Isaac said nothing.
Seeing that, her expression, normally so cold and distant, started to falter.
"A-answer me," she whispered. "Please."
This time, the pressure on his throat grew stronger. It was not enough to harm anyone, but it was enough to show that she was no longer fully in control.
So this is why her Affection wasn't 100.
Alice had been holding herself back. She was suppressing what she felt, telling herself it was too much, and too twisted. She had been trying to be the version of herself she thought he wanted.
Even now, as her hands shook and her voice trembled, he could see the glisten of tears at the edge of her eyes.
Alice wasn't trying to scare him.
She hated this part of herself. She hated what she was doing. But she couldn't stop feeling it either.
'I thought we solved this the last time we talked,' Isaac thought. 'But even back then... she was already suppressing this. These are her real feelings.'
And yet, instead of fear, a quiet smile tugged at his lips.
This wasn't something to be scared of. This wasn't a flaw to erase. It was proof of how deeply she loved him. Obsessively, yes, but sincerely nonetheless.
If he couldn't calm her right now, then he didn't deserve her.
"A-are you going to say yes?" she asked, noticing the faint smile on his lips.
"...Alice," he said calmly. "I told you last time. You can do whatever you want. I respect your wishes. I'll never stop you from doing what you truly want."
Her eyes widened. The grip on his neck loosened instantly.
"Really?" she asked, barely above a whisper.
"Yup."
"So... we can run away?"
"If that's what you want," Isaac said. "Then yes. I'll come with you. I respect your wishes, Alice. So just do what you want."
For a second, Alice's face lit up. She opened her mouth, ready to speak again, probably to tell him where they could go, what they could do, what kind of life they could build.
But then, she paused.
That smile on his lips….
She knew that smile.
She had seen it when he was scheming something. It was the same smile he used when outmaneuvering others, when talking circles around them until they were left nodding without even realizing it.
Her eyes narrowed.
"What are you planning?" she asked slowly.
Steam began to rise faintly from her shoulders, heat shimmering around her. Anger was rising within her, but not just anger. There was shame, too. She'd shown him the ugliest, most selfish parts of herself, which she had always tried to hid, especially from him.
A part of her was relieved he didn't reject her. But another part hated how exposed she felt.
She knew her love wasn't sweet or innocent. It wasn't anything like Emily's childish affection. It was dark, and heavy, and greedy. The kind of love that didn't want to share. The kind that didn't want to let go.
"Planning?" Isaac blinked innocently. "I would never plan anything against my dear mad princess."
Those words confirmed it.
Alice's glare deepened. Her eye twitched slightly. Steam hissed louder.
"Spit it out," she demanded.
Isaac's eyes widened a fraction, then softened with a deliberately hesitant expression. His lips curved into something between regret and theatrical sadness.
Alice almost smiled despite herself, knowing he was acting.
He was trying to shift the mood, and annoyingly, it was working.
"It's just..." Isaac sighed dramatically. "I'm a little sad."
"Why?"
"I thought we both loved each other."
"What?" Alice scowled. "I don't know what's going on in your head, but I do love you."
"Really?" he tilted his head, pretending to be unsure.
"Yes."
"Then…" He hesitated, then gave her a careful look. "I thought in a relationship, both people are supposed to respect each other's wishes, right?"
Alice frowned. "...What are you trying to say?"
"I mean," he continued, voice still light, "you can take me away if that's what you want. I won't stop you. But—"
"But?" she repeated.
"Just like I'm respecting your wish... shouldn't you respect mine too?"
A beat of silence passed.
She exhaled slowly.
"...What is your wish for?"
"I don't want to be trapped in a cave or anything."
Alice blinked.
Then narrowed her eyes again.
"This bastard."
She sweared out loud without even thinking.
It had been a long time since she swore in front of him. She did that only in their early days, but after that, she'd worked hard to keep herself composed and clean around him.
The fact that she'd let it slip now meant she was truly pissed.
"You… are you fucking kidding me right now?"
Isaac's expression twisted into a painfully exaggerated look of hurt.
"W-why are you swearing?" he asked, like she'd just stabbed him through the heart.
For a brief moment, Alice faltered. She didn't know if he was acting, or if he actually felt hurt.
Logic told her that it was another one of his tricks.
But her heart tried to tell her he was being genuine, and she should be ashamed of swearing in front of him.
She bit her lip. "What are you even saying right now? You just said I could take you away. Now you're saying no?"
"I didn't say no," Isaac said quickly. "I just said it'd go against my wishes. But since I respect yours, I wouldn't stop you."
Alice stared at him blankly. Then slowly lowered her hands from his shirt.
"Wow. Look at this bastard."
She didn't even know whether she was holding his neck or his collar anymore. The lines had blurred somewhere in her frustration.
"You've got a slick tongue, huh? Is that how you tricked Emily? And even that Celia bitch is hovering around you. Did you use that silver tongue on her too?"
Isaac almost laughed when he heard her.
He held it in barely.
Alice rarely lost her temper, but when she did her cold shell would crack and all the molten chaos underneath would erupt.
When he didn't respond, she stood up abruptly and glared down at him.
"Take out a weapon," she said flatly.
"Huh?" Isaac blinked, genuinely confused, or at least pretending to be.
"We'll settle this the old way. Whoever wins gets to decide."
Isaac remained on the ground, head tilted slightly, lips pursed like he was weighing her words. A flicker of amusement passed through his eyes.
And Alice saw it.
A small, suspicious part of her whispered that she'd just walked right into his trap. That maybe this had been his plan from the very start.
But she was too angry to care.
But her anger smothered it. She didn't care if he was scheming. Not right now.
"What exactly are we dueling for?" Isaac asked, brushing invisible dust off his shoulder as he stood up.
Alice's answer was immediate. "Our wishes are clashing. I want to take you away. You don't want to be taken. So let's settle it through force."
Isaac frowned. "Huh, but—"
Before he could finish, Alice drew a massive warhammer from her spatial ring and charged forward. A low hum of power followed, then a loud whoosh as golden flames burst from her body. The moment she activated Solar Dominion and Heart of Eternal Sun, the entire courtyard brightened.
The flames didn't burn Isaac, but he felt the change instantly. His mana regeneration dropped, and his natural health recovery dipped by almost thirty percent. He winced and instinctively took a step back.
"Damn," he muttered, half-impressed.
Alice didn't give him time to react. She cycled her Solar Fire mana through her body, and her speed jumped sharply. Her strength, too. The flames didn't burn him but that was her last consideration for him. She raised the warhammer and swung it at Isaac's head.
The weapon cut through the air, but missed by a few inches.
Alice narrowed her eyes. She'd aimed correctly. Had she misjudged the distance?
She attacked again. Once more, the warhammer narrowly missed. And then again. And again.
She kept swinging, faster and harder, but each time, Isaac was just out of reach. It was only after a dozen attempts that she realized what was happening. He wasn't standing still. He was moving too quickly for her to see, and dodging in the slivers of her blind spots with casual precision.
Her attacks didn't even graze his clothes.
'Was he holding back when he fought me before?' she thought, stunned.
"Fight seriously!" she snapped, frustrated. She launched another full-force swing, and golden fire flared in a wave behind the weapon. But all she saw was that damned smirk.
He didn't even look like he was trying.
This was the same Isaac who didn't have a Class yet. The one who was supposed to be a "Farmer," of all things. Then why—
"I said, fight me—!"
"Okay."
That was all he said.
Suddenly, he was in front of her. He didn't run, or dash to appear there. She blinked, and he... was just there.
Before Alice could react, his hand clamped around her face, gripping with alarming force. The next second, she was lifted clean off the ground.
Her vision swam. Her body went cold.
It felt like she'd been caught by a monster. A real one. His fingers dug into her cheek, and her entire frame went limp. She was sure he was about to slam her into the ground. That this was the end.
She closed her eyes.
But instead of the harsh crush of impact, she felt... softness.
When she opened her eyes, she was lying on the ground, completely unharmed. The terrifying grip had vanished.
Isaac was crouching beside her, resting his chin on one palm, smiling that same playful smile.
"I won," he said simply. "Oh, but it's okay. You can challenge me anytime from now on. If you win, I'll go to a cave or basement with you. Until then, though..."
Alice didn't respond immediately. She just lay there, breathing slowly. Her fingers curled into her sleeves as she turned to the side and buried her face in her hands. She didn't feel frustrated that she lost. No, she....
"Bastard," she muttered.
Her face was beet red. Despite cursing at him, the fact that he had accepted her ugly self, and dealt with accordingly made her feel relieved.
A series of notifications echoed in Isaac's mind:
[A wife's affection for you has reached 100.]
[All Affection Points received from Alice Calloway will be hereon increased by ten times.]
[You can now see a hint to help Alice Calloway increase her rating.]
He blinked.
The sudden clarity in her expression—the way she looked away from him, embarrassed but not ashamed—made him feel strangely warm. She hadn't tried to hide her feelings anymore. She was obsessive, clingy, and painfully earnest. But she wasn't apologizing for it, and he liked that.
Another notification appeared.
Affection (Alice): 100 → 101
Isaac's eyes widened slightly. 'Wait, so it goes beyond 100?'
[Alice Calloway's Affection has crossed the 100 threshold.]
[For each point after 100, the Affection Points gained will be increased by 100%.]
'So that means... instead of ten times the base value, I'm now getting eleven times?'
As if in response, the points continued climbing.
Affection (Alice): 101 → 102
Affection (Alice): 102 → 103
Affection (Alice): 103 → 104
It didn't stop.
Isaac watched the numbers rise, feeling a strange mix of amusement and awe.
Affection (Alice): 109 → 110
He inhaled sharply.
'Twenty times the base value now? That's insane.'