Since That's the Case, Then Become Our Supporter (Please Read~)

Lili waited on the first floor for a long time, but Syr never came back down.

The dining hall was deathly quiet, as if time itself had frozen. Every passing second felt like a silent reminder of her own wretchedness and how out of place she was.

Who is she? Why did she save me? What does it mean to just leave me sitting here?

Lili's mind was a chaotic mess, torn apart by conflicting thoughts that made her restless, yet she dared not move a muscle.

The place was too clean and too bright, making her filthy clothes and the bruises on her face stand out all the more painfully.

That beautiful woman... does she think I'm a burden too, so she's just decided to ignore me?

I want to run away... but where can I go?

Outside... is there anywhere safe left for me?

Just then, the sound of soft footsteps and hushed voices drifted in from the open back door of the restaurant, shattering the silence.

Lili's body stiffened instantly, her heart hammering against her ribs as if it might leap out of her throat.

She instinctively curled into a tighter ball, burying her head lower, almost hiding her face in the crook of her arms.

She didn't dare look up, only scanning the room with nervous, sidelong glances.

Two figures in server uniforms walked in—one an elf, the other a cat person.

They must have been the staff.

Lili's heart sank, and her toes curled in embarrassment inside her tattered shoes.

She felt pinned to her chair, holding her breath, wishing she could simply turn into air or a piece of the wall.

"Why is the back door open, nya?" Anya held the key in her hand, puzzled as to who had returned.

As the two passed through the kitchen corridor and entered the main hall, Ryu stopped in her tracks.

Lili could feel a gaze land on her, pricking at her skin like needles.

The elf stood still, her expression calm yet scrutinizing as she swept her eyes over Lili's messy hair, swollen cheeks, and dust-covered clothes.

Lili felt as though her scars and filth were laid bare under that gaze.

Blocked by Ryu, Anya stood on her tiptoes, peering over the elf's shoulder to see Lili sitting in the hall.

"Is that a customer, nya?"

She seemed ready to step forward.

Just then, Ryu spotted the black cloak belonging to Syr on the table and seemed to understand everything in an instant.

Without a flicker of emotion on her face, she turned naturally and shoved the heavy paper bag she was carrying into Anya's arms.

"Anya," Ryu's voice was steady, betraying nothing, "take these ingredients to the kitchen and put them away."

"Eh? Nya? But..." Anya held the sudden weight, bewildered and wanting to say more.

"Go, now."

"Understood, nya..." Anya seemed to catch on, deciding not to approach any further.

Once Anya left, the hall returned to silence, save for Lili's stifled breathing and the faint sounds of the city outside.

She could almost feel the elf's gaze still fixed on her, like an invisible spiderweb entangling her in her misery.

The bruises on her face throbbed, her throat was parched, and her stomach churned from the earlier beating.

Lili kept her head down, her eyes locked onto the reflection of the floor in front of her worn-out shoes.

Why hasn't she left yet? What is she waiting for? To interrogate me? Or... like those others, does she find me an eyesore?

Just as she felt she might be crushed by the silent pressure, a faint sound broke the tension.

Lili caught a glimpse of Ryu walking toward the bar.

There were no questions, not even a glance in her direction.

Ryu's movements were fluid and quiet as she picked up a clean glass and poured a cup of water.

To Lili's surprise, the glass was gently placed on the edge of the table, barely half a foot away from her hands, which were curled tightly against her knees.

The clear water rippled slightly, reflecting the blurred light from the ceiling.

Water...?

Lili stared at the glass with almost desperate hunger; her throat felt like it was on fire.

Yet, her body only grew more rigid.

Why give me water? Is it pity? Or... a trap?

Her experiences with the Soma Familia had left her instinctively raising her guard against any sudden "kindness."

The glass of water acted like a mirror, reflecting just how dirty and pathetic she truly was.

She didn't even dare to touch it, as if the slightest movement would shatter some fragile balance and invite something even more terrifying.

Ryu set down the water glass, then turned and walked away to prepare for opening the shop.

She paid no more attention to Lili, did not ask for her name, and did not even ask what had happened to her.

It was as if neither Lili nor that glass of water existed.

But this deliberate "ignoring" was more suffocating to Lili than direct scrutiny.

Every second of silence felt like a heavy stone, pressing down until she could barely breathe.

She wanted to leave.

Her gaze instinctively drifted toward the open back door of the kitchen.

But Ryu seemed to have read Lili's thoughts.

"If you leave now, Syr will be sad."

Lili's body stiffened slightly.

So, her name was Syr?

She would be sad because she ran away?

Lili snuck a glance at the open back door, then quickly lowered her head.

Her feet felt rooted to the floor; in the end, she didn't move.

Time crawled through the silence, with only the drum-like beating of Lili's own heart thumping against her eardrums.

She stared at the floor as if there were something precious there, wishing only for this torment to end quickly.

Finally, the floorboards on the second floor creaked.

Light, rhythmic footsteps approached, breaking the stagnant air.

Syr came down carrying a medical kit, her face wearing its usual gentle, warm smile.

Her appearance was like a warm breeze, instantly dispersing the subtle tension in the room.

"Syr," Ryu's voice carried a hint of reproach, "how could you leave our guest alone on the first floor?"

"Oh my~ sorry, sorry," Syr laughed, her tone light and airy, "I found my room a bit messy while looking for the kit, so I tidied up a bit."

In reality, she had been tidying up places where she could hide alcohol.

Before her plan began, that jar of wine, in particular, must not be found by Hestia.

She walked straight over to Lili, knelt down, and opened the kit.

The scent of disinfectant wafted out.

Lili instinctively tried to shrink back, but Syr gently cupped her chin.

The touch of her fingertips was cool, yet her movements held an unquestionable softness.

As the medicine touched her swollen cheek, the stinging sensation made Lili gasp.

"Such a cute face," Syr's voice was low and soft, like a sigh, "what a pity..."

Lili's body was taut.

The touch of a stranger made her instinctively resist, let alone this excessive intimacy.

But the pressure of those fingertips was so light, as if she were afraid of breaking something.

The coolness brought by the medicine seemed to truly suppress the burning pain.

Syr's focused expression, reflected in Lili's eyes, held no calculation, no disgust, only a... pure sense of pity.

Her tense shoulders relaxed, bit by bit, in a way that was barely perceptible.

Ryu stood a little further away, watching it all in silence.

Syr was always like this...

Like picking up a stray animal, she brought back those who were scarred and had nowhere else to go.

Of course, she had been picked up by Syr as well.

The cooling sensation of the medicine continued to seep into her skin.

Lili felt the burning pain on her face subside significantly.

Syr's hands were steady and her movements gentle; she finished applying the medicine in no time.

Lili snuck a glance upward, catching the clear reflection in the glass of water on the table.

The swelling seemed to have receded quite a bit thanks to the ointment, and the bruises were carefully covered; although the marks remained, at least... she no longer looked so wretched.

A long-forgotten, unfamiliar feeling sprouted in the depths of her heart, making her throat tighten.

"...Thank you."

Lili's voice was as thin as a mosquito's hum, squeezed out from between her teeth, carrying the hoarseness and hesitation of long-term suppression.

She quickly lowered her head, not daring to look at Syr's face again.

Syr packed away her medical kit, her eyes curving into a soft, gentle smile at the words: "It's alright. If you run into those people again, just make sure to find a way to hide. If that fails, come hide with us; they wouldn't dare do anything to you here."

This simple show of concern felt like a tiny needle, piercing precisely into the softest, most desolate corner of Lili's heart.

It had been so long since anyone had shown her even a shred of kindness.

Life within the Soma Familia was nothing but endless exploitation, deception, and backstabbing.

This sudden warmth burned, making her chest ache and leaving her at a complete loss.

Repay... I must repay her.

Lili thought, her mind in a whirl.

But... what could I possibly give her? I have nothing... No, wait! That! The thing she keeps as a final fallback...

As if clutching at a lifeline, Lili yanked at her collar, pulling a frayed string from against her skin with a small brass key tied to the end.

She held the key out toward Syr.

"This... this is everything I've saved up over the years... take it! Thank you for... saving me today..."

She squeezed her eyes shut, as if she were offering up her own heart.

Syr looked at the key but did not take it.

Instead, she reached out and gently folded Lili's small hand shut, key and all.

"Keep it for yourself. I don't need this."

Syr refused... She didn't even want this?

Lili opened her eyes in a daze, her mind in total chaos.

Then... what could she possibly use to repay this sudden kindness?

She felt like a piece of useless trash, unworthy even of the right to offer a return for charity.

She had even tried to steal wine from her benefactor earlier...

Seeing the confusion and helplessness in Lili's eyes, Syr's gray eyes flickered, as if she had thought of something.

"If you really want to repay me... come here and wait for me after the Monster Festival."

Lili looked up, bewildered.

"Judging by your attire, you're a supporter, right? I'm planning to head into the Dungeon to explore after the Monster Festival, and I happen to be short a supporter to help out."

"--Adventure?!"

Lili's exclamation and Ryu's sharp, instinctive question rang out almost simultaneously.

Ryu abruptly dropped the rag in her hand and strode to the table, her eyes filled with shock and disbelief as she stared intently at Syr: "Syr! You're going into the Dungeon? That's too dangerous!"

She knew that Syr had joined the Thor Familia a few days ago because of love.

But a Familia's duties weren't limited to just diving into the Dungeon.

"Mhm. My adventurer registration should be finalized in the next couple of days~ I'll be able to go down then."

"So,"

Her tone was light as she looked at Lili, asking with anticipation.

"If you want to repay me, could I entrust the support work to you then?"

Lili couldn't believe her ears.

An adventurer? Miss Syr is actually... the kind of adventurer I hate most?!

But as Lili looked at the sweet smile still gracing Syr's face, a tiny voice deep within her struggled to emerge.

Maybe... Miss Syr is different from other adventurers? She saved me, treated my wounds, and didn't even want my money...

She fantasized, the thought so beautiful.

Even though the fantasy itself made Lili feel incredibly fragile.

"...If... if I can..." Lili's voice was barely audible.

She lowered her head, not daring to meet anyone's eyes.

A flicker of understanding crossed Syr's gray eyes, her smile remaining soft and gentle: "Mhm, then it's a deal."