Chapter 223. Teresa’s Tears (1)

“…What are you doing?”

“Keeping a night watch.”

Maria replied with a lethargic voice.

“I had a nightmare about the expedition’s rewards vanishing… I was worried they would disappear again…”

She muttered while yawning. Seol Jihu blinked in a daze before bursting into laughter.

As expected, reality was different from a dream.

He had a sudden urge to jokingly ask, ‘Wanna take the bags and run?’ But he held himself back.

He knew that would be rude, even to Maria.

“Thanks. I’ll stand watch now, so get some sleep.”

“Uun, it’s okay~”

Maria shook her head.

“Just looking at these bags gets me brimming with energy….”

She chuckled like an addict, who just took a hearty dose of drugs.

This looked dangerous on its own.

Maria, who was staring blankly for a while, suddenly tapped on Seol Jihu’s shoulder and nodded.

“Right, I gotta thank you. You did really well this time. I believed in you, you know? I believed you would strike it big one day, Oppa! That’s right! This is the power of long-term investment!”

“…I feel like you’re treating me like I’m some stock.”

Maria shut her mouth. She quickly waved her hands and chuckled.

“Eii, don’t say that! I’m just grateful!”

“Really?”

“Of course! You see, I actually agreed with Kazuki and Princess Teresa fully. I mean, you really did everything, Oppa! Shouldn’t we give you an even greater share?”

“Oho.”

A light flickered on in Seol Jihu’s eyes.

“These people. They’re too busy trying to take care of themselves… tsk, tsk. I felt so bad that I was about to give you a cut of my share.”

Maria blabbered on about things she didn’t mean, just to resolve any misunderstanding. The corners of Seol Jihu’s mouth curled up.

“Great! Then let’s do that.”

“?”

“I didn’t know you cared about me so much, Miss Maria… I’m touched. Really, I’m touched.”

“N-No.”

“Thank you! I’ll request to re-distribute the loot after breakfast. Just your share, of course.”

The drowsiness vanished from Maria’s face. She became sullen, and her beady eyes quickly welled up with tears.

Seol Jihu laughed inwardly and asked.

“That’s fine with you, right? You didn’t lie just to please me, right?”

Maria clenched her fists. Trembling, she moved her tiny lips.

“Ofv, ofv cwoursh… I mwean… whad I swaid….”

Finding the way she eked out those words too adorable, Seol Jihu grabbed onto his belly and burst out laughing.

When he waved his hand and revealed that he was just joking, Maria’s eyes widened.

“Iiiiing~!”

Maria laughed and cried, charging at Seol Jihu.

“Sorry, sorry.”

“Hmph! I hate you, Oppa!”

Maria thumped Seol Jihu’s chest with her small baby hands. No, her fists had quite a bit of strength behind them to say she was ‘thumping’.

“…What are you two doing?”

The commotion must have woken Chohong up as she asked with a swamped voice.

“Argh, my head. I drank too much last night….”

Groaning, she staggered up from her sleeping bag. Then, she trudged over with a frown.

“Hey, Seol.”

“…You’re doing that on purpose, right?”

“What?”

“Don’t say, ‘Hey, Seol’. It sounds weird.”