Trapped as an NPC in a Dating Sim-Chapter 38: Evan Caught Soren flirting with Sylvia!

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[Artifact: Silver Bracelet of Clarity]

[Rank: D]

[Effect: Increases the wearer’s Mental Resistance by 10%, reducing damage and duration of mind-based attacks; minor illusions have a 10% chance to be automatically dispelled.]

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Sylvia looked at the beautiful silver bracelet Soren had just redeemed from the treasury and placed in her hand, her face slowly filling with surprise and disbelief.

"S-Soren... w-what is this?"

She thought he was just going to exchange credit points like her. But instead, he led her into the treasury and redeemed a bracelet.

Looking at the effect shown on the panel, it was exactly what she needed right now.

But... she clearly saw him paying 1800 credit points for it just now.

"I-I don’t need it. Why are you wasting so many points?"

Although her eyes shone after seeing its effect, she felt extremely embarrassed to accept such an expensive gift.

Her heart couldn’t help but beat a little faster as her eyes fixed on Soren. She really couldn’t understand why he was doing this.

’Is he proposing to me with this?’

Just that thought made her completely restless.

’Did he really like me and not Aurelia?’

’But since when did he start having such feelings?’

’Should I accept him or not?’

’Are we now boyfriend and girlfriend?’

The poor girl’s head was overloaded with countless random thoughts, and she even felt a slight headache. Still, she decided not to accept it. It was simply too expensive.

In the early phase of academy life, credit points were very important. She couldn’t take advantage of him, could she?

Especially when she didn’t even understand her own feelings yet.

"Ouch..."

Just as Sylvia was making a mountain out of nothing, her thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a sharp flick on her glabella. She didn’t know why Soren had this habit, but it was quite painful

"Can you stop hitting me there? Do you want me to become stupid?"

She couldn’t help but complain with a pout.

"But you’re already stupid."

"You..."

"Okay, don’t think too much. These are just some credit points I can easily earn. But your mental power is too low right now. You can’t just faint next time, you know? What if you’re in a dungeon?"

Soren stopped her from protesting and spoke gently before taking the bracelet from her.

Then, naturally, he held her soft arm and carefully slipped it onto her wrist.

"Look? Isn’t it beautiful? You still want to return it?"

He asked with an innocent smile, using every bit of charm he had, his eyes softly fixed on hers.

"Cough... t-then...I-I’ll pay you those credit points? I-I just redeemed some by myself."

Seeing how carefully he wore the bracelet and how much he cared, Sylvia’s cheeks flushed. She felt giddy from this romantic moment, unlike anything she’d experienced before.

So, she lowered her eyes shyly, just like Aria had, and timidly spoke.

No matter what, she felt it wasn’t right to waste his points. She wasn’t a gold digger.

"Tch... like I said, I don’t need them. Besides, is it so hard to accept a gift from me?"

"No, I-I didn’t mean that..."

"Shhh... talk less and accept what’s given to you, Sylvia. I just don’t want you to faint when I’m not around. Do you understand?"

Soren pressed a finger gently against her lips, stopping her from speaking. He was so close that Sylvia could feel the warmth of his body, her heart skipping a beat as she looked up at him.

Only when she nodded stiffly did Soren remove his finger, not forgetting to rub it lightly before letting go.

The ambiguous tension between them was already thick enough that he could have kissed her right there, pressing her against the wall.

But this was a hallway that students frequently passed through. He didn’t want to put on a show.

There would be plenty of opportunities later.

He was just pleased to see this moment working on her, evident from her dazed, shy expression.

"Okay, then be sure to wear it all the time. It will protect you from harm. Let’s go to class now, or we’ll be late."

He lightly rubbed Sylvia’s head before stepping back, then naturally grabbed her hand, the same one where he had just put the bracelet, interlocking his fingers with hers and guiding her toward the classroom.

All the while, Sylvia offered no resistance, docilely following behind with her head lowered.

She didn’t know why, but she felt so sweetly fluttered today that her heart felt like it might burst from her chest.

It was so strange that this time, she felt even shyer than when Soren had touched her chest or rubbed her butt.

’Is this what love is?’

Her mind buzzed with a jumble of random, unfamiliar thoughts.

...

As Soren and Sylvia left for the classroom with their own thoughts, someone finally came out of a corner, looking at their backs.

It seemed Soren’s concern wasn’t unwarranted. There was really someone coming here.

Just, they might not have thought this person was actually our protagonist, Evan Alarion.

’Am I late?’

Evan, of course, saw their interactions from the beginning to the end. Although he couldn’t hear their conversation from afar, he could see their intimacy.

Especially that shyness and obedience in Sylvia’s blue eyes, it hurt him more than anything else.

From the look, it seemed he was already too late.

Well, he did take a long time to muster up his courage and pursue his crush after all.

’Sigh... let’s just forget it then. They both are my friends, and I cannot make it awkward.’

In the end, besides letting her go, what could he do? Although it hurt him deeply to see them intimate.

Poor protagonist had no choice but to curb his feelings just because Soren beat him to it. And he couldn’t even hate him for it.

Dejected, he looked at the treasury one more time before turning around and leaving for the classroom. He had thought he could give a gift to Sylvia, but now there was no point anymore.

Maybe he needed to buy an alcoholic drink for himself instead.