Chapter 189: Who Are You Calling Tsundere!?
Chapter 189: Who Are You Calling Tsundere!?
Once Carmen arrived at the scene after hearing the commotion, the rest of the situation became simple.
After carrying away the unconscious traitor, Emmaia, Carmen didn’t say much to Steven. However, his expression became extremely solemn.
He remembered the name of every Inquisitor, and naturally, he recognized that this now fully monstrous individual was one of the names on the list that Steven had given him.
Now, with the undeniable truth before him, it also meant that the remaining names on that list were likely involved as well.
With a serious expression, Carmen sealed off all information about the incident before giving Steven a small nod and leaving the room. He didn’t even take back the lantern or the hand cannon from Steven. There were more urgent matters for him to handle.
Meanwhile, Steven walked over to the silent girl standing nearby, her head lowered the entire time. He reached out and nudged her shoulder with his elbow.
“Still thinking about what just happened?”
“Could it be that her thoughts became muddled because of the monstrous transformation? If you use your mysterious potion to heal her, maybe…”
“It’s useless. The transformation does make people more inclined toward the Church of the Deep, but you know just as well as I do—the more important thing is that she has already changed her entire way of thinking.”
Steven spread his hands and laid out the cruel truth for Irene.
He could restore Emmaia’s monstrous form back to human appearance, but the real problem was that Emmaia no longer saw herself as human.
Having completely accepted the ways of the Church of the Deep, she had already removed herself from the category of "human."
Steven had always said that the thing he was worst at was "fixing people’s minds"—especially when it came to matters of belief and thought. That was something he wanted even less to deal with.
This wasn’t something medicine or commands could change. Those who sought to control others' minds would ultimately be consumed by their own ambitions.
“I understand.”
Irene silently nodded and didn’t say anything more.
In fact, she was well aware of what Steven was saying.
She understood just how naïve her question had been.
“So, how do you feel now? Disappointed? Sad? Or just an indescribable pain?”
Steven looked at the now-silent girl in front of him and, as if trying to rub salt into the wound, continued to press her for an answer.
“I don’t know…”
Irene shook her head, her gaze unfocused and blank.
“Well, do you want to borrow my shoulder to cry on? Maybe it’ll make you feel better? At least, that’s what people say. Not sure if it actually works, though.”
Steven patted his shoulder and joked with Irene.
These were things she had to go through sooner or later, and only she could work through them herself.
He had never liked telling others how to live their lives.
Just like with Talulah before, he could only offer help as a friend and guide them away from unnecessary detours. But in the end, how they chose to live and which path they followed was entirely up to them.
However, just when he expected Irene to react the same way as before—punching his shoulder in frustration—she instead just glanced at him, then actually grabbed his arm and leaned on him.
Standing at barely 1.6 meters tall, she couldn’t even reach Steven’s shoulder. Instead, she could only rest her small head against his arm, looking completely exhausted.
"Do you know what your current state reminds me of?"
"What? The sorrow of a rabbit mourning a fox’s death?"
Rolling her eyes at Steven, Irene resisted the urge to punch him—not because she didn't want to, but because she was simply too exhausted to argue with him.
This guy had absolutely no intention of comforting her. Instead, he made her face the harsh truth head-on the entire time.
Shouldn't this be the moment when he showed some kindness and offered her some words of reassurance?
How could he still be in the mood to joke around when her closest friend had just been captured? Where was she supposed to find the energy to bicker with him now?
"No, you remind me of a delicate little bird clinging to someone."
"Look at you right now—so small, leaning on my shoulder like this. You’re absolutely adorable."
Steven flashed a bright smile. Given Irene’s current state, calling her a "delicate little bird" was actually quite accurate.
"I think you might be one of those so-called ‘loli-cons’ my superiors always talk about—some kind of pervert who likes little girls. That smile of yours just screams it."
Without hesitation, Irene stomped on Steven’s foot. She didn’t even bother looking at him.
Did this guy ever think about anything other than making fun of people?
"What? Don’t slander me like that. I actually prefer older women—you know, the kind who are more mature, knowledgeable, and understanding. That’s more my type. As for you… well, bullying you just feels more satisfying."
Steven raised an eyebrow.
Sure, cute girls were universally appreciated, but being labeled a "loli-con" was something he absolutely couldn’t accept.
He didn’t have the courage to claim such a title.
Besides, if he was being honest, he was more into the tall, long-legged, wavy-haired type—the kind of woman with an elegant and commanding presence.
He had zero interest in underdeveloped girls; it felt more like babysitting than anything else.
Hmm, now that he thought about it, his "daughter" actually fit his ideal type surprisingly well—if only she weren’t completely out of her mind. Otherwise, she would have been exactly his cup of tea.
"So you just admitted it, huh? You do enjoy bullying me!"
Irene shot him a glare but didn’t let go of his arm. Instead, she pinched the flesh on his arm hard.
Unfortunately for her, all she got was sore fingers, while Steven remained completely unfazed, not even bothering to react.
"This isn’t bullying; this is helping you grow into the person you’re meant to be. As an Inquisitor, your mindset needs to be mature. You have to think ahead, because you’re not just acting as yourself—you represent the Inquisition. You represent the Iberian people who depend on you."
Steven spoke with rare sincerity.
That was the most he could say on the matter.
Anything beyond this would just be meaningless chatter.
How much Irene could understand and take to heart was beyond his control.
"So, should I be thanking you then?"
"Of course!"
Steven puffed out his chest proudly, acting as if he hadn’t noticed the resentment in Irene’s tone.
"As if! You think you can earn my gratitude just for this? You should be glad I don’t hold a grudge against you instead. After all, it was you who exposed her, forcing her to reveal her true nature."
Though her words were sharp, Irene subtly tightened her grip on Steven’s arm, her expression carrying a hint of vulnerability.
"So… so…"
"So… thank you. Thank you for letting me see the truth."
Muttering in a voice barely louder than a mosquito’s buzz, Irene quickly released Steven’s arm.
In an instant, she reverted to the proud and spirited Iberian girl he had first met.
"Mmm, this is textbook tsundere behavior. It’s absolutely perfect."
Steven smacked his lips as if savoring a delicious dish before resting his chin in one hand and sighing in admiration.
"Tsundere?"
The girl tilted her head, unfamiliar with the term. But her instincts told her it probably wasn’t a flattering one.
"Mmm, it’s an outdated trope—hasn’t been popular in ages. But it describes your personality pretty well. Of course, you lean more toward the ‘dere’ side, which is why I still find it cute. If you took it any further, though, it’d just be annoying."
Now that they were talking about something in his area of expertise, Steven got excited.
With great enthusiasm, he explained the concept of "obsolete tsundere tropes" in detail.
All he got in return was a dramatic eye roll from Irene.
"So you’re saying I’m some unreasonable, temperamental girl?"
If she didn’t already know that his defense was tougher than a city wall, Irene might have actually considered biting him—hard enough to teach him a bloody lesson.
"Your tone just now was spot on, though."
Steven muttered under his breath.
To be fair, Irene was more stubborn than outright unreasonable.
If anything, her slight temper and occasional outbursts made teasing her all the more fun.
"You—!"
Irene inhaled deeply, deciding not to engage in another pointless argument.
She had long since accepted that she could never win a verbal spar against Steven—especially when he was deliberately provoking her for his own amusement.
Rather than waste time bickering, it was better to focus on more important matters.
"How much longer do you plan to stay in this town? Or did you return to Iberia just for this?"
The Inquisition was bound to be in chaos after receiving his list of infiltrators.
Purging traitors was never a clean process, and yet Steven showed not even the slightest hint of urgency.
Was he here just to mess around? Maybe run a little business on the side?
"If you must know, yes—I originally came back just for this. Maybe also to pet some cute little birds in my free time. But now…"
Steven stroked his chin, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"Now, I’ve got another thing to take care of."
"Like what?"
"Oh, you know—taking down a certain cult that’s been eyeing me with bad intentions."
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