When I Cleared the Death Game World, I Reincarnated as a Villainous Noble Even if They Talk About Doom Flags, I'm Actually Immortal. - Chapter 45

“Oh, big sis!! Why are you sleeping with Lior!?”

The next morning, Lior was jolted awake by a piercing scream.

He tried to get up, wondering what had happened—only to find that he couldn’t move.

A soft, fluffy sensation enveloped him.

Lior was firmly wrapped in Ren’s embrace, effectively serving as her body pillow. He was completely immobilized.

(Oh, right… Last night, she held onto me so tightly that I gave up and just fell asleep…)

The previous night, Ren had visited him unexpectedly. As they talked, for some reason, she ended up embracing him and pushing him onto the bed.

Even if Lior was still young, it wasn’t appropriate for an unrelated boy and girl to sleep in the same bed.

Lior had tried to resist, but Ren was an A-rank adventurer.

There was no way he could break free from her grip. So, in the end, he gave up. He had planned to escape after Ren fell asleep.

But being held by Ren was warm and comforting. Sleepiness took over, and before he knew it, he had dozed off.

And now—

“Mmm… Good morning, Luna.”

“This isn’t a ‘Good morning’ situation! I woke up and didn’t see you in bed, and then I find you here in Lior’s bed! What the heck!?”

“Hmm… Maybe I got confused? You see, this is technically my room.”

Ren claimed she had sleepwalked back to her own room, which she had lent to Lior.

Of course, that was a blatant lie.

Last night, she had been fully conscious while talking to Lior. Their conversation had been coherent.

There was no way all of that had been just sleep-talking.

But Ren’s deception was flawless.

Her feigned innocence left no room for doubt.

With her usual airheaded persona, even Lior, who knew the truth, almost believed she had just been sleepwalking.

(Is Ren secretly the cunning type…? She seems way too good at lying.)

Even Luna seemed to be falling for it.

Her previously furrowed brows relaxed slightly, shifting to an expression of uncertainty.

“Well… If it was sleepwalking… I guess it can’t be helped…?”

“Yeah, exactly. It can’t be helped, right, Lior?”

“Ah, yes.”

Lior responded instinctively.

And with that, the battle was two against one. Luna was already on the verge of giving in.

With a sigh, she admitted defeat.

“…Sorry. Maybe I overreacted a bit this morning. Breakfast is almost ready, so you two should go wash your faces.”

“Okay. Sounds good. Lior, let’s go together.”

“Ah, okay.”

Before they knew it, the early morning commotion had completely settled.

Lior let himself be led away by Ren, who still held his hand.

By the time he realized it, they had already arrived at the washroom.

Ren used a magical device that functioned like a faucet to fill a basin with water. As she glanced at the water, she chuckled.

“Haha, I meant to wake up before Luna, but you were just so comfy, Lior, that I overslept.”

“Uh… You’re welcome…?”

As expected, she had been lying.

She hadn’t sleepwalked into his bed—she had gone there entirely of her own will.

(Does she see me like a little brother? Or a pet…?)

Lior absentmindedly entertained the thought.

Meanwhile, Ren’s gaze darkened slightly as she stared at him—like a predator licking its lips before devouring its prey.

Unfortunately, the oblivious prey had no clue about the impending danger.

But thankfully, now wasn’t the time.

Ren simply smiled sweetly.

“By the way, Lior, I have a favor to ask. Would that be okay?”

“Oh, of course! If it’s a favor from you, Ren, I’ll do anything.”

“Anything… Hmm… Oh no, no. Lior, you should always listen to the details before agreeing to something. If you carelessly say ‘anything,’ a bad person might take advantage of you.”

“Oh, right. I’ll be more careful. But if it’s your request, Ren, I really don’t mind.”

“…I’ll let that slide for now.”

Ren’s voice took on an ominous tone.

A chill ran down Lior’s spine.

It was the kind of instinctual fear one felt in the face of mortal danger.

What did she mean by ‘for now’?

Did that mean she wouldn’t let it slide later?

(Wh-What did I say wrong…?)

Lior’s thoughts spun in confusion.

“The favor is about Luna’s protection.”

“Protection…?”

“Yes. The three guys from yesterday haven’t been caught yet, right? They might come after Luna again.”

“Ah… That’s true…”

Just yesterday, Luna had been kidnapped by a group of three swordsmen.

Officially, those men were still alive.

It made sense for Ren to be wary of them.

Of course, in reality, Lior had already eliminated them, so there was no real danger anymore.

“While you’re watching over Luna, I’ll be investigating those three and the Monarch Cult.”

“The cult, too?”

“Yes. The cursed dagger they used to turn into demons, and the unusually high number of advanced monsters appearing in this area… I think the cult is behind it. If they’re making such bold moves, we should be able to uncover something with a thorough investigation.”

“Unusual numbers of advanced monsters?”

“Yeah. You ran into Land Wolves two days in a row, right? The guild has been getting multiple reports of advanced monsters appearing. That’s definitely abnormal. So, I suspect the cult is behind both the swordsmen and the monster sightings.”

“I see…”

(Lior thought there had been too many advanced monsters showing up lately.)

If the Monarch Cult was involved, that would explain a lot.

It was still unclear how everything was connected, but considering the events so far, the cult did seem suspicious.

“In that case, leave Luna’s protection to me. I’ll make sure she’s safe.”

“Thanks, I’m counting on you.”

It would definitely be more interesting to accompany Ren on her investigation, but this time, Lior decided to give up on that idea.

After all, Luna’s protection duty had stemmed from a lie Lior had told. It was a consequence of his own actions.

For today, he would quietly wait for Ren to return.