Chapter 118: Am I a burden?
"Were you not going to have dinner with Raphael?" Vlad asked with a sly smile. "I thought you might’ve eaten already."
"Shut up," Chloe muttered in a low voice.
"What about skipping leg training? You can barely walk."
"Shut up."
"Didn’t you say you’d be eating all the meat? Why does it look like you’ve lost weight?"
"Like you’re one to talk," Chloe retorted, giving him a side-eye as the duo walked through the central hall of the main building. Her arm was interlocked with Vlad’s, her head resting against his arm. "You came back even uglier. Did you not eat?"
Her question was valid, given Vlad’s condition. Starving for eight days had clearly taken its toll on his body. His skin looked pale, and his physique appeared weaker than before. Not to mention, his messy hair had grown all the way to his nose, covering half of his face.
"Let’s have a grand meal together," Vlad answered, ruffling her hair.
Once they reached the cafeteria, for the first time ever, Vlad surpassed Chloe in both the speed and quantity of food he devoured, leaving her in complete shock. The entire table was covered with towering stacks of empty plates as Vlad kept bringing more and more food, not leaving a single crumb behind.
"Haha... that hits the spot!" Vlad exclaimed, placing the empty juice bottle on the table after chugging it down.
"Who is the piggy now?" Chloe asked, setting her spoon back on the table after finishing her meal.
"There is only one piggy," Vlad said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and gently pressing her cheek to turn her face toward him. Holding a napkin in his other hand, he wiped the crumbs from around her lips as he continued, "and that is my Chloe."
"If I’m a piggy, then you’re an oink-monster!" Chloe declared with an expressionless face, although Vlad could clearly see the pout hidden beneath it.
He had already tensed his muscles, preparing himself for a punch after that remark, but surprisingly, Chloe neither resorted to violence nor seemed to mind his arm around her shoulders.
"I’m an oink-monster, I guess," he chuckled, withdrawing his hand.
---
As they left the main building, walking along the stone path across the campus beneath the moonlight and the cold breeze, Vlad said, "Chloe, you need to become independent. There will be more days like these when I have to leave for work or training."
"You must take me with you," Chloe replied as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Vlad let out a sigh at her words. "I can’t, and I shouldn’t. You need to stop following me like a shadow. It will only harm you in the long run."
The words came out harsher than Vlad had intended, causing Chloe to stop in her tracks. He instantly realized the blunder he had made. He was about to explain what he truly meant when his eyes fell upon her face.
Moisture welled in her pale lavender eyes as they locked onto Vlad, terror shimmering within them. Her lips trembled as she whispered, "D-do you also think of me as a burden?"
Her question struck Vlad like a thunderclap, his hands trembling at his sides.
"Absolutely not," he answered immediately, pulling her into his embrace. One hand protectively cradled the back of her head while the other rested on her back. "Never, ever think such stupid thoughts."
"You want me to stay away from you," she whimpered, her tears soaking his blazer, her usual composure completely shattered. "Are you also going to abandon me?"
"If you say any more nonsense, I’m going to spank you," Vlad muttered in a sharp tone. In contrast to his voice, his arms around Chloe only tightened, their bodies pressed together, sharing each other’s warmth.
"Sp-spank me. Don’t abandon me," Chloe murmured between heavy gasps.
Vlad let out another deep sigh, his voice softening as he said, "Silly, you completely misunderstood me."
He pulled back slightly, gently wiped the tears from her serene face, and asked, "Mom and Dad sent us to the academy, away from them. Does that mean they abandoned us?"
Chloe shook her head. "Mama and Dad want us to grow stronger."
"Exactly," Vlad replied, his hands never leaving her damp cheeks. "I want you to grow stronger too. Not just physically, but mentally as well. I want you to be able to take care of yourself when I’m not with you. I want you to make more friends, experience life beyond your little safety bubble, and see the world through your own eyes instead of only through mine."
"So you’re not leaving me?" That was the only question she asked, and the only reassurance she needed.
"How could I ever leave my Chloe baby?" he assured her, his crimson eyes, hidden behind the curtain of his black hair, fixed on her breathtaking face. "We’re family, after all."
Her gaze dropped to the ground, her cheeks turning a rosy hue as a faint smile tugged at her lips.
"I’m going to tell Mama that you made me cry... twice," she said, trying to change the subject as embarrassment began to overwhelm her.
"Eh? You can’t do that," Vlad gasped, genuine fear spreading across his face.
"I can, and I will!"
She removed his hands from her cheeks and walked ahead with a smug stride along the stone path. Vlad remained standing where he was, staring at her retreating figure like a statue.
After taking a few steps, she turned around and extended her hand toward him.
"Stop spacing out. Buy me ice cream from the convenience store."
"Coming," Vlad replied. He hurried over, took her hand, and the duo continued walking side by side. Although the weather was bone-chilling and snow clouds had gathered overhead, Vlad and Chloe felt strangely warm that night.
---
"So this is the reward from the second sub-quest," Vlad murmured, lying on his bed with his eyes fixed on the system screen before him.
[Sub-quest #2: The Quest Hunter]
[Description: Attain the eligibility to accept A-Ranked quests.
Reward:
1. Key to access the second floor of the Ascension Dungeon.
2. Eligibility to unlock Sub-quest #3.
Penalty on failure: Temporary lock on Mana Blade.]