"No Marriage, Please! vs. Marry Me or Die: The Ultimate Love Showdown" - Episode 6

“Can I sleep with you?”

Hearing those words, I could do nothing but stand there in stunned silence.

No way. That’s absolutely the worst possible idea right now…

When a man and woman sleep together, it usually implies something beyond the literal meaning. That kind of situation often leads straight to a death flag—or worse.

“Is… is that not okay?”

“It’s not that it’s not okay, but… do you even realize what you’re saying?”

“Wha—! Y-You’re not planning to do anything naughty, are you!?”

That’s rich, coming from the one who asked in the first place… I sighed internally.

“I’m not planning on anything like that. But when a man and a woman sleep together, it usually implies that kind of thing. And let’s be honest, you’re the one who brought it up, right?”

“Ugh… That’s…”

At my pointed comment, Ria looked down, clearly embarrassed. But when I looked closer, I noticed her body trembling slightly.

And then—

BOOOM!

A deafening crack of thunder echoed through the ground.

Whoa. That one was serious. If that hit a tree, it could easily catch fire.

“Kyaa…!!”

Startled by the sound, Ria clung tightly to me. Ah—so that’s what this is about. She’s afraid of the thunder. That’s why she wanted to sleep together.

“Ria. I don’t mind sharing the bed, really. You’re afraid of the thunder, aren’t you?”

“Ugh… y-yeah, but…”

“Let me check outside for a moment first. That last strike didn’t sound safe.”

“Eh… you’re going out there?”

Her eyes pleaded with me not to leave, and I hesitated. But still… I needed to at least take a quick look.

“I’ll be back right away.”

“…Okay.”

I stepped outside to inspect the surroundings. The wind was strong enough that I didn’t bother with an umbrella. I made my way toward the direction of the lightning strike—and found a tree split clean in half.

Split vertically. That must’ve been a hell of a bolt.

Fortunately, there was no sign of fire. Relieved, I returned to the house. At the entrance, Ria was waiting with a towel in hand.

“Here. You got wet, didn’t you?”

“Thanks. That helps.”

“Yeah.”

I took the towel and dried off the rain clinging to me. As I did, I noticed Ria watching me intently for some reason.

“Something wrong?”

“Eh—?! N-No! Nothing at all!”

For someone claiming nothing’s wrong, her cheeks were slightly red. Was she coming down with something?

“Let me check.”

“Wha—!?”

I gently placed my hand on her forehead. Hmm. Doesn’t feel like she has a fever.

“What are you doing!?”

“Your face was red. I thought maybe you had a fever. But it seems like you’re okay.”

“Ugh… W-Well, I’m totally fine!”

After drying off completely, I started heading back to my room. Behind me, Ria followed quietly, holding onto the hem of my sleeve.

Alright. We’re sharing a bed, but there’s no need for us to literally sleep next to each other if she’s just scared.

“Ria. I’ll sleep on the floor.”

“Eh…? No, that’s a bit too much!”

“I’m an adventurer. Sleeping on the floor is nothing new to me.”

“N-No… don’t…”

She gripped my sleeve more tightly, looking up at me with tearful eyes.

“Let’s sleep together… okay?”

Ghh…! Who could possibly say no to that? No man alive could.

Besides, I didn’t want to brush aside her feelings. So, we ended up lying back-to-back on the same bed.

The rain outside continued to fall steadily, though the thunder seemed to be moving off into the distance—there was a growing gap between the flashes and the rumbles.

“Ah…!”

Even though the sound was far away, Ria let out a small cry and clung to my back. Her hands were trembling, so I gently took one in mine.

“It’s okay.”

“…Yeah.”

She was clearly traumatized by thunder. I had no idea what kind of past she had, but even if I couldn’t change it, I could at least be here for her now.

“Thank you… for going along with my selfish request.”

“It’s a request from my employer. Nothing worth making a fuss over.”

“…I see.”

Her voice was soft, but there was a sense of calm in it now. Before I realized it, I could hear her breathing slowly—she had already fallen asleep.

Guess I’ll get some rest too.

And just like that, I let the drowsiness take over.

†

Early morning.

I opened my eyes. The clock showed it was just past 5 AM. A little earlier than usual, but if I went back to sleep now, I’d probably oversleep.

Might as well get up.

“Clear skies, huh.”

Looking out the window, I saw the rain had completely stopped. No clouds in sight either—it looked like today would be a beautiful sunny day.

But the spot beside me where Ria had been sleeping was now empty.

I figured I’d grab some breakfast, so I made my way to the dining hall—where two sets of plates had been laid out. I heard sounds from the kitchen. Ria stood there in an apron, humming softly.

“Good morning.”

“Oh! Good morning, Yuri!”

She greeted me with a radiant smile—completely free from yesterday’s fear. She was reheating yesterday’s leftover soup and frying some eggs.

“Looks like we’ve got eggs today too.”

“Yep! Since you taught me how to cook, I thought I’d try a little harder. And also…”

Her face turned red, and she glanced away shyly.

“Kind of a thank-you for yesterday…! A-Anyway, just wait in the dining room, okay?”

She gently pushed me toward the table. I figured I might as well listen to her. For some reason, I felt a bit like a proud parent.

Yeah. It’s important to do things for yourself.

After a few minutes, she brought the food over—yesterday’s soup, freshly baked bread, and sunny-side-up eggs.

“Ta-da! I didn’t burn anything this time!”

“So, you’ve burned them before?”

“Ugh… well… maybe a little…”

Figures. With how aggressively she cooked before, she probably thought ‘the stronger the flame, the better.’

“But today, I did it right!”

“Then let’s dig in.”

I started with the egg, cutting it gently with my fork and bringing a bite to my mouth.

“Gulp…”

Ria watched me anxiously as I chewed.

“Yeah. It’s actually good.”

“Phew… I’m so glad…”

She visibly relaxed, tension draining from her shoulders. I knew how nerve-wracking it could be to have someone taste your cooking. But hearing it was good always felt great.

“Yep. Even I think it tastes good.”

Ria took a bite of her own and looked quite pleased. The two of us quietly enjoyed a peaceful morning together.

“Oh—I need to head out.”

“Work?”

“Yeah. I’ve got to help at the church first, and then I’m heading to the capital.”

“I see. Don’t worry about the dishes—I’ll take care of them.”

“Eh? But—”

“We’re living together for a while, right? We should help each other out.”

At that, Ria’s eyes widened.

…Did I say something weird?

“Yeah…! Thanks! I’ll be back later, probably sometime tonight. Make sure to lock up and—oh, right—”

She gave me a quick rundown on how to lock everything properly. I walked with her to the entrance to see her off. She stepped into her shoes, then ran her fingers through her silver hair to smooth it out.

“Do I look okay?”

She adjusted her robes and looked at me for confirmation.

“You look beautiful.”

“Ugh…! Well, I’m off then!”

“Yeah. Take care.”

“See you later!”

As if savoring the moment, she stepped outside with determination. As a candidate for sainthood, she likely had her own burdens to carry.

I realized then—I only ever knew the surface of Ria, the “original character.”

“Alright. Time for me to head out too.”

After sending her off, I began preparing for my own day.

My destination, of course—

The dungeon.