性瘾者

“Gosh, so impatient,” Neoma complained to Trevor, who appeared on the windowsill of her bedroom. The demon boy showed up as soon as Dahlia left. [I should have asked Dahlia to sleep here with me to avoid Trevor’s interrogation.]

“I knew your lifespan would shorten the moment you share it with Emperor Nikolai,” Trevor said, his voice full of confusion and anxiousness. “But you only have five years left to live? That’s too short!”

“Trevor, that’s life,” Neoma said solemnly. “You either live a short life being celebrated as a hero, or you live a long life until you turn into a villain. I don’t know about you, but I choose the former.”

“Being a hero doesn’t suit you, Princess Neoma,” Trevor said in a more serious voice. “Let’s live a long life together as villains.”

“Heh. Tempting.”

“I’m serious,” he said. “I won’t let you die early. And if I can’t prevent your death, then I’ll perform necromancy.”

“Do you know necromancy?”

“I’m going to learn it now.”

.....

“You’re crazy.”

“Not as much as you are, my Moon Princess,” Trevor said while shaking his head. “Maybe it’s because I have shitty parents. But I can’t imagine myself sharing my lifespan with my family.”

She laughed softly. “Maybe I love Papa Boss more than I thought.”

He didn’t laugh.

Trevor remained serious while looking at her as if he was already planning how to revive her if she ever died under his watch.

[Welp, Trevor is so damn serious.]

“Trevor Kesser, I’m not giving you permission to revive me through necromancy.”

“I apologize in advance then.”

Aigoo.

[I should indicate in my last will and testament not to revive me if I died naturally. I’m sure my children will respect my final wish and let me rest in peace.]

Right?

“If I have to give up my identity as a Demon Sorcerer to become a Necromancer, I’ll do it in a heartbeat,” Trevor declared firmly. “I don’t care if I become the new Devil, if it would grant me the power to bring you back to life, Princess Neoma.”

“What a disrespectful little piece of shit,” Neoma said, irritated. “If you don’t have any intention of listening to me, then get out of my sight.”

Trevor bowed to her.

It was a bow that showed his deep apology.

[Which means he has really no intention to respect my wishes.]

It wasn’t like she didn’t understand where Trevor was coming from. But even though she wanted to live longer, she didn’t want to extend her life at the expense of Trevor’s sacrifice.

“I’m sorry, Princess Neoma. I can’t let you die early,” Trevor said in a whisper. “I just can’t.”

Neoma had only one thought at that moment.

[If Trevor is reacting this way after he found out I only have five years to live, I wonder how Papa Boss, Mama Boss, and Nero would feel then?]

Her children might accept her fate easier since her children listened to her well.

But her family would be different.

[Especially Nero. He’ll probably lose his mind.]

And about Ruto…

To be honest, she was glad that her man couldn’t feel anything for her at the moment.

[Maybe Ruto losing his love for me is a blessing in disguise. After all, even if I died after five years, he wouldn’t get his heart broken.]

“Don’t tell anyone about my secret or you’re dead,” Neoma warned Trevor. “I’m serious.”

Trevor raised his head, his eyes glowing determinedly. “And so am I, Princess Neoma.”

***

[THE EARLY bird catches the worm, indeed.]

Neoma was the bird, and Ruto was the worm.

She thought she already woke up early, but her man was earlier than her. When she arrived at the temple’s kitchen, Ruto was already there– cooking.

[Gosh, my man looks good in his apron. My corrupted heart and soul are being healed by his face.]

“I heard from a reliable source that you haven’t cooked in ages,” Neoma commented while tying her hair into a high ponytail. “So, I’m quite shocked to hear you here.”

“Is Miss Dahlia your ‘reliable source?\'”

Of course, she played dumb. “I promised my reliable source that I won’t reveal her identity.”

Ruto turned to her with a calm look on his face. “It’s alright. Miss Dahlia asked me in advance if she could share stories involving me with you.”

Oh?

So, the Black Witch asked for Ruto’s permission first.

[Dahlia is really a good girl.]

“Oh, okay. That’s a relief then.”

After saying that, Neoma looked and scanned the ingredients on the sink since Ruto was already done with the prep.

She realized what he was trying to cook.

Neoma turned to Ruto with beaming eyes. “You’re making potato soup for breakfast?”

[Gosh, I was also thinking of cooking potato soup. We’re really meant to be, huh?]

“Yes,” Ruto said while nodding. “It’s the standard breakfast for people serving the Astello Temple. Moreover, since Sir Dion Skelton and the Holy Knights are still recovering from their injuries, they can’t eat solid food yet.”

“Aww, you’re so thoughtful.”

Ruto fell silent for a moment. “I’m sorry, Princess Neoma.”

“You have a lot of things to be sorry for, so please specify what you want to apologize for this time.”

He flinched.

And she suddenly felt bad.

[Did I sound like a bitch? Tsk. Me and my nasty temper.]

“I’m sorry, Ruto,” Neoma said, and she was being really sincere. “That was mean of me.”

She may be the IT girl among the IT girls, but she wasn’t perfect. There were times that she would get snarky towards Ruto because she was upset by their current situation. Which was brought by her past, stupid self.

“It’s alright,” Ruto said. “I’d like to apologize on behalf of Lady Phoebe’s recent behavior.”

Oh?

She felt happy that Ruto address Phoebe with a title instead of calling the child by her first name. It was petty, but it really made her think that maybe there were residues of Ruto’s love for her left in his heart.

[After all, Ruto knows I don’t like it when he addressed Lady Phoebe casually.]

It was a little win, but a win was still a win.

“Is that why you decided to cook breakfast for everyone?” Neoma asked. “Because I said I’d do it?”

Ruto nodded slowly. “Yes. I feel like simply apologizing wouldn’t be enough. Hence, I decided to help you make breakfast.” He scratched his cheek as if he was embarrassed. “But I suppose I should have asked you first.”

“It’s alright,” she said, shrugging. “You probably couldn’t ask me if you could help me prepare breakfast because of what I said the last time we… argued.”

She took his silence as confirmation.

[Well, I was really mean to him earlier without knowing Ruto’s plan.]

“I heard from Dahlia that you were actually planning to separate Lady Astrid’s Fragment from Lady Phoebe’s body.”

Ruto fell silent for a moment as if he was debating whether to tell her or not. Fortunately, in the end, he still opened his mouth and explained. “I don’t have the kind of divine item that you used to cut off Lady Astrid’s Fragment from Lady Phoebe’s body,” he said. “I kept Lady Phoebe by my side not only because my divine father ordered me to do so. I decided to bring her with us because I planned to slowly yet surely break the Fragment without harming the child.”

Okay, hearing Ruto call Phoebe a child already made her day.

[Heh. He doesn’t see her as a woman, does he?]

“I asked Miss Dahlia to help me cover my divine power every time I use it to break the Fragment,” Ruto said, then he avoided her gaze. “I actually had to do it every time Lady Phoebe was asleep because it was when her guard was down. And Miss Dahlia was there each time. I know that entering a lady’s room is wrong. But I swear I didn’t do anything else.”

Neoma tried to smile while clenching her hands tight. “You don’t have to explain to me, Ruston Solfrid Stroganoff. I’m a benevolent and understanding woman.”

“Then don’t look at me like you want to kill me.”

“It’s just my resting bitch face.”

.....

“Your what?”

“Let’s just cook,” Neoma said while rolling the sleeves of her blouse. “Let’s make side dishes for the potato soup.”

“Uhm, is that it? Are you not going to ask me more about my plan?”

“Nah, I trust you,” she said. “And Dahlia told me that you’re replenishing Lady Phoebe’s vitality with your own. That’s probably why Lady Phoebe probably didn’t suspect that the Goddess of Beauty was stealing her youth.”

“I thought you loved me.”

Okay, that came out of nowhere, so she almost choked on her saliva.

“What are you saying, Ruto?”

“You thought I was just letting Lady Astrid steal Lady Phoebe’s vitality,” Ruto said. And was he sulking?! “Did you really think that the man you loved could do something like that?”

Tsk.

“That’s why I apologized,” Neoma said defensively, pouting. “But in my defense, you were being a dick to me ever since we reunited.”

Ruto looked flustered because of the vulgar word that she had just used.

[Oops.]

“But in my defense, you were being mean to me ever since we reunited,” Neoma repeated what she had just said a moment ago, but she changed one word to make it a little less dirty. “I’m not used to it, and I don’t want to get used to you treating me less than I deserve. That’s why I decided to teach you how to spoil me again.”

Because that was how Ruto would begin learning how to love her again.

[I’ll make it happen.]

Ruto took a step backward, his hand over his chest. “Are we… flirting right now?”

Oh?

A brilliant idea suddenly popped up in her mind.

“Yes, yes. We’re definitely flirting,” Neoma said, then she smiled at him– the smile that not even the “heartless” Ruto could resist. “Now, say ‘Neoma is pwetty’ three times.”

Yep, she really said ‘pwetty’ instead of ‘pretty’ because she was aegyo/cute.

[It’s cringe, but I’m desperate, okay?]

No wonder Ruto looked horrified. “Am I a baby– no, don’t answer that.”

“But I want to,” Neoma said playfully. She was about to be cringe-y, but she’d take anything as long as she cracked the wall around Ruto’s heart (and memories). “You’re my baby, Ruto~”

[I want to punch myself for being so cringe-y, but I’m doing this in the name of love. Don’t judge me!]1

Ruto covered his red face with his hands. “Now I’m embarrassed.”

***

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