86 Rental

The test that wasn't really a test continued even in the restaurant. Thanks to that, Ian had to keep eating in a rather awkward situation. He had expected it to some extent, but it was awkward all the same.

It was similar to, yet different from, the acting he had done on the cruise. Back then it had been a group masquerade, but now it was just an act to fool one person. The difficulty itself was lower this way, but the mental fatigue had been much lighter on the cruise.

That was only natural. The victims on the cruise had been bewitched by the aberration and turned into game-like NPCs, whereas Han Yuri was still completely normal.

As a rule, it was harder to fool a sane person than an idiot. Because of that, Ian had to work hard at it.

“There’s something on your mouth.”

“Eek.”

Ian wiped the sauce off Yuna's lips with a tissue. She had been tearing into meat with her nose practically buried in the plate, and her cheeks reddened slightly before she started eating again. Ian stared at her with the gaze one might give a cute little creature.

“Ugh, look at that expression. I’m jealous of Yuna.”

“Ah… haha, even after all this time, the affection still hasn’t cooled. I’m surprised too.”

Fortunately, the act with his expression had held up. Ian brushed Yuna's hair once and got up, saying he was going to the restroom for a moment...