Betrayed, I Met The Demon Lord

Chapter 45 - Elegance

Before long, they had left Amoria's apartment.

As they walked down the street, heads turned to look at them.

"Ah, Amoria...?" Van murmured, his eyebrow lifting upwards.

"What is it, Van?" she asked innocently.

"Well, we're a bit close?" he noted, glancing at how she clung to his elbow.

"What kind of nonsense is that? Of course, we are... Isn't it natural for party members to be close?" she replied casually, her smile unwavering as she stayed close to his side.

"...Right... If you say so." He called, relaxing his body as they walked together; yet his body was still slightly tense.

'It feels wrong,' He thought to himself, 'No, more like... It SHOULD feel wrong. It should feel like something, right?'

Van and Amoria were weaving through the crowded marketplace on their way to the guild when they encountered a swaggering leaning against a cart piled high with fruit. His smirk widened as he noticed Amoria, his gaze openly appreciative in a way that made Van's eye twitch

'... Right, Amoria's a beautiful woman. And If I tried slugging every bastard that threw her this look, I'd have to kill the entire city.' Van thought, inhaling deeply.

"Hey, pretty lady, why don't you drop the kid and come hang with me?" the hoodlum, a sly grin spreading across his face as he eyed Van dismissively.

"So, little boy, how about you wait here while I show mommy a good time..." the hoodlum sneered, stepping into Van and Amoria's personal space.

Instead of anger or frustration, Van regarded him with calm curiosity; and slight confusion.

'Given her status as Magus's wife and a member of our party, I expected her to command more fear and respect. What's with this idiot...?' he mused, watching the man, unfazed. Amoria's grip on his elbow tightened slightly.

'Is she really upset by this?' Van wondered, sensing the subtle pressure in her hold. 'Well, guess I'll have to step in. I'd rather not waste the whole day on this clown.'

Van shifted forward, ready to intervene. "She's not inter—"

Before he could finish, Amoria's hand landed gently but firmly on his arm, halting him. Her expression was calm, her cool smile betraying none of the tension.

'...?'

"I appreciate the offer," she said smoothly, her voice polite yet devoid of warmth. "But no, thank you."

The man leaned closer with a sneer, undeterred. "Aw, come on now... I even brought treats for the little boy. You know you want to."

He turned to Van with a grin that dripped condescension. "Why don't you convince mommy to come with this nice older brother, huh? I'll give you all kinds of goodies. Just wanna have a deep conversation with her."

Van stared at him, unimpressed.

'Is he seriously trying to get Amoria to bang him behind the dumpster? Amoria, of all people? That's... bold, considering who Amoria is. She could squash him without even trying, given her rank.' His thoughts remained level, as if he was watching from afar.

'Rather than aiming for her, it's... like he's more focused on provoking me. But I feel... nothing. I always imagined that if someone hit on Amoria before me, or acted like a sleazebag like that, I'd get angry and frustrated. But there's just...' He thought as he focused on his stomach, 'Nothing. Even if I imagine her actually agreeing to something this outrageous and walking away, there's just this feeling of...'