7. The Legendary Useless Heiress

Without wasting any more words, he lifted Nana Pei and gently placed her on a large stone beneath a tree, sighing deeply. “Everyone’s constitution is different. If you feel unwell, you must speak up. If you endure everything silently, how are we supposed to accurately gauge your limits? Where exactly does it hurt?”

Paimon, overhearing the conversation, hurriedly flew back, anxious. “What’s going on? What happened?”

Nana Pei remained silent for a long moment before lowering her head and whispering, “My feet hurt... I’m dizzy, and my legs feel weak…”

“My feet hurt?” Kong murmured, repeating her words slowly. Suddenly realizing the severity, he quickly removed her shoes and socks. Paimon immediately let out a startled scream and flew backward several steps.

Kong’s eyes widened slightly, simultaneously shocked yet strangely relieved.

(It seems she truly has a very fragile body… This is good news.)

Before them were delicate, fair feet, the ankles red and swollen, each toe plump and adorable. Due to overexertion, the tips bore a faint rosy hue that, under the sunlight, emitted a translucent, jade-like glow.

Undeniably, these were extremely beautiful feet. But the soles were another matter entirely—horrific, especially when contrasted with the immaculate tops, evoking a chilling, nauseating sense of cruelty.

Several blisters, both large and small, had formed from the heel to the balls of the feet, bright and swollen. The forefoot was a disaster—numerous white blisters had merged into clusters, occupying half the area.

A gentle press caused the skin to indent, and she immediately recoiled, letting out a pitiable sound.

Though still alert, Kong felt his heart tighten painfully.

This… this was too tragic.

Her legs fared no better.

Her skin was fair, delicate, and soft—untouched areas resembled flawless creamy jade. Yet from the ankles to the bends of her knees, chaotic red marks streaked across the snowy skin, stark and disturbing.

It was as if she had been cruelly tormented.

Kong was speechless.

Paimon likewise was at a loss.

Nana Pei, ashamed, covered her face.

Paimon scrunched her face, half-closing an eye as if unable to look directly. “Ah, this… this is just too awful. I feel like... you really didn’t do much, did you?”

Kong’s youthful face grew serious as he solemnly inquired, “May I ask how much physical activity you usually get? What kind of exercises do you do?”

Nana Pei was silent.

Guess what?

:)

May I ask, do you have some misunderstanding about homebound girls who rarely leave their rooms?

---

Upon learning about Nana Pei’s previous lifestyle and activity level, both Paimon and Kong’s worldviews and moods were utterly shattered.

From the depths of her soul, Paimon cried out, “You’re no different from those useless noble heiresses!”

Nana Pei grew even more embarrassed, feeling wronged, tears welling in her eyes. “But I was exactly that kind of useless noble heiress before—just eating and surfing the internet… Aren’t you going to praise me? I climbed four mountains today… And I didn’t complain once…”

Kong and Paimon were both at a loss for words.

No, what they felt was heartache.

Thinking carefully, a noble heiress who usually barely takes two thousand steps a day, yet gritted her teeth and climbed four mountains without a word of complaint—that was truly admirable.

Paimon’s heart softened immediately. She flew over and hugged her, nuzzling the soft, chubby little body. Her tender voice was full of unexpected warmth and encouragement. “Alright, alright, don’t cry, Nana. It was my mistake. I apologize! Our Nana is so strong! If it were me, with all those blisters on my feet, I definitely wouldn’t have made it!”

Kong added, “Of course you wouldn’t make it. You get tired just from flying around! Nana is way stronger than you!”

“Hey!” Paimon protested.

Kong’s gaze once again fell on Nana Pei’s feet—red and swollen ankles, blistered soles, and brutal red scratches on her calves from brushes with branches and leaves.

Honestly, as a stellar traveler with extraordinary abilities, he hadn’t encountered such a fragile body in a long time.

If Nana Pei were some mysterious creature from the star seas, what would be the point of having such a delicate vessel? Would it reduce threat? Surely it would attract more attention.

Or was she truly, as she claimed, just an ordinary mortal who had wandered in by accident?

Even ordinary people of this world wouldn’t be cut by grass blades just passing through a meadow, let alone thick-skinned warriors or holders of the Divine Heart.

In this world, he had never seen skin so tender it could be nicked by leaves.

Therefore, his initial surprise was somewhat understandable.

He carefully grasped her swollen ankle. The slight warmth caused her to flinch and let out a soft hiss.

Kong firmly held her ankle to stop her from pulling away, his voice stern: “Don’t move! Endure it a little longer.”

Nana Pei softly agreed, closing her eyes tightly and clutching Paimon.

Yet, to her surprise, there was no pain at all, no rough pressing sensation—only a cool, soothing feeling.

Startled, she opened her eyes.

Kong pulled ointment from his bag and gently applied it to her calves, ankles, and soles.

---

His movements were slow, deliberate, and patient.

This demeanor inexplicably stirred some awkward feelings in Nana Pei, but she quickly realized it was her own imagination running wild. (Pft! He’s an officially certified hero! In a game rated 12+, even the purest couples probably just chat under blankets!)

Embarrassed by her own vanity, she averted her gaze and awkwardly tried to make conversation. “You seem very skilled? It doesn’t hurt at all. My mother used to apply ointment and it hurt so much I wanted to roll on the floor.”

“Your aunt must have been doing it intentionally,” Kong chuckled, explaining, “When I was younger and played with my sister, Yae, I often made her angry. When she was mad, she’d chase me to hit me. Sometimes I ran too fast and would fall.”

As he spoke, memories of joyful sibling playtime surfaced, causing a faint smile to cross his lips.

He gently squeezed Nana Pei’s reddened calf. The soft, plump flesh felt pleasant under his fingers. He spoke softly, “Does it still hurt?”

Nana Pei felt as if he were teasing her, though she thought it must be a trick of her imagination (probably because she was imagining his sister). She quickly shook her head and answered honestly, “It doesn’t hurt anymore. It feels cool.”

Kong smiled and tucked Nana Pei’s shoes and socks directly into his backpack. Turning his back, he crouched down. “Get on.”

Nana Pei hesitated.

To be honest, as an omnipotent protagonist who could traverse heaven and earth, Nana Pei blindly trusted Kong’s abilities. But that didn’t change the fact that he looked no older than fifteen or sixteen.

You’re an adult, letting a boy with baby cheeks carry you up a mountain path—don’t you have any guilt?

She wanted to get on, but her pride and conscience wouldn’t allow it.

After a moment’s hesitation, she awkwardly waved her hand. “N-no, it’s not necessary... I can manage on my own.”

Kong replied, “Manage what? Look at your feet. Do you want to experience being a mermaid princess?”

Nana Pei: “I need to get used to it slowly.”

“Training to adapt comes later. We’ve already wasted too much time.”

Without another word, Kong grabbed her wrist and pulled forward. Nana Pei gasped and fell onto his back. He swiftly hooked her legs around his waist and carried her, sprinting toward Windrise.

They truly had wasted too much time.

Since Nana Pei went to wash her face, Paimon and Kong had been accommodating her pace, mainly to observe her condition. It was as if a whirlwind race had been forced to follow a baby stroller.

Now, having confirmed that this ‘visitor from another world’ was indeed a delicate, fragile ‘pea princess,’ there was no need to linger any longer.

His speed was incredible—except when carrying someone made climbing difficult, or when detouring around large stones was necessary, he moved like a gust of wind.

At first, Nana Pei wanted to look around, but within minutes, she buried her face into his back and closed her eyes.

His pace was fast but steady, and lying on his back, Nana Pei unexpectedly felt a comforting sense of safety.

After an unknown stretch of time, Kong said, “We’ve arrived.”