As Kevin saw that the girl had realized her mistake, he sighed and said, "That deer is behind this tree. Because of you, it got seriously injured. I had no medicine, so I could only stop its bleeding by tying a cloth around its wound. If you have medicine, then redeem yourself and go treat it."
Hearing his words, Hinata felt an opportunity to correct her mistake. She looked at Kevin, thanked him once again, and hurried toward the tree.
As soon as Hinata left, Kevin sat down comfortably and smirked to himself. "Getting people around here to do something with just words isn't that difficult after all."
"Hah! She was too naive, so she agreed. If it were someone else, they would've beaten you up by now, dumbass!" a voice sneered in his mind.
Kevin's eyes widened. "Wait… you can hear my thoughts?"
A chuckle echoed in his mind. "Did you really think I was some useless being? As long as I reside inside you, I can hear every single thought of yours!"
Kevin was stunned. He was about to say something when Hinata returned—with the very same deer she had injured.
The deer, now looking much better, lowered its head the moment it saw Kevin, as if saying, "Thank you for saving my life. I will never forget your kindness."
Seeing this, Kevin smiled and said, "No need to thank me. You're free now. Go back to your family."
The deer lowered its head once again before turning around and running into the forest.
Hinata had been silently observing everything. Watching Kevin treat animals with such care, seeing the way he understood them—it stirred something deep inside her.
She suppressed her emotions and asked in a gentle tone, "I've never seen you in this kingdom before. Which kingdom do you belong to? And what is your name?"
Her voice carried a level of politeness that made Kevin feel at ease. He smiled slightly and replied, "I'm from USA. My name is Kevin."
Hinata frowned, her mind deep in thought. USA? Where is that? I've never heard of such a place.
She tried to recall all the kingdoms she knew, but nothing matched the name Kevin had mentioned.
Kevin, meanwhile, was watching her reaction and felt confused. Why is she thinking so hard?
"Does it feel weird seeing her lost in thought? Because I find it weird watching you stare at her," the voice in his mind teased.
Kevin rolled his eyes. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, dumbass, you're from Earth. And you just told her that. Now she's trying to figure out where the hell 'USA' is. So yeah, you messed up!"
Kevin's face stiffened. He immediately realized his mistake. Damn it… I said too much.
Wanting to change the topic, he quickly asked, "Forget about me. What's your name?"
Hinata stopped thinking and answered, "My name is Hinata."
Kevin nodded. "Hinata, huh? Nice name."
Hearing him praise her name, Hinata unknowingly smiled. But as she looked at Kevin again, something felt… off.
Her eyes traveled over his clothing—black shirt, blue jeans, and shoes—so different from anything she had ever seen.
Kevin noticed her gaze and immediately tried to cover up. "Oh, you're looking at my clothes? Nice, right? I designed them myself. What do you think?"
Internally, he panicked. Crap… did she figure out I'm not from this world? If she's connected to the demons, I could be in big trouble!
However, instead of suspicion, Hinata's eyes sparkled with excitement. "You designed them yourself? That means… you're a tailor?"
Kevin felt like a bomb had just exploded in his mind. A… TAILOR?!
Hinata, on the other hand, was thrilled. She clapped her hands together and said, "That's amazing! You must be really skilled!"
Kevin's eye twitched. "N-No! There's a difference between a tailor and a designer! A designer creates the concept, but—"
Hinata interrupted him. "Same thing! Whether you're a designer or a tailor, you make clothes, right?"
She looked at his outfit again and smiled brightly. "And you make such unique ones too! I've never seen clothes like these before. You're a really talented tailor!"
Kevin opened his mouth to argue, but before he could, the voice in his mind burst into laughter.
"HAHAHA! That's it, Tailor Kevin! You should start a shop! Maybe even make some princesses' dresses!"
"YOU—!" Kevin clenched his fists but ignored the teasing.
Meanwhile, Hinata's mind was racing with possibilities. She hesitated for a moment before looking at Kevin with hopeful eyes.
"Kevin, if you're really a tailor, then please come with me to my kingdom! My sister's wedding is coming up, but we still haven't found a good tailor. If you agree, it would mean a lot to me!"
Her expression was filled with sincerity, and it was clear she truly wanted him to come.
Kevin, however, felt his head ache. Before he could refuse, the voice in his mind mocked,
"Oho~ A job offer already! Guess you're destined to sew clothes, huh?"
"I swear, if you don't shut up, I'll sew your mouth closed first!" Kevin mentally growled.
Ignoring the voice, he turned to Hinata and said, "Sorry, but I have no interest in that. You should go."
Hinata's face fell slightly. He rejected me… just like that?
She couldn't believe it. She was Hinata, princess of the Solemere Kingdom, a beauty whose fame spread across the lands. Many noblemen and warriors had tried to impress her, yet this man had refused her offer without a second thought!
Is he blind? Or does he… not like women?!
She pouted slightly but didn't insist. As a princess, she had her pride. "Fine. If you don't want to come, then suit yourself."
With that, she turned and walked toward her horse, ready to leave.
Kevin didn't care much about rejecting Hinata's offer, but Sheshnaag did. He immediately spoke up, "Brother, why did you turn her down?"
Kevin scoffed, "What do you mean? Am I supposed to start tailoring for her sister now?"
Sheshnaag sighed, trying to reason with him, "Listen, bido! We don't have a place to stay, no food to eat, and no clue about this land. If someone is offering you shelter, why refuse?"
Kevin paused, realizing the truth in Sheshnaag's words. After a moment of thought, he replied, "But I don't even know how to tailor. Forget sewing clothes—I can't even sew a button."
Sheshnaag smirked, "Who said we have to actually tailor anything? We just stay for a few days, wait for the right opportunity, and then disappear. What do you say?"
Kevin thought about it and finally smiled.
Meanwhile, Hinata had already reached her horse. Just as she was about to mount it, Kevin's voice stopped her.
"Fine! If you're insisting so much, I'll go with you!"
Hinata froze. She turned around and saw Kevin standing there, looking as if he had just done her a huge favor.
"Wait... when did I insist?" she thought to herself. "Does just asking once count as insisting? And why is he making that face as if he's done me a great favor? Don't tell me... he's already fallen for my beauty? Well, that was bound to happen—I am quite stunning, after all! But then why did he reject me in the first place?"
A flurry of thoughts raced through her mind, but she brushed them aside. She needed Kevin right now. So, with a sweet smile, she said, "Let's go then!"
Kevin smirked and started walking alongside her.
Kevin and Hinata walked side by side, with Hinata's horse following them. The afternoon sun hung high in the sky.
After a while, Kevin asked, "By the way, what's the name of this city?"
Hinata glanced at him, realizing that he truly had no idea where he was. "This country is called Solemere Kingdom."
Kevin nodded. He hesitated for a moment before asking, "Do you know someone named Karishma? She's incredibly beautiful, so maybe you've heard of her?"
Hinata's cheerful expression vanished instantly. Another girl being described as 'beautiful' in front of her? Her mood soured.
She crossed her arms and, after a brief moment of thought, said, "No, I've never heard of such a person."
Kevin's shoulders dropped in disappointment. He didn't ask any further questions and continued walking in silence.
After some time, they reached the city. As they walked through the streets, Kevin took in everything—bustling marketplaces, large and small houses, strange creatures he had never seen before.
And then, they arrived.
In front of them stood a grand palace.
Kevin's eyes widened as he admired its sheer magnificence. He turned to Hinata and asked, "Wait… do you live here?"
Hinata smiled and replied, "Yes, I do."
Kevin was stunned. But then a thought crossed his mind, "Maybe she just works here? Or maybe her father works here, and that's why they let her stay inside the palace?"
Just as he was thinking, Hinata, without hesitation, strode right into the palace.
Kevin hesitated for only a second before following her inside.
---
What Comes Next?
What will Kevin's reaction be when he learns that Hinata is actually a princess?
Why did Hinata get so excited when she found out that Kevin is a Tailor?
Is there a reason why no Tailor is willing to work in the royal family?
How will Kevin continue his search for Karishma?
What unexpected twists await in Love Beyond Realm?
Find out in the next chapter!