I Put all my Stats into Charm - Chapter 29

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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I Put All My Stats Into Charm Episode 029

 

Jerome let out a trembling, low moan. His hand gripping my wrist was cold as ice.

 

“Haa, Lady Amerveer, stop…”

 

Oops. Did I touch him too much?

 

I quickly pulled my hands away from Jerome’s body.

 

He said he disliked physical contact.

 

When I hurt my ankle at the campsite, he carried me and treated my injured foot, so I had completely forgotten.

 

“I’m sorry. I was worried because I thought the Duke was hurt. I won’t touch you anymore.”

 

“Haa…”

 

Jerome let out a trembling breath.

 

But why are this man’s hands so cold?

 

When he wiped my feet at the campsite, Jerome’s hands were definitely warm. But now his hands were cold as ice and even trembling slightly.

 

That wasn’t all.

 

I could feel Jerome’s chest rising and falling rapidly against mine. The heartbeat I felt beyond his chest was beating fast and roughly, and his body was getting damp with cold sweat.

 

It was hard to say this was simply the reaction of someone who disliked physical contact.

 

“Duke?”

 

“Haa…”

 

Jerome still breathed out in pain.

 

I put as much distance between us as possible. Though the space we were touching didn’t really decrease, I wanted to lessen Jerome’s discomfort.

 

“Duke, I won’t do anything to you. And nothing will happen.”

 

I continued speaking in as calm a voice as possible to reassure him.

 

“If we stay here for half a day, the Imperial Knights will come to rescue us. So let’s just endure until then, okay?”

 

Could he even hear what I was saying? Jerome’s breathing was still rough and his hands were trembling.

 

Jerome’s condition showed no signs of improving.

 

I spoke to him soothingly.

 

“Duke. Can you try taking a deep breath through your nose?”

 

When he showed no response, I continued speaking.

 

“Duke, try following along. Inhale—”

 

I slowly breathed in through my nose. Then I felt Jerome’s chest against mine expand.

 

“Now exhale through your mouth. Exhale—”

 

“Exhale…”

 

Along with the sound of Jerome’s exhale, his expanded chest deflated.

 

After confirming he was following along well, I calmly moved to the next step.

 

“Let’s repeat what we just did.”

 

I slowly repeated inhaling and exhaling.

 

As Jerome also followed me in repeating the breathing, his cold, trembling hands gradually began to stabilize. I could feel his rough breathing calming down too.

 

“Are you okay now?”

 

“…I’m fine.”

 

Jerome’s voice was calmer than before.

 

“Then could you let go of my wrist?”

 

“Ah.”

 

Jerome removed his hand that had been gripping my wrist.

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

“It’s fine. I’m the one who should be sorry. I didn’t think you would dislike physical contact that much.”

 

“It’s true that I dislike physical contact. More precisely, I can’t stand others touching my body.”

 

Wait. It’s okay for him to touch other people, but not okay for other people to touch him?

 

Isn’t this a double standard?

 

I narrowed my eyes and glared at Jerome.

 

Though I couldn’t see anything.

 

Then Jerome calmly continued speaking.

 

“…But Lady Amerveer is fine.”

 

“What is?”

 

“Touching, being touched. With ordinary people, even this much would be difficult. But Lady Amerveer is fine.”

 

Suddenly my head felt fuzzy.

 

What, saying it like that makes it seem like I’m getting special treatment.

 

Being “fine” probably means tolerable, not that he likes me as a woman.

 

Even knowing it was just something he said without much meaning, I felt ticklish and scratched my cheek.

 

Let’s not overinterpret. He probably just feels close to me.

 

In that case, I should reciprocate that closeness, as is proper.

 

“Well… I’m fine with you too. The Duke smells nice, has a handsome face, and a firm body… no, warm, and so on.”

 

“…What do you mean by that.”

 

Ah. Did I ramble a bit?

 

I reorganized my words for Jerome’s sake.

 

“What I meant was, you can touch me without feeling burdened!”

 

Jerome coughed quietly. It felt like heat was rising from his body against mine.

 

Thinking about it again, my words might be open to misinterpretation.

 

“I don’t mean you can touch me anywhere anytime, but I’m okay with the Duke’s body touching mine.”

 

My words seem to be getting stranger and stranger. If I didn’t wrap up this atmosphere, it would definitely become awkward.

 

“So in conclusion, I wanted to say you don’t need to feel uncomfortable around me.”

 

“…”

 

Silence flowed.

 

Since I couldn’t even see his face and the surroundings were quiet too, the momentary silence felt long.

 

What is he thinking?

 

Just as I was starting to feel anxious about his silence, Jerome opened his mouth.

 

“…I understand.”

 

Phew. My intention of wanting to get closer has been conveyed, right?

 

Still, this is significant progress.

 

Until recently, he didn’t even want to talk to me, so we’ve gotten much closer.

 

Could it be? Did I achieve a special condition?

 

With an excited heart, I activated my Charm skill.

 

[Activating ‘Charm’ skill.]

 

[Skill activation failed.]

 

[To activate the skill, you must achieve special conditions.]

 

Damn it, there’s still a long way to go!

 

Is it even possible to raise Jerome’s affection? Can I even go home?

 

My mood sank as anxiety and impatience washed over me.

 

Still, since Theodore said he would help, I had no choice but to pin my hopes on that.

 

Though I don’t know what Theodore’s last resort is.

 

Since I couldn’t spend time feeling gloomy until Lowell arrived, I spoke to Jerome to change the mood.

 

“Earlier when you killed the wyvern. How did you cut its neck so cleanly?”

 

Jerome’s sword wasn’t as large as Theodore’s greatsword. I was curious how he easily cut through the monster’s thick neck with an ordinary-looking sword.

 

“I used mana.”

 

Jerome can handle mana?

 

This is news to me?

 

“You knew how to use magic?”

 

“I have mana, but the usage is different from magic. When you flow the mana in your body into a weapon, the weapon becomes enhanced.”

 

Oh. I didn’t understand that at all.

 

I understand that it’s a useful skill.

 

“While I don’t have enough mana to become a mage, I can apply it in combat.”

 

“I didn’t know you could handle mana, Duke.”

 

“People of House Winston are born with a small amount of mana.”

 

Oh, I see.

 

Even though he borrowed the power of mana, Jerome’s movements during combat were extraordinary.

 

His fighting style was fast but not light, and every motion was restrained without any unnecessary movements. When attacking targets, you could see the concentrated power forged through training.

 

A combat style that extracted maximum efficiency with restrained power. Even someone ignorant of combat like me could feel that Jerome was an excellent swordsman.

 

“May I ask one more thing?”

 

“You may.”

 

“Who are you looking for that brought you all the way down to the South?”

 

Seeing how he even made excuses about investigating monsters to join the Imperial Knights, he was clearly desperately searching for someone important.

 

Family perhaps? Or a friend? A benefactor?

 

Don’t tell me…

 

I felt a chill.

 

‘The person he’s looking for isn’t a lover, is it?’

 

What if the reason his affection isn’t rising is because he can’t forget a past lover?

 

What if the reason Jerome fears getting close to me is to not forget the woman he loved?!

 

This actually makes sense!

 

That’s why he keeps pushing me away!

 

The words asking if the person he’s looking for is a lover rose to my throat, but I held back remembering Theodore’s advice not to act pathetically.

 

Let’s not be pathetic.

 

Let’s not be pathetic…

 

“By any chance, is the person you’re looking for a lover?”

 

Contrary to my will, my mouth moved on its own.

 

What a wretched mouth!

 

Are you planning to widen the distance I barely managed to close?

 

As I was regretting and hitting my lips, Jerome opened his mouth.

 

“Not a lover. It’s someone I met when I was young.”

 

Phew, I felt relieved for now that it wasn’t a lover.

 

Wait. He’s still looking for someone he met in the past? And he came all the way down to the distant South for that? This isn’t just any ordinary connection, is it?

 

Hey, it could just be a childhood friend he met when he was young. Or maybe some neighborhood uncle he met as a child.

 

As long as it’s not a woman, it’s fine, right?

 

“Wow, it must be a really precious connection.”

 

“It is precious.”

 

Jerome continued in a serious voice.

 

“So much that I can never forget for the rest of my life.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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