My Strange Savior - Chapter 97

Chapter 97

She didn’t want to let go. 

She didn’t want to let go of Kalion’s kind eyes and his warmth. The emotions received for the first time in her life felt strangely sweet.

If he knows her selfish thoughts, will he not be disappointed no matter how affectionate Kalion is? Though fear gripped Gia’s heart, she didn’t want to let go of what she held in her hands. So, Gia realized that it was greed, but she decided to hold onto it. And tightly at that.

“So, are we dating now?” 

Gia’s straightforward words made Kalion either embarrassed or he brought his large body into a small embrace, holding Gia even tighter. Holding onto Kalion’s body, Gia hugged his narrow back with strength.

“Yes….” 

Although a small sound, Kalion’s firm answer spread gently in Gia’s ear.

Gia’s world, which had been only dark, brightened as if illuminated by light. 

Although the predetermined end of an easily achieved love made Gia somewhat uncomfortable, she decided to fill the remaining time with Kalion in a deeply engraved way.

* * *

Knock, knock.

At the sound of the door being knocked, Gia raised her head and thought of Gregory.

‘Oh… he did say he would visit in the evening.’

As Gia opened the door and stepped out, she saw Gregory standing in the dimly lit corridor, holding a tRey incongruously.

“Come in.”

“In the guest room…”

“No.”

“What?”

With Gia’s firm refusal, Gregory’s body twitched. Since he didn’t intend to visit a woman’s room late at night, Gregory had planned to go to the guest reception room with Gia.

“Because of Rey.”

As Gia stepped aside, a child named Rey lying on the bed came into view.

“If I’m not here, he wakes up in the middle and cries.”

Although Rey no longer grabbed her hair as he used to, if Gia disappeared, he somehow knew and woke up amazingly from his sleep. In Rey’s embrace, the teddy bear Gia gave him was tightly cuddled.

Upon hearing Gia’s explanation, Gregory, who had observed Rey lying on the bed, seemed to have no choice but to step over the threshold.

“I understand… then.”

Nonchalantly, Gregory, who had come in, looked at the shadow on the bed and gently placed a tray on the table.

“Sorry for coming at such a late hour.”

“It’s fine. If you’re busy, it can’t be helped.”

Gregory, who casually spoke, glanced at Gia, who seemed apologetic and carefully took a gun from his pocket.

“It turned out to be more difficult to disassemble than I thought.”

“You should have told me earlier.”

“I’ve been busy preserving the dragon’s corpse, so I didn’t have time to pay attention to the gun.”

“Did I ask too much from you when you’re busy?”

Feeling sorry, Gia scratched her cheek and looked at Gregory, who appeared modest.

“No, not at all.”

Gregory nodded calmly. Gia glanced at Gregory’s face and asked.

“Are you sleeping well?”

“Yes?”

“Your complexion tells a different story.”

In response to Gia’s words, Gregory awkwardly wiped his dry face with his palm.

“I’ve told you already. You need to sleep well and eat well.”

Under Gia’s mature admonition, Gregory’s face turned red. It felt like just the other day they were playfully bantering and blushing for entirely different reasons. Since Gia personally brought him to bed and helped him sleep, Gregory had started to feel some awkward emotions.

For instance.

“Ugh.”

When he saw Gia shaking her head and wagging her tongue, he strangely felt his heart fluttering.

“At this age, do I need to be supervised and followed to ensure I eat well?”

Gregory found Gia’s nagging surprisingly endearing. Especially the fact that he didn’t mind someone interfering in his life had become less bothersome to him. 

He had been keeping his distance from people and acting defensively, but what was the use of that now? Giving in so easily made Gregory feel like he had been doing futile things all along.

“It’s not like that.”

Even though Gregory couldn’t admit it, he quickly built another wall, knowing it would crumble soon.

“No, it’s not.”

As if challenging when he had constructed it, the wall crumbled effortlessly. It seemed like he had built it with sand. Gregory’s eyebrows furrowed in self-reproach.

Worry lingered in his warm, wavering brown eyes. Gregory, who had deliberately ignored the uncomfortable situation of being drawn to Gia’s favorite snack, which he had prepared on purpose, felt a rising discomfort.

“Of course, preserving the dragon’s corpse is important. But don’t you think you should take care of yourself first?”

Gia cut a piece of cake with a fork and offered it to Gregory on a plate. Although she wasn’t the type to easily yield when it came to sharing food, Gregory’s appearance was truly pitiful.

“Why…”

“Your face looks like you haven’t had a decent meal for ages.”

Gregory received the plate awkwardly. When Gia looked at him, it was as if she was staring at him with a stern expression, as if she wouldn’t teach him how to disassemble the gun if he didn’t eat.

“You skipped dinner too.”

“But that…”

“How would I know? How could I possibly know? I can hear your grandfather’s worries all the way here.”

Gia sighed and continued her nagging, looking at Gregory with an expression that seemed to say, why doesn’t he get it? Faced with the sudden mention of his grandfather, Gregory tightly shut his lips.

Not knowing the emotions with which Oscar allowed alchemy, Gregory gripped the plate tightly. The alchemy, which his grandson took up after the son was consumed by it, was still a hidden affair due to the emperor’s schemes.

Yet, despite the circumstances, Gregory couldn’t let go. Oscar had ultimately raised the white flag. Gregory wanted to handle this matter better than anyone else, given how resolute Oscar had been in making such a decision.

No, it wasn’t just about handling it well. It had to be done perfectly, without a hint of flaw. Preserving the dragon’s corpse perfectly wasn’t enough. To catch Morrison, he needed to recover the lab that had been taken by the emperor, where his mentor had conducted experiments.

He had to show the emperor the best possible results. Knowing Gregory, who couldn’t even properly eat or sleep, Gia couldn’t help but click her tongue.

“Thank you for caring…”

The snack given by Gia disappeared into Gregory’s mouth. Watching Gregory eat, or rather struggle with it, Gia looked at him with a mix of pity and disapproval.

“Now, eat while you watch.”

Gia skillfully disassembled the gun on the table.

Tap, tap, tap.

Gregory watched as she smoothly took apart the gun, seemingly determined to remember every detail. His eyes sparkled with eagerness. Gia, feeling the intensity of his gaze, hesitated and withdrew her hands.

“Oh, so that’s how you do it. Can you show me again?”

Gregory’s eyes were full of determination to learn, and they glinted with desire. It seemed so typical of Gregory. Gia repeated the process of assembling and disassembling the gun a few times.

“Can I try it?”

Gregory, who had been cautiously examining objects, asked tentatively.

“Yeah. Go ahead. I’ll show you.”

Gia reached out and handed the gun to Gregory.

“Like this…”

Though still inexperienced, Gregory managed the process slowly. Watching him, Gia bit her tongue.

“No, don’t pull it back here. First…”

Gia held Gregory’s large hand. Frustrated, she stood up and moved closer to Gregory.

She overlapped her hands with Gregory’s on the gun and continued to explain gently.

“This is the barrel… Oh, do you call this the barrel?”

“Yes.”

“While pulling this back…”

As Gia’s voice, spreading gently, reached Gregory’s ear, innocent as they were, his ears turned bright red.

Knock, knock.

Holding hands and pausing, Gia looked toward the door.

“Who is it?”

The ambient noise around was not loud enough to disturb Rey, who was sleeping on the bed without a stir.

“Hey, it’s me.”

Kalion entered with the sound of a stamp. Gia’s face brightened like a flame when Kalion, bearing a stamp on his back, made his appearance.

“Come in.”

Even though Gia shouted with joy, Rey continued to sleep peacefully, hugging the familiar bear in his arms. No, he seemed even more at ease, sleeping soundly as if reassured by Gia’s voice.

Kalion, entering with a tray in his hands like Gregory, had a variety of sweet treats on it, targeting Gia’s taste. Holding the tray, Kalion suddenly stopped.

Wondering if Gia would like it, Kalion, carrying cute snacks that didn’t quite match his large stature, froze at the sight. 

“You’re here?”

With a bright smile, Gia, who had been snuggling with Gregory, was holding hands and looking at him. Kalion’s expression stiffened to the point of being terrifying.

“Why are you acting like that? Come in quickly…”

Despite Gia’s smiling face urging him to come in, Kalion’s expression didn’t loosen. He stepped inside with big strides, breaking into the space between Gregory and Gia. Pushed aside, Gia widened her eyes and looked at Kalion.

Thunk, thunk.

As Kalion, rolling his shoulders boldly, entered with the tray and forcefully squeezed in between Gregory and Gia, his expression holding the tray on the table was unusual.

“What are you doing here at this late hour?”

Kalion glared coldly at Gregory. Gregory’s feelings twisted at Kalion’s behavior, like interrogating a criminal who had committed a crime.

“And what brings you to this ambitious view, Lord Kalion?”

Kalion glared at Gregory with cold eyes. Gregory, giving strength to the word ‘ambitious,’ raised his gaze to look at Kalion in a twisted manner.

In response to Gregory’s questioning, Kalion snorted.

“I have my reasons.”

“I do too.”

Between the two, there seemed to be sparks flying in the air. Observing Gia, who was still holding Gregory’s hand, Kalion sharpened his gaze.

The menacing look that seemed like he would breathe fire toward Gregory had disappeared. Kalion’s expression as he looked at Gia now resembled the face of someone wounded.

“Gia.”

Seeing Kalion slump like a rejected puppy, Gia couldn’t shake the feeling that she had done something wrong.

“Uh, what?”

“It’s been only a few hours since we agreed to date. Yet here you are, holding the hands of another man so intimately…”

“What?”

“Bringing a foreign man recklessly into the room at this ambitious hour.”

The pronunciation of ‘foreign man’ from Kalion’s mouth sounded crunchy as if something was splitting. Perhaps it was an illusion. Looking at Kalion with trembling pupils, Gia quickly let go of his hand.

Click.

The gun parts Gia had been holding on the table scattered. Only then did Kalion’s stern expression gradually relax, as if acknowledging that it was a wise move. 

Even with that smile, Gia seemed to be sweating down her back, and her palms were already sweaty. Gia wiped her hands on her thighs.

“Now do you understand? Why there’s a reason?”

With a victorious smile, Kalion looked down at Gregory as if he were something insignificant. Gregory, who was at a loss for words in the face of Kalion’s provocation, met the bewildered gaze of Gia.

“Is it true? Are you dating Lord Kalion?”

In Gregory’s eyes, shaking like an earthquake, Gia’s Adam’s apple moved up and down.