性瘾者

“YOU’RE THE cutest bald baby in the world,” seven-year-old Ruto said while looking at the sleeping three-year-old baby Neoma– the real Neoma and not the poor soul from the other world. “When you wake up, you’ll wake up as the real Neoma.”

The soul inside that small body before belonged to Kim Nabi.

He already brought the poor soul to the Cosmic Tree for its protection.

“You’ll be fine,” Ruto assured her. “The life you lived as Kim Neoma will help you navigate this life. And I’m here. I’ll protect you from afar.”

Neoma, who seemed to have understood his words, smiled.

[What a cute, bald baby.]

***

<Ruto 8 12, Neoma>

.....

[THE BALD baby grew up well.]

How old was she again now?

[If I’m twelve, then she’s eight.]

Ruto, now working as the head chef of Blanco Palace, watched Neoma from afar while she munched on her éclair with so much gusto.

He said ‘afar,’ and he meant it.

To be precise, he was standing on the rooftop of the Royal Library while the royal princess (who was posing as Prince Nero) was on her favorite spot in the entire Royal Palace: the pavilion on the lake.

He could see Neoma clearly despite the distance because he borrowed Veton’s eagle-like vision.

“That éclair…”

“It was from Sugar Boulevard, my lord,” James Bloomfield, his sous chef, said. “I heard that Prince Nero keeps on sneaking out of the palace lately just to buy éclairs from that store.”

James sounded bitter, and it wasn’t like he didn’t understand.

The two of them were in charge of the Crown Prince’s meals and snacks. It didn’t feel great to know that “Prince Nero” kept on coming back to a dessert store when the royal kitchen was fully capable of serving the same snack.

[Is my cooking not to Neoma’s liking?]

“James.”

“Yes, my lord?”

“Lead me to Sugar Boulevard,” Ruto said. “I need to know why the Crown Prince is obsessed with their éclairs.”

***

SURPRISINGLY, Sugar Boulevard turned out to be a small dessert shop located in the plaza for the commoners.

No wonder the owner looked nervous when he arrived.

“Viscount Stroganoff, welcome to Sugar Boulevard,” Clarence, the middle-aged shop owner, greeted him nervously. The man was a commoner, hence he didn’t have a last name. “May I know what brought someone of your importance to our humble shop?”

He almost forgot that he inherited one of his father’s lesser titles ‘Viscount Stroganoff’ because he rarely heard people call him that way.

After all, he was ‘Chef Stroganoff’ to most people.

[And my father goes by ‘Chef Morton’ to avoid confusion in the palace.]

“Thank you for the warm welcome,” Ruto said politely, then he went straight to the point. “I’m here to meet the head chef, sir.”

“My lord, you don’t have to speak formally to me,” the shop owner said, embarrassed. “Please just speak informally. I’ll feel more comfortable that way.”

“I see,” he said, speaking informally this time. But his voice remained polite, of course. “As I said earlier, I’m here to meet the head chef. To be precise, I want to meet the one in charge of the éclair you sell in this store.”

Now Clarence looked even more nervous. “I’m the shop owner and the pastry chef in charge of the éclair, Viscount. Is there a problem with our éclair, sir?”

[The problem is Neoma likes your dessert more than the ones I prepare for her…]

But he recognized that it was petty of him, so he set those selfish thoughts aside.

“It’s an honor to meet a great pastry chef like you, Clarence,” Ruto said. “If it’s not too much to ask, would it be alright for you to teach me how you make your éclair?”

The pastry chef fell silent while looking at him in disbelief.

“I know I’m asking for too much,” Ruto said, refusing to give up. “I’m also a chef, so I know the importance of keeping the recipe for your best dish a secret. But if you choose to share your secret recipe with me, I compensate you in any way you want.”

“Are you going to build your own dessert shop, Viscount?”

“No, I don’t have any intention of doing that.”

“Then may I know why my lord wants to learn my recipe?”

“I want to make it for the most important person in my life.”

Clarence looked surprised at first, then he smiled as if he understood. “If the viscount isn’t going to use my recipe for business, then I’d love to share my recipe with you. And you also don’t have to compensate me, my lord.”

That easy?

He was confused.

“But you don’t have proof that I won’t use it for business,” he argued. “And it’s foolish not to receive compensation for your hard work.”

He used to be that kind of person.

[I never asked for anything in return for maintaining world peace. And in the end, instead of being rewarded for my hard work, they took Neoma away from me.]

Hence, he swore to never work for free again.

“This may be presumptuous of me to say, but I can see that you’re talking about someone you love dearly, Viscount Stroganoff,” Clarence said, smiling warmly at him. “Hence, I won’t mind sharing my recipe with my lord if it can make that person happy.”

“Thank you, Clarence. I appreciate it a lot,” Ruto said softly. “And please accept the compensation I’ll give you later. I insist.”

That was also an apology in advance to Clarence.

[Because Sugar Boulevard will lose Neoma as a customer once I learn how to make their éclair.]

***

<Ruto 13 17, Neoma>

“GOSH, SO you’re the reason why Sugar Boulevard suddenly became huge,” Neoma complained after hearing Ruto’s story. “Now they even have a branch in Grandiose Avenue because you sponsored their store. Nobles line up very early just to get their famous éclair, you know? That’s why I can’t sneak out anymore just to buy from their store.”

The confession happened while Ruto and Neoma were having dinner on the cruise ship headed back to the West Continent. When they arrived on the cruise ship, the first thing Ruto did was to “invade” the kitchen. Since he was a famous chef all over the East and West Continent, the kitchen staff agreed.

Hence, Ruto had been preparing Neoma’s meals since then.

Since they didn’t want to get attention, they opted on in eating in the cabin Neoma shared with Hanna Quinzel. But the young lady excused herself because, apparently, she wanted to have a solo tour around the cruise ship.

[But Hanna probably did that to give me and Neoma some privacy.]

“Well, you have me,” Ruto said, shrugging. “You can just ask me to make éclair for you since I learned how to make the exact same éclair as the ones sold in Sugar Boulevard.”

“Gosh, I don’t think I can live without your food anymore.”

“That’s the plan,” he shamelessly admitted. “The way through my picky princess’s heart is through her stomach.”

“Damn right.”

He smiled while watching Neoma eat the éclair he made with so much gusto.

“You really know what I like most in the world, don’t you?”

“I do. Excluding your friends and family, I know the top three things you like the most in the world,” Ruto said while wiping the chocolate smudge off the corner of her mouth. “First, obsessed with yourself. Second, you’re fond of pretty faces. And, finally, you like good food.”

“Ohh, you’re right.”

“I want to be your number one in at least one of those aspects,” Ruto confessed. “I know that I can’t make you obsessed with me the way you’re obsessed with yourself, and I can’t beat Rubin Drayton as the most handsome guy in your eyes. Hence, I devoted myself to cooking.”

“Why are you suddenly mentioning Rubin Drayton?” she complained, pouting. “You’re making me lose my appetite.”

She said that, but her hand reached for her third éclair.

[Cute.]

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I won’t mention him again.”

“Rubin Drayton is the most handsome guy in my eyes because I can’t lie to myself when it comes to my style,” Neoma admitted. “But you’re the number one in my heart. I won’t get tired of looking at you, Ruto. And I’m 100% certain I’ll still like your neat and calm face even after we grow old.”

Ruto smiled. “I like how you talk as if you’re already sure we’re going to grow old together.”

“Of course,” she said firmly. “Ruto, if you add all the years we’ve been alive, then it’s not an exaggeration to say we’re a grandma and a grandpa already.”

“You have a point.”

“But Ruto…”

“Hmm?”

.....

“I’m not sure if I want to have biological children,” Neoma confessed nervously. “I know I’ve said this before, but I’m not really confident that I could be a good mother. I’m not confident that I could love my children as much as I love myself.”

“It’s alright. I feel the same,” Ruto confessed, too. “I’m not confident if I could love someone else as much as I love you– even if they were our children…”

He trailed off, then he felt his entire face turn warm.

Neoma also blushed hard.

[Did I just say I love Neoma out loud?]

It wasn’t that he lied. He just didn’t want to confess when Neoma was still young because it felt wrong. After all, he was aware of her modern values.

“Say it again,” Neoma said, her eyes sparkling. “You what me?”

“No,” Ruto said, then he stood up and bolted out of the room. “You’re so impatient, Neoma.”

“Rutooo~~~”