NEOMA was glaring at Ruto, who was casually sitting beside her as if he didn't just kiss her.
Well, technically, he really didn't kiss her since he kissed the back of the hand that he used to cover her mouth. But it ant he wanted to kiss her, right?
"Ruto."
"Hmm?"
Neoma glared at him even more. "I'll snitch and tell Papa Boss you kissed ."
Ruto turned to her with a surprised look on his face, then he chuckled. "I'll take responsibility, Neoma."
"You can't take responsibility until I'm eighteen years old, at least," she complained. "And you're four years older than , Ruto. It's wrong for an almost fourteen-year-old boy to make a move on an almost ten-year-old girl. A four-year gap isn't that much, but only if you're adults."
"We're not kids, Neoma," he said bluntly. "Not in this dinsion, at least. I wouldn't make a move on you outside. I didn't hold back this ti only because we're in our adult forms."
"You really have a coback in everything I say."
"You won't be interested in otherwise, don't you think so?"
"Tsk," she complained by clicking her tongue again. "We should have really had this conversation a long ti ago."
He ruffled her hair again. "We promised to rely on each other from now on. Well, I can't be useful for the next three years. But once I return, we'll work together closely."
'Closely,' he said.
"You know how to pacify ," she said, then she crossed her arms over her chest. "Is it because you know Neoma Quinzel well, too?"
"You're very different from Neoma Quinzel," he said in an amused voice. "I got to know you by observing you, and getting friendly with you by feeding you well."
"Even I can tell that I'm very different from Neoma Quinzel," she said with a bitter laugh. "Ruto, I'm stronger now, am I not?"
"You have a stronger personality now, but that doesn't an Neoma Quinzel was lacking in that departnt," he said with a soft smile on his face as if he was reliving a fond mory. "Just because you were ek and sympathetic in the past didn't an you were weak. In fact, we were drawn by your silent and elegant aura back then."
Silent?
Well, yeah. She was pretty much "tad" when she lived as Neoma Quinzel in the past.
"I'm not the silent type now," she said. "Do you like my new personality, Ruto?"
"Yeah, you never fail to amuse since day one," he said. "My plans were almost ruined when you suddenly had to pretend as Prince Nero. At first, I thought you'd choose to beco a Quinzel again. But in the end, I realized you made the right choice."
She smiled proudly. "My big brain amazes too sotis."
He just smiled before removing his hand from her hair. "That's one of the reasons I didn't show up right away. I know you can handle it yourself. If things didn't get out of hand, I wouldn't have revealed my true self to you."
"Ruto?"
"Yeah?"
"Thank you," she said sincerely. "I may not agree with the way you handled things for , but I appreciate everything you've done in order to keep safe. I may complain a lot, but I hope you know I'm glad you're on my side."
"If you're really grateful, then act cute for ," he said teasingly.
"Hey, I did aegyo for you before, but you acted so indifferent!"
"It's because I don't know how to react when you're being cute," he said while laughing. "Do it again and I'll give a different reaction this ti."
"No can do," she said firmly. "I'll do aegyo once we et again after three years."
"Prince Nero would have been completely healed by then, right?"
"Yes," she said cheerfully, then she knitted her eyebrows. "Did you find out about Nero's condition by observing ?"
"No, His Majesty told himself."
"Papa Boss tells you stuff like that?" she asked, surprised. "Papa Boss seems to be really fond of you, Ruto."
"His Majesty has taken a liking to ever since I brought Veton in this continent. His Majesty is fascinated by the Elental Guardians." He paused as if he hesitated for a mont before he spoke again. "To be honest, I can understand His Majesty's intention as the emperor. Elental Guardians are a rare existence. As the strongest man in the empire, he'd want to keep by his side as an ally. But since I'm both a citizen of the East and the West Continent, the only way for His Majesty to tie down in the Moonasterion Empire is to give a notable position."
"Ah, that's why Papa Boss keeps saying he'd make you the next commander of the White Lion Knights," she said, hiding her amazent by the fact that Ruto had dual citizenship. She didn't know dual citizenship also applied in this world until he brought it up. "Was my father also the reason why you beca the commander in your past life?"
"Pretty much," he said with a shrug. "I didn't have a reason to refuse the position in the past. But now that I've found a new career, I don't think I'd be the commander of the White Lion Knights this ti." He turned to her and tilted his head to one side. "Unless you want to."
"Nah, you must follow your heart."
"Yeah, that's why I'm following you."
She avoided his gaze when she felt her cheeks heat up. "That's so cheesy, Ruto."
He just laughed it off. "I really need to go, Neoma. I'm afraid I'd start talking about our past if I stayed here longer."
"Yeah, we should part," she said. "You're bad for my heart."
Ruto extended his hand to her. "May I hold your hand before we part ways, Neoma?"
Hah.
As if she could say 'no' to him at this point.
It was funny how she was so eager to protect Ruto in the past because he was weak. But it turned out he was more powerful than her. At least, in the anti.
Moreover, he did a lot of things for her.
"Okay," Neoma said, then she gave her hand to Ruto. "Since you feed so well, you earn the right to hold my hand."
***
"I'M TIRED, Ruto," Neoma said while walking in the park with Ruto. Yes, they were still holding hands. And yes, she liked the feeling of Ruto's big and warm hand in hers. "I think I've reached my limit."
"You did well, Neoma," Ruto praised her. "You have a good grasp of how to use your Soul Dinsion. You're a natural talent."
She smiled at the complint she received. "I know, right?"
He stopped walking, then he faced her. "I think I've already told you the things you should know about. The next three years will be tough, but I trust you, Neoma. Please don't push yourself too hard. Rember to eat and play well, too."
"Okay," she said obediently. "Where are you sleeping, Ruto? Can't you just sleep at the palace? I'll take care of you."
"Ah, I'm sorry, but I can't," he said apologetically. "I need to be in the East Continent. To be precise, I need to stay at the Sun Goddess's Temple. Just like how you're blessed by Lord Yule, I'm blessed by the Sun Goddess. Thus, to replenish my vitality as soon as possible, I need to stay at the temple."
She raised an eyebrow at him. "With the Sun Priestess?"
"The Sun Priestess is just like a younger sister to ."
"But it doesn't look like she only sees you as a brother," she insisted. "She tried to destroy our relationship, Ruto."
"I'll make sure it won't happen again."
She frowned, but she nodded in the end. What else she could do? Ruto already said he needed to stay at the Sun Goddess's Temple.
"I will give you my authority while I'm asleep, Neoma."
"Huh?"
"I'm more influential on the East Continent than in the West," he explained. "I'll hand over all my authority to you. That ans you can use everything I have, including properties and people."
"That… doesn't sound bad."
"I'll ask my mother to send you my crest later," he said. "As long as you have it, everything and everyone I command would obey you."
That made her smile. "Okay. Anything else?"
"Hmm…" He looked up at the night sky as if he was thinking. "Since I'm going to be punished anyway, let say one more thing."
"What is it?"
"I want you to relay a ssage for His Majesty," he said when he looked at her face. "Neoma, please tell His Majesty to stop looking for the late Empress Juliet's stolen "corpse.""
She froze after hearing that. "Right, I almost forgot that the late empress's corpse has been stolen."
Now she felt awful for forgetting that.
But…
"Ruto, why do I feel like you added air quotes when you said "corpse" earlier," she said. "What are you implying with that tone?"
"If you tell His Majesty the ssage the way I said it, he'll understand. Probably," he said with a shrug. "But it's important that he listens. Please also tell His Majesty that if he continues to search the entire world for the late empress's "corpse," he'll only catch the attention of the people who shouldn't know about it."
He was speaking in riddles again.
"It won't be easy to convince Papa Boss to stop looking for the late empress's "corpse," Ruto," she said with a sigh. "He cares a lot about her."
"Then tell His Majesty that if does as I say, I will bring the late Empress Juliet back myself."
"Do you know where the late empress's "corpse" is?"
"No, but I have a rough idea as to who might have stolen her "corpse,"" he said. "I never made a move to find her since I believe it's better off this way for everyone."
[Oh, he's being vague.]
It was probably sothing that he seriously shouldn't be talking about.
"I understand," she said. "I'll convey your ssage to Papa Boss."
"Thank you," he said in a tired voice before he let go of her hand. Then he suddenly leaned down and buried his face against her neck as if he just lost his strength. "I've really hit my limit."
Ah, his body turned translucent.
That ant Ruto was really about to go.
"I'm only going to wait for three years," Neoma said, then she wrapped her arms around his translucent body. "Good night, Ruto."
"Mm," Ruto said in a sleepy voice as he hugged her back. "Good night, Neoma."
***
"YOU'RE FINALLY up?"
Neoma blinked several tis while looking at her Papa Boss.
Her father was the first person she saw when she opened her eyes. While looking at her Papa Boss's face, everything ca back to her. Ah, right. She had a very long eting with her people in her 'Soul Dinsion,' as Ruto called it.
[Lewis and the others aren't here.]
Did her father kick them out?
"Papa Boss," Neoma said, then she rembered that she had a fight with her father recently. She suddenly got up while looking at her Papa Boss with a fierce look on her face. "I'm sorry for being insensitive of your feelings, Papa Boss."
Her Papa Boss looked surprised by what she said. "I should also apologize to you, Neoma," he said gently, then he sat beside her. "I'm sorry for getting mad. I guess I'm still jealous of how much you treasure Gavin Quinzel."
"But you didn't say anything wrong, Papa Boss," she confessed while looking at her hands. "Even if appa is good to , he still has to be held accountable for what he did in the past. I shouldn't gloss it over just because he was a good father to . It would be unfair to you and everyone that he has hurt before."
"I'm glad you understand that part now," her father said gently. "Still, I could have been nicer when we were discussing about it."
"But being nice doesn't suit you, Papa Boss."
"Are you trying to pick a fight with again?"
She raised her head, then laughed when she saw her Papa Boss looking at her with a soft look on his face. Their relationship had gotten better recently, but she still couldn't get used to it. "Have we made up now, Papa Boss?"
"I guess so," he said, then he gently patted her head. "You had a long talk with Ruston Stroganoff, huh?"
Lewis and the others probably told her father that she t Ruto after they left.
Neoma nodded eagerly as a response to her father's question earlier. "Papa Boss, would you like Ruto to be your son-in-law?"
For the first ti in a while, she saw her 'Angry Papa Boss' mode.
[But I thought Papa Boss is fond of Ruto!]
***
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