Love?

Olivia's soft eyes widened to the limit, then, "Hahaha!" through tears still flowing out, she laughed, she laughed harder than she ever had, curling up while holding her stomach.

Johan froze, 'Did the mental damage already take its toll…' his eyes tensed with worry.

Olivia wasn't the type to laugh. After her family's death, she never laughed. The only thing that made sense was… Olivia had gone mad.

"Th-That's so like you, I can read some of your thoughts you know!" Olivia dropped all formalities, her tone changing completely, as if she were talking to her child.

Johan's eyes narrowed, his face growing serious. 'Did she learn about… my secret?' He avoided thinking of it — that he was from another world, who parasitized the body of Johan — but she wouldn't laugh at that, would she?

"Tell me clearly," Johan said in a stiff voice, this time his tone a bit colder than before.

"Your first thought was that I was dying, your child was dying, which I appreciate… but after just a single thought, your mind directly went back to how you will exploit me, like you always have. How will my new body — that is equal to Miss Kirin's — help you win the coming fights more easily? How, due to my strong regeneration, I could be good bait to the monsters…" Olivia took a deep breath, then continued even more loudly.

"You even imagined how I could first be eaten by monsters, mushed to a paste, then regenerate inside their organs and kill the beast from within…" Olivia had stopped laughing, her eyes were red, tears still drying, but new ones threatening to gush out.

Johan's face went pale, his breathing heavy, as if his chest weighed 100 pounds. "I-I… fucked up, again." He felt like he had lost the ability to utter words.

After a single second of tense silence, Johan said with a shaky voice, "I am sorry?" He said it like he doubted his own words. Over and over again, why was he always so selfish?

The James he remembered was extremely selfish. If he could rob an old granny he didn't know out of a week's proper meals for his sister, he would — even if that old granny starved because of it. But the keyword was… for his sister.

And if the old granny was about to die of starvation, that James would definitely try to help out, because even if he couldn't do good, the least he wanted was to not cause massive harm.

'Is it… because of "his" memories?' Johan's mind froze. It did make sense. Only he wouldn't think of Olivia's pain and feelings, and instead make plans to use her as efficiently as possible. As long as she was alive, he would care more about the physical benefits and winning, rather than the mental damage someone might suffer from being eaten alive.

Olivia broke Johan's monologue. "Don't worry… I already know what kind of person you are, were, and will be. But… I need you, so let's just move on," she said through gritted teeth, staring down, not making eye contact with Johan — as she would definitely break down in tears, which she didn't want to. That would only make her less useful in Johan's eyes.

'Were all the promises that day, the day I imagined where our daughter could live with her father and mother in a small house in the countryside… a lie?' Olivia didn't want to think anymore.

'I will just endure, like always. If he wants me to get eaten, I will. I already handled burning alive, and survived…' Olivia sighed. She needed Johan, as she didn't know anything.

She could definitely feel a strange power in her body, but she vividly remembered what happened that day — the pain she caused, the pain she felt — now… it was gone.

It was Johan who saved her. She knew that. She also knew that he wouldn't harm her or her child, and even took care of her. There was no other option that ensured her survival — gave her a little bit of hope — more than this.

She did not matter anyway. She had no one. Kisabe would move on too. She had nowhere to go, nowhere to be, nothing to do. All that was in her life now was serving.

She thought this child could definitely end her emptiness.

'I was so stupid to even hope…' she bit her lips, closing her eyes, preparing to look up.

She would give a happy smile like she was supposed to give, and help Johan with whatever he demanded — be it sex, or being a tool.

Suddenly, Olivia's closed eyes widened to the limit, her breathing growing ragged.

Two strong, hard arms — one tightly wrapped around her soft waist, gently rubbing it — while the other rested on her neck, pulling her into a hard chest, and the scent of Johan.

She let go of her body completely for a reason she didn't understand, embracing the warmth she was feeling — something she hadn't felt for more than six years, something only her brother, mother, or father had ever given her.

'Do I still cling to hope… I am… so stupid.' Her hands tightly clenched the soft fabric of Johan's white coat, hiding her head under his wide chest.

"I will change… One day, we will live together — Acier, Kirin, Selene, Theo, you, everyone… You don't know this, or maybe you do, but… I do feel a strange connection to you. Like, I don't know what this is… but it hurts. It hurts when you say you don't matter, that you'll just endure like you always had. I do want to protect you…" Johan was whispering softly right into her ears.

"And the bait… I don't think I had the guts to act on it. My mind was just thinking of things… and I am sorry, again. I know it doesn't change anything… but I really mean it… I care for you. I care for your feelings. I do care. I don't know what this is, but I can't endure watching you suffer…" Johan's words came out broken, almost incoherent — but Olivia, she could feel every word.

And due to her mental connection with him, she could tell it wasn't a lie — not a lie at all.

"Hnghh! Mhgh! Sniff! W-What is it? What makes you care for… me?" she sobbed loudly, asking softly in the middle of the sobs, snot and tears soaking into the fabric of Johan's coat — but he could care less.

"…Love?"

A.N. = She was naked the entire time… I mean, kinda hot right? Or did I ruin the mood with this? Sorry sorry!

And one more thing — thank you so much Yue, this was the first time someone gifted something like a dragon, and you do know… no one forgets their first time. It really means a lot to me, Yue. I screenshotted it and saved it. Now whenever I feel demotivated, I'll stare at it.

Thank you :) I won't let you all down.

Discord: https://discord.gg/uXjPSCMwBZ

A lot of fun things here in the server like the philosophy channel, team roast nights, gaming weekends, book club, self-improvement club, anime club, music hub — just started yesterday so still building. You'll be the first members and pillars of this epic creative community I have envisioned. Of course, character art will be there as well… NSFW too ahem. There are many things, and we are evolving every day. Come here and join this journey too :)