Chapter 45

EP.45 Tower-7

My consciousness grew hazy, and my mind went blank.

The only thing that remained clear was the sensation in my body.

I hadn’t even kissed or done anything from the books, yet my whole body was burning with a clear heat.

It felt as if my body was finding the right temperature to satisfy the man in front of me.

This must be my true nature.

I was a woman who was so loyal to my instincts.

Nature, temperament, physiology, impulse, instinct

My body, everything, was craving him.

If everything deepened like this... really...

“Then... now...”

“What the hell are you going to do? Shit.”

Leo, who was drooling, flew away with a kick.

“...Huh?”

My hazy mind became clear again. Although I was disappointed, the scene in front of me was shocking enough to make me forget that disappointment.

“Leo...?”

“Miss, ignore that guy and let’s get out of here quickly.”

Ariasphil was bewildered by the contradiction of the person telling her to ignore him and leave. Meanwhile, the fake Leo who had flown away was walking out of the bushes, shaking off the dust.

“...What? You...? You’re as clueless as you look...!”

“What about you? I almost couldn’t recognize you because you look so different.”

The bizarre scene of the two of them insulting each other’s appearances left Ariasphil feeling continuously flabbergasted.

“Who... no... why are there two Leonardos?!”

“There’s no way there are two. Anyone can see that...!”

“That one is the fake!!”

The fake Leo was the first to speak.

“What the hell is this guy!?”

“Think about it. Arias, if he were real, he would gladly accept being connected to you. It’s more strange for him to leave you alone, isn’t it?”

It was a ridiculous argument. If he were smart, he wouldn’t be spouting such nonsense.

Look. Even now, Arias...

“...I... Is that...?”

Arias was on the verge of giving in. Her face was flushed, her eyes were lost, and her fingers were fidgeting—anyone, even the insensitive Leo, could understand.

“Snap out of it!! It’s a trap!!”

“You’re the one who’s the trap. I don’t know who you are, but trying to polymorph me... you must be pretty confident, huh?”

The fact that this guy was trying to hide that this was a dream made him obviously the fake.

‘...Should I just kill him...’

Leo grabbed the black stone. But he soon relaxed his grip.

‘...No. That would be to my disadvantage.’

This was Ariasphil’s dream, so Arias’s thoughts were the absolute rule.

The extreme strength of that Leonardo was because Arias thought so.

“Huh, unbelievable. Do you really think you like the real Arias?”

So, the only way to deal with this was according to the rules of this place.

“...What...”

“If you were the real me and really liked Arias, would you do this on a street?!”

He tried to stiffen his facial muscles, but it was impossible to suppress the burning emotions and blood. However, unless he endured this humiliation, he couldn’t save Arias.

“Ugh...! That... It’s true... but...!”

It was fortunate that Arias agreed, but it was also painful in another way.

“Hmm, really?”

But for some reason, the fake was very calm. As if he had more to say.

“On the contrary, I think Arias is hoping for this.”

“What nonsense...!”

“Then why didn’t you resist when I laid you down in the bushes?”

Arias’s whole body was burning, and she crossed her thighs to suppress her shame.

“Hey, you pinned me down, so what...!”

“Really? In terms of aura, Arias is my superior. Your arm isn’t broken, and your core isn’t damaged... why didn’t you push me away?”

Thinking about it, it was strange... but if he asked her directly, it would be...

“...That... That’s because...! I... I didn’t... want... that... because... Leo was pressing... I couldn’t help it...”

Her whole body was drenched in sweat, and now not just her thighs, but her whole body was twisting as she slowly answered.

“Didn’t you want to be treated like an animal by me? After all, whether it’s a bed or the bushes, being together is good. If it were me, I could make Arias an animal too.”

“That...! That’s...!”

“Don’t want to? Then I don’t want to force you...”

“No...!! That’s...!! Not that...!! A little more... gently...!!”

...Now, even if he wanted to, he couldn’t ignore it.

For some reason, the fake seemed to understand Arias’s psychology better than the real one. Since the fake was created based on Arias’s knowledge and imagination, it might have been impossible to win with this strategy.

“Then, Arias, I’ll ask you.”

The fake, emboldened, was about to drive the point home.

“What can that guy do for you?”

Arias was plunged into deep conflict. Honestly, she liked both of them... she just wanted to enjoy it together without them fighting.

“By the way, I can make you melt gently... how about it?”

But now, it seemed she would fall for that beast-like Leo. Enduring such a man was overwhelming.

“...Ha... Really...”

The other Leo clutched his head and muttered.

“...Since you won’t remember anyway... sure.”

Then, letting go of his hands, Leo spoke as if he had made a decision.

“...Melt gently? Arias?”

“Yeah! In a way you can’t even imagine...!”

“I want to melt your face gently. Physically. But before that, I have one question.”

Leonardo sighed before asking. That sigh was filled with all kinds of worries, troubles, and pain.

“What was your first experience like? You must be talking from experience, right?”

“First... experience...?”

1, 2, 3, 4, 5... As time passed, 10 seconds, then 15 seconds went by, but the other Leo only stuttered, unable to give a clear answer.

It couldn’t be helped.

There was a more fundamental problem than what Arias didn’t know.

“Ah... So my first experience was...!”

After about 30 seconds, the fake tried to make up a lie. But the real one had already anticipated this.

“None.”

“...What...?”

“I’ve never done it. No first experience, no dating women.”

Humiliation rose in his body, but Leo had no choice but to speak. At least, he found some comfort in the fact that Arias and the fake didn’t know he was a regressed adult.

“...What...? You’re joking?!”

“You would know if you were me. That’s proof that you’re the fake in this dream.”

“Such...”

The fake Leonardo’s body began to melt.

“Wait, why is this happening...?!”

“Goodbye. Thanks to you, I’ll melt gently.”

Arias’s heart had already leaned towards the inexperienced Leo, and she had realized this was all a dream.

Finally, the fake melted away like smoke.

“...Leonardo...! That’s... I...”

Arias was relieved that Leonardo had no experience, but she couldn’t laugh.

“...”

Leonardo’s expression was unusually stiff.

“I didn’t want to have such a dream...! More importantly...! I’ll definitely keep your secret... if you cheer me up...!”

“...Miss.”

With a stern face, Leonardo spoke. His voice was cold and icy.

“...Let’s go to the exit first. It’s dangerous to stay here too long.”

“Ah... Okay...”

Arias had learned many things from Leonardo for the first time. Skills, experience, knowledge, and even emotions.

And what Ariasphil felt for the first time now was:

‘...Scared...’

Fear.

The fear generated statically was incomparable to the fear of screams or death.

Because there was nothing, because nothing could be seen, the fear could endlessly swell.

The sound of footsteps echoed as Leonardo headed towards the edge of the forest.

The grass gradually disappeared from the ground, and the trees gradually decreased. It wasn’t just a change in the background; it was as if the world’s coloring and underdrawing were peeling away, leaving only white space.

“...Here...”

“That’s the exit.”

In front of the door was an out-of-place, massive gate, with the words “The test is over, come out” crudely written in large letters.

“...S... Should we go out...?”

Going outside was also unsettling, but staying here felt even more dangerous.

“Ariasphil.”

But Leonardo spoke before she could.

“...Honestly... it might sound stupid, but I didn’t realize it.”

Leonardo was expressionless. Not just his face, but his tone and aura seemed devoid of any emotion. Arias finally understood what the village chief Anus had meant.

“No... thinking about it, there were plenty of chances to realize it. I just didn’t want to see and acknowledge it.”

The self-deprecating statement was tinged with sadness.

“......”

“...Now I understand everything. Why you acted the way you did, why you reacted the way you did, why you were always by my side.”

Leonardo was no longer indifferent. He seemed to be immersed in deep, cold sorrow.

“Miss, no matter how resistant your mind is, I can’t remember anything that happened here. It might be the same for you. That’s the premise on which I entered this place.”

The side effect of this modified telepathy magic was memory loss and mental abnormalities. It wasn’t extremely dangerous, but it was enough to ensure that even Leonardo couldn’t remember what happened here.

“So, whatever answer you give, I’m fine.”

Leonardo smiled and asked. There was no joy in that smile, only sorrow.

“...Do you like me?”

“T... That’s...”

Arias couldn’t answer. It wasn’t just because she was embarrassed. She didn’t know what answer this Leonardo wanted, and she was afraid of his reaction.

“...As expected... it’s the same this time.”

Leonardo grabbed the door.

“Sorry, it was a...”

“I don’t like you.”

At those words, Leonardo turned to look at her again. No one knew what answer he expected or what reaction he should show.

“Leonardo, I love you.”

That’s why the girl mustered her courage.

“...You’ll get hurt.”

It was a warning from the boy.

“I already know. That’s a problem for me to bear, since I love you.”

It was the girl’s love.

“I’m not... worthy of such love...”

It was the young man’s self-deprecation.

“It doesn’t matter. I didn’t fall in love based on your worth.”

This was her love.

“If you knew about me, my past and sins, your feelings would change. I’m a more despicable person than you think.”

It was the regret of a middle-aged man.

“I don’t know about your past or sins. But I love you not because you’re not despicable.”

It was what she loved.

“You’ve become my goal, just as I am yours. I’ve been in love with you since we first met, and no matter what reason I give, my feelings for you are all love.”

This was her way.

“...If this is the first time...”

It was the regret of an old man.

“Even if it’s not the first time, I love you. No matter what happens, I’ll love you. I wish you loved and obsessed over me as much as I do you.”

This was how she loved.

“I don’t care if you love someone else or no one at all. I’ll be more lovable and loving to you than anyone else.”

“...Why are you saying this much? To me...”

His words didn’t continue.

Her love was enough to block everything he had to say.

“I’ll make up for it with actions from now on.”

Pulling away her lips, Arias said.

“...”

The boy, whose lips had been taken, blushed.

“This is the punishment for thinking my feelings were taken for granted. Leo.”

Her love was stronger than any warning or self-deprecation, and warm enough to melt regret and remorse.

“Let’s go out now. Next time, I’ll take more.”

“Miss, thank you.”

Leonardo took the girl’s hand.

“I’ll definitely wait for you.”

Then he pulled her body close and kissed her again.

“...Wh... What?!”

“This is the punishment for not saying it a little earlier.”

Then Leonardo opened the door.

It was really a dream-like time.

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