Chapter 369: The Girls in the Mirror (Subscribe Please)

"What?"

Valentina froze. After being scolded, her slit pupils dilated, and she stared at Herbert with round eyes.

"You… you told me to get lost?"

She was dumbfounded.

He told me to get lost?

He told me to scram?

He…

"Herbert!!?"

Valentina's eyes went wide, and she shouted in bewildered disbelief: "You told me to get lost?"

You!!?

After being coldly scolded by Herbert, Miss Hungry Dragon was seized by an anger beyond reason.

Angry.

Very angry!

As a 【Berserker】, her fury was terrifying!

The demonic flames she spewed could incinerate her enemies, her claws could tear them apart, and her body was enough to crush them into a pulp of meat paste!

But that raging dragon, fierce enough to make every enemy tremble, when facing Herbert, showed none of the fury she displayed toward others.

Instead… a deep, aggrieved grievance.

Tears fell uncontrollably from her big eyes, plip-plop, plip-plop.

Tears streaming down her face, lips pouting, she questioned him loudly in sorrow: "Don't you love me anymore?"

"After Wendy, are you going to leave me too!?"

"Are you going to abandon me too!?"

And after Herbert fell silent, Valentina took a deep breath and clenched her fists.

"Mm…"

She didn't throw a tantrum at Herbert, didn't unleash her tremendous violence, but like a child about to be abandoned, she slumped to the ground, weakly pleading.

"Herbert, don't leave me behind, okay?"

"I'll be good! Really!"

"Please don't abandon me!!!"

Seeing that Herbert still wouldn't respond, Valentina simply lay down on the ground and began crying and throwing a fit in grievance.

"Herbert! You big idiot!!!"

"Big idiot!!!"

"I'm not talking to you anymore!"

"I don't like you anymore!"

"Don't like you anymore!"

Herbert listened in silence, his gaze lowered as he watched the scene, feeling the skin of his face twitch slightly a few times.

"Sigh…"

This trial was going to be a bit more troublesome than he had imagined.

Even if the scene before him was fake, it still shook his heart fiercely.

Even though Herbert knew perfectly well in his heart that this was merely an illusion, a shadow formed from his own impressions, he still couldn't bring himself to be cruel to her.

The key was, throwing a tantrum on the ground and begging him not to let go like this—other monster girls might not be able to do it, but his dear Miss Hungry Dragon… might very well.

She really could do it.

At this point, it was a bit too real…

"What am I supposed to do with this? Honestly."

Herbert rubbed his temples with a headache, feeling he was now stuck in a dilemma.

Pay attention to her? Or ignore her?

He hesitated.

Paying attention would indeed stop her crying and wailing.

Herbert could see the problem in this at a glance.

Obviously, the more he interacted with "Valentina," the deeper he would fall into the trap of the 【Silence and Cacophony】 trial, sinking further and further into this Illusion.

But ignoring her…

Herbert was silent for quite a while, then finally clicked his tongue helplessly and let out a long breath.

"Tsk! Sigh…"

After making up his mind, Herbert strode forward and gently crouched down before the puddle of Hungry Dragon lying on the ground.

Looking down at Miss Hungry Dragon, who was still throwing her tantrum, he said helplessly: "Alright, stop pretending, I'm still right here."

"Herbert, you big… mmh!!?"

The Hungry Dragon, who had been wailing the second before, suddenly stopped, looked up at Herbert crouching beside her, her eyes full of unease.

Her mouth moved, but in the end she said nothing, turned her head to the other side, and let out an angry snort through her nose.

"…Hmph!"

However, because she had been crying so hard just now, her nose was not clear at this moment, clogged with clear snot.

And so, a bubble was born.

It swelled, and then, pop—one bubble vanished.

Herbert watched the comical scene unfold with his own eyes, his expression nearly slipping; he bit down hard on the tip of his own tongue to hold it in.

"……"

At that moment, a sudden pang of regret welled up in his heart — wait, why did I even bother with her?

He drew a deep breath, suppressed the regret in his heart, and said softly, "Why did you turn your head away and not look at me? Didn't you not want me to leave you behind?"

"Because you're a bad guy!"

Valentina's "I'm ignoring you" lasted barely any time at all; she immediately turned her head back, glared at him, and said, "You big meanie with the rotten heart!"

"Yes, I am."

Herbert laughed when he heard that, frankly nodding in admission, then asked, "I'm the big meanie in your mouth, so — do you not like me anymore?"

"……I do like you!"

Valentina's lips pouted even higher as she complained, "You're a big meanie, I'm a big dummy, so why should I still like you? Hmph, hmph…"

Even knowing Herbert was a rotten-hearted fellow who sometimes liked to tease her, the Hungry Dragon Young Lady still loved him deeply.

After complaining for a while, she pressed her lips together, sniffed, and tentatively asked, "Then… do you still like me?"

Herbert looked at Valentina, whose tears at the corners of her eyes had not yet dried, and without hesitation, he nodded decisively.

"Love."

He gazed at Valentina, whose face had lit up with joy; his eyes held a love and indulgence so thick they could not be dissolved, and he said softly, "I love Valentina deeply, more than anyone else — this is a fact that will never change."

He looked at Valentina, who had broken into a smile through her tears; a smile also flashed in his own eyes, and before she could speak, he continued, "Even if what appears before my eyes is nothing more than an illusion, I still love you deeply."

Was Herbert blinded by Valentina's illusion? Did he not know the person before him was fake?

He knew. He knew everything.

Even at this moment, he still maintained his own reason and clarity, not affected by the Illusion in the slightest.

She was Valentina, but also not Valentina — only an illusion wearing her appearance.

"But… an illusion is, after all, just an illusion."

He gazed at Valentina with deep affection, whose expression had frozen, his voice still gentle, and said softly:

"What I need to do is end this trial, then go to you — the real you — and truly embrace you."

Valentina's illusion gazed silently at Herbert, pressing her lips tightly together.

Tears fell once more.

Plip-plop, the teardrops gradually linked into lines, streaming down from both cheeks.

"Alright, stop crying."

At that moment, Herbert — who had just made his "heartless declaration" — knelt on one knee before Valentina's illusion, raised his hand, and indulgently ruffled her hair.

"I'm right here."

In the end, Herbert's heart softened after all, and he made contact with the illusion.

Herbert knew that as long as he made contact with her, he would sink deeper into this Illusion.

He knew everything.

But he still did it, regardless.

Even if it was only the illusion before him, she was still the Hungry Dragon Young Lady he loved.

To hell with whatever trap it might be.

She's crying here, and I can't bear to watch — that reason alone… is enough.

……

At the same time.

The Hungry Dragon Young Lady, slumbering within the Endless Labyrinth, let out a great big yawn and, with no regard for her image, reached back to scratch her own bottom.

Her eyes still tightly shut, she ground her teeth and mumbled, "Herbert, you… big meanie… mm."

No one knew what kind of dream Valentina was having, but it made her let out a hum, purse her lips, and snarl viciously in her sleep-talk.

"You actually… yelled at me…"

"I'm not being nice to you anymore… hmph!"

……

"You really are a dummy!"

After being soothed by Herbert, Valentina's illusion pouted, shot him a resentful look, then flipped herself up.

She tackled Herbert to the ground, wordlessly burying her face into his chest and nuzzling hard against him.

"You…"

Herbert raised a hand to stroke her hair and said helplessly, "Even inside an Illusion, you still have to wipe your face on my clothes?"

You little Haki Dragon — even inside an Illusion, you still have to do this?

Fine if you wipe the oil from your mouth on my clothes, but don't use it to wipe your snot and tears… honestly.

Though he complained, Herbert did not resist; he quietly stroked Valentina's hair until she faded from sight.

After the illusion vanished, Herbert let out a long breath and shook his head, deeply weary.

"Phew…"

"If I can conquer even the real you, would I be afraid of the you in an illusion?"

Herbert had always worried about encountering some illusion that would press him for his secrets; he feared no forceful coercion.

But he discovered helplessly that he was simply not as cold-hearted as he had imagined.

His heart was too soft.

"Herbert, you hopeless soft-hearted fool," he complained, sitting up from the ground and looking around.

"A mental world?"

When Herbert opened his eyes again, he had not appeared within the Mirror Space, but his will had arrived inside an Illusion.

Although he had compromised with the "Shadow of the Hungry Dragon Young Lady," the Illusion remained — this trial had not ended here.

Then, after Valentina, whose phantom would appear next?

Just as he was thinking, a doting, soft laugh came from behind Herbert.

"My hero, you look full of doubt in your heart — have you run into some trouble?"

Herbert turned around without surprise, smiled at Fu Leimei's phantom, and nodded: "Yeah, I've run into a little bit of trouble."

The Mermaid Young Lady laughed lightly, swam over to his side, propped her chin on her hand, and asked: "Then, would you like me to help you?"

Herbert nodded at once, gazed at her, and asked tenderly: "Can you give me a hug right now?"

"Hmm?"

Fu Leimei blinked in some puzzlement, then smiled and nodded: "Of course, that's no problem."

She slid smoothly into Herbert's embrace, wrapped her arms around his waist, pressed her ear to his chest to listen to his heartbeat, and asked: "Did something happen?"

Herbert was not the sort of person who liked to show weakness or act coy — at least, that was what he himself claimed.

Asking for a hug so directly was still quite rare for him.

Herbert lowered his gaze to look at the Mermaid Young Lady, his fingers sliding lightly along the tip of her ear, stroking the wind-chime earring, and said softly: "I love you, Fu Leimei."

Hearing this utterly undisguised, direct confession, Fu Leimei was briefly stunned, raised her head to look at him, and saw the smile lingering at the corner of his mouth.

The Mermaid Young Lady blinked, then laughed as well, and nodded lightly: "I love you too, my hero — what on earth is the trouble you've run into?"

"I've encountered a trial, and I'm currently thinking about how to break the deadlock," Herbert murmured.

"A trial? What exactly is the content of the trial?"

The Mermaid Young Lady asked, but Herbert smiled and shook his head, not answering.

"Herbert? If you don't tell me, I won't understand, you know — you… hmm?"

She looked at Herbert, who was shaking his head in silence, seemed to understand something, glanced around at the surroundings, and fell into thought.

After a moment, she murmured thoughtfully:

"…Is it me?"

She loosened the arms wrapped around his waist and swam a circle around his body.

Fu Leimei's slender arms wrapped around Herbert's neck; she rested her chin on his shoulder, tilted her head, and whispered in his ear: "Herbert, I love you deeply."

"If this is a trial, then I will not become your obstacle."

"Even if it isn't a trial, I will never stand in the way of your going forward."

After saying these words, Fu Leimei's phantom slowly closed her eyes.

"My hero, please continue to march forward bravely."

……

Deep-Water Prison.

Fu Leimei, who was adjusting her alchemical legs, drifted off for a moment, blinked, and shook her head.

"I feel like… I zoned out for a bit?"

She yawned and stretched lazily, a little weary.

"I don't know why, but I keep feeling like he's run into some trouble?"

Fu Leimei thought about it with a vague sense of something, then broke into a smile and began humming happily.

"Well, whatever the difficulty is, my hero will definitely be able to solve it~"

She felt in a very good mood, and very much wanted to sing a song.

"Which song should I pick?"

"I'll pick 'My Hero'! I hope my hero can overcome all difficulties~"

Just as she was about to play, she suddenly changed her mind, and laughed with a shy face:

"Oh my, how about 'My Beloved' instead? I keep feeling like Herbert seems to love me even more now~"

……

"She really could leave on her own?"

Herbert felt the weight disappear from his shoulder and blinked in considerable surprise.

Fu Leimei's phantom, relying on her own will, was unwilling to become his obstacle and had taken the initiative to leave.

He recalled that when Valentina's phantom had disappeared earlier, it had also seemed to leave on its own accord after complaining.

These phantoms were not the "inner demons" Herbert had imagined, nor had they come to obstruct him out of malice — they seemed unaware of the fact that they were phantoms.

They truly believed that they were their "real selves."

"Then if that's the case… I think I know how to solve it." Herbert rubbed his chin, lost in thought.

And the phantom that appeared next was, as expected, Eliza.

Herbert looked straight at the vampire phantom that had just appeared and hadn't yet spoken, and said directly: "Hey, let's skip the nonsense — I have a favor to ask of you."

"Kneel."

Thud.

Upon hearing these words, the Vampire Young Lady, as if by conditioned reflex, offered no resistance at all — her knees simply gave way, and she dropped heavily to her knees before Herbert.

And only after she knelt and habitually opened her mouth did her eyes widen in belated realization.

Eh?

Wait, what just happened?

"You… mmph!"

(End of Chapter)