CHAPTER 182: THE HUG HE DOESN’T REMEMBER

Just look at that hair that was seemingly drained of its shine, those drooping ears, and a head hung so low it might as well be buried underground... If they were having this conversation in the rain, it really would look like a heartless scumbag had just broken the heart of some pitiful soul.

The scumbag was him. The pitiful soul was Drow.

Tsk, the déjà vu was overwhelming.

The light elf quietly reached for the cup on the table and took a tactical sip of water, trying to ease his own guilty conscience, though he didn’t even know why he felt guilty in the first place.

He absolutely couldn’t look at the dark elf anymore. Not even another glance!

If he looked again, he was a dog!

Illiya lowered his gaze, staring only at the cup in his hand.

Ah, this pattern... kind of resembled the one on Drow’s clothing... Pah! Illiya realized what he was thinking and instantly felt like a mess.

His hand, still holding the cup, even trembled slightly, and the sudden movement caused water to splash onto his fingers.

Even though he knew that the water was warm, somehow, it felt ice-cold to him. That chilling sensation seeped right into the core of his heart.

So cold, so cold...

Could it be that the dark elf had actually started crying?

Illiya was filled with anxiety.

That idea grew wildly in his mind, like bamboo shoots after a spring rain, until it reached a point where he couldn’t ignore it any longer.

...All this mental chaos happened in just a few minutes.

When it came to their own kind, elves were always tough on the outside and soft on the inside, no exceptions.

Illiya, who had just imagined an entire basket’s worth of pitiful images of Drow, let out a sigh.

He still didn’t dare look directly at Drow’s face, he was afraid of seeing something he shouldn’t, something that would make the image of Drow in his mind even more fragile and delicate.

So Illiya simply chose to give Drow a hug. He didn’t say a word. Not even a single syllable came out of his mouth.

A hug, maybe that was the best gift he could give the dark elf in this moment.

That’s what Illiya thought.

Drow had still been in the middle of self-reflection, analyzing his own problems one by one so he could confess them all to his bonded partner later. But what he hadn’t expected was this inexplicable, warm embrace.

He froze.

And then, as he came back to his senses, he returned the hug.

All the chaotic thoughts that had been buzzing in his mind vanished in an instant. Gone. Every last one of them. Everything else was fake—only this hug was real.

Quietly, Drow leaned into the embrace just a little, the movement so subtle it was almost invisible. Even if it was felt, it would just seem like a natural gesture. That way, no one would ever suspect the real reason behind it.

Illiya didn’t hold the hug for long. He quickly released Drow and then awkwardly stood there, unsure of where to put his hands or feet.

Help—what had possessed him to do something like that?! And how had he been shameless enough to think it was a good idea?! Just thinking about it now made him want to dig a treehouse with his toes!

Unwilling to deal with the situation any longer, Illiya chose to flee.

He stiffly patted Drow’s shoulder, then turned around and bolted from the scene—without so much as looking back.

So awkward, so awkward, so awkward...

Help me, ahhh!!!

Drow, of course, couldn’t hear the turmoil in Illiya’s heart. He simply straightened up following Illiya’s movements and felt the sudden weight on his shoulder, Illiya had just encouraged him.

As expected, Illiya was still the one in this world who understood him best. Illiya was also the gentlest, most tender person in the world.

Whether in his previous life or in this restarted one, Illiya hadn’t changed a bit. Maybe the only one who had changed was himself. Despite having lived an extra life, he still acted like a stubborn child who couldn’t get his candy.

He really couldn’t go on like this.

Now that he had received encouragement from his own bonded partner, what reason did he have not to try and become better?

Drow silently cheered himself on and, through the thick filter he wore for Illiya, completely beautified all of Illiya’s earlier awkward movements.

Illiya was the best elf in the entire world. No one else even came close.

After Illiya ran out of the room, he immediately tried to toss everything that had just happened to the back of his mind.

If he allowed himself to think about any of it, he’d genuinely die of embarrassment from his own actions.

Let’s not even mention his god-tier overthinking, just the fact alone that he hugged the dark elf...

A hug was the best comfort he could give the dark elf?

Nope, nope, no thanks, he was getting goosebumps just thinking about it.

He wasn’t the dark elf. He had no right to speak on behalf of the dark elf!

Damn it.

Illiya rubbed his arms and silently cursed himself. He’d already told himself not to remember it, so why was it still replaying in his mind?

This made no sense.

Ahhh! He couldn’t think about it anymore!

Illiya shook his head vigorously, as if trying to physically shake away all memory of the past few minutes. But it was all in vain.

Now, what was it he had to do again?

Oh right, he was supposed to go find Sebastian. Yes, that was it. He was on his way to see Sebastian. That hug he gave the dark elf? He totally didn’t remember doing that.

Which meant... he obviously did remember.

Illiya practically jogged all the way to the study in the Demon King’s Palace.

When he finally arrived at the study’s doorway, he felt a strange sense of déjà vu, as if an eternity had passed since he’d last been here, even though he’d just come not long ago.