Monica interpreted Luke’s request as though she and Laila had somehow offended him the previous night. Maybe they did something to sour his mood or the way Laila had acted this morning...?

That was why, in her mind, Luke was suddenly asking for something he almost never did.

To sleep alone.

The thought completely caught her off guard and filled her with anxiety.

With teary eyes, she looked at him and asked, "Luke... do you hate me now...?"

Luke immediately grew flustered seeing her on the verge of tears. "What? No, of course not."

He answered without hesitation. "I will just be working late tonight, so I don’t want to disturb your sleep."

Monica blinked in surprise. "Working on what?" she asked, confused. Luke usually worked during the daytime, and rarely inside the house.

"Ah... actually, I will be preparing some medicine. Healing medicine."

He deliberately avoided mentioning tomorrow’s plan, knowing full well that telling her about the danger he would be facing would only burden her with unnecessary worry.

Luke did not dislike how deeply she cared about him.

But seeing her cry made his heart ache.

So yes, hiding a few things from his mate did not make him feel guilty at all.

"Hmm...you can even prepare medicine now, Luke? Can I help?" Monica asked eagerly. "I have never seen anyone prepare them before, and I’m really curious."

Luke smiled at the childlike curiosity shining in her eyes. It was rare to see her this excited about something, so he simply couldn’t bring himself to reject her request.

"Alright, you can watch. But if you start feeling sleepy, don’t force yourself to stay awake, okay?"

Monica nodded immediately. "Understood."

....

Not long after, the three men gathered around the table for dinner.

Gustav and Lex were discussing the public gathering scheduled for tomorrow.

Apparently, Gary had sent a messenger to every household earlier this morning to inform them about the meeting.

Naturally, they would be attending as well since the chief planned to explain more about the ambush and discuss what measures the village would take to prevent a similar disaster in the future.

Luke, however, had little interest in the conversation. Instead, he was currently speaking with the system about the dungeon and potion brewing.

’So you’re saying I can use Gamma Crystals to improve the quality of potions?’

[You have not learned about it yet because it belongs to the intermediate category of potion brewing. However, adding chunks of monster crystals would certainly enhance the potion’s quality.]

Luke hummed thoughtfully. It was certainly something useful to learn.

But then again, the only monster crystal he had obtained during his last raid came from that massive wolf, and hunting the creature down had nearly taken everything he had.

Naturally, he couldn’t expect to gather enough Gamma Crystals during the second raid to casually use them in potions.

The suggestion was good, but he knew it would only become practical once he reached the point where he could one-shot monsters like that wolf with ease.

’Speaking of that, I think it’s time I decide what to buy before the raid.’

The vest.

Should he buy it?

Honestly, the answer was obvious. Without another layer of protection, he wouldn’t be able to fight without restraint. He needed the assurance that even if something unexpected happened, he could survive a few surprise attacks before getting dragged into a death trap.

So yes, he might have to invest six hundred points into buying the vest.

"Luke," Gustav suddenly called out, "what are your thoughts on expanding the house a little?"

Luke hummed in surprise. "While I would appreciate having more space in my room, why the sudden suggestion?"

Gustav chuckled. "Your aunt and uncle are returning in a few days. That’s why."

Luke paused for a moment before humming in realization.

Right.

They had left on the very same day he was reborn into this world, so he had completely forgotten about them.

They did not actually live here. They only visited the family from time to time, which was why a separate room had always been reserved for the couple.

However, Ginna was currently staying in that room.

"I still have some funds left. I can use them to get an extra room constructed," Lex said.

Naturally, since she was Dalia’s mother, he considered it his responsibility to arrange proper living conditions for her.

At that moment, Ginna, who had accidentally overheard the conversation, stepped forward and spoke.

"It’s really alright. I can sleep here," she said while gesturing toward the floor.

Lex immediately rejected the idea.

"That’s not happening. We may need to adjust for a few days, but I’ll find a way to arrange a proper room for you."

Back when she first arrived, Lex had assured her that she would never become a burden to this family.

That was why, even now, he did not allow himself to hesitate while saying those words.

Ginna looked visibly troubled.

Lex had been unable to go hunting for the past few days because of the injury he suffered.

She had also noticed that the portions on their plates had gradually become smaller over the past few days. From what she had heard, Dalia had even been forced to dip into her personal savings, though the girl kept insisting it was fine and that they still had enough to last several more months.

That was precisely why Ginna felt so conflicted about all of this, to the point she had even begun considering returning to her old village so she would not cause them any further trouble.

However, just then, Luke spoke.

"I’ll handle this."

Everyone turned toward the young man sitting calmly at the table, not a trace of concern visible on his face, as though problems like these barely troubled him at all.

"Luke, but..." Ginna began, only to be interrupted.

"It was I who urged you to leave that place and come with us here. I promised you that you would never regret that decision. So let me keep that promise."

Back then, arranging a place for Ginna would have been difficult, but now that he had built a few connections, he knew it would not be nearly as troublesome.

Silence settled over the table after that.

No one argued with his decision, and soon, Dalia and Monica arrived carrying the food.

Luke instantly grinned at the sight of the large plate prepared just for him.

It had everything. Rice, vegetables, meat, and broth.

The rich fragrance rising from the food was irresistible, making his stomach twist with hunger.

He glanced at Dalia and found the woman smirking as if she had already won the battle.

Luke inwardly scoffed...though he would not deny that the fragrance had him very invested in the dish.

He didn’t know how she came up with something so innovative but just the smell and appearance of the food would not be enough to impress him.

Rubbing his hand he said, "Time for a tasting."

•••••••

A/N:- I hope you liked the Chapter. I posted the extra Chapter as promised upon reaching the PS goal.

Vote me again and I will post an extra Chapter this week too. Thank you.