Chapter 152

「Even though I said I would guide them around Uruk… . 」

The three people and one animal behind us had disappeared before I realized it .

I didn’t know when they disappeared, but I discovered it considerably late .

With this, I was disqualified as a guide .

「Did Kurou-sama notice it?」

「Of course . Who do you think I am . 」

This was the first time I was this bitter about this person who carelessly said that .

I pouted and glared darkly at Kurou-sama .

「Then why didn’t you not stop them!」

「You’re the guide . Not me . It’s you who was engrossed in the conversation who was wrong . …rather than that, can’t you change the way you call me . 」

It’s not that I didn’t realize that he was changing the topic, but I tilted my head in confusion, wondering what was so strange about it .

No matter how I thought about it, I didn’t feel that addressing him by “Kurou-sama” was strange .

Seeing that, Kurou-sama sighed .

Certainly, back when I didn’t know anything .

I had been following Kurou-sama around everywhere, calling him “Kurou”, but it was no longer possible to address Kurou-sama who was known as the beastman hero and was a part of the former hero’s party without any honorifics .

Perhaps he understood my feelings, as Kurou-sama narrowed his eyes .

「What is the relationship between you and I . 」

「Um, the person who named me and the child who was given a name, right?」

I was told that Kurou-sama had given me my name, not my parents .

I didn’t know its origin, but Kurou-sama borrowed part of the name of someone he respected .

Who that person was, I still did not know .

In those days, I did not realize what an honor it was, and I had only thought of Kurou-sama as an ojisan who lived next door .

「Where in the world would there be a child who would attach a ‘-sama- to the person who gave them their name . 」

「Right here… . 」

There’s one right here, I tried to say that, but I was glared at by his sharp eyes and I shut my mouth .

Come to think of it, I was glared at like this back then as well .

Kurou-sama still looked exactly like he did back then, but it was now more intimidating as I have grown taller and his face was closer .

I wonder why the younger me was not afraid of those eyes .

When I fixedly stared into those eyes, that were a deeper shade of blue than mine, Kurou-sama looked away as if he was shy .

「…maa, it’s fine . Leaving that aside, we’re going somewhere else . This place makes me uncomfortable . 」

I looked around, and then my face turned red .

Because I had confirmed with Amelia-sama herself yesterday that she and Akira-sama were in love, we were wandering around the famous dating spot in Uruk, the City of Water .

There were many couples who, far from being afraid of being seen by those around them, rather, were exchanging kisses as if displaying their love .

There were no words to describe how uncomfortable it was .

「I, I’m really sorry! Let’s quickly go someplace else!」

I grabbed Kurou-sama’s hand, and left that place in a panic .

I rushed into the next street over, and barely caught my breath .

「Fu…fufu, hahaha!」

Disheveled, when I stopped to catch my breath, I heard someone burst into laughter .

I looked up, and it was coming from Kurou-sama .

He was someone who always had a frown on his face, and rarely smiled, but right now, he was holding his stomach and laughing .

「Ku, Kurou-sama!?」

If the other person was someone besides Kurou-sama, I may have laughed as well, but it was different if it’s him .

During the village’s festival, even if he saw something funny that invoked everyone’s laughter, there would be no change in his facial expression .

Could it be that he ate something strange .

「As I thought, you’re interesting . 」

While smiling, Kurou-sama had put his hand on my head .

A never-before-seen smile adorned that face that was tilted downwards towards me due to the difference in height .

Being patted and seeing that face, I froze .

The warmth displayed on his face that had never appeared before, even I understood .

「Ah, I…wha . 」

What are you doing, I wanted to ask, but the words were stuck in my throat and did not come out .

The things that I wanted to say spilled from my mouth in fragments, turning incoherent .

Kurou-sama was still a bachelor, oddly enough, but he had a beautiful face .

If not for the sour look that perpetually graced his face, wouldn’t he have had one or two wives .

In other words, what I wanted to say was, such a man’s smile along with the skinship was truly destructive .

「Oi, are you ok . 」

When I came back to my senses, Kurou-sama had the usual unreadable look on his face, and he had already removed his hand from my head .

When I shook my head at Kurou-sama who had a wonderful look on his face, telling him that I was fine, he acknowledged it and continued to walk .

I caught up with Kurou-sama who quickly walked ahead while wondering if it was a dream, and when I raised my head, his lips were drawing an arc, as if remembering what happened just now .

「It wasn’t a dream… . 」

「What did you say?」

Flustered, I shook my head at Kurou-sama who looked down at me when I dumbfoundedly muttered that .

「No! Nothing at all! …by the way, where are we going?」

His stride was confident, as if he had a destination in mind and was not aimlessly wandering around .

Since this was a complicated maze-like city, even I did not know where we were going .

「I’ll tell you when we get there . 」

「At that time, I will already know, won’t I!? It’s just that telling me is troublesome!」

He did not respond to my words of protest .