Chapter 332: Why Are You Rewarding Me?
As it turned out, Steven really was capable of getting along peacefully with Talulah.
And to achieve that, it was simple—he just withdrew his usual teasing smile, put on a rare trace of seriousness, and met the girl's eyes as she unknowingly walked right up to him.
"So," he said, "I'm back."
With a small shrug of his hands, Talulah froze for a moment, then gave a soft snort. But her body betrayed her, moving forward and wrapping him in a brief embrace.
All the sharp retorts she had prepared to throw back at him melted into unspoken grievance.
Talulah hadn't expected herself to feel so fragile.
His chest was so warm, and for an instant she wanted nothing more than to bury herself in his arms and pour out all the bitterness she'd been forced to endure lately.
"Alright, alright, let's leave the scolding for later. I brought some gifts for you all. Want to come to my place to take a look? Or do you prefer chatting in a spot where anyone could be watching us?"
Steven gently patted her head.
He didn't even need to guess—he knew this girl carried a weight far heavier than someone her age ever should. Now wasn't the time to press; it was better to steer things toward something lighter.
Besides, this crowded, grimy infected settlement was hardly the right place for conversation.
"You make it sound easy. Don't tell me we're supposed to hike all the way from here back to your little shack?"
Releasing her arms from around him, Talulah steadied her emotions, doing her best not to lose composure. Instead, she diverted the topic with a faintly skeptical tone.
"Ah, that's where you're underestimating me. I've been away for days, you think I wouldn't have learned a few new tricks?"
Steven shot her a mysterious grin, then reached out and took hold of Talulah and Alina's slender hands.
A silent rift opened beneath their feet, like a black hole tearing through space itself—and in the next instant, the three of them were swallowed whole.
It happened so quickly that no one in the camp even noticed the bizarre scene. To the outside world, the three simply vanished without a trace.
A wave of dizzying weightlessness followed. By the time Talulah and Alina came back to their senses, they found themselves standing inside the tiny matchbox-sized wooden cabin Steven had once built.
During his absence, Alina and Yelena would occasionally come by to tidy things up for him, so even after so long, the place remained spotless and free of dust.
Steven instantly felt the tension melt from his shoulders the moment he returned home. After spending time in places like Rhodes Island and Kazimierz, he couldn't help but miss the comfort of his own little shack.
No matter how refined those other places were, none of them felt as cozy as his home.
Moving about with practiced ease, Steven set water to boil and brought out a plate of snacks, placing them in front of the two still-dazed girls.
"Just how many secrets do you still have hidden from us?"
Talulah, already helping herself unceremoniously to the pastries, asked bluntly between bites.
After all, his shack was more than dozens of kilometers from the guerrilla fighter camp. Even if she or Yelena wanted to visit, it would take a significant trek. Yet in the blink of an eye, he had brought her and Alina straight here.
The pitch-black hole that had just opened beneath their feet—Talulah had seen it too, but as for the principle behind it, that was already beyond her understanding.
"That's a secret~ Why are you fussing so much? You're not even my girlfriend. What, are the snacks not enough to keep your mouth shut?"
Steven brought out three cups, happily poured in hot water, then leaned back contentedly in his fold-up food-stall chair.
Now, this was life—relaxing in his own little den, sipping plain boiled water.
Sometimes happiness really was that simple.
"The snacks are delicious, sure… but if possible, I'd rather you sponsor me a little instead…"
Talulah's hand paused midway.
For someone like her, fighting day and night alongside the Infected, delicacies like these were things she almost never got to eat. She knew full well that if it were just her eating, Steven wouldn't bat an eye no matter how much she had. But if she wanted to take some away, that's when he would get stingy.
That was why neither she nor Alina felt any guilt while eating here—this was basically just a "benefit package" Steven was providing. Being polite about it would only make things awkward.
But it also meant one thing: this guy had far more food stockpiled than she had originally imagined.
"You want me to sponsor you so you can feed the Infected? You might as well call yourself Jesus while you're at it."
Steven shot back irritably. She really didn't think about it—without giving something first, what kind of people would she raise in the end? He wasn't about to say it out loud, but he knew.
"No work, no food. If you want grain from me, fine. Pay up first."
Steven rubbed his thumb and forefinger together in the universal "money" gesture, giving her the same blunt, practical answer as always.
"The guerrillas do it properly. They pay in advance—trade minerals for grain. When I deliver to them, I don't even blink."
He even gave her an example, though he hadn't forgotten—Talulah was supposed to be his business adviser in these matters.
"Oh, and remember to check in with Patriot or Yelena when you get back. I asked you before to draft the mineral-for-supplies exchange ratios. You've finished that, right? It's a paid job, I won't shortchange you."
Talulah's only reply was a rare, drawn-out eye roll.
This guy still talked in a way that made her blood boil—but she couldn't find any solid reason to refute him. The truth was, he was right.
The guerrillas had probably traded for food precisely because they had noticed the growing numbers of Infected gathering, more than usual, and all of them starving.
"You said paid, huh? Careful, or I'll make you give me a foot massage as payment!"
Lifting her chin proudly, Talulah decided to set those thoughts aside for now. He was back, after all; she'd have plenty of time to quarrel with him later. No need to press the matter now.
"Eh? Why reward me? Even if you hadn't said it was your payment, I could still reluctantly give you a massage or two."
Steven narrowed his eyes at her with feigned excitement, rubbing his palms together suggestively.
"Get lost! Why are you so greasy all of a sudden? You've been gone so long—where have you been fooling around?"
Talulah glared at him again, then stepped closer. Wrinkling her nose, she leaned in and took a deep sniff.
But almost instantly, her smile vanished. Her expression darkened.
Of all things, the first scent she picked up from Steven… was that big white rabbit.
With eyes full of scrutiny, she glared at him. She knew perfectly well what the reason was—this guy had probably gone straight to that woman the moment he got back.
And judging by how strong the lingering scent was, the two of them must have been awfully close.
"It can't really be called a carefree trip," Steven was saying, completely unaware of how sharp the little dragon's nose had gotten. "I went to see the Iberian Sea, and also watched one of those so-called Majors in Kazimierz. The first was a pleasant surprise; the second was nothing but a miserable experience."
Still wrapped up in sharing his travel impressions, Steven hadn't even noticed that Talulah had already moved right up beside him.
"Oh?" Her eyes narrowed, her tone as sharp as if her longsword were already pressing against his chest. "Then maybe you can tell me—how was it, sticking so close to that pretty and adorable Miss Caster?"
"Hiss—well, how should I put it? Each has their own charm," Steven replied, forcing a smile. "Personally, I think being with the lovely Talulah is just as nice. The only thing is… maybe it's about time you went and took a bath."
Even with his slow reactions, Steven could hear from her tone that Talulah was more than a little annoyed. He had no idea why she'd suddenly started getting jealous over Yelena of all people, but for now, soothing her was clearly the best option.
That said, reality was reality. Yes, Talulah and Alina were both beautiful girls—and sure, they might once have been nothing more than 2D waifu characters who were loved by countless peoples—but after spending so long among the Infected in those rough camps, where proper bathing was basically impossible, it was only natural that they'd picked up a bit of a smell.
If anything, the only exception was Yelena. With her body's naturally low temperature, she's like a walking refrigerator, she carries only a faint, unusual fragrance. Talulah and Alina, though, inevitably carried some trace of odor.
"Hmph. So now you're complaining about us?" Talulah's face fell, the brief flicker of happiness from his earlier words gone in an instant. "That rabbit smells sweet to you, doesn't she? Why don't you just go running to her instead? Funny how you never seem to complain about her."
Of course she knew what he meant—she knew it all too well. But what was she supposed to do about it? In the camps, being alive was blessing enough. Bathing was nothing more than a waste of precious water resources.
"Ahem. What I mean is—I'll go boil some water for you two right now."
With an awkward laugh, Steven quickly scrambled for an excuse, retreating to prepare hot water for their bath.
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