Skadi, My Wife

She straightened up expressionlessly.

She had decided. When she got home later, she would throw all those damned, useless romance games, romance comics, and romance novels into the trash!

And also...

Aaaaaaah! Imported candy, ferry candy—did it really matter what kind of candy it was? Was letting you eat the same piece of candy so you could obsess over that?!

They never got the point. Which one of these two idiots had learned this from the other?!

Letting out a helpless marmot-like scream in her heart, Miss Exusiai, the romance master, looked utterly lifeless like a deflated balloon.

That same night.

Lower District, an abandoned factory in a remote, deserted area.

In the pitch-black factory, Lappland sat high up with her legs swinging, her expression gloomy and lonely.

In the past, she and Texas could have been considered partners, until certain things happened and they went their separate ways.

Lappland did not hate Texas.

She kept close watch over everything Texas did, longing for Texas to return to how she used to be, but she had never forced her.

She indulged Texas. Knowing Texas did not like seeing her, she rarely appeared before her.

She had never been hostile toward Texas's friends either. Whenever she met them, she treated them warmly and kindly... though Texas's friends did not seem particularly receptive to her enthusiasm.

When Lappland came to Lungmen this time, she had not originally planned to meet Texas.

She had merely happened to pass nearby and remembered that Texas had recently made a new friend. Curious, she had changed course and come to Lungmen to pay a visit. Before showing herself, she had even deliberately observed the place and confirmed that Texas was not home.

The person she had come to visit was Chen An.

When Chen An encountered Lappland standing outside the neighboring door, it had not actually been by chance. She had been waiting there for some time.

Just as with Texas's other friends, Lappland bore no hostility toward Chen An, even though he was different from Texas's other friends—he was a man.

Meet Texas's new friend, observe him, chat a little if possible, then leave.

That had been Lappland's plan for her visit to Lungmen before meeting Chen An.

It could be said that, before meeting Chen An, Lappland had truly never considered meeting Texas.

But after meeting Chen An, she changed her mind.

There was no particular reason. She simply wanted to give Texas a warning.

In a world like Terra, kindness and innocence were luxuries. Nobles and those in high positions could afford them, because their worlds were fairy tales, but ordinary people could not.

If ordinary people were kind and innocent, they would die.

Lappland thought Chen An might be crazy, but she did not actually dislike him.

Although she had repeatedly suspected at first that Chen An's warm friendliness and the innocence and kindness he displayed were an act, the intelligence she later bought from someone in the Lower District showed that Chen An really was an innocent, kind-hearted idiot.

Incidentally, much of that intelligence had been vague, and none of it had been crucial. Lappland had once suspected that the person selling it was fooling her.

For that reason, she had made a special trip back to where she bought the intelligence, intending to trouble the bastard who had sold it to her, but she could not find him.

Also, whether it was an illusion or not, Lappland felt as though someone had been watching her ever since she bought the intelligence.

And it was not just one or two people, but many. She had discovered that, as long as she was in the Lower District, no matter where she went, she always had the feeling of being watched.

It felt as if the entire Lower District had become her enemy.

If not for that, she would not have come to this godforsaken place.

Back to the point.

Lappland believed good people did not live long.

That was why she changed her mind, appeared before Texas, and deliberately mentioned that she had met Chen An.

It was not to provoke Texas, but to remind her not to be careless—Lappland wanted to see Texas return to how she used to be, not see Texas go mad after losing a friend.

After doing that, she should have left Lungmen.

But...

"You seem to care a great deal about that man, Texas."

"I truly do not want to force you, I really don't. But Texas, I also truly hope to see the old you again."

"You were right. I'm about to die, Texas."

"I'm sorry. It seems I'm going to have to do something that will make you unhappy..."

The murmurs blended into the darkness, becoming a suffocating silence.

Lappland raised her head. All she could see was darkness.

There were no lights in the abandoned factory, and not even moonlight or starlight could reach inside.

Lonely silence embraced the place.

After a long time,

Awooo—

A shrill, mournful howl suddenly rose from the dark abandoned factory.

Hysterical, filled with madness.

Like a dying lone wolf howling in despair.

It was a dying lone wolf howling in despair.

Your Boyfriend Is in My Hands, Hurry... Huh, Where's My Sword?

Texas suddenly received a message from Chen An.

'Your friend has been kidnapped. You have one hour to come here alone. If you're late, or if you don't come alone, I'll kill the hostages. You know I keep my word, Texas.'

Looking at the message, followed by a photo of Chen An and Skadi tied together back-to-back on the ground, Texas's face turned ashen.

"Lap! Pland!"

She ground out the name, unable to suppress her anger. Furious and anxious, Texas had nearly lost her ability to think calmly, and her whole body trembled.

Without stopping to consider how Lappland had kidnapped Skadi and Chen An, Texas quickly put away her phone, grabbed her weapons, and rushed out of the house like the wind.

Abandoned factory.

After casually slipping Chen An's phone into her pocket, Lappland sat high above and looked down at the two people gathered around a watermelon.

Her ears twitched. She suspected these two had absolutely no awareness that they had been kidnapped.

Chen An and Skadi truly did not.

After cooperating with Lappland to take a photo and casually handing over the phone she wanted, the two had huddled together and started fussing over a watermelon given to them by a patient from the Lower District.

Chen An patted the watermelon with his hand, producing a crisp sound.

Skadi copied him, but she did not dare actually hit the watermelon. She knew she was strong and feared smashing it.

After pondering briefly, Chen An asked Skadi, "Did you bring a knife?"

Skadi shook her head. "You said we can't carry weapons in Lungmen, so I hid my sword in my room."

After thinking for a moment, she pulled out a keychain from her pocket. There was a knife on it—a nail clipper.

"But I have nail clippers. Do you think they'll work?"

Chen An: "..."

He confirmed one thing: his previous feeling had been correct. Skadi really was becoming more and more adorably clueless... no, perhaps she had always been adorably clueless, she just had not made it so obvious before.

Otherwise, how could she do something as stupid as taking out nail clippers and asking whether they could be used to cut a watermelon?

Chen An gave Skadi a speechless glance and ignored her—stupidity was contagious, and he worried that talking to Skadi too much would affect his IQ.

There were three people in the factory right now.

Lappland, Skadi, and Chen An himself.

Chen An had not brought a knife, and he had confirmed that Skadi had not either. Left with no choice, he raised his head and looked toward Lappland, who sat high up swinging her legs and watching them in boredom.

"Lappland, I need to ask you for a favor. Can you come down?"

Lappland jumped down from above without hesitation. "Since you were sensible enough to cooperate just now, I'll do you the honor."

She crossed her arms and bared her teeth in a cruel smile. "Go on. What do you want my help with? Kill a few people and turn them into layered pastries?"

Scared now, right? You should be scared now, right?

You idiot, you've been kidnapped and still have no sense of it, happily messing around with a watermelon!

"No, I wanted to ask whether I could borrow your weapon to help cut the watermelon."

Chen An looked at Lappland's weapons, his tone full of admiration. "Your weapons are so cool. They'd definitely be perfect for cutting watermelons."

Lappland: "..."

Before she could even enjoy the thrill of intimidating him, it shattered with a crash. Lappland's fluffy animal ears shot straight up, and she was so emotionally broken that she nearly pulled out her weapon and sliced Chen An up like a watermelon.

She asked if he wanted help killing someone, and he said he wanted help cutting a watermelon;

She asked if he wanted help killing someone, and he said her weapons were suitable for cutting watermelons;

Watermelon, watermelon—if you like watermelon so much, why didn't you eat it on the way here? The road here was so long, was there nowhere along the way to cut a watermelon and eat it?!

"I'm not cutting it!"

Lappland's tail stiffened as she said murderously, "My weapons are for cutting people, not watermelons!"

"You won't even help with something this small?"

Apparently very displeased, Chen An slowly stood up, and the genial smile on his face gradually cooled.

Seeing Chen An like this, Skadi hurriedly stood as well. She came to his side, narrowed her eyes, and stared coolly at Lappland.

Suddenly feeling terrible pressure, Lappland's gaze sharpened. Her hand unconsciously gripped her weapon as she cursed inwardly:

That suspicious intelligence dealer's information really was wrong... no, it seemed this familiar-looking woman was the problem.

Suddenly finding Skadi somewhat familiar, Lappland's eyes narrowed and her expression turned grave.

Skadi had stopped being a Bounty Hunter two years ago. Furthermore, whenever she appeared in public as a Bounty Hunter, she had always worn the same image: an icy expression, a pointed hat and leather coat, with a greatsword on her back. She looked completely different from how she did now, so Lappland had not recognized her at first.

But now, she recognized Skadi somewhat—Skadi's long silver hair combined with her cold expression was simply too distinctive.

"You're Skadi, the high-ranking Bounty Hunter who vanished two years ago?"

Skadi's face remained expressionless, her words cold, as cool as ice. "I'm not a Bounty Hunter anymore. What do you want, Lupo?"

"Don't change the subject."

Chen An interrupted their conversation and looked coldly at Lappland. "I'll ask again, Lappland. Are you really not lending me your weapons?"

Lappland gave him an equally cold reply. "My weapons are for killing people, idiot."

"Then it seems we have nothing left to discuss. Lappland, I didn't want to do this."

Deeply disappointed, Chen An said softly, "Skadi."

Was he going to have that Bounty Hunter make a move?

Lappland instinctively thought so. She tightened her grip on her weapons and assumed a fighting stance.

Then—

Chen An suddenly shouted at a rapid pace, "When Texas gets here, remember to yell with me that Lappland molested me and even tried to take off my clothes with improper intentions, and that I only kept her from succeeding by fighting desperately!!!"

Lappland: "..."

Staring blankly at Chen An, whose whole demeanor had suddenly changed, Lappland's expression gradually went vacant. Then, with a clatter, the weapon in her hand fell to the ground.

An opening!

A sharp glint flashed through Skadi's eyes as she took a huge step toward Lappland.