Realizing there was something strange with Rin’s current actions, I mentally prepared myself for confronting her. Only when the problem was fully understood could I begin working toward a solution.

In the meantime, I silently followed while talking with God-hunter. Rin walked straight toward the hotel section, seeming to know Kara’s location in advance.

Kara sat on a brown sofa, hidden in a corner of the room. Upon noticing our existence, Kara jumped out sofa. Kara tossed the book in her hand onto the sofa, before displaying a bright smile and waved toward in our direction. “Rin~ Over here!”

Looking over toward Kara’s dazzlingly bright smile, remember Rin’s earlier conversation with her and I felt embarrassed. This embarrassment mainly stemmed from Rin’s earlier statement informing Kara that I was married to Rin.

With that information out there, I had no idea how to talk with Kara. Nor did I understand how to act like a proper couple in front of her.

Due to my inner embarrassment, a cautious thought appeared. The thought of leaving Kara and Rin alone to chat.

It would be best if I quietly disappeared, leaving Rin and Kara to talk alone… Making a decision, I silently turned around preparing to leave.

Before I could implement my escape plan, to my astonishment, Rin seized my right-arm and began dragging me forward to meet her sister.

Rin’s physical strength was underwhelming in this timeline and I could easily break free… but I didn’t dare escape. Since Rin expressed her intention for me to stay and converse with her sister, forcefully leaving would only strain our currently tense relationship.

Silently weeping to myself, I accepted that I wouldn’t be escaping the embarrassment of this upcoming conversation.

“Tobias.” Kara paused and her smile disappeared, apparently noticing my existence as Rin forcefully grabbing my arm.

“Hey, Kara... How have you been?” Forcefully smiling, I awkwardly turned around and nonverbally signaled for Rin release her grip by tapping her hand.

Obligating to my nonverbal request, Rin released my arm and stood beside me.

In the meantime, Kara glanced between the two of us before responding. “Good enough… Am I interrupting something?”

“No-no!” I repeatedly denied her incorrect thoughts and tried to explain, “I merely thought Rin would want to talk with you alone.”

My response wasn’t intended to be an answer for Kara, instead my explanation was meant to prevent Rin from misunderstand my escape attempt.

Rin retained a neutral expression and watched our interaction without interfering.

“So… you two are a couple.” Kara noted, examining her sister’s expression while she spoke.

“It’s complicated.” I waved off her question and nervously glanced toward Rin.

“Life tends to be complicated.” Kara agreed with narrowed eyes, clearly disapproving of my vague statement.

Nodded in agreement, I deeply wished to change the topic and tried thinking of another topic to talk about.

Sadly, my hopes and efforts were in vain.

“Now that I think about it… I remember asking around about you and according to most sources, you’ve been in the residential zone for at least eight months.” Kara asked with clear suspicion on her face.

Ah, this… this complicates the situation. I hadn’t realized Kara had investigated me.

“Yes… I was in the residential zone for awhile.” I anxiously replied while glancing toward Rin, only to be dumbfounded.

Rin was listening to our conversation from the sidelines and enjoying the show, while revealing no intention to get involved.

If I hadn’t known better, I would’ve thought our interaction had nothing to do with her!

Oi, Rin… Don’t simply watch from the sidelines! This is completely your fault! If you hadn’t informed her of our relationship, Kara wouldn’t have gotten suspicious.

“That means only approximately four to six months are unaccounted for…” Kara glared mainly at me, before glancing toward her sister suspiciously. “How exactly did your relationship progress to marriage in that short timeframe?”

Errr… How do I even answer that? I silently ran through various responses before coming across one that was technically accurate.

“Rin saved my life many times.” I replied, without further expanding on the topic.

Without dignifying my answer with a response, Kara glared toward her sister and demanded an explanation. “Want to expand on his testimony?”

“Our relationship has been ongoing for several years.” Rin calmly stated.

“Fine…” Kara’s mouth twitched, clearly skeptical about the statement. “I want to talk alone with him.”

“Go ahead.” Rin shrugged and began walking out the hotel’s lobby.

No! Don’t abandon me and leave me alone with her! She’s clearly getting suspicious about our relationship. She’s planning on interrogating me.

I anxiously watched as Rin left the room, silently and internally worried about the resulting conversation after getting left alone with Kara.

After Rin had completely left the room, Kara waited silently for awhile for her sister to walk further away.

“I don’t like you.” Kara plainly stated to my face that she disliked me. “You lie with half-truths… and you swindled Rin into liking you.”

Her sharp words cut through my spirit like a knife. The unexpected verbal attack cutting deeper than I thought it would.

Apparently, my unreasonable internal worries were actually valid.

“That…” I attempting to defend myself, but I couldn’t bring myself to completely deny the allegations.

I tended to answer with half-truths. Additionally, when I arrived in this universe, I purposefully befriended Rin. While our relationship and friendship is presently genuine, my initial reason for contacting her was the ulterior motive of survival. That fact wasn’t something I could ignore or deny.

“I don’t like you.” Kara plainly repeated her earlier statement. Despite watching my earlier battle in the challenge and understanding my strength, Kara didn’t seem afraid. “You’re also indecisive and weak-minded.”

Closing my eyes, I accepted her displeasure and contemplated about whether Kara from my timeline felt this way. They are the same person, I wouldn’t be surprised if their feelings about me were similar.

“Only those with power have the right to be compassionate, yet you seem insistent on being blindly benevolent to everyone… Even those trying to kill you.” Kara continued to speak, this time her voice had a strange tone.

“Honestly, I have no idea how you survived this long with that attitude. You are indecisive and kind to everyone… including your enemies.” Kara stated plainly. “You should be dead with an attitude like that.”

“As to why you’re still alive, I’d say my sister protected you.” Kara’s eyes portrayed had a strange emotion, “… and that’s unacceptable.”

“Relationships should be between two equal parties, or those of similar strength. At the very least, one side shouldn’t be hindering the other.” Kara plainly state her disrespectful thoughts. “… yet, with your weak-minded in nature and attitude, you will unquestionably be a hindrance to Rin.”

Kara waited and silently, letting me process her words.

To be honest, Kara’s words stung deeply because I knew she was speaking the truth from her perspective. People are rarely completely blunt with you. This was a rare occasions that someone decided to be completely blunt with me.

I... I could completely understand her perspective.

Kindness toward the enemy was cruelty toward yourself.

A misguided sense of morality and kindness would make me a hindrance to Rin, regardless of any amount of power… but it wasn’t so easy to disregard my entire personality.

Kara abruptly asked. “If I told you to protect her could you accomplish that?”

I already knew the answer in my heart and momentarily fell into silence.

Biting my lip, I closed my eyes and answered with a sigh. “No.”

Whenever I tried in the past to protect Rin, I always failed. Especially after meeting the dragon Gromrit, I understood clearly that I was extremely weak. I didn't have enough power to protect myself... nevermind anyone else.

Denying the truth at this point was only self-delusion.

“It seems you can at least recognize that you’re incompetent.” Kara snorted.

Damn… I wasn’t sure what angered me the most, her impolite words or my internal acceptance of her words.

Clenched my fist in anger, I watched Kara walk toward the exit.

Before completely leaving, Kara looked over her shoulder and said. “Stay away from my sister.”

That…

Before I could bring myself to protest, Kara had already disappeared out the door.

I was left alone with a sinking empty feeling in my chest and a lump in my throat. Swallowing my saliva and staring toward the floor, I breathed in and close my eyes in an attempt to calm myself down.

Moving over to sit on a nearby chair, I impatiently bounced my leg on the floor and I spent thought about Kara’s harsh words.

A weak-mindset…

I was tempted to completely deny her words… state that Kara was speaking nonsense and her words contained no truth. I wanted to completely write off her perspective by stating that Kara didn't understand me.

To disregard Kara as a disrespectful and jealousy sister.

However… ignoring and dismissing her words in that manner would only be proving her correct. That would effectively be running away and refusing to confront Kara’s truth.

Even if her statement is only true from her perspective, I couldn’t deny the truth in her words.From her perspective my mindset was weak.

How could I fix my weak mindset?

The answer is, of course, that I cannot.

One of the most inflexible things in the world in people’s beliefs and mindsets. Attempting to purposefully change your own mindset was near impossible.

That was for one simple reason. People rarely understood themselves. They rarely understood how they would act in specific circumstances, until they were actually confronted with that situation.

At best, I could pretend to have change my mentality and personality. In comparison to actually changing my mindset… pretended to have changed my mindset is far easier.

It wouldn’t be hard.

As a writer, a necessary skill is to stimulate the mindset of the character and think out how they would act. Forcefully swapping my mindset into acting like a specific character, it only required a deep understand of a character personality.

I could certainly do it; pretend to be someone that I’m not.

Over time, I might manage to convince myself that I’m that person… slowly turning myself into a new person with tiny alterations.

…but I wouldn't be me.

Pinching my eyes closed, before rubbing my temples and leaning forward in the chair. Anxious butterflies swarmed in my stomach as I bit my lip.

Ugh...

Sorry, I need time to think.