"Buer, can you tell more about the past?"
Luo Qing's voice was soft and apologetic. "I'm sorry, but I don't rember anything."
"Mm..."
A faint voice ca from his embrace, tinged with sadness.
Just as she had feared, it was exactly as he'd once said—when they t again, he would no longer rember the past.
But at least, about her being his bride...
That part, he seed to recall.
"It all started at the beginning of the Archon War..."
Buer began to recount the events, her voice gentle yet carrying the weight of millennia.
She told him of their first eting, which had been by chance during a battle, and how Luo Qing had shalessly stayed in her palace afterward, refusing to leave.
She spoke of how they had fought side by side, fending off invading gods. Luo Qing, though not a god himself, wielded power surpassing even the highest-ranked deities.
Over countless years, Luo Qing had remained by her side, helping her establish the Akademiya and create the Void System.
Though he often teased her, claiming she would one day beco his bride, he never once overstepped his bounds.
Gradually, Buer ca to accept his words, silently envisioning a future where they would be together.
She had even planned to confess her feelings and agree to his request on a special day.
But then, Khaenri'ah's calamity struck.
She had to remain by the World Tree, defending it from the corruption of forbidden knowledge.
Knowing her end was near, she resolved to sacrifice herself to cleanse the tree completely. The confession she had rehearsed was replaced by an ambiguous remark:
"Luo Qing, she'll be our child now. How about you give her a na?"
"No excuses! You contributed too! By the people's reckoning, we're her mom and dad! Hurry up, na her!"
"Nahida? That sounds nice... Alright, we'll call her Nahida."
"Luo Qing, if I'm no longer here soday, will you let her stay with you?"
She hadn't anticipated, however, that Luo Qing would leave her first...
"So Nahida is like you, a branch of the World Tree?"
After hearing Buer's story, Luo Qing finally understood the broader picture.
Five hundred years ago, Buer had known she needed to be erased to fully cleanse the World Tree of its corruption.
Before her demise, she had chosen the purest branch of the World Tree to serve as her reincarnation, soone who would continue to protect Suru and accompany Luo Qing in her stead.
However, her power had been greatly diminished by the pollution of forbidden knowledge, reducing her form to that of a child.
Unable to create the reincarnation alone, she had persuaded Luo Qing to help her. Together, they had brought Nahida into existence.
Nahida was not only the World Tree's reincarnation but also, in essence, the child of both Buer and Luo Qing.
That lingering sense of closeness Luo Qing felt toward Nahida wasn't an illusion.
Her being carried traces of his power and essence.
To call her his child wouldn't be far from the truth.
"Luo Qing, have you t Nahida yet?"
Buer looked up at him, her eyes filled with anticipation.
"She must have grown a lot by now, hasn't she?"
"Well..."
Luo Qing scratched his head awkwardly.
If Buer found out that the guardian god she had painstakingly created had been imprisoned by her people for 500 years right after being born...
He couldn't imagine how she would react.
"She has indeed grown quite a bit..."
"Mm."
Buer responded with a soft hum of satisfaction.
"I'd like to et her. Can I?"
"Of course."
Luo Qing nodded.
"But before that, we need to prepare a little..."
He couldn't just show up unannounced and tell Nahida: 'I'm the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, your mom. And this is Luo Qing, your dad.'
Nahida's brain would likely short-circuit on the spot.
eting her was inevitable, but so groundwork needed to be laid first.
"Alright, Luo Qing. I'll do whatever you say," Buer replied obediently, snuggling into his embrace.
Once burdened with the responsibility of protecting the World Tree, she had repressed her feelings. But now, as an ordinary girl free of those heavy duties, she could finally express her love to the person she cherished.
"Shall we head back now?"
Her erald eyes sparkled with eagerness as she looked up.
She couldn't wait to move into Luo Qing's ho and finally act as its true mistress!
"Uh..."
Luo Qing hesitated, swallowing hard as he thought of the won waiting at ho.
"We can, but..."
---
Later that night, Luo Qing's residence
Makoto sat on the couch in the living room, knitting a black sweater under the soft glow of the lamp.
For so reason, she felt restless tonight, an inexplicable sense of unease nagging at her.
Suddenly, footsteps echoed down the hallway.
Makoto turned to see Ei walking toward the kitchen, lazily stretching as she shuffled in her slippers.
She didn't need to ask—her sister had clearly run out of desserts and was heading for the pantry to restock.
"So, what did Luo Qing have you do today?" Makoto asked casually, not looking up from her knitting.
"Nothing much. Just cleaning up so mistakes from the past," Ei replied, rummaging through the cabinet before grabbing several small cakes and cradling them in her arms.
"Mistakes?"
Makoto's brows furrowed.
Suddenly, her earlier unease made sense.
"Do you an that puppet?!"
"Oh, you knew about him? Did Luo Qing tell you?" Ei's tone was nonchalant as she headed upstairs.
"It's fine. I've already taken care of it."
"..."
[Frustration 1 from Makoto.]
The puppet was indeed dealt with—but it was what ca next that concerned her.
Taking a deep breath, Makoto recalled mories from her previous life.
Pulling a pocket watch from her sleeve, she checked the ti.
"He's not back yet... So that ans..."
Her murmurs were cut short by the sound of a key turning in the door lock.
Monts later, the door swung open, and Luo Qing stepped inside.
"Luo Qing, you're ho—"
Makoto's words faltered as a silver-haired figure followed him inside.
So it had finally co to this.
Makoto stood frozen, staring at the familiar yet foreign figure.
For the first ti in ages, she felt the weight of ancestral blood coursing through her, as if being suppressed.
No. That was the past. This life, I ca first!
The advantage was hers now.
Taking a deep breath, Makoto folded her arms, her expression shifting to one of cool authority. Her aura radiated the unmistakable presence of the household's mistress.
She was just about to assert her position when the silver-haired figure smiled warmly, cutting her off.
"Long ti no see, Makoto. I heard..."
"You want to be Luo Qing's bride, too?"
---
T/N: Could it be...DRAMA? YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES
Ahem! Gather close, esteed audience! Do you comprehend the privilege of basking in my radiance? Truly, you're witnessing history in the making—a performance unparalleled in the annals of Fontaine!
Ah, but don't get distracted! Let be clear: this brilliance isn't conjured from thin air. No, no, no! It requires effort, dedication, and... well, a touch of your generosity. If you fancy being part of sothing truly extraordinary, do step forward here: /WiseTL].
Oh, but wait! You're probably wondering, "Furina, how can soone as magnificent as you need assistance?" To that, I say: why deny mortals the honor of contributing to such greatness? Supporting is supporting art, and who doesn't want to say they were instruntal in a legend's rise?
Now, off you go. Make your offerings, and perhaps, perhaps, I'll acknowledge you in my next soliloquy!
— Furina ✨
Reviews
All reviews (0)