Although attractiveness wasn’t valued more than strength in this world, it was a powerful tool when it comes to socializing nonetheless. Sharing the information of the staff was forbidden by Valentine, but since Val asked it, Penelope didn’t hesitate to tell him.
“Yes, she is sleeping in the staff room,” Penelope confirmed. Then she inquired, “But why are you asking? What relation do you have with her?”
Val replied, “It looks like you don’t know. I am her boyfriend.”
Spreading this news was good. An untouched woman was considered far more attractive in this world than a woman who already had a man. Powerful men in general only liked virgins. Once it was known she had a man, countless people would lose interest in her even though she was an attractive young woman. Basically, it would keep pests away from her, and that was exactly Val’s intention!
Upon hearing this, Penelope felt disappointed. Such a good-looking man yet he was already taken! How sad!
“Sorry, I was unaware that Healer Eliana has such a handsome boyfriend,” Penelope said humbly.
“It’s nothing to be sorry about,” Val said as he smiled gently.
“Ah, the Sun has come up.”
Penelope blushed because Val looked radiant when he beamed.
“What did you say?” Val raised an eyebrow.
Hearing his words, Penelope realized she had said her thoughts out loud. She felt more embarrassed and uttered, “Nothing, really,” before she tried to change the subject by asking with a polite smile, “Is there something else I can help you with?”
Val told her, “Please tell Eliana that I am fine and will be waiting for her in our home when she wakes up.”
“Rest assured, I will relay the message to her… for you.”
As Val was about to leave, Penelope stopped him, a hint of a flirtatious smile dancing on her lips.
“What?” he asked.
“You know, my break starts in a few minutes,” she said, trying to sound casual. “If you’re interested, I could show you the time of your life. And just to be clear, there would be no strings attached.”
As she spoke, Penelope licked her red lips like a vixen.
The meaning behind her words was clear.
She was giving him an invitation!
‘She looks innocent and kind but isn’t shy about expressing her needs. You really can’t trust a book by its cover,’ Val thought. ‘But she had made a mistake. I am not the right guy to go to if you want to make out.’
This world was very open to sex. Although he was already taken, Penelope didn’t think it was wrong to seduce him.
Sadly, like many others, she had mistaken Val for a teenager who thinks with his mushroom rather than his head. 𝑶𝓋𝓵xt.𝑐𝑜𝚖
The harsh truth is, he wouldn’t even bother to look her way if it wasn’t necessary. If Val was a lust demon that grows stronger by having sex, he would have considered her offer, but he wasn’t, so naturally, he wasn’t interested in her offer.
Penelope, a cute and plump woman, was nothing special in his eyes. Even if she stripped naked and presented herself to him like a birthday present, he wouldn’t bat an eye before moving past her, treating her like a speck of dust.
It was only Eliana that had managed to catch his interest and won a very tiny amount of his genuine affection, and that too because she was special, able to bend reality to her will with her prayers, and held unwavering kindness and love towards him.
It was a development that had shaken him. Val had always prided himself on his ability to remain detached, to keep his emotions in check. Love, he believed, had the potential to cloud his judgement, and he couldn’t afford to let that happen. Despite this, Eliana had started to make him develop genuine affection for her.
However, it hadn’t reached a level where he needed to worry about it. After all, Eliana had only just begun to chip away at the ice encasing his heart. She was far from earning his love, and even farther from gaining his trust.
“I am not interested in committing adultery. I find it rather disgusting,” Val said to Penelope coldly before leaving the clinic without sparring her another glance. She felt chilled to the bones by his behavior.
‘I messed up big time.’
It was saddening to know that a man as attractive as Val was disgusted with her.
Val didn’t care about what his effect had on her. He moved through the bustling crowd in the street and returned to his home in the Eastern District.
“Alright, start talking. What is the Abyss and why don’t you want its existence known?” Val asked Voidslayer after the door to the house closed behind them.
“The Abyss is a place full of opportunities but also teeming with dangers. The Abyss is home to all kinds of creatures, some of them are so strange and complex that they defy all logic. They can’t be described or understood.
“The Abyss was a hot topic among the wizards of old due to the vast array of possibilities it presented. There were all sorts of material in the Abyss. Some of the best cursed artifacts were made using them, me included. Expeditions were held as they sought to colonize and harness its potential and extract its resources, but they realized pretty soon that they were no match for the horrors of the Abyss and closed the wells connecting Eldrich with the Abyss to ensure the safety of the denizens. I’m not sure about the interest of the wizards of this era, but even if they aren’t aware, curiosity would inevitably lead them to exploring it if they ever found the well leading to the Abyss. And that would be detrimental for both you and the world,” Voidslayer replied.
“That still doesn’t explain why you said I couldn’t afford to let the ugly face escape to the Abyss,” Val said.