"Kakarot, that powerful Beast King up ahead should be a snake! Look at this scale over here."
Lina's voice was light and gentle, like a clear spring flowing through the woods.
She ran lightly to one side and carefully picked up a scale the size of an adult's head, curiosity and delighted surprise on her face.
Kakarot watched Lina, who had already opened her heart to him, with joy, and waves of emotion stirred within him.
Thinking back, Lina had always shown them the utmost concern and cared for them attentively,
but after drinking Kakarot's blood that time, a quiet change had taken place in her heart, and she had begun to develop a different kind of feeling for him.
Yet her reason had kept struggling. It was as though an invisible barrier stood in her heart, making her subconsciously suppress those feelings whenever she was with everyone.
Even though she had tried hard to hide it, Kakarot and Lilith had keenly noticed the frustration that welled up in Lina's heart from time to time.
It was not until Loguetown that they had been honest with one another, pouring out their deepest feelings without holding anything back.
After that, Lina had seemed completely transformed, becoming as lively as Lilith.
Kakarot and the others knew very well that this was Lina's original personality.
In the past, to take care of Lilith, she had willingly taken on the role of a "mother," and the burdens of life and her sense of responsibility had forced her to make herself more composed.
Later, she had set out on an adventure with Kakarot, Lilith, and their other companions,
and throughout their journey, she had always placed herself in the role of an elder, the invisible pressure restraining her natural disposition.
But after that emotional liberation