Sword of Salvation-Chapter 67: - To Hunt Dr. Lergen

Dimensional portal transported Mariel and Celinee to the inn room where they were temporarily staying. Once they were inside, Mariel suggested Celinee to rest while he offered himself to take the princess back to the palace.

Celinee had spent several months with Mariel. Perhaps she understood the young man better than Lukhiel did. Therefore, she didn’t immediately agree to his suggestion. The ninja narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing him closely.

"You don’t have any ulterior motives, do you?"

Mariel sighed at the question. "How about I rest, and you take the girl to the palace?" he suggested, unwilling to argue in the middle of the night.

"I’ll sleep." Celinee removed her mask and lay down on one of the two beds. "But Mariel, if I find out you have ulterior motives, you’ll have a lot to answer for."

Mariel sighed again, but his expression suddenly turned serious. "Celinee," he called.

Seeing his sudden seriousness, Celinee instinctively sat up, even though she had just lain down a few seconds earlier.

"If you can use spirit unification mode, I’ll tell you my true purpose."

Celinee had doubted Mariel when he claimed he only wanted the best for the Neiracia Empire. However, she hadn’t expected him to admit it now. Was he tired of her constant accusations about hidden motives?

"I admit I’ve been hiding something. But it has nothing to do with indulging my youth as you fear. I don’t plan to seduce any women. It’s related to my purpose. Weimei joins us not because she changes her mind, but because I give her an important task."

"Wait, Mariel, when did I ever fear you indulging your youth by seducing random women?" Celinee didn’t wait for an answer. "I’m just worried you’ll turn into a scumbag like the men scattered outside."

Thinking seriously, Celinee couldn’t find any other reason. Mariel was strong, smart, and although annoying, he had many positive sides. She was concerned he’d grow into a despicable man. That was all. She wasn’t jealous. Nor was she afraid in the way Mariel implied.

"Are you sure? If you’re certain, I won’t doubt you. But Celinee, if that’s really how you feel, why are you so insistent? Ask yourself—why? What do you actually feel? If you still reach the same conclusion, this will be our last discussion on the topic. And you must stop scrutinizing me."

Mariel didn’t wait for her response; he jumped out of the already-open window.

Even if Mariel had waited, Celinee couldn’t have given an immediate answer. She couldn’t respond right away to such serious words. The ninja could only remain silent, staring at the open window. Mariel was no longer visible, but Celinee could still project his image in her mind.

The more she focused on Mariel, doubt began creeping into her thoughts. Celinee didn’t like what she was feeling, but she couldn’t deny it. The idea of Mariel acting freely without her knowledge made her uneasy—perhaps even worried.

Celinee suddenly remembered Nea’s advice. She hadn’t understood it at the time, but now she did. That thought brought to mind the strange fluttering feeling she’d experienced when Mariel hugged her. It wasn’t healthy for her heart. And imagining another woman in her place in Mariel’s arms, Celinee realized she didn’t like the idea.

This feeling...this feeling she had...

"Mariel...is he the one I want?"

Celinee didn’t know. She didn’t understand. She had never once considered or experienced such thoughts. After accepting the reality that she was no longer fully human, Celinee had dedicated herself to Serenity. She wanted to focus on defeating Doctor Lergen. Never had she imagined herself in this situation.

It was Rhemea’s fault for betraying her. It was Mariel’s fault for accepting her despite her being half-demon. If those two things hadn’t happened, she wouldn’t be in this state.

However, Celinee understood who was most to blame in all of this. That person was none other than herself. If she hadn’t allowed herself to fall for Mariel’s silver tongue, she wouldn’t be feeling this way. Yes, she was the one most at fault here.

"Should I cut out that kid’s tongue?"

Celinee clicked her tongue in annoyance and lay back down.

However, for reasons difficult to put into words, Celinee felt a bit relieved. She hated to admit it, but she couldn’t deny it. Celinee had a certain attraction to Mariel. She didn’t know how deep that attraction was, but she certainly didn’t want Mariel to belong to someone else.

Was what she was feeling... normal?

Celinee closed her eyes and tried to think of it more logically.

At that moment, someone landed on the window. Celinee didn’t bother to open her eyes to check; she could feel it was Mariel. He had returned in just a few minutes.

So, did he really not have any ulterior motives?

The motive Celinee had questioned earlier wasn’t about Mariel flirting with the women he met. Not at all. It was a general question—the motive she referred to was anything related to what Mariel wanted to do behind her back.

Mariel had said he had a different goal than what he had previously mentioned. That honesty could be appreciated. However, from his earlier words, he neither confirmed nor denied Celinee’s question. Instead, Mariel brought up a topic that—

Wait a minute. Celinee’s eyes suddenly opened, her face tinged with surprise. Mariel... did he do this on purpose? Did he want me to realize this? Was he manipulating me into reaching this conclusion? And I fell for it without even noticing?

Celinee reflexively sat up, glaring sharply at the young man.

She was sure Mariel already knew she had figured out what he wanted. But his expression remained serious, just as it had been before he left. He was probably pretending to be serious to show he wasn’t trying to manipulate her.

"So, Celinee, is your conclusion still the same?"

Celinee could have ignored the question and acted as if their earlier conversation had never happened. But that wouldn’t satisfy her. She didn’t like how Mariel had created a situation that forced her into this. More than that, she couldn’t shake Nea’s advice from her head.

"Mariel," Celinee called as she got off the bed—standing and staring intensely at the young man.

"Hm?"

"Close your eyes and stretch out both your arms, Mariel."

Mariel looked at her with confusion.

Celinee didn’t know if it was genuine or an act. However, she was sure Mariel didn’t predict what she was about to do. Would she manage to surprise or even fluster him? She wasn’t sure, but she was about to find out.

"What are you planning? You’re making me nervous, Celinee."

"Shut up and just do what I said."

"Now you’re scaring me, but fine."

Celinee almost snorted. Mariel said he was scared, but his expression showed amusement instead.

"Er... Celinee, you’re not going to stab me with a kunai, right?"

"I will if you keep talking," Celinee hissed. "No matter what happens, keep your mouth shut and your eyes closed. Stay right where you are. Don’t move a muscle. You can only move and speak when I allow it. Understood?"

No response.

Celinee took that as an acknowledgment. She began her action, stepping forward and stopping just five centimeters from the young man. This was embarrassing to do, but she steeled herself and eliminated the distance between them.

Just as Mariel had hugged her before, Celinee did the same.

"What are you feeling?" Celinee asked—her nose catching his scent and locking it in her memory. "Don’t give me a stupid answer," she added, trying hard not to show her nervousness, even though her heart was racing.

"...You can feel it yourself, can’t you?"

As Mariel had asked, Celinee could feel it. Mariel’s heartbeat wasn’t normal. Her own heart was racing, but his wasn’t far behind. She couldn’t see his expression, but heartbeats didn’t lie. Knowing this made Celinee feel relieved.

"You can hug me back, too," she murmured, her tone softening slightly.

"Is this your answer?" he asked as he returned her hug. "This is surprising. I thought you’d try to deny it like before."

"They say," Celinee said, ignoring his comment, "sleeping while hugging makes a better night. I don’t know if it’s true or not. But... want to try?"