Did Selim only act that way because Sophia startled her?
Yes, and no.
Selim wasn’t all-knowing. For example, the only reason she knew about the caravan this time was because she remembered clearly that, in the game, this event happened just before winter set in.
If a Player didn’t wear warm clothing, they’d even get a movement speed -5% debuff.
If Sophia opened the Charm Bag, Selim was ninety-nine percent sure Sophia could complete the task she set and come back unscathed.
If Sophia insisted on her own way, it only meant Selim had overestimated her, and she’d be a little disappointed before finding another method.
After all, an idiot wasn’t worth paying attention to.
She couldn’t fully predict what Sophia would choose, nor when she would return to report.
What’s done is done. She might as well eat first.
She really had been startled when Sophia barged in so suddenly.
But seeing her unharmed, Selim realized she hadn’t been let down, and she breathed a sigh of relief. On a personal level, she didn’t want a character she liked to get hurt.
Life was like a stage. Everyone had to play their role well, and Selim just happened to wear two faces.
That clumsy scene, choking on a pastry, blushing, and gulping down tea, was her impromptu performance.
All just to lower Sophia’s guard.
If someone in power was too forceful, the onlookers below would unconsciously see them as the embodiment of authority.
Distance created awe and a sense of belonging.
That might be fine for the crowd, but for an individual, brute power couldn’t buy true loyalty.
When someone in power revealed their human side, it actually made those below feel a sense of kinship.
But the relationship between Selim and Sophia was even more unusual.
Love bred longing for freedom, but mistreatment bred loyalty.
In other words, what people in her past life called PUA.
Right now, she didn’t want loyalty forced from Sophia, but heartfelt devotion.
Sophia might look like a profit-first sort, but she was still a girl with real feelings.
And at her core, she was lonely.
All Selim needed to do was create chances to tease Sophia, to become an unforgettable part of her memories.
Not only would she enjoy it, but it would help keep Sophia by her side.
Why not?
Sophia stared at Selim, eyes wide, lips parted, blank and unable to control her expression as she watched Selim pat her own thigh.
She stared for a few seconds, wanting to say something, but the words stuck in her throat.
In the end, she could only blurt out dryly, “I’m not a child, you know.”
“You know what I want.”
Hearing this, Selim went into full performance mode, folding her arms and speaking shyly, “Not a childish topic? Isn’t… isn’t this a bit fast?”
“Miss Selim, please don’t make fun of me again.”
Sophia bowed her head, avoiding her gaze.
“Ah, so dull.” Selim covered her mouth and coughed a few times, her voice tinged with grievance.
“Sophia, after seeing me in such a sorry state, you won’t even apologize?”
Sophia took a deep breath and said, “Sorry, Miss Selim. Circumstances forced me—I was out of line.”
“It’s fine. I’ve already forgiven you. We’re friends, after all, aren’t we?”
At the word “friends,” Sophia nearly lost her composure.
Since her apology just now, she’d felt a tinge of regret after all, she’d come with the attitude of negotiating a deal.
The farce had dulled what should have been a tense confrontation, and the first to apologize had, invisibly, lost some ground.
But the deal still needed to be discussed. So, Sophia, enduring the strange atmosphere, was the first to speak.
“You”
“Come on, carry me to bed. Sitting in a wheelchair all day has worn me out.”
Before Sophia could say a word, Selim cut her off forcefully.
Sophia instinctively glanced around the room, doubting her senses and wondering if she’d missed a third person, if someone else was present, this private negotiation would be impossible.
But after searching for some time, she found no one else. Only Selim, watching her intently, lips parting and closing.
“What are you looking for? Is there someone here besides us?”
“This is our private date~”
Sophia clenched her fists, then slowly relaxed them, speaking each word clearly:
“Miss Selim, I’m not your servant.”
“You could be.”
Selim propped her head up with one hand and said, “Calling me Miss Selim sounds so distant. If you like, you can use a more intimate term.
“Like…”
“Master?”
Sophia realized she wasn’t a match for Selim in verbal sparring. If this went on, who knew what identity she’d be forced into.
So she walked up to Selim, put on a stern face and said, “Just this once.”
“Hm?”
Selim didn’t care at all. Instead, she opened her arms, ready to be carried.
When Sophia picked her up princess-style, Selim immediately wrapped her arms around Sophia’s neck like a snake, resting her cheek lightly against her chest, snuggling obediently.
Sophia felt like she was holding a soft, wobbly jelly.
Soft and delicate, and incredibly comfortable to hold.
It was her first time holding a girl like this, the first time she’d felt this warmth and faint fragrance from a girl’s body,
and the shallow breaths on her chest made her heart beat even faster.
Suppressing the strange sensations in her body, Sophia slowly carried her over to the big, soft bed.
But even after Sophia put Selim on the bed, Selim’s arms around her neck didn’t let go.
Bent over, their eyes met, and Sophia spoke: “Such decadent luxury. Does one person really need a bed this big?”
“But my legs don’t work well,” Selim replied confidently. “A small bed just won’t do.”
“It’s only on a bed that I can relax, feel safe. Besides, isn’t it romantic to exchange secrets on a bed?”
With that, Selim let go and lay down.
“Hmph. Childish.”
Task done, Sophia tried to leave.
Selim reached out to stop her. Under Sophia’s puzzled gaze, Selim suddenly laid her head on Sophia’s lap, closing her eyes to enjoy the softness of a knee pillow.
“You!” Sophia was about to lose it.
Before she could, Selim spoke first, a lazy note in her voice, “Bring the Bead here, let me think about what I can give you.”
This pushy girl… I’ll endure!
Sophia clenched her jaw, took the Bead from her pocket, gripped it tightly, and stared into Selim’s red eyes: “Want it? Then tell me the truth about the Imperial Guard.”
Selim nuzzled against her leg, found a more comfortable spot, and squinted her eyes. “Sophia…”
“Have you… heard the story of the firefly drawn to the flame?”
“When faced with the glorious light of the full moon, what can one do? Some things you’ll know in time, but not now.”
“If that’s your answer.” Sophia raised the Bead high, eyes sharp, staring into hers. “Then this deal is over.”
“Deal?”
At that word, as if deeply wronged, Selim forced a few tears from her eyes, looking heartbroken as she said,
“Sophia, I thought we were friends, sharing our secrets here.”
“Just thinking that my friend might get hurt makes my heart ache.”
“But I’m just an ordinary person—this was the only option I had.”
Selim wiped her forced tears with her sleeve and continued:
“I thought if I showed my true heart, the other person would understand… Seems I was just fooling myself.”
Selim’s voice was thick with grievance and disappointment, her shoulders trembling as if she were truly heartbroken.
Sophia, who’d held the Bead high to keep it from being snatched away, suddenly felt her strength drain, and her hand slowly fell.
The Bead rolled down to where Selim could easily reach it.
Selim caught the hesitant look and falling hand from the corner of her eye.
She knew her performance was working, that Sophia’s defenses were weakening.
Selim didn’t reach for the Bead, but pursed her lips, sulking like someone bullied, and said, “That Bead is precious. If you want it, just take it as compensation.”
“Hmph! Who wants your broken Bead!”
Sophia tossed the Bead beside Selim in a huff, but didn’t let her guard down. She was ready to snatch it back if Selim showed any interest, confident she could regain control.
But Selim didn’t even glance at the Bead.
She just turned her head, shoulders trembling, curling up like a wounded little Beast whimpering.
Sophia had never seen her like this before, and for a moment was at a loss.
‘If she really wanted to threaten me, why use such a roundabout way?’
‘If not for the information she gave me, that Beast…’
‘Could I really have misjudged her?’
These thoughts surfaced uncontrollably, bringing with them a hint of hesitation.
Sophia’s gaze shifted back and forth between the Bead and Selim, and in that moment, she actually felt a twinge of guilt at her own victory.
The hard edge she’d shown in negotiation had softened before she realized it.
“Enough,” Sophia said, her voice holding a trace of compromise even she didn’t notice.
“Stop crying. It’s yours.”
“R-really?” Selim peeked at Sophia through slightly reddened eyes, sneaking a look at her face.
“Really.” Sophia, exasperated, picked up the Bead and handed it to Selim.
“Thank you.” Selim wrapped both arms around Sophia’s waist, pulling her face close to Sophia’s belly.
“When I awaken my Supernatural Power, let’s go on an adventure together.
“Until then.”
Her tone was intimate and brooked no refusal.
“Stay with me a little longer.”
Without waiting for Sophia to answer, Selim swallowed the Bead, still resting on Sophia’s knee pillow, and completely closed her eyes.
Watching Selim start to awaken her Supernatural Power right in her arms, Sophia’s eyes widened. Such an important event how could she trust someone she’d only just met to witness it?
But not wanting to interfere and possibly affect the awakening, Sophia dared not leave, and could only let Selim rest on her legs.
Staring at Selim’s beautiful face, like a sleeping beauty from a fairy tale, Sophia found herself momentarily entranced.
Then, as if realizing something, she quickly looked away and mumbled so only she could hear, “We’re both girls, what’s there to look at anyway…”
A little calmer, a tide of regret rushed in.
That precious Bead had been given away for free, she’d even handed it over herself.
Clutching her head, Sophia muttered, “Ah! I’m such an idiot.”