“Ugh…”
Suddenly, Duke Richard covered his mouth and shed tears. Cain, who was next to him, asked with a surprised face.
“Why…why are you like this?”
“Just, I was reminded of the old days.”
Perhaps feeling embarrassed about getting emotional alone, Duke Richard pretended to look around and stood up from his seat.
“Hmm. It seems impolite to stay in the newlyweds’ house for so long.”
“…Huh? All of a sudden?”
Cain made a bewildered face, but Duke Richard had already grabbed the wrists of Cain and Belle with both hands.
“Let’s go quickly.”
And he dragged them out. Belle said goodbye with a smile.
“Stay healthy! I’ll come to play again next time!”
“I will come again too!”
Before the door closed, Cain also waved his hand.
As soon as the guests disappeared, the noisy atmosphere vanished in an instant.
“They left earlier than I thought.”
Arundel, who felt a bit disappointed as if they had just passed by, looked at the place where they had disappeared.
“I wish no one had come.”
Zion wrapped his arms around from behind and spoke.
“Heuk…!”
He nibbled at the nape of the neck.
“Now that all the intruders are gone, how about finishing what we started.”
“Zion!”
“You promised to teach me.”
Zion’s actions became increasingly blatant. The nibble at the neck had now moved to gently nibbling on the sensitive ear.
As his teasing tongue lightly touched her ear, Arundel involuntarily let out a moan.
“Ah!”
“Shall we go to bed, my angel?”
His gentle voice was like a sweet devil’s whisper. Zion lifted Arundel by putting his hands behind her knees.
But then,
Knock! Knock!!
“Are you there!”
A voice was heard from outside again. As Arundel stared at the door, she heard Zion’s irritated voice.
“Ignore it.”
But Arundel, who was concerned, pushed Zion away and stood up.
Approaching the door, Arundel turned the doorknob.
Click.
“Isn’t it this place? It must be here, Belle…Oh, it is!”
As the door opened, a cheerful voice was heard.
“Hello, Arundel! And…Zion!”
Bianca awkwardly greeted, unfamiliar without Zion’s title.
“Bianca! And…Roiden and Lucas too!”
Behind Bianca’s bright smile, Royden and Lucas were also standing.
“We had no way to contact you, so we visited unexpectedly.”
Lucas stepped forward with a smile. He was as gentle and kind as when they first met.
“Is Zion not here?”
Royden asked Arundel, who came out alone.
“He is. Let’s go inside for now.”
At Arundel’s guide, the second guests slowly stepped into the mansion. Bianca admired the cozy and luxurious interior.
“Wow… It’s really nice.”
Arundel smiled awkwardly and led them to the reception room. As soon as they sat down, Zion appeared.
Zion made an uncomfortable aura as he appeared, and everyone seemed to be watching him.
Royden slowly opened his mouth as he looked at Zion.
“We came too…suddenly.”
“You came knowing that.”
The air sank again at Zion’s bitter smile. Arundel, who couldn’t stand it, took over the conversation.
“The first guests just left, I didn’t know another would come right away.”
“I saw my father’s party on the way out. They told me this was the house, so I found it without wandering.”
At Royden’s words, Arundel nodded.
“Has everyone been well?”
“Yes. The palace without Arundel is empty, but… everyone is getting along well. These days, I’m getting along well with Belle and the head maid.”
Bianca answered with a pretty smile. Arundel turned her head and looked at Lucas.
“What about Lucas?”
“I am also managing Arundel’s temple well. Thanks to the prize money I received as a reward, I don’t have to worry about financial difficulties. The divine power of the priests is also returning.”
Arundel sighed with relief.
As Lucas said, they received a huge amount of prize money when the subjugation force was disbanded. Lucas, who didn’t need a title or territory, only asked for the prize money, so the amount was enormous.
Fortunately, it seems that he is managing the temple well.
“I’ll visit next time.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
Lucas bowed his head with his eyes closed.
For some reason, he felt a dark aura coming from the side, and when he looked to the side, Zion’s face was cold.
“Zion…?”
Zion turned his head sharply. If things continued this way, his anger might explode.
“Could you go get some tea…?”
At Arundel’s earnest request, Zion reluctantly got up from his seat. As Zion disappeared, the heavy atmosphere lightened considerably.
Only then did Arundel continue to ask about their well-being.
“Has Royden been well?”
“Yes. Now that Zion is gone, I think I need to become stronger, so I’m focusing on training.”
Somehow, his large physique seemed to have grown a little larger.
“Don’t say that. Even though I’m in the human world, my duty to protect humans is still valid.”
At Arundel’s words, Royden smiled broadly.
“There’s no more reassuring word than that.”
In the softened atmosphere, Arundel suddenly remembered something she had been curious about.
“Hills. Have you seen Hills since then?”
At Arundel’s question, everyone hesitated to open their mouths.
“I haven’t seen him…”
Arundel, who was heartbroken, made a gloomy expression.
Not long after Arundel returned to Irina’s body, Hills disappeared.
She was worried about what might have happened to him, who had suddenly hidden his figure, but she could not hear any news about him.
“Don’t worry too much. He will come back when the time comes. He probably needs time to sort out his feelings like me…”
Royden said as if to comfort her. But even as he reassured Arundel, a shadow fell over Royden’s face.
Arundel cautiously called Royden.
“Royden…?”
“It’s nothing.”
But somehow, Bianca and Lucas were looking at Royden sympathetically.
What is it…? This atmosphere.
“Arundel…you’re really a woman with many sins.”
Then Bianca’s blaming voice was heard. Arundel, who didn’t know why, tilted her head.
Somehow, with the strange atmosphere swirling around, Arundel changed the subject.
“When are you all thinking of leaving?”
“If it’s okay with you, we can stay here for a day and then go…”
But Bianca’s innocent words were cut off. Because Zion had appeared.
“I think we need to go right away.”
“Huh?”
When Bianca asked what he meant, Zion pointed outside and spoke.
“A meteorite fell near the capital.”
“Is that true?”
Surprised, Royden jumped up from his seat. Zion nodded calmly.
Lucas also got up from his seat with a darkened expression.
“We should go check it out quickly.”
They hurriedly left the mansion. Arundel saw them off with a worried expression.
“Be careful.”
“It’s a shame to leave so soon…but there will be a next time.”
Lucas said goodbye with a gentle smile. Royden and Bianca also bid farewell with bright faces.
“Goodbye, Arundel, Zion!”
“It would be nice if you could come to the palace next time. Stay healthy.”
With Royden’s farewell, they disappeared.
Once again, only Zion and Arundel were left. Arundel looked at Zion and asked.
“Isn’t that right, Zion?”
“Yeah.”
At Zion’s brazen answer, Arundel touched her forehead.
“Did Zion really drop a meteorite?”
“I dropped it where there are no people, so there should be no harm.”
When Arundel looked at Zion with a stern expression at his brazen answer, he frowned and said.
“It’s their fault.”
“What does that mean…!”
“They’re stealing our time.”
Arundel pressed her temples.
Even though everything was over, Zion always acted hastily. As if she would leave someday.
She wanted to ban conversation for a few days, but considering the hardships he had been through, it was not surprising that he reacted this way.
So Arundel changed her thinking in the direction of soothing Zion.
“Zion. We’re going to be together forever.”
“….”
“I am an angel and I will not perish as long as I do not lose my will. The same goes for Zion.”
Zion, who had the forbidden seed, was essentially an immortal being.
He had an infinite lifespan, and since he was no longer dominated by the power of the seed, there would be no being that could harm him.
“I know that I will spend an eternity with you…but every moment with you is precious to me.”
At his earnest words, Arundel’s nose tingled for a moment. Zion gently held Arundel’s hand and kissed the back of her hand.
“Arundel, there’s something I want to hear.”
As Arundel nodded as if to allow it, Zion took Arundel’s hand and led her to a small lake in the garden.
He sat Arundel on a flat rock.
“How did you and my mother meet?”
At the unexpected question, Arundel slowly blinked her eyes. Zion looked up at the blue sky and spoke.
“When I lost my memory, I had a vision. You were falling into a swamp, and I alone was not enough to pull you out.”
“…Uh-huh.”
Arundel also vaguely remembered that time.
While becoming a seed and losing consciousness, she had a vision of Zion sinking into a swamp. At that time, without any other thoughts, she pulled him.
While saving Zion and sinking in his place, she was able to escape from the swamp due to the strong force pulling her.
“At that time…mother appeared and helped me pull you out of the swamp.”
“Mary…”
“I heard vaguely from Hills, but I want to hear more from you.”
The warm gaze of Zion did not contain sadness. His expression, having let everything out, seemed peaceful.
At his appearance, Arundel hesitated and opened her mouth.
“Mary was… a human woman I happened to see passing by. Even though she covered most of her face, it was hard to just pass by because she exuded a gloomy atmosphere.”
She recalled the precarious Mary.
“As Zion knows, Mary was suffering from heart disease. Nevertheless, Mary wanted to save Zion.”
“…”
“Originally, it’s not okay to get involved so deeply in human affairs, and it’s natural not to touch the treasures of the demon world, but thinking about it now, it seems that her desire to protect Zion moved me.”
Zion’s eyes curved and folded. His soft voice reached Arundel’s ears.
“Mother often talked about Arundel. She said I was a child protected by an angel, blessed.”
Arundel, who was thinking of Mary, suddenly thought of Hills and made a gloomy face.
“But I didn’t save Mary alone… Honestly, if it wasn’t for Hills’ help, I wouldn’t have been able to get the forbidden seed.”
At Arundel’s recollection, Zion gently brushed her hair with a tender touch. She thought of Hills, who had disappeared somewhere and was hiding.
“Shall we go in now?”
At his gentle question, Arundel nodded. She wanted to erase her thoughts before her mood sank.
Zion and Arundel, who returned to the mansion, prepared dinner while looking at the surroundings that were getting dark.
Always eating what others made, it felt like a part of her heart was filled when she prepared something chatty like this.
“Ah, I’m full.”
Arundel put down her spoon and spoke. After dinner, it was completely dark outside the window.
‘Another day is passing like this.’
Looking at Zion sitting across from her, Arundel gave a faint smile.
This quiet moment was more than satisfying.
Knock knock!
Until a knock sounded.
