Gacha Addict in a Matriarchal World

“Jonah. Take your hand out of your pocket.”

“Aieeeeeee!!!”

Lydia?! Why Lydia?!?!

I never imagined Lydia would not only appear at this timing but also notice my crime.

I was so startled that I tried to run away, crying out in all directions.

“Nope.”

Of course, I was caught immediately. She shoved her hands under my armpits and lifted me. No matter how much I flailed my hanging legs, I couldn’t escape.

Oh my. How did that even work? I could understand if it were Ellie, but Lydia wasn’t that tall, so it should have been hard for her…

“Ah.”

Now that I see it, Lydia was lifting me up with her arms almost completely raised. Like an otter showing off its baby.

Though, it wasn’t something cute like that, but rather akin to capturing a criminal caught in the act.

Lydia, who already stood out for her appearance, began to attract even more attention with her conspicuous behavior.

“Noble Lydia? That boy is…”

“He’s a pinkie. Considering it’s Lydia, and that kid looks dirty despite his pretty face, he must be a gold digger.”

“That’s pinkie discrimination, you know… But if that’s really the case, did he manage to seduce her?”

“As if. She isn’t called Noble Lydia for no reason.”

“True. No idea where all the money she makes goes.”

“At least she’s not spending it in brothels like you.”

“What’s with the holier-than-thou act? I know that you bought slaves with the money you had for weapons.”

“Loving a slave is an essential part of life.”

“If you want love so much, free them, not enslave them, idiot.”

“Art ignoramus. It’s the way a slave pretends to love me just to appease me that’s the attractive part.”

“? You’re crazy.”

As I trembled in fear, listening to the terrifying conversation that could be heard amidst the crowd, Lydia repeated her demand.

“Your pockets. Hand it over.”

“Ah, um. The thing is, Miss Lydia….”

I sneakily rolled my eyes to check the direction where the elf robber b—hes had gone. Fortunately, because they were too far away, they only glanced back briefly and then went on their way.

Relieved that the worst-case scenario was avoided, I took out the wallet.

“My grudge to return tenfold….”

“…Grudge?”

Perhaps it was because of the woe in my voice, but tilting her head, Lydia set me down. Then, with each of us holding a side of the wallet, she asked.

“Jonah. What do you mean?”

“It’s exactly as I said. I happened to find the women who took all the little money I had back when I used to live off begging, so I tried to get some revenge.”

“How much was it?”

“8 copper.”

“That’s….”

“Right. It doesn’t seem like much, right? But back then, it was a big deal for me.”

“Really?”

“It wasn’t about the amount, but the fact that I hadn’t eaten anything for 5 days.”

“5… days?”

“Yes. At that point, you start to feel like you might actually die. So, I tried to fight back somehow… but I couldn’t stand a chance against an adult woman.”

“……What?”

Her voice was filled with confusion. Lydia opened her mouth with an extremely cautious attitude as if she was worried.

“Are you okay?”

“Of course, it wasn’t okay! The 8 copper was all I had, you know?! I thought I was really going to starve to death because of that! …Well, luckily, there was a distribution at the temple the very next day, so I survived, but at that time, I thought that was the end for me!”

“That’s not what I meant. It was a scary experience. Usually, there would be trauma…ah.”

Lydia was rambling, trying to say something, but soon nodded as if she had understood. The pity I sensed from her intensified.

Did I say something weird?

I stood there, cocking my head in confusion. Lydia gazed in the direction where the two elf robbers had disappeared, her eyes sunken into a cold expression, just like when she had faced the Twin Dagger Clan leader in the past.

Though not long after, she relaxed her eyes with a deep sigh.

“Sigh.”

Then, she began awkwardly patting my head.

“Good job.”

“What? For what?”

“You must have wanted to kill them, but you held back.”

“8 copper is a pretty big deal, but I wouldn’t kill someone just for extorting me!”

What did Lydia think of me? It was ridiculous, but I stayed still while she patted me.

I only just realized, but Lydia was in casual clothing today. I guess that made sense since it was her day off.

Overall, her outfit looked warm, suitable for winter. However, there was one presence that couldn’t be hidden even by her thick clothes.

Jiggle jiggle.

“Oh….”

It was her bust area, which I had not seen because she had always been in armor.

I could only guess the exact size if she took off her coat, but for now, I cautiously speculated that it at least followed the laws of anime proportion.

And so, I had been in the middle of admiring the view when Lydia must have noticed my gaze. She stopped her hand for a moment and blinked her red eyes.

“Jonah. Weird expression.”

“Ah, it’s nothing, please continue.”

“…Okay.”

Not showing any signs of discomfort, Lydia continued to stroke my head. It was somewhat expected. In the continent of Pan, a woman’s chest wasn’t considered something embarrassing.

Perhaps because some of the culture from before the War of the Fallen Gods remained, walking around with one’s chest completely exposed was considered the act of a crazy exhibitionist… but that was about it.

The consensus seemed to be that it was okay as long as you covered about as much as what underwear would. Therefore, people tended to be lenient about exposing chests and the gazes that followed.

Right now, everyone was bundled up because it was cold… but in the summer, it was a sight to see.

Cheers to my past self who came up with this setting!

Anyway, given the situation, Lydia probably didn’t think I was looking at her chest with lecherous eyes.

Then suddenly, a thought crossed my mind.

…Wait a moment. Wouldn’t it be okay to touch it a bit right now?

Since it’s a world where gender roles are reversed, and because I’m still young, it was just out of curiosity, and I just couldn’t help myself, etc. I made all sorts of excuses in my head, but to be honest, it was just a dark desire.

Pretending to try to take the stolen wallet back, I suddenly shot out my hand. If I just pretend it was an appropriate mistake and then divert the trajectory…!

“Here.”

“Huh?”

Was it because I moved openly right in front of her? Or because she couldn’t be fooled again by a movement she had seen a few times already?

Lydia easily caught my hand and then placed the wallet she had confiscated on top of it.

I could feel the heavy pressure through the thick leather. …It wasn’t her chest, but this was nice in its own way.

When I stared blankly at Lydia with a complicated emotion, not knowing whether to be happy or sad, she averted her gaze as if she felt awkward.

“I was planning to scold you. My purpose is to provide Jonah with guidance. But this time is an exception. It’s something you should be praised for.”

“Then, is it okay to continue snatching people’s wallets in the future?”

“…I praised you for planning to end your revenge there. Pickpocketing itself is a bad deed.”

“Ah? Whether it’s Ellie or Miss Lydia, I really don’t know what you both see in me, but I do have the common sense that one shouldn’t recklessly kill people, you know?”

“What about the common sense that pickpocketing is also bad?”

“If you’re always bound by common sense, you can’t succeed.”

“…Looks like I have a lot to teach you after all.”

Lydia smiled faintly while she tidied up my tousled hair. In the meantime, I quickly checked today’s haul.

Hmm… Is this it?

It was just full of copper coins. However, the quantity was considerable, so the total amount was promising. It should at least be enough to buy a meal.

“Miss Lydia, you haven’t eaten yet, have you?”

“Yes, I was just about to go eat.”

“Since I made some earnings today, I’ll treat you! Lead the way!”

As I declared this while thumping my chest, Lydia pondered for a moment then nodded.

“Alright, I’m looking forward to it.”

“Yes! …But it’s not too expensive, is it?”

“Don’t worry. I’m thinking of going to a place I often visit.”

If it’s a place she often visits, it shouldn’t be too expensive. I followed Lydia with a lighter heart.

…And then I regretted it.

Arriving at the restaurant with Lydia, I couldn’t suppress my rising indignation and raised my voice.

“You liar! You’ve deceived me!”

“False accusation, troublesome. I never deceived you.”

“How can you frequent a place like this?!”

I exclaimed, gesturing wildly to emphasize the surroundings.

The chandelier dangling from the ceiling. The guests adhering strictly to a dress code. The impeccably dressed waiters. And the menu where prices started with silver.

My goodness. 1 silver for a glass of water, have they lost their minds?

It did mention that the water wasn’t ordinary, citing magical and holy powers, but still, water is water.

“This place is outrageously expensive! It’s a high-end restaurant! Aren’t regular spots supposed to be reasonably priced and moderately delicious?!”

“Ahem. Among the restaurants I frequent, this one is relatively affordable.”

“No way! If that were true, even Miss Lydia would be penniless by now!”

“That’s not true. I’ve also been investing in proper equipment.”

With a noticeably sullen demeanor, Lydia replied. Thinking about it, Lydia’s purse always seemed light for a high-ranking adventurer. …Could it be?

“Be honest with me, Miss Lydia. Where do you spend the money you earn from adventuring? As a high-ranking adventurer, you must have secured a place to live in the labyrinth city, which is notorious for its expensive housing, similar to how Ellie opened a shop.”

“……No comment.”

“Did you really spend it all on expensive food and gear?!”

Lydia deliberately ignored my shocked state. She then gestured with two fingers to a nearby waiter.

“Two, guide us to our seats, please.”

“Understood. A good seat has just become available, so I will guide you there.”

Despite the commotion, the waiter bowed politely as if nothing had happened.

Thinking about it, didn’t this person slightly furrow their eyebrows too when they first saw me? I thought I was mistaken because they quickly returned to their original expression…

But now it was clear. They were about to kick me out after seeing my outfit but let it go after confirming I was with Lydia.

How often has she come here to be treated like this…?

While I stood there dumbfounded, Lydia, guided by the waiter, began to cross the restaurant with her usual expressionless face.

I hurriedly ran and grabbed Lydia’s sleeve.

“Miss Lydia! Miss Lydia! This place is too expensive. It’s a bit awkward to say this as a man, but can’t we go to another store?!”

“Huh? What does being a man have to do with it?”

“I said I would pay for it. But I don’t think I would be able to afford the food here even if I spent all the money I had…”

Upon hearing my earnest whispering, Lydia cocked her head in confusion, and then her expression lit up as if she had realized something.

“Ah, you were serious about that. Don’t worry. I’ll pay for it.”

“Gasp…!”

That’s right. Lydia wasn’t unaware of my financial situation, so she wouldn’t have planned on mooching off me here. It must have been just a joke.

In this world, there’s a perception that it’s polite for women to pay for meals, but even that has its limits.

To buy me a meal at such an expensive place. Lydia must indeed have a generous heart. …That’s what I thought, until I heard what Lydia added next.

“I’ll add it to Jonah’s debt.”

“……”

This was a joke too, right…?

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