SWNOVELXO Chapter 34 - Opened the Door (3)
I Raise With In-app Purchases – 34
EP.34 Opened the Door (3)
“Yaaawn~”
The payment for lending Rebecca her unique equipment had been deposited. I was surprised by the amount, which was much more than expected, but she assured me that she was more than satisfied with what she received, so I shouldn’t worry. With a hefty rental fee in hand, there was no longer any reason to run the general store. It hadn’t been long since I decided to make a living through in-game purchases, and I had already accumulated this much. The income was on a different level compared to when I hunted monsters as a mercenary.
‘No, this income is the result of 14 years of prior investment, so it’s not accurate to say I earned it all at once.’
If I hadn’t consistently invested in in-game purchases over those 14 years, I wouldn’t have been able to open the general store. So, saying I earned it all at once would be misleading.
The kids who used to knock on the store door frequently, Youngster 1 and Youngster 2, had also stopped coming recently, probably because they had bought everything they needed. The store had returned to its usual quiet state, with few customers.
Rebecca was so engrossed in her unique equipment that she didn’t leave the private training ground. She even stopped drinking, which she used to do almost every day. Given her strong will, Sasha and I decided not to disturb her and limited our interactions to just greetings when we met at the training ground.
“Getting unique equipment must have been quite overwhelming.”
I knew how much the nobles in this world valued growth. For Rebecca, who had been undergoing rehabilitation training for six years, the unique equipment must have been a wake-up call. Her stagnant progress had finally started to ‘grow.’
As everyone focused on their respective tasks, time flew by. It was at the end of a peaceful vacation that things began to change.
– Whoosh. –
It was raining heavily. It made me crave some pajeon and makgeolli. While I could easily make pajeon, finding makgeolli was difficult, so I could only smack my lips in anticipation. Unable to resist any longer, I decided to close the store early and go buy some alcohol to enjoy on the second floor.
As I opened the door to put up the closed sign, I noticed a figure standing in front of the store.
Had it not been for that encounter, the day would have passed peacefully and uneventfully.
“Fran?”
“Mister.”
“What are you doing standing out in the rain like that? Why didn’t you come in?”
How long had she been standing there? She was completely soaked, with no dry spot on her, indicating she had been there for quite some time. I couldn’t understand why she hadn’t come inside.
“Are you going to keep standing there? Come in.”
The day Fran disappeared, it seemed like she had left the general store with a purpose, as if she was about to do something significant. I knew that, according to the scenario, Fran would soon face a trial. Therefore, I guessed that when we met again, she wouldn’t be in a normal state.
“Can you let me stay for just one night?”
However, Fran didn’t seem as bad off as I had expected. She didn’t have the broken look she had shown in that alleyway. I felt a bit relieved.
“Will one night be enough?”
“…Actually, I need a place to stay for a few more days.”
At my question, Fran quickly changed her request from one night to a few days. Remembering what I had told her before, I opened the door and stepped aside.
“Come in.”
I couldn’t leave her standing outside in the pouring rain. First, I needed to get her out of those wet clothes and dry her off. I grabbed a towel from nearby and began to wipe the dripping water off her body.
“Let’s go up to the second floor.”
“Thank you.”
Fran’s expression was somewhat gloomy but also calm. It seemed like something had happened, but I couldn’t guess how far the scenario had progressed.
‘At least she doesn’t seem to have been stabbed yet.’
If she had been, she wouldn’t have been able to come to me so calmly. She would have shown up like before, as if her soul had been lost somewhere.
“I’ll leave some clothes by the door, so take a shower first.”
“Yes, I will.”
While Fran went into the bathroom to warm her soaked body with hot water, I decided to cook something for her in the kitchen. It wasn’t a grand feast, but I made some soup to soothe her stomach. Whatever had happened, I could guess that she wasn’t in the right state of mind to eat properly.
– Tap, tap, tap. –
– Bubble, bubble, bubble. –
Just as the cooking was about to be finished, Fran emerged from the bathroom.
“Cough!”
I choked on my saliva and started coughing when I saw Fran come out of the bathroom without much thought.
“Why do you look like that…”
“??”
Fran tilted her head in confusion at my reaction. However, she probably understood why I reacted that way. She must have known what she looked like.
“Why aren’t you wearing any underwear? And where are your pants!”
“Oh… My underwear got completely soaked. The pants are too big and keep slipping down.”
“There’s a drawstring, so tie the pants.”
“Both my legs fit into one pant leg.”
Unlike Rebecca, who was about my size, Fran was too small to wear my pants properly.
“Even if the pants are a lost cause, isn’t it a bit much to wear a white T-shirt without anything underneath?”
Fran’s chest was prominently visible through my T-shirt. As a man, it was impossible not to notice.
“I thought you’d like it, mister.”
“Is that something to be proud of?”
I sighed deeply before continuing.
“Of course, I do like it. But isn’t this the time to be more concerned about other things? You were shivering pitifully in the rain.”
“Hehe.”
She had been soaked to the bone, shivering miserably. I wasn’t sure how to adjust the atmosphere.
Despite my comment, Fran didn’t seem to have any intention of changing her attire and slowly made her way to the dining table.
“It’s soup. Can I eat it?”
“I made it for you.”
I had to make a conscious effort to keep my eyes from drifting downward. I couldn’t blame her for not putting on her wet underwear again, so I had to make the effort.
“I’m always causing you trouble, mister. I’ll eat well. It looks delicious.”
She tried to act cheerful as she ate the soup. I watched her for a moment before crossing my arms. Seeing her so downcast, it was clear she had gone through something at the church…
“It’s delicious, mister.”
“How delicious could it be? It’s just passable soup. Anyway, why were you standing out there? Did you come because you had nowhere else to go? Are you asking me to marry you?”
“You still haven’t given up on that?”
“Of course not. Why should I give up?”
“You said you didn’t like women who went to church.”
Fran’s demeanor changed when she mentioned the church. The scenario might have progressed further than I thought.
“I don’t like it. But I like you, so I’m willing to try to persuade you. So, feel free to cause me trouble. I actually prefer it that way. I’ll keep doing you favors until you can’t refuse me anymore.”
Eventually, she’d have no choice but to become my wife.
“I won’t leave the church because of you, mister.”
“That makes me sad to hear.”
She was eating the soup well, but halfway through, she started swirling the spoon around and stopped eating.
“…You really don’t like the church, do you?”
She was stating the obvious.
“Of course, I don’t. It’s a church that exploits people for money. Isn’t it stranger to like it?”
“…..”
What should I say to a girl who is about to face a knife? Even if I warned her, it wouldn’t work, and she wouldn’t be cautious.
“Are you really not interested in becoming my wife?”
“No, I’m not.”
She was too firm.
“Then why do you keep asking what I think about the church?”
I thought she was curious about my thoughts on the church because she was interested in becoming my wife.
“Was it rude?”
“No. It makes my heart flutter. It feels like you’re interested in me.”
Fran smiled bashfully at my words.
“I’m not interested in you, mister.”
Her pretty smile was as cold as could be.
“Aw, I got my hopes up for nothing. So why did you come here? Soaked like a stray puppy on a rainy day.”
Moreover, showing such a defenseless appearance was a problem. How safe did she think I was to show herself like this so comfortably?
“I had nowhere else to go. You told me to come if I had nowhere else to go, mister.”
I did say that.
“Do you really have nowhere to go?”
“….”
It didn’t make sense that she had nowhere to go. The church was still there, wasn’t it? She probably didn’t want to go anywhere. If she genuinely had nowhere to go, I would welcome her anytime. But Fran would only truly have nowhere to go when she had a hole in her stomach.
Seeing Fran’s silence, I continued.
“If you really have nowhere to go, you’re welcome here anytime. You can stay for a year or two if you want. I’ll say it again, I’m dead serious about making you my wife.”
Was my statement too much for her? Fran sighed deeply.
‘No, it seems more like she’s breathing heavily.’
Come to think of it…
“Are you sick?”
Her complexion looked pale. She was always fair-skinned, but now she looked sickly pale. Had she caught a cold from being in the rain too long? I asked her with concern, and she finally confessed.
“Yes, I’m actually sick.”
“Where does it hurt? Is it a cold?”
“No. I wish it were just a cold.”
“Then where does it hurt? You need to tell me so I can give you some medicine.”
– Swoosh. –
“Ah!”
Before I could get an answer, Fran collapsed in front of me. It happened so suddenly. Fortunately, I was close enough to catch her as she fell. I quickly checked her condition, feeling like I had been struck by lightning.
“She’s burning up!”
I didn’t need to touch her all over to know. Her skin was scorching hot to the touch. It was absurd that she had been pretending to be fine in this state. I lifted her up and carried her to the bedroom.
Awakened individuals have much stronger immunity than ordinary people, so they don’t get sick or fall this ill. If someone like her was this sick…
– Whoosh—! –
A thought struck me, and I quickly lifted her shirt. I knew I could be mistaken for a pervert, but there was no time to worry about that. And, as expected, my suspicion was correct.