her into a tight, protective hug, letting her face rest against his chest. His hand gently wiped away the tears that kept falling down her cheeks as he looked down at her with quiet determination.

"You’re the reason why I am doing this," he said, his voice low and steady. "Back then, I wouldn’t have cared at all about the world ending. I would have likely tried to run away if I had the same powers... but you’re here. You’re my... my reason to move forward."

Elisa fell silent, her breath catching as his words sank in.

"Don’t say that. Don’t ever say that again," Riven continued firmly. "I will move the world for you. And if even after everything I do doesn’t work and He comes to prune the planet... I will grow strong enough to destroy Him."

"Y-You mean that thing...?!" Elisa gasped, her eyes widening in pure shock. "What...! That’s...! Why would you...? For me? I... I don’t deserve this... I..."

"You deserve the world," Riven confessed, kneeling in front of her wheelchair and holding her even closer. His voice softened as he took her hand carefully in both of his. "You deserve every star in the sky, every galaxy... the whole universe." He gently squeezed her fingers. "You’re the reason I want to be a hero."

Elisa felt completely overwhelmed. The sincerity in his eyes and the warmth of his hands made her weep even harder. "Rivennn!!!" she cried, wrapping her arms around him as tightly as she could manage. "I... I..."

"Calm down," he whispered, holding her tightly against him. "Everything will be okay. I promise."

She looked down for a moment, still sorrowful, then slowly nodded while clearing the remaining tears from her face. A small, shaky smile appeared on her lips as she showed her white teeth. "I... I’ll choose to believe in you, because you’re really... you’re really crazy... hahah..."

"I might really be crazy... for you," Riven said, caressing her face with the back of his fingers.

Daniela watched the entire scene while almost weeping herself, deeply moved by how raw and genuine the moment felt. Carlos stood nearby, equally touched, though he did not cry. Instead, he noticed someone else who was weeping like crazy.

"Uuuhh... Sniff...!" Vladimir was frantically wiping his nose and eyes with a handkerchief he had somehow produced from his pocket. "Uuhh... ugh!" His eyes sparkled with genuine emotion as tears continued to fall.

It turned out that one of his secret hobbies was watching romantic movies and tragic love stories just like this one. Despite all his anger and frustration toward Riven, the scene had hit him deep down and moved him to tears.

"Woah, the crazy guy’s crying," Daniela said, half amused and half surprised.

Carlos simply nodded in silence, still shocked by the unexpected sight.

"Shut up!" Vladimir suddenly screamed, his ability to speak returning at last. "I have...! I am not crying! This is...! Ugh, damn it! Why did they have to be just what I like?! Ugh...! Wait, I can talk?!"

"Hah," Riven looked over at him with a smirk. "Wow, who would’ve thought the coldhearted murderer was such a sensible little princess?"

"SHUT UP!!!" Vladimir screamed angrily, his face turning red. "Riven Claymore...! I have not forgotten everything else! One day, for sure...! I will kill you!"

"Yeah, sure," Riven shrugged without concern. "As long as you target that hatred toward other things, you’ll grow fast."

Vladimir glared at him in pure anger, but then his eyes drifted to Elisa sitting beside Riven. His expression softened slightly as recognition set in. "The youngest heir of Frostbane... so you were married to her... who would’ve known..."

"You call me Lady Elisa from now on, filthy mutt," Elisa said, her personality shifting completely when addressing a stranger. Her tone turned sharp and cold. "And keep your mouth shut and polish your manners. Nobody will talk the way you do in this household!"

"HAH?!" Vladimir was about to bark back in defiance, but then—

"You must obey my wife the same way you would obey me," Riven gave him a clear order through their bond.

"Gah?!" Vladimir almost puked blood from the sudden pressure of the command. He forced himself to nod. "Yes... my lady..." He dropped to his knees and bowed his head all the way to the floor.

"Ohohoho! That’s more like it! Stay on the floor, dog!" Elisa declared with a playful yet commanding laugh. "Riven, give me some wine to pour onto his head."

"Yes," Riven nodded happily, already reaching for a bottle.

Daniela and Carlos were left completely speechless.

Was Elisa this ruthless?

It seemed she really did have a cold, aristocratic side to her when dealing with outsiders!

"Ohohohoh!" Elisa laughed even louder, holding the wine bottle as she prepared to pour it over the disrespectful mutt’s head.

"Nnnggh...!" Vladimir clenched his teeth hard, enduring the humiliation in silence.

However, the wine never came. Elisa suddenly felt somewhat bad about taking the joke that far. She sighed and simply placed the bottle back on the table.

"It’s better if I don’t do this anymore... sure, he’s a cultist but... ugh, whatever," she muttered, deciding not to concentrate on those old bad habits of hers.

Riven felt genuinely happy that his wife was so kindhearted at her core. Still, he had yet to fully forgive Vladimir for trying to kidnap both him and Daniela. With a casual smile, he poured the wine over the kneeling cultist himself.

"Gaaah?!" Vladimir screamed as the cold liquid soaked his hair and clothes.

Riven simply set the empty bottle aside, satisfied. Some lessons still needed to be taught the hard way.

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