Only I Am A Reader
chapter-404

'This is a little bit troublesome…'

Seeing the stars in Bing Baek's eyes and the clouds in Yeon's, Leo wasn't exactly sure of what he should do in this sticky situation.

Giving someone such an important Elixir of sorts could already be considered an affectionate act, let alone one that looked more like a proposal gift. If this was the Yeon of the past, she might have already done something regrettable.

Thankfully, after receiving the wisdom of several Heavenly Demons, Yeon's yandere tendencies didn't seem to act up that much, but she still looked like a volcano that was ready to burst at any moment.

'I don't know what to make of this.'

At the same time, Bing Baek's generous gift definitely deserved hefty praise, but it seemed like that would make things even worse, especially since her eyes seemed to ask for more than just praise.

As a reader, Leo knew how arrogant it was to assume that someone had some sort of affection towards himself. However, he was also aware of how dense he would be to just ignore all the signs and wait for them to be spelled out for him.

Although he might not have Bing Baek's ability to vaguely read people's minds, Leo had already noticed the gaze that had been glued to him from the very start.

It wasn't unreasonable either. Looking back, he did induce some very important life-changing events in Bing Baek's life. Unfortunately…

'Whether it's true or not…'

"Thank you for finding this Mystical Plant, Bing Baek. The Heavenly Strength Society will make sure to pay you back for this. If you have a certain request in mind, do speak up."

Carefully taking the Frozen Bloom out of Bing Baek's hand, Leo made sure everything was clear and he formally thanked the expectant Ice Princess.

'...I have no intention to accept it.'

The fact that Bing Baek might have some affection for him made no difference to the current Leo. After all, to him, he didn't see her in this way.

It was a factor, but Yeon's jealousy wasn't the main reason behind Leo's disregard for Bing Baek's obvious signs. He wasn't a purist who despised harem, nor did he have a harem-seeking disposition.

The ultimate reason lay in what his heart felt. Unlike Yeon who he was surely in love with, Leo didn't feel anything towards Bing Baek. From the very moment they met, she was only a means to an end. Even if their relationship got better as they traveled and hunted together, he could only see her as a friend.

Naturally, if a girl as beautiful and thoughtful as Bing Baek came and confessed to him in a different situation, perhaps back on Earth, he would have at least heard her out.

However, the only thing he currently had in his mind was spending whatever time he had left with Yeon. He wasn't even sure how he would reunite with Yeon, so why would he waste his limited time in an attempt to build feelings toward someone else?

"Then-"

The Bing Baek who was anticipating a more hearty reply almost asked for multiple head pats, but once Leo's stiff answer registered in her mind, she suddenly gained awareness of her surroundings.

"N-nevermind, you can just consider it a gift of gratitude from our Northern Ice Palace."

Locking eyes with Yeon, Bing Baek was suddenly overcome with guilt. As they had already shared a long journey together, the Ice Princess was slightly aware of the relationship between Leo and Yeon, but just now…

She was trying to get closer to Leo in the hope of fulfilling her selfish desire!

'I… No!'

"I won't lose!"

Muttering something that only Yeon could hear, Bing Baek decided to retreat for today. She was still flustered by her very own thoughts and feelings, yet a certain resolve was already starting to grow within her.

"What is this?"

"It's just an Internal Energy supplement that I wanted to have. Do you…"

Leo knew that Yeon could already more or less tell the identity of the flower using her 'eyes', but knowing that wasn't the true meaning behind the question, he answered as nonchalantly as possible. He even tried to offer it to her.

"No, you can keep it."

Of course, it was just an empty offer, so Yeon's quick refusal was duly appreciated.

'I can't give this one up.'

Just on its own, the Frozen Bloom was a great Elixir that could increase Internal Energy by a whopping 30 years! Most importantly, it wasn't just an increase within the limits of the Dantian.

These 30 years came with their own attached container created by the flower's mystical ice! In game terms, it was like having an additional MP bar that had its very own setting!

If the geezers of the Northern Ice Palace knew that Bing Baek had just passed out something like this without even asking for compensation they would likely have a joint panic attack…

For the current Yeon who had just advanced very recently, something like the Frozen Bloom would undoubtedly be of some help, but Leo was already sure that the Heavenly Strength Society had something similar in their treasury.

According to one of the books that he read in the library, a new Heavenly Demon was supposed to be provided with a lot of different Elixirs that would further enhance their abilities. Yeon's enhancement session was only delayed because time was too tight for an additional round of secluded training.

Lastly, Leo felt that it would be a bit scummy to give a girl's gift to another girl…

'Even for me, it would feel wrong to do that.'

Naturally, that was still a minor reason. The Frozen Bloom was an undeniably big piece of the puzzle that Leo was piecing together.

If any other person had obtained it, they would have already swallowed it on the spot. However, in the case of the probability twisting Geochin, something magnificent just had to happen…

Without delaying any further, Leo took out the mostly exhausted Violet Plum Core. This was the special recipe that not even the Murim Lord was aware of!

[ Hidden Event occurrence has been detected. Hidden Piece… ]