Kaelxi gently placed Witt’s head on the sandy ground and adjusted his limp limbs into a slightly more comfortable position.
Witt gazed at her with grateful eyes and murmured weakly, “Kaelxi, you’re so kind.”
*Is this silly boy so starved for love?* Kaelxi thought. *The moment someone shows him a tiny bit of kindness, he’s overwhelmed with thanks. When I first met him, I was too gentle—maybe that’s why Witt fell for me…*
She silently labeled him again: *a little brat desperately craving love.* Though in her two lifetimes combined, she wasn’t much older than him.
“Don’t move yet. I’ll cut some cactus for you to eat,” Kaelxi instructed, then walked toward the cactus she’d pointed out earlier.
“Okay…” Witt replied softly.
Luckily, Witt had remembered to buy her a dagger when stocking supplies. She always kept it at her waist, so it hadn’t been blown away. Kaelxi drew the blade and sliced into the cactus. Suddenly, she glanced at Witt’s waist. His pouch lay intact there—meaning the sword hilt and Advancement Stone were still safe.
*If I just ask for the Advancement Stone now, he’d probably hand it over…* Kaelxi still craved it. That stone could turn Iron straight to Bronze! If she’d had Bronze strength during her clash with the Slave Catcher Squad—that one-sided beating—she’d have escaped long ago with “Stealth.” At Iron level, Stealth hid her completely, but any movement would reveal her instantly.
*But Witt mentioned this stone ties to family secrets… Could it be…*
*Only usable after joining their family?*
*So to take it from Witt, I’d have to marry him…*
*Marry Witt?!*
Kaelxi shook her head hard, banishing the absurd thought. She glanced back at Witt sprawled on the ground and resumed cutting the cactus.
*If I were truly Kaelxi, marrying him would be a great choice…*
*Kind, upright, brave, strong, pure-hearted…* She listed his virtues. *Tall, handsome, and great at earning money—he made several gold coins in half a year as an adventurer!*
*But I’m greedy, weak, fake, cowardly, hypocritical—just a bad person!*
*I might’ve even committed crimes in the Buchert Kingdom serious enough to shake the army!*
*How could I deserve Witt?*
*Pfft—not a bad woman, a bad person!*
*Marrying Witt? Impossible!*
*I’ll just buy the Advancement Stone from him…*
*Back then, I’d have stolen it!*
*But it must be expensive… Guess I’ll earn money in the Desert Kingdom—the legit way.*
As she thought, Kaelxi had already cut a large chunk of tender green cactus. She peeled it with her dagger, then carefully plucked each thorn with her delicate fingers before slicing it into thin strips. Though she never said it, she cared deeply about Witt’s future opinion—when he learned she’d followed him to escape the army. It wasn’t just that; perhaps she truly loved him a little, but she buried it deep. She was a bad person—and in her past life, even a man. Someone like her didn’t deserve Witt. Her subconscious insisted on that.
Kaelxi propped the weak Witt against her shoulder. He felt something softer beneath his head.
“Open wide, ah~” She fed him a strip.
“Kaelxi, stop—I’m not a kid,” Witt mumbled, biting down. He felt awkward, like a baby being fed by its mother.
“Chew slowly. I removed the thorns carefully, but some might be left,” Kaelxi warned, watching him chew vigorously. She worried about stray thorns pricking his mouth.
“I trust you, Kaelxi. I know you cleaned them all,” Witt said with a smile, chewing heartily. He believed in her completely.
*……* Being fully trusted by a fool didn’t feel great.
*But it’s not all bad…* Kaelxi hesitated to shatter his trust. Deceiving him brought such guilt. *If I could lie to him forever, he’d probably be happy…*
Silent, she fed him strip after strip. Witt ate with growing relish, finishing quickly.
“Is it that good?” His eagerness made Kaelxi curious about raw cactus. In her past life, she’d only eaten cooked cactus, never raw.
“This cactus is tasty! A bit sticky and slippery, with a grassy scent,” Witt said, swallowing the last bite and giving her a thumbs-up. “It’s sour, but since Kaelxi fed it to me, I only taste sweetness. Anything you feed me is delicious—like the rabbit meat last time.”
The boy clumsily poured out his feelings with simple words. Witt didn’t blush, but Kaelxi’s cheeks burned.
*A-again… another confession…* She turned her head away, avoiding his sincere gaze. Ignoring his words, she asked, “C-can you stand now?”
Witt nodded hesitantly and rose reluctantly. He’d wanted to stay longer—feeling Kaelxi’s warmth, hearing her heartbeat, smelling her faint fragrance beneath light sweat. Most of all, he sensed her genuine tenderness, unlike the fake version back in Cesecity.
Kaelxi and Witt resumed their journey to the Desert Kingdom. But her heart had shifted. She’d truly be kinder to this love-starved boy—even offering affection from the opposite sex, within her ability. At least until she decided to leave him, she’d treat him with genuine tenderness.
