If You Have the Guts, Love Me to Death with One Shot

She did her best to ignore the slightly hostile gaze, letting Dr. Ratio put the necklace on her while she praised him.

"Could Director Dr. Ratio's taste possibly be wrong? I knew it would suit me perfectly before I even put it on."

The aventurine at her neck shimmered with dazzling color beneath the lights.

Dr. Ratio stepped in front of the Trailblazer and examined her closely.

"It looks beautiful, Stelle. It suits you perfectly."

If Stelle had known that this necklace was worth tens of millions of credits, she would have gaped in shock and said: No, no, no. It wasn't that it suited her—it was that she had to be worthy of it!

With the first gift delivered, there was no reason to hide the other two.

Dr. Ratio took out the rest of the auction items and personally stuffed them into Stelle's black-hole-like backpack.

Silk pajamas, pots, pans, bowls—she took them all!

Even if she didn't know exactly how much Dr. Ratio's gifts were worth, they certainly weren't cheap.

Like a delighted otter after being fed its fill, Stelle gave Dr. Ratio a kiss on the left cheek, then another on the right.

Aha: Stop teasing the kid. She's obviously unbelievably innocent—even more so than Gepard.

Sure enough, just as she heard Aha's warning in her head, Dr. Ratio, who had just been kissed twice, immediately began avoiding her gaze.

He was definitely embarrassed!

Stelle lowered her head to eat her ice cream cone, trying to hide the smile at the corners of her lips.

Unfortunately, Dr. Ratio really did have to return to the company to work. Otherwise, he truly would have liked to have a meal with the Trailblazer.

Dr. Ratio took out his phone, which had been vibrating nonstop from incoming messages, and a trace of gloom gathered between his brows.

"Stelle, I..."

"Do you need to get back to work? It's okay."

Stelle immediately waved understandingly. "I'm already more than satisfied that I got to see you before the warp. Remember to visit the Star Rail when you have time. Once I return from the warp, I'll come back to see you too."

"Okay."

Dr. Ratio smiled as well, reached out to ruffle the Trailblazer's hair, and left reluctantly.

He kept looking back every few steps as he walked away.

Stelle remained where she was, watching Dr. Ratio until he disappeared from sight.

Great, this mission had gone smoothly too!

Thinking of Dr. Ratio, Stelle unconsciously raised a hand and touched the aventurine hanging at her neck.

It was a beautiful necklace. She liked it very much.

The Trailblazer was in high spirits. Thinking of her wallet, stuffed full of Aidion Tokens by Dr. Ratio, she really wanted to keep gambling.

But she couldn't let amusement distract her from her goals.

She still had to continue searching for her targets.

The Trailblazer pursed her lips and painfully bid farewell to the arcade machines standing in Aideen Park nearby.

The moment she turned around and prepared to wander aimlessly, she suddenly heard a sinister voice by her ear.

"Trailblazer, you really know how to charm everyone, don't you? Director Dr. Ratio practically floated away when he left. He nearly forgot how to walk."

Huh, who was that?

She turned her head and suddenly saw someone she hadn't expected.

Bооtie?

Weren't Space Rangers usually busy? Why was he here?

Stelle blinked in confusion, unable to figure out why she was seeing him here.

Bооtie had come to Penacony today to handle some business. He happened to spot the Trailblazer, and when he was about to go greet her, he discovered that there was an annoying company brat beside her.

"What, are you surprised to see me? Shouldn't I be here?"

"Huh? No, that's not it..."

If you like this book, remember to add it to your bookshelf so you won't have trouble finding it next time!

Stelle scratched her head. What was wrong with Bооtie? Had he swallowed gunpowder?

Why was he so angry?

Forget about Stelle not knowing the reason behind it—even Bооtie himself didn't know.

Even Bооtie had no idea where this inexplicable anger was coming from.

In truth, Bооtie had been watching the Trailblazer for a long time.

He stood in the shadows, one hand tucked into his pocket and the other holding the cowboy hat on his head.

He did his best to hide himself, all so he could secretly watch Stelle a little longer.

The Trailblazer truly was carefree. It was as if even this lifeless Penacony had gained a hint of vitality because of her.

He watched her drink Soolada with nothing to do.

He watched her deliberately throw herself in front of vehicles and stage car accidents.

He watched her smack swaying advertising signs that were trying to sell things with her baseball bat.

He watched her narrow her eyes in satisfaction as she ate an ice cream cone.

Vibrant, happy, adorable Stelle.

He suddenly remembered a time long ago.

He remembered that Stelle had not yet joined the Star Rail then, had not yet lost her memories, and had once been a Space Ranger who followed behind him, loudly shouting, "Bооtie, if you have the guts, love me to death with one shot!"

Was that a past that truly existed?

Was it a memory that had really happened?

Maybe the synesthesia beacon in his mind had bugged out. Or perhaps it was a past that had truly existed. Or maybe it was merely a fictional illusion Bооtie had imagined.

In any case, such a memory had always existed in Bооtie's mind.

(Everyone can imagine it as a parallel world~)

In truth, before Stelle joined the Star Rail, hadn't she been one of the Stellaron Hunters?

What if, before becoming a Stellaron Hunter, Stelle had another identity no one knew about?

That was right!

She had been a Space Ranger!

Just as Stelle had forgotten her past as a Stellaron Hunter, she also didn't remember the glorious days she had once spent as a Space Ranger:

"Bооtie, if you have the guts, love me to death with one shot!"

Stelle chattered endlessly beside him. Bооtie leisurely raised a hand to adjust his hat, while his other hand drew a pistol and carelessly toyed with it in his palm.

The highly temperamental firearm moved through his hand like a lively fish, until he finally gripped it firmly in his palm.

He knew Stelle merely wanted to play that little hands-up game. She wanted him to point the gun at her so she could raise both hands in surrender with a pitiful look.

Even so, he had never been willing to point his gun at her. Even though he knew his gun would never misfire, even though he knew there were sometimes no bullets in it.

Still, he simply couldn't do it. He couldn't even point the muzzle at Stelle as a joke.

"Alright, stop messing around."

Bооtie casually took off his hat and placed it over her head. The scent of hard liquor on the man filled the girl's nose, making her freeze and cough twice.

When she recovered and looked up, she discovered that Bооtie had already strode far away.

Stelle hurried after him, failing to catch Bооtie's quiet whisper as it scattered in the wind—

"If I could... I really would like to love you to death..."

But all of that was in the past.

Now, Bооtie shook his head hard, trying to fling that hazy, blurred memory—one whose truth he couldn't distinguish—from his mind.

He knew he shouldn't be irrationally jealous just because he had seen the Trailblazer being so intimate with Dr. Ratio.

What right did he have?

"Ugh." Bооtie sighed heavily. He hesitated for a long while before awkwardly squeezing out a sentence through clenched teeth:

"I had an episode just now. Don't take it to heart. I have something to do, so I'll be going."