Chapter 31

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Chapter 31

For a second, Dustin looked at his hand that was pushed away, then he met Andra’s eyes and looked at her as if asking what the problem was. Seeing his relatively calm expression, Andra felt her patience crack once more.

“Are you really asking because you don’t know?”

That hand. Andra pointed to Dustin’s hand, which was hanging there as if he was about to reach out to Andra. Her voice suddenly became heavy.

“It’s annoying.”

A hardened face spoke coldly. Dustin knew that face well—it was the expression she made whenever she thought she was being underestimated.

“What?”

“It’s terribly annoying.”

Andra Avellin was a woman who had an aristocrat’s pride, a scholar’s pride, and with both together, she had a high self-esteem. In other words, she was sensitive to propriety just like those who had their snobbish noses up high. For that reason, Andra could hardly stand still when her self-esteem was bent or slighted.

“You’re treating me like an idiot who can’t do anything.”

Dustin frowned at her sharp tone.

“I didn’t know that trying to help suddenly became an act of treating someone else like an idiot.”

He thought he was being as considerate as possible towards Andra, but when she said that he was treating her like an idiot, he felt taken aback. He had no idea why he felt that way. But unknowingly, he smirked.

Andra, on the other hand, stared at Dustin with a still displeased face.

“Don’t change the subject. You’re treating me like a fool. When you’re helping out with things that I can do on my own, it’s just making me out to be a fool.”

It was a resolute answer. Words wouldn’t work on her at all.

“…I’m going crazy.”

Dustin ruffled his hair roughly.

During that time, he had reached out to Andra about ten times at most. He was also taking into account Andra’s physical condition. If he really was trying to treat Andra like a fool as she said, he would have just carried her around like a piece of luggage.

He didn’t necessarily need to ask.

“Do you really have to say it that way? You could just say you don’t need help.”

“I said so. I just didn’t think you’d hear it.”

Dustin sighed inwardly at the sharp tone.

‘Here we go again.’

To Dustin, Andra looked like she was trying to force things her way. She was blaming him just because she didn’t like him.

The reason was obvious. For the past two days, they had been moving forward without rest yet with no results yielded, so she must have accumulated quite a bit of frustration. In order to solve that frustration, she just chose him as the recipient of her anger.

Andra was rude and mad at Dustin when she didn’t have to.

In fact, Andra had several records of annoying Dustin for no reason when they bumped into each other back then. Of course, they didn’t necessarily need a reason to hate each other, just that they weren’t close friends.

“Are you trying to pick a fight?”

“I must look like I’m picking a fight right now, but there’s no point in fighting with you in this situation, is there? Dustin Airak, do I look like someone who can’t tell the difference?”

“Then what should I do? Andra Avellin, what do you want?”

“…What do I want? Do your ears even work or did you not even listen to what I’ve said so far?”

Andra was dumbfounded. Dustin’s brazen face made her sick. He started it first, and now he was pretending to be the victim. Anyone who’d see this would have thought that Andra started the quarrel with Dustin.

She couldn’t stand it any longer, and Andra shouted with a growl.

“You are making me out to be an idiot! Like a fool who can’t do anything! How many times do I have to say it for you to understand?”

“I’ve never done that, so don’t say anything like that.”

“You made me say it.”

Andra barely resisted the urge to punch Dustin in the face right then. Her hand that was clenched into a fist shook. But if she wasted her magic like before, she would go into heat again and would try to covet him. That was something that she really couldn’t do.

‘After all, the blood of this lowly northern…’

Andra stared at Dustin for a long time, but she then passed by him and started descending, one step ahead. She wanted to get away from him even just a little bit. She accelerated her descent below. She had a hard time balancing herself on the steep decline, but it wasn’t something she couldn’t do. If it got difficult for her, she could just use magic instead.

Meanwhile, Dustin hurriedly followed Andra’s downward route. Her steps were hurried, as if she was about to trip at any moment. Anyone who’d see it would get anxious. Dustin quickly pressed down on the rising curse words, swallowing them down as he hurriedly followed Andra down.

Was I treating her like a fool who can’t do anything?’

Dustin was speechless. It was clear that Andra didn’t know herself. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have said any of this to him. Others looked at Andra as if she would fly if the wind blew. With that, her behavior was more unstable. Did she even know that she had a mild fever?

‘Damn it, if you move like that, you’ll fall off at any moment!’

After a while, as Dustin expected, Andra tripped and stumbled. Her body slanted heavily, and as soon as she was pulled down, he caught her right away. But it was a cold rejection that came. Andra groaned and pushed Dustin’s hand away.

“Who asked for your help?”

And that was a decisive blow to Dustin’s temper. He saved her, but instead of thanking him, Andra shot back with hostility.

“If you don’t throw away that arrogance of yours for a moment, you’ll die, Avellin. I told you not to act foolishly.”

“Foolish? Will an Airak die if they don’t do anything they want and tease people? Did I ask you to help? Why are you coming forward?”

“If I hadn’t caught you, you’d have fallen down, broken your neck and died already. What good is that high pride if you’re dead?”

The conversation between the two became increasingly harsh. It was the same as in the past, where they fought and fought only to bite each other. Luckily in the past, there were people around who would notice them, so they were semi-forced to restrain themselves, but now it was just Andra and Dustin—only the two of them. The uncontrolled conflict began to escalate.

“Stop being arrogant. In such a situation, there’s nothing left to be proud of. You’re the problem. Maybe your good head doesn’t work as well in situations like this?”

“Are you done talking now? How dare an ignorant and vulgar bastard like you speak of my pride? Do you think you deserve to say that to me? Who started it first!”

“You’re the one who started first. Am I not allowed to do things? And why the hell do you think I’m treating you like a fool?”

Andra raised her fist halfway, barely keeping her senses, then pushed Dustin down.

“Alright, I’m not talking to you anymore. Go away!”

She was agitated.

Andra admits that she’s now feeling agitated. Now that she fell out of the crew with her body intact, she knew well that it was not good for her to get consumed by emotions like this. It’s not enough to think of escaping the dungeon by cooperating with Dustin

She decided to leave this place at once. Seeing her getting away from Dustin would have cleared up her head that a mess filled with agitation.

“Andra Avellin!”

Unfortunately, Dustin quickly followed Andra. He said that he must listen to an answer, and he moved his long legs and blocked Andra’s front in an instant. He was holding her arm tightly to stop her from avoiding him.

“Let go!”

Andra glared at Dustin at the strength of his rough grip. This bastard is proud of his strength.

“Say it. Why the hell did you think that I’m treating you like that? I really don’t know.”

“…Do you think that I am a fool with no limbs? I guess you think I’m the one who needs to move under your protection—don’t make me laugh! I can use my own body. Even if I am a novice in the dungeon, it’s not that I have to rely on you.”

She eventually responded by using her magic to shake Dustin’s hand away.

“Dustin Airak, do you think I don’t know what you feel? You just want to show off to me. By treating me with such ignorant consideration, you’re making it seem like you’re the only one I can rely on here.”

Andra gave some thoughts about Dustin’s unnecessary consideration. Why was he giving her consideration that he didn’t normally do? Then, why did he look at her with a displeased face for not accepting the consideration?

Andra developed many hypotheses and, after reflecting on it, she was able to come up with the one that seemed most plausible, the one closest to the correct answer.

“After all, you just wanted to tell me that I am inferior to you.”

Andra shot at him with an exasperated voice, and Dustin just stared at her with a hardened face.

“Do you really think so? That I am showing off?”

“There’s no other explanation about your behavior. The help you try to give me is similar to sympathizing with a beggar. What more should I think here? I’d rather you just act the way you used to. Ignore me, don’t care about me, go about your own way.”

Like before?

Dustin’s eyes darkened at those words. After all, Andra was right. Because Dustin’s demeanor towards Andra now was different from before. In the past, he would have just ignored Andra and would have just gone his own way, rather than holding on to Andra and continuing the conversation.

Thinking that she was a dog barking somewhere.

But not anymore. Dustin didn’t want to do that anymore. He didn’t want to ignore Andra.

But he couldn’t spit out what was on the tip of his tongue. Dustin shut his mouth and stared at Andra. Andra maintained her sharp tone even at that moment.

“Again, Dustin Airak—don’t treat me like a fool who can’t do anything. Because I know my job well.”

Don’t get too close. Andra cut it off there by pulling away from Dustin. Leaving Dustin unwilling to move and standing still, she began to descend down the slope alone.

Andra, just as she had warned Dustin, climbed down without anyone’s help. She didn’t tumble or roll down, although she looked unstable the entire time as if she was going to fall. She reached the ground with her whole body intact on her own feet. Seeing this, Dustin felt strange.

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