The Unbreakable Bond

Tang Wenxu thoroughly enjoyed the taste of the cocktail. It wasn’t just because the drink itself was delicious, but primarily because Kuroki Nao had bought it for him.

After finishing the cocktail, Tang Wenxu clicked his tongue, still savoring the taste. Seeing his contented expression, Kuroki Nao was equally delighted.

“By the way, Nao, how much was this drink?” Tang Wenxu suddenly asked.

“Guess?” Kuroki Nao playfully fluttered her eyelashes.

“Three hundred gold coins?”

“Wow, Master is amazing! You guessed it right on the first try.” Kuroki Nao looked at Tang Wenxu with adoring eyes.

The price Tang Wenxu guessed was indeed the right number; he only needed to add another zero to it.

“That’s way too expensive…” Tang Wenxu mumbled, a hint of exasperation in his voice.

“If Master likes it, any price is worth it. If you enjoy drinking it, I can bring you here every day, no problem,” Kuroki Nao said with a sweet smile.

“I’m not that shameless.” After speaking, Tang Wenxu suddenly felt a strange sense of déjà vu.

Huh? Why does it feel like this conversation has happened before? He pondered. Ah, right—Karamanda! That handsome, powerful Mithril-rank adventurer. We had a similar conversation when he treated me to a meal once.

Speaking of which, he has the same beautiful red eyes as Kuroki Nao. And his personality seems quite similar to Nao’s, too. They must get along splendidly. Though it’s a bit shameful, if I could entrust Nao to him, I could finally rest easy.

Considering this, he hesitated for a moment. Then, as if making a firm decision, he adopted a serious expression and said, “Nao.”

“What is it, Master?” She tilted her head, looking at Tang Wenxu.

“I have a good friend—a handsome guy, very strong, and a noble to boot. His personality is very compatible with yours.”

“And?” She was intelligent, instantly grasping her master’s underlying meaning. The sweet, happy expression that had graced the young woman’s face moments ago suddenly turned frigid, and the highlights in her crimson eyes gradually faded.

“Think about it, a young woman eventually needs to marry and have children, right? I believe you might find greater happiness with him.” The atmosphere suddenly became icy. Tang Wenxu felt a surge of awkwardness, intending to explain his thoughts to Kuroki Nao gradually.

“Oh.”

At that moment, no matter what Tang Wenxu said, it felt as though she couldn’t hear him. She felt betrayed; her master was actually planning to introduce her to a stranger.

“Are you tired of me? Do you want to abandon me?” she demanded, her voice sharp with accusation.

“No, that’s not it at all! I’ve never thought that way, Nao. Please, just listen to my explanation first.”

Kuroki Nao ignored his pleas, speaking over him. “Master, let me make myself clear today. I will only stay by your side for the rest of my life, going nowhere else. Don’t even think about getting rid of me.”

As she spoke, Kuroki Nao slipped her hand into her pocket, caressing the handcuffs. She always carried the item with her, feeling she would need it one day, though she never expected that day to come so soon.

Even if he hates me, I will keep him by my side forever.

“By the way, what’s the name of that man you mentioned?” Kuroki Nao asked with a seemingly pleasant, yet chilling, smile. She was still quite interested in learning the name of her imminent target.

“He’s called Karamanda.”

“What? Karamanda?”

Kuroki Nao froze, and the light returned to her crimson eyes.

“So, tell me, what’s so good about him?”

Seeing Kuroki Nao suddenly appear interested, Tang Wenxu felt relieved, though his relief was tinged with a complex emotion. He feared she might actually leave him, but for her happiness, he believed this was a necessary sacrifice.

He thought back to his brief time with Karamanda. “He’s the best person I’ve ever met. He’s gentle and knowledgeable; to me, he’s like an older brother. Nao, I’m doing this for your own good. If you were with him, you would surely be happy…”

He recounted his stories with Karamanda one by one. Listening to Tang Wenxu’s high praise for Karamanda, Kuroki Nao’s terrifying thoughts gradually dissipated. After all, Tang Wenxu praising Karamanda was, in a way, praising her.

This brought a flicker of joy to her, yet her face remained stern, like a block of ice. She emphasized again, loudly, “Even if that Karamanda-whatever is good, it has nothing to do with me! I told you, I will only follow you my entire life! I will never marry another man!”

Hearing her words, Tang Wenxu felt that he should be angry at her ungratefulness, yet he felt no such emotion. Deep in his heart, he hoped she wouldn’t leave him. It was a complex feeling: on one hand, he wished for her to find happiness, yet on the other, he dreaded being left alone.

Ultimately, the desire for Nao’s happiness won out. He sighed and said, “How can you be so willful? I just hope you can live a happy life like any ordinary girl, instead of wasting your youth with a good-for-nothing like me.”

“Master, you’re not a good-for-nothing! Why can’t you see your own strengths? You are the best Master, and only by staying by your side can Nao be happy!”

“I am poor, weak, and utterly useless. These flaws are enough to overshadow all my merits. You’ll surely endure much hardship if you stay with me. I want you to be happy.”

“Nao isn’t afraid of hardship! Master, even if it means crying by your side, that would still be a kind of happiness for Nao!” Kuroki Nao declared.

The master and servant fell into an endless argument. The more they argued, the fiercer their words became, and the deeper their bond grew, for they both loved each other from the bottom of their hearts.

Just as their argument reached a heated peak, the polite, yet somewhat ill-timed, bartender interrupted them.

The bartender approached Kuroki Nao, placing a pink cocktail, which looked even more expensive than the last, in front of her. He gestured to someone nearby and said, “Miss, this is ‘The Only One’ ordered for you by the gentleman over there.”

Kuroki Nao glanced over. Sitting there was a muscular young man in a tiger-skin coat, looking like a berserker, grinning at her.

“Ignore that bean sprout! Be my woman, and I’ll make you my only one!” the warrior-like youth declared possessively.

Kuroki Nao looked at the young man with disdain. Then, like a queen, she stood up with an indifferent expression, haughtily raised the glass, and slowly tilted it towards the ground, spilling every last drop of the drink onto the floor.