'...How much ti has it been?' Ryuk held his hand over Yao Lian's head, sensing the arrival of soone nearby.
Though they were concealed by an illusion that kept them hidden, he was already familiar with the individual's identity and chose to act indifferent.
With the system adapting to Es's abilities, he had beco increasingly adept at pinpointing her positions.
He utilized a thod akin to hers, where her power influenced the flow of mana. By observing the uniform movent of mana in the vicinity, he deduced her presence.
[Just a minute ago, she seed angry....you shouldn't have hit her...you know, husbands who commit dostic violence—ERROR!]
Before the system could continue uttering nonsense, it was muted before Long Ryuk. With his eyes fixed on Yao Lian, yet the voice directed towards the figure who had arrived, his head tilted in that direction as, with a small smile, he said, "Even the best hiding spots fail if your scent tells your secrets, Es."
'....'
No response ca.
SWOOSH
Soon enough, a womanly figure in a fluttering white butterfly dress started to materialize. With her hands folded and a clear, sharp look on her face, she glared back at him with cold golden pupils. Her grey hair was adorned with a black tiara, giving her a suspicious appearance as she added in a hushed tone, "Why did you hit yesterday?"
[Told you! You will get arrested for dostic violence! (｡ŏ﹏ŏ) ]
'.....' Ryuk stood there looking blankly at Es while hearing the sa nonsense from the system, recalling what happened last night when he visited Es.
****
Last Night,
As they passed through the corridor and approached a room, a man in a black suit was followed closely by a woman in a white dress, her weary face revealing her fatigue.
Ryuk opened the door, ushering Es inside. He observed the quiet space, adorned with traditional wooden carpentry and dimly lit by a small window that allowed natural light to filter in. In the center of the room was a bed, and he suggested gently, "You should rest. You've expended most of your strength."
Though he was himself exhausted, Ryuk recognized that while his weariness ca from physical exertion, Es had drained her ntal energy. He felt compelled to offer his support.
Es turned to him, her golden eyes shimring with a blend of weariness and vulnerability. It seed she was subtly seeking so form of reward or reassurance. Fighting off sleep, she composed herself and asked, "Can't we sleep together?"
[Pounce, Host, it's an opportunity!]
'....'
"I-I an, lie down together," Es clarified, noticing his perplexed expression. It seed her words hadn't been interpreted as she intended, so she persisted gently, hoping he would be more accommodating.
"I'll sleep in my room," Ryuk replied steadily. Although he was eager for rest, he also believed staying here might complicate matters, particularly since he planned to et Yao Lian in the garden later.
Es frowned, uncertainty flickering across her features. "Why?" she asked softly, her voice laced with doubt. Thoughts raced through her mind—was he distancing himself due to unspoken boundaries? She had sensed an unintentional barrier between them, perhaps one she had inadvertently created by pushing him away. But was it true that he did not wish to be close to her?
Sensing her internal struggle, Ryuk sought to clarify as he glanced toward the window, noting that several hours remained before nightfall. He added firmly, "Es, it's not what you think."
She took a small step closer, her hand reaching out to him. Her grip was light yet persistent. "Then stay here," she urged, her voice barely above a whisper.
'...Regina must have dealt with Yao Shan,' Ryuk thought, extending his energy to cover the entire main peak. He sensed that the energy signatures of two individuals who had been engaged in battle had subsided, indicating that the Celestial Phoenix Order's matriarch had been subdued. With that matter no longer requiring his attention, he nodded and took a seat on the bed. After removing his shoes, Es followed suit, lying down beside him as they both stared up at the ceiling.
"…Don't you want to sleep?" Ryuk asked, stealing a sidelong glance at her. He noticed that she had been surreptitiously studying him, her gaze betraying her struggle against sleep.
"No. You sleep first," Es replied, her tone mirroring his earlier inquiry. She kept her gaze fixed on the wooden ceiling, but he noticed her stealing glances in his direction, prompting him to encourage her to rest.
Hours drifted by.
As the moonlight intensified, casting a silvery glow throughout the room, Ryuk's eyes fluttered open. He had managed a power nap, his body clock perfectly aligned with his ntal resolve, and he found himself awake just as the night settled in. Glancing beside him, he saw Es, propping her head up with one hand and gazing at him instead of sleeping.
"Es," he said with firm concern, "you need to sleep."
She gave a faint smile but shook her head once more. "No, what if I drown in them?"
"In whom?" Ryuk leaned closer, rising slowly. He was astonished that even after all this ti, despite her exhaustion, she had not given herself the rest she so desperately needed. This left him feeling there was no other option but to induce her to sleep artificially.
"Your eyes," Es whispered, her eyes lingering on his mask, particularly fixed on his eyes, as for a few hours she kept looking at his sleeping face, where there wasn't a hint of change or any expression; no matter how much she saw, he appeared perfect to her.
No one is perfect: she heard that, but it appeared the one who made these lines had never fallen in love. Otherwise, the next line after this would have been: No one is perfect except the one who is perfect for you—your love.
Ryuk's gaze lingered on her, softening in a way that Es had rarely seen. It wasn't the cold, calculating man she had grown accustod to; in that mont, his eyes carried sothing warr, gentler.
Slowly, his hand rose, his knuckles brushing along the line of her jaw with an almost reverent touch.
Es felt her breath hitch, her body freezing under the sudden shift in his deanor.
His thumb pressed lightly against her trembling lips, the sensation sending a ripple through her as if he'd reached past her skin and directly into her heart.
Her golden eyes widened, locking onto his, unable to look away.
"I—I…" she whispered, her voice fragile, barely audible, as if any louder might shatter the delicate mont between them.
Her lips quivered under his touch, and she felt her heartbeat drum loudly in her ears. She wasn't sure what she expected him to say—so confession, perhaps, or a rare mont of honesty.
Instead, his lips parted, and he spoke with a quiet intensity and cold firm tone, as if ordering her, "Go sleep, Es."
"Eh?"
The firmness in his tone startled her, a reminder of the man he truly was beneath the fleeting tenderness.
Swish
Before she could respond, his hand moved with practiced precision, forefinger pressing against the side of her neck.
'!?'
Her eyes widened in shock, her breath catching as her body montarily stiffened.
"Wha—" she tried to protest, but the words dissolved into nothing as darkness swept over her. Her eyelids fluttered shut, her body growing limp in his arms.
[ YOU HEARTLESS MAN! (ᗒᗩᗕ)]
[ YOU KILLED HER! (༎ຶ ෴ ༎ຶ) ]
'She is just sleeping; I just gave a light hit.'
[ D-ddddostic Violence?! Arrest this man! ಥ╭╮ಥ ]
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