I Level Up With In-app Purchases

I Raise With In-app Purchases – 22

EP.22 The Saintess Knocks on the General Store’s Door (5)

Fran, who had just come out after a warm bath, had rosy cheeks.

Her wet white hair shimmered like silver.

Her eyes were so big and clear.

‘She’s so damn cute.’

She had changed into the clothes I brought her, but the T-shirt seemed a bit too big, leaving her neckline dangerously exposed.

Her unfocused, dazed eyes were quite threatening.

If I didn’t know the future that would unfold if I touched her, I might not have been able to resist her allure.

“Eat up.”

I quickly averted my gaze from her and tapped the seat in front of me at the table, indicating for her to sit there.

It was her first time coming up to the second floor of the general store, so she looked around curiously before awkwardly sitting where I indicated.

‘Her mental state seems to be coming back.’

Her eyes still looked a bit out of it, but she was much better than before I had her take a warm bath.

If she were in her earlier state, she wouldn’t have shown any interest in the second floor.

“What’s this?”

Still somewhat dazed, Fran tilted her head as she looked at the table.

“Can’t you tell? It’s food. Eat.”

“Me?”

“Aren’t you hungry?”

“No, I’m not… Ah.”

– Growl—! –

Her stomach growled loudly, contradicting her words.

It was a clear signal that she was hungry and needed to eat.

Fran’s face turned red as she lowered her head.

“Eat.”

“…Thank you.”

She couldn’t refuse and finally sat down.

She picked up the spoon and fork and started eating earnestly.

At first, she hesitated a bit, but after tasting the food, she didn’t hold back.

It seemed to suit her taste.

After feeding her, I planned to let her sleep in the bed right away.

– Creak –

“!!”

“Take your time eating.”

I had already finished my meal, and since I usually eat quickly, I stood up while Fran was still eating.

Seeing her startled as I suddenly got up, I reassured her and went into the bedroom.

‘I can’t let her sleep in the bedding I’ve been using.’

I debated whether to sit with her until she finished eating but decided that preparing the bedroom was more urgent.

I collected the sheets and blankets I had been using and replaced them with clean, new ones I had washed and stored away.

‘Good. This should also match a girl’s sensibilities.’

The blankets I usually used were a deep bronze color. Thinking that a girl would be sleeping there, I had deliberately chosen a bright ivory-colored blanket.

– Swoosh –

When I went outside, Fran was doing the dishes.

Considering stopping her because she looked clumsy, I decided to let her be since it seemed fair for her to do the dishes after I had prepared the meal.

‘Doing that might help her come back to her senses.’

Compared to usual, her condition still wasn’t normal.

Time passed more peacefully and ordinarily than expected.

Feeling full and warm, sleepiness crept up on me.

If I felt this way, how much more would Fran, who had a tough day, feel?

She’d probably fall asleep as soon as she lay down.

It wouldn’t be much different.

“The bedroom is over there.”

“Ah!”

I pointed Fran to the bedroom after she finished the dishes and stood there awkwardly.

She hesitated, which was a good sign.

Her hesitation, especially under the misconception that I might assault her, meant her mind was gradually returning.

Refusing to enter the bedroom altogether would be the best outcome from my perspective.

However…

‘She’s going in after all.’

Perhaps not fully mentally recovered, she hesitated but eventually entered the bedroom.

I couldn’t help but sigh at the sight.

‘They gave such a bleak scenario to a girl with such a fragile mentality.’

I don’t know who wrote Fran’s character scenario, but it was too harsh.

The innocent girl has to endure horrific things due to the flaw of being involved with a cult.

‘If she finds out that it wasn’t her choice to engage in prostitution for the cult but that the cult forced her into it, I wonder how much that will shatter her weak mentality.’

She probably doesn’t know yet that it was the cult’s doing.

That’s the red truth that will eventually lead to Fran’s second wave of darkening.

For now, it’s a secret better left unknown.

“I’m tired.”

It was late, so I decided to prepare for bed as well.

After washing up, I went to the place where I had prepared the bedding and lay down.

“Yawn.”

I thought she would sleep on her own if I didn’t enter the bedroom.

I was quite tired from worrying about her all day.

As soon as my face hit the pillow, sleep rushed over me, and I immediately fell into a deep slumber.

– Rustle- Rustle –

– Thump! –

It would have been a perfect sleep until morning if it hadn’t been interrupted.

But my light sleeper’s instincts from my mercenary days picked up on a presence.

Before even opening my eyes, I grabbed whatever was causing the disturbance.

Then I opened my eyes, and it was still dark, indicating not much time had passed since I fell asleep.

“What’s this.”

“Ah, mister… it’s me.”

Fran?

“Fran?”

“Yes.”

“What’s the matter?”

She should have just quietly slept in the bedroom.

Why wake someone who is sleeping?

“I went into the bedroom because you told me to, but you didn’t come.”

“Do I have to take care of you until you fall asleep?”

“…I didn’t come here to sleep. I was waiting for you to come in.”

“If I didn’t come in after you waited, you should’ve just gone to sleep. Why come looking for me?”

I don’t have any desire to get my head blown off, you know?

She’s an awakened saintess attending the academy, and I’m just a commoner.

A commoner can never defeat an awakened noble.

It means she could easily turn on me and blow my head off if she wanted to.

“We came here to do that, didn’t we?”

“Ah~ I suddenly don’t feel like doing it anymore.”

“How can you just change your mind like that?”

“It’s right here. If I don’t want to do it and say I won’t go in, it’s not your place to force me, right?”

“You promised to hold me today. You should keep your promise.”

“I already carried you here. Let’s just call it even with that.”

“How can you call that even!!”

Even in the darkness, I could see Fran’s pale face clearly.

She was looking at me cutely but with dissatisfaction.

If such a cute girl threw a punch, I’d probably be out for eight weeks, right?

The thought gave me the chills.

“Go to sleep. I’m tired.”

“…Are you too tired to do it? Should I help you recover your strength?”

“You’re going to use your powers on me? That’s illegal, buddy.”

Are you so eager to blow my head off that you’d go that far?

“Then what should I do?”

“Go to sleep, I said.”

I’m going to sleep.

Fran didn’t seem convinced by my words, pouting her lips and showing no sign of returning to the bedroom.

“Are you going to keep standing there watching?”

“I said I’d help you recover your strength.”

“That’s illegal. Trying to make me a criminal?”

“Is it a crime to use strength recovery on an acquaintance?”

“Why am I your acquaintance? Do you even know me?”

“Sigh.”

I was a bit harsh with my words to save my own skin, and now she looks like she’s about to cry.

“I don’t have money for a fine. If you really want to use your powers, go talk to a broker or something.”

“Huh? Mister, do you know any brokers?”

I brought up the topic of brokers on purpose, and she took the bait surprisingly well.

Her interest had shifted to money.

Considering the next scenario, she must have already been thinking about brokers.

“Why do you need a broker?”

“I need money.”

“It’s a spectacle, really. First, you follow a man around begging to be held, then you wake up a man who’s trying to sleep, and now you need money so you’re asking me to introduce you to a broker?”

“Uh…”

“How low are you willing to stoop?”

“Oh, it’s none of your concern, right? You said we’re not acquainted.”

Now she’s using my own words against me.

It seemed her mind was quite recovered.

“Brokers are all scumbags. Don’t get involved with them. It’s for your own good.”

“But you were the one who told me to go to a broker.”

“I was joking, man! Do you want to die? Is everything I say to be taken seriously?”

“…..”

“If you want to make money, it’s even more important not to get involved with brokers. They might give you money at first, but they’ll stop paying you later on.”

“Why?”

“They’ll blackmail you with the illegal healing you’ve been doing.”

“!!!!”

Fran, still naive to the ways of the world, seemed shocked.

“But what if it’s a job you introduced me to?”

“What does it matter? Those guys just want to use you to make as much money as possible.”

The adult world is this cruel and chilling.

“Especially someone like you, without any backing, is the perfect prey for brokers. They might stop paying you altogether and just exploit your abilities. Oh! You know if you report it to the academy, your service time increases, right? That’s what they’ll use to blackmail you.”

“…How can they do something so scary.”

Fran seemed genuinely frightened by my words and clung to me.

I quickly covered my chest with my arms and said,

“Hey, can you keep some distance? I’m starting to get scared here.”

“Scared?”

Her eyes seemed to say, ‘I’m the one who should be scared, why are you saying such strange things?’ But I was being completely serious.

Aren’t a man and a woman too close together in this small space?

It’s natural for me to be scared in this situation.

“Wouldn’t you be scared too, being in a room with all exits blocked, together with an awakened being targeting your body?”

“Mister!”

I’d really prefer if we could keep some distance.

Seriously, I’m scared she might appear in my dreams.

“So, could you not touch me, please?”

“Oh, I’m not going to! I don’t have any such intentions!”

“The one who says they have no such intentions is the one who came to me in the middle of the night asking why I’m not entering the room, isn’t that a form of threat?”

“Eek!”

It seems she feels guilty about something after hearing what I said.

Fran’s mouth gapes open in shock at my words.

I gently pushed her stiff body away with one finger and squeezed myself into a corner of the room.

All the while, pretending to look as scary as possible.

Seeing my act, Fran screamed.

“Maybe we should move to a different place?”

This place is too disadvantageous for me.

“It’s really not like that! Really, it’s not!”

“I get it, so let’s move somewhere else.”

“Really, it’s not! Please believe me.”

“I’ll believe you, so you go out first.”

“Uuugh…”

At this moment, I really hope there’s no physical contact between us.

Though I haven’t shown it, Fran wearing my T-shirt has been quite dangerously attractive since earlier.

I joked about being scared she might pounce on me, but in reality, I’m worried I might be the one to make a move.

I don’t want to die with my head blown off at this age.