By Zephyria 
I was so nervous I barely slept.
After crying for a while longer, Ruben leaned into my embrace and fell asleep weakly. The balcony was originally a place for talking while feeling the outside breeze, so it was cool even though it was covered with Magic. Fearing the child might catch a Cold Evil, I held him and stood in the hallway, and a passing attendant guided me to a lounge.
After all, the Crystal Palace was also a palace that held the new year festival. It was natural for guest rooms to be prepared separately.
The room I was guided to had a makeshift partition in the center, with a bed behind it. Near the door, a large sofa and a chaise lounge occupied the space, mingled with potted plants. Tapestries and framed pictures hung haphazardly on the walls, but I had no time to look at such things, seeing Ruben’s face after so long.
Reluctant to lie on the bed with Ruben, I sat on the sofa, holding the child.
Now I finally felt like I could breathe. Blood began to circulate again in my head, which had been filled with thoughts of Ruben.
Were my family members also coming to the capital now? It still took about fifteen days to reach the capital from Earldom Ernhardt. I regretted that Spiritus had returned to his Lair and could not freely use the portal. It was Magic that could not be used carelessly for fear of the world collapsing, but who knew what could be achieved with further research.
Were my close friends also in the main hall I had just been in? It seemed like Jenny was the one who had clapped first, but I was too flustered to be sure. I wondered how Hugh Benson and my other seniors and juniors were living.
Amidst all this, what was this about them offering me the Duchy of Grimesbane?
If Ruben had handled the arrangements, it meant the plan was nearly complete. The capital and the Duchy of Grimesbane were as far apart as the capital and the Widdrow Duchy. The thought of being far away from Ruben already made me feel quite bitter. They had said the land was not yet fully restored. What was the legitimate daughter of Grimesbane doing now?
As I was thinking this, the child in my arms suddenly stirred and woke up.
He gasped and struggled, so I held him tightly with my arms to keep him from moving. The child’s panicked gaze met my face directly. I gently stroked Ruben’s back to soothe him.
“Why are you so startled?”
“…Mika?”
“Yes. It’s me.”
I readily responded to the child’s hands that clutched me desperately. The child looked around and then back at me. As I watched his face reflected hazily in his sleep-blurred eyes, I couldn’t hold back and pressed my lips to the space between his brows before pulling away.
Ruben’s furrowed brow then smoothed out. With every blink of his eyes, the old sorrows in my heart were easily washed away.
“…Ah…”
“It’s okay to sleep more.”
“…No… No, I want to wake up…”
Even as he said this, Ruben relaxed his body into my embrace, leaning on me completely.
As I gently patted Ruben’s back, his heartbeat gradually found its rhythm. He kept glancing up at me, so I tickled his cheek with my thumb, and he bit down on my fingertip again.
Then he bit down and wouldn’t let go. His warm breath touched my fingertip, making my stomach tickle.
“Now, it’s just the two of us.”
“…”
“Are you just going to bite my finger?”
“…Huh?”
His teeth parted, and I easily pulled my hand free.
Startled, he sat up abruptly and stared at me. His cheeks were the first to turn red, followed by his sharp nose, and then his forehead, chin, and neck flushed a deep crimson.
I watched his lips part and close. The color of his cheeks was the same as the color of his tongue.
“…Mika? You… you’re really you, right?”
“Of course.”
Who else would I allow this for? I answered easily, and the child stammered, “But… you’re only saying nice things to me… You weren’t like this before…”
Yes, there were still things left to say.
I traced his lips with my fingertip. Looking directly into his wide-open eyes, I whispered, “I have now become a full person of this continent.”
“…!”
“I thought the one who brought me to this land was the Ninth God, but they said it was the First God. It seems they intended to create a new god to replace the gods who died preventing the Ninth God’s rampage.”
“…Then, no, but, why.”
“They said an accident happened in the meantime, and they couldn’t take care of me. By some means, I managed to live well without a god’s help, so even after acquiring the Ninth God’s power, I was able to remain human at a moderate level. Besides, the First God was not a god who forced anything.”
“…”
“Wesley Kiadris died a long time ago. Because the shell the Ninth God occupied was completely damaged midway, I couldn’t bring his head. However, the Ninth God has now been completely executed, so there will be no one trying to detonate Mana in the remote corners of the continent by returning or anything.”
“That’s…!”
Ruben clutched my shoulder tightly and clung to me.
“That’s not necessary. Because you returned safely…”
“Yes.”
A somber expression returned to the child’s face.
I brushed away his moistening eyes with my fingertips, and Ruben leaned his cheek into my palm, burying himself there. Knowing well that I wouldn’t find his weight burdensome, the child unhesitatingly leaned his entire body weight onto me.
Heavy is fine, but the closeness of Ruben’s body was disconcerting. I could hear his heartbeat close to my chest. With every deep breath Ruben took, his full chest pressed against mine.
…Wait. He seems much thinner than before.
With my free hand, I gently traced the outline of Ruben’s prominent shoulder blades. I could clearly feel each vertebra under my fingertips, and I let out a soft sigh. He must have gone through considerable emotional distress. Unable to bear the pity, I pulled him closer. Then, the child whined and wrapped his arms around my neck.
Whispering in a low voice, close enough to feel his breath, I asked, “While I was gone, what was the Empire like?”
“…”
Then the child lowered his blinking eyes. Matching my tone, he whispered back in a very small voice, “…Kiss me first. Since it’s just the two of us…”
Ah.
There was no way I could refuse Ruben’s words now.
Sitting on the sofa, I let myself slide sideways onto my side as he pushed me. I covered his fingertips, which were pressing down on my shoulder. I worried if his fingertips might be cold, but they were warm, even hot. Whether it was because he had just woken up or because my body heat had transferred to him, I couldn’t tell.
Ruben kept pressing my shoulder down, down, down. Because of that, I hesitated about where to put my hands and rested my hand on the back of his thigh. Startled, the child flinched, so I gently stroked the fabric over his skin with my thumb to soothe him.
He had been trying to devour me just moments ago, yet he was so easily frightened. Looking at Ikyun, Ruben called me again, sounding anxious.
“…Mika?”
“Yes, it’s me.”
“Your hand…”
“…I won’t move it. I’ll just hold it.”
Then Ruben took a sharp breath.
His thoughtful expression was so easy to read. With such cuteness, I couldn’t fathom how he would ever be an Emperor.
Every spot where Ruben and I touched grew hot. The child shifted slightly and mumbled with his face flushed crimson, “That’s not… what I meant…”
“Then?”
“…”
“Haha, I’m sorry. I won’t tease you anymore.”
I couldn’t help but smile at his sulky glare. As I opened my mouth, Ruben quickly placed his hand on my chest and leaned down. After a few pecking kisses, he melted like warm caramel and clung to me stickily.
Ruben’s tongue tasted like freshly squeezed tears. It was incredibly sweet and delicious.
❖ ❖ ❖
I tried my best not to end up in bed with the child, but when I came to my senses, we were already in bed.
Still, it was a relief. The exhausted child was satisfied with a few kisses and fell asleep, so there was no awkwardness. Ruben, sleeping with soft, colorful breaths, was endlessly captivating. I carefully pulled the blanket up to cover him so he wouldn’t get cold and gently massaged his fingertips to keep them from growing cold.
With the remaining time, I played with the child alone.
I bit his sniffling nose once, and kissed his moist cheeks once. He had cried so much that his cheeks and ears were still warm. I traced the heat rash on his white nape with my fingertip. He had such a fever that I worried he might fall ill tomorrow.
After watching him for a long time, I bit his shoulder and his fingertips playfully.
Now I understood why Ruben was so eager to bite me whenever he saw me. When someone is too beautiful and cute, even knowing it’s foolish, you just want to gobble them up in one bite. Even though I knew I couldn’t bear to eat even a single bite…
I’ll be like this for a while.
I couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh.
It was unbelievable that I hadn’t had a moment to talk about the world’s affairs while I was with Ruben.
Right now, I didn’t even know what Ruben’s schedule was for tomorrow. I was so curious about what kind of life he had lived as Emperor, and what kind of people he had chosen to surround himself with, but it was funny that I hadn’t asked a single word.
However, whenever our eyes met, I craved to touch him even more, and there was nothing I could do about it.
I put my arm under the child, who was curled up uncomfortably, and pulled him into my embrace.
When the child wakes up tomorrow morning, I’ll be sure to greet him first.
And I’ll vow never to leave his side again, and then I’ll ask my friends for advice on how to choose an engagement ring…