Single for Eternity

What a load of utter bullshit.

Watching Laura genuinely contemplate my fabricated sob story felt… oddly satisfying. Every skilled conman would understand this feeling—the sweet taste of manipulating someone's emotions.

And right now?

I was enjoying every second of it.

[ System: Host, you are truly despicable. How could you exploit a pure maiden's heart like that? ]

I mentally rolled my eyes. Oh please. Pure maiden? Laura? Yeah, right. I bet my left kidney she's not as innocent as she looks.

"Shut up, system. What do you know?"

[ System: I know enough. And I also know you'll never move her heart if you keep acting like this. ]

Perfect. That's exactly what I want.

[ System: Ugh… as you wish, Host. You're truly the worst. ]

[ ಠ⁠_⁠ಠ ]

I snickered internally. Good. Even my system's giving up on me. That's how you know you're doing it right.

...

After a long stretch of awkward silence, Laura finally spoke, her voice softened.

"…How are you even holding on?"

I shrugged, feigning nonchalance. "Honestly? It's not that bad. Having no past means no responsibilities. Feels kinda… liberating, actually."

Her eyes deepened with pity.

Ahhh, yes. That's the look. The 'oh-you-poor-thing' gaze. I almost felt like laughing out loud.

Keep it coming, sweetheart. Cry me a river if you can.

"…If you say so." She hesitated, struggling with her words. "…I won't tell you unnecessary things, then."

NOOOOO!!! GIRLY, WAIT! Tell me everything. Spill all the juicy lore!

I quickly masked my internal panic and put on my best pitiful expression. "…Thanks. I'd appreciate that."

Her face lit up as if she just did me a huge favor. "Yes!! I'll help you fit in with everyone in town. I'll tell you what you need to know!—normal stuff."

Heh. Gotcha.

"…And that way," I added solemnly, "I can help you all more effectively, too."

Her cheeks flushed slightly. She awkwardly averted her gaze. "…R-Right. Of course."

Bonus points for the guilt trip.

But then—her face darkened a little. "…Still, I can't tell you everything. There are some things you're better off not knowing."

Huh?

Yo, what the fuck did past me do?

"…What do you mean?" I feigned curiosity.

Laura took a deep breath. "Well… I guess I can at least tell you the basics."

...

"You're Einar Sanguis," she began, her voice steady but low. "The 1017th son of the prestigious Sanguis Family. A renowned noble bloodline that owns vast number of realms across Aetherion."

"On your 18th birthday," she continued, "your family gifted you this realm to rule over—Grimfall. The capital town here is Mercy. It was meant to be your personal dominion to govern and nurture."

A realm as a birthday gift? I almost choked.

"…That's… uh, generous." I muttered.

"Don't be too flattered," she deadpanned. "Because you screwed up everything."

Oh.

"…Huh?"

She took a deep breath. "The moment you were handed this realm, everything started to fall apart. You tried ruling the region properly, but you were utterly incompetent. Your people started hating you. Your constant failures caused infighting among townsfolk. Civil unrest skyrocketed."

"…Oh."

"And then came the mining incident."

"…I know about that," I finally muttered. "I sounded like a spectacular failure."

Laura awkwardly smiled. "…You said it, not me."

...

With the much-needed lore dump finished, I decided it was time to move. "Alright. Let's head back."

Laura's Unihorse had long bolted away during the earlier battle, leaving us to trudge through the desert on foot.

Well.

She trudged. I casually strolled, utterly unaffected by the blistering heat. Eventually, her body gave up, and she collapsed like a ragdoll on the burning sands.

"…I can't… anymore…" she gasped, utterly exhausted.

"Seriously?" I scoffed, watching her body twitch on the ground. "Pathetic."

"…Screw you," she mumbled.

Rolling my eyes, I scooped her up in a piggyback position and started sprinting toward where my carriage was.

...

Hours Later…

The sun had nearly set by the time I spotted a distant glimmer of grass beyond the desert's edge. Relief flooded me. I increased my pace, driven by the sight of civilization.

Laura was still fast asleep on my back.

"…Lazy ass," I muttered, but I made no effort to wake her.

Eventually, I found the carriage. It was wrecked. Someone—presumably Laura—had desperately barricaded it with supplies. My lips twitched. Even when terrified, she still tried protecting my ride.

"…Stupid girl." I muttered softly, a trace of warmth flickering in my chest.

I gently laid her on the carriage's bed, took the reins, and prepared to depart.

"…Thanks for coming for me," I muttered under my breath. "Even if it was out of fear."

With a swift crack of the reins, the horses neighed—and I drove us toward Grimfall.

I'll return the favor, Laura.