“Ha-chu!”
On his way home, Red let out a big sneeze and rubbed his nose.
“Who’s calling my name?”
Even so, his steps didn’t falter.
The reason was simple.
While drinking at the Riverside Tavern, Brian had told him something.
Someone was looking to cause trouble for him.
When he had helped Tessaia explore the fifth floor earlier, he claimed there had been no conflicts, but that was to avoid worrying Litte.
In reality, he had indeed clashed with another adventurer party.
But more than anything, it was their provocation and deliberate troublemaking.
One of them had seen Tessaia and, upon discovering her demon identity, pulled out 1,000 Lune coins, intending to carry out some sinister plan.
After all, in their eyes, most demons were more than willing to accept such deals.
But Tessaia wouldn’t agree, so they turned malicious and tried to force a sale—an act of extremely foul nature.
He just happened to be present and naturally couldn’t let them succeed.
After displaying a bit of force, those people slunk away.
Of course, that wasn’t the main point.
Brian said that among that adventurer party was the son of the Gernier Chamber of Commerce’s president, and since they had clashed with him, they wanted to take revenge and were very likely to kidnap Litte to use her as leverage.
Upon hearing this, Red had immediately rushed home without a moment’s delay.
Even knowing Litt’s background might not be simple, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
“I’m here.”
Red stopped in his tracks.
He stared at the marks on the front door and fell into thought.
Though deliberately concealed, there was no doubt a fight had taken place here—and it had been a one-sided crushing victory.
Not only the front door but the alley behind the back door showed the same signs.
Whether front or back, the attackers seemed to have offered no resistance; the fight had already ended.
This clearly showed one thing: someone was secretly protecting Litt.
Red scanned the surroundings, hoping to find the Protector lurking in the shadows, but the person had likely already moved on or hidden in the darkness.
Finding them wouldn’t be easy.
He withdrew his senses and exhaled a slow breath.
Though he didn’t know who that hidden person was, they must have tacitly allowed him to stay by Litt’s side.
Or perhaps Litt herself had instructed them.
So they were all allies—there was no need to be overly cautious.
“Let me go inside and check on Litt.”
Judging by the swift and decisive methods of that hidden figure, Litt probably had no idea what had happened outside.
“I’m home.”
Red pushed open the door and fumbled to put on his slippers in the entranceway.
The room was pitch black, so quiet that he could only hear his own footsteps.
He stepped into the living room and was about to turn on the light when a faint, slow breath came from the darkness.
Instinctively suspecting an ambush, Red immediately flicked the switch.
Click!
The magical lamp’s light dispelled the darkness of the living room.
As his eyes adjusted, he saw Litt curled up quietly on the sofa, breathing evenly—obviously fast asleep.
On the nearby table lay an apple pie that had gone cold.
A small slice was cut out, apparently eaten by Litt, and the rest… seemed to be left for him.
Faced with the scene, Red fell silent, warmth quietly rising in his heart.
But when his gaze fell upon the milky-white cream on Litt’s face…
That warmth involuntarily shifted to another place.
“Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey!”
Red shook his head as if trying to rid himself of the dirty thoughts lurking there.
Yet the unease in his heart still compelled him to sit down beside Litt.
Though he had taken off his shoes, there was no smell at all—rather, a faint sweetness lingered.
Red swore he didn’t lean in to smell; he truly just sat beside her, and the scent came over naturally.
Looking at the sleeping girl next to him and the mostly untouched apple pie on the table, Red’s lips couldn’t help but curl into a slight smile.
Just as he had told Tos before, perhaps what he felt toward Litt was more gratitude than some trembling desire.
Even now, with her so defenseless, he could sit calmly beside her without his desires clouding his vision.
And it wasn’t because he worried the Protector in the darkness was watching him.
“Ugh…”
Because Red had turned on the living room light, the glaring brightness woke the girl from her sleep.
She rubbed her drowsy eyes and looked at Red beside her, seemingly still unsure what was going on.
“Red… why are you in my room?”
“No, Miss Litt, you just fell asleep in the living room.”
Feeling guilty and nervous, Red’s tone became more respectful than usual.
“The living room… ah…”
Hearing this, Litte finally woke up fully.
She looked at Red with a hint of mild complaint.
“If you’re not going to come home for dinner, you have to tell me in advance. I’d worry otherwise.”
“…Alright.”
She was really adorable.
Red nodded, letting out a sigh in his heart.
Sigh~
Dawn’s Edge.
“This apple pie is probably a bit cold now. Heat it up before you eat it. I’ll go back to the bedroom first.”
“Oh, okay.”
Seeing that Litte hadn’t noticed anything unusual, Red finally breathed a small sigh of relief.
But as soon as Litt turned her back, that goofy expression vanished instantly.
Sleep?
Yeah right, she’d been wide awake the whole time.
Besides, Red’s eyes had basically been glued to her legs; how could she not have noticed his little thoughts?
Still, even so, he hadn’t made a move on her.
Or maybe that’s just what cowardly little Chu guys are like—full of desire but no courage?
After going into the bedroom, Litt removed her disguise mask and returned to her true form, Letia.
She then peeled off her clothes one by one.
No matter how you looked at it, after a busy day and a battle, there was bound to be sweat—sticky and uncomfortable.
Originally planning to wash up after finishing the apple pie, she hadn’t expected Red to come back so soon and instead put on a little performance on the sofa.
After stripping down completely, Letia looked at herself in the mirror.
Slim, slender, cute… except for being a bit flat.
“Tsk…”
If she compared carefully, Litt was at least two levels above her?
That was truly sad news.
“Didn’t they say that if you massage it enough, you’d grow a little? And I haven’t even had coffee.”
Letia rubbed herself, admitting she was small, but the texture was pretty good.
At least it wasn’t hard as a rock.
“Maybe a woman’s body needs hormones to develop… and since I have no thoughts on that, it just doesn’t develop?”
With that thought, Letia let out another helpless sigh.
Meanwhile, in the living room, Red, having eaten and drunk his fill, suddenly heard a “Ding-ling-ling” sound.
Turning his head, he saw a white crystal ball.
“This is… Litte’s Communicator Crystal?”