A thin ray of sunlight slipped through the gap in the not-fully-closed curtains, like a golden thread sewn across Germain's shut eyelids.
The discomfort woke him up.
After regaining full consciousness, he stared at the light gray ceiling for a while, before finally noticing the soft, heavy weight pressing down on his upper body.
Shizuku was lying on his chest, right over the faded rune-like markings that had dulled over time.
Her bulky black-rimmed glasses were tossed carelessly on the nightstand. Her sleeping face looked relaxed, lazy, and completely at ease.
The side of her face was pressed into Germain's chest, which made her lips look slightly puckered, her small teeth barely visible — like a baby in deep sleep.
Shizuku's bare, smooth body always gave Germain a strange feeling — like if he pressed his fingers just a little harder on her back, he might tear her skin.
Because of that, every time he held her, he felt a kind of unspeakable tenderness.
He turned his head and glanced at the digital clock on the nightstand. It read 9:02 a.m.
It was time to get up.
Germain knew he couldn't stay wrapped up in this gentle moment — but he also couldn't bring himself to wake Shizuku.
So he carefully, inch by inch, shifted her aside and slipped out of bed.
Thankfully, Shizuku was always completely relaxed when sleeping next to Germain.
Even when she felt him moving, she just mumbled softly, reached out for a nearby pillow, hugged it, and laid her head on it — continuing to sleep without opening her eyes.
Germain quietly closed the frosted glass door of the bathroom, then stood in front of the wide mirror. As he brushed his teeth, memories of last night's madness in the entire Limeiro Castle came flooding back.
He, Shizuku, and Morel came back like victorious generals.
The "Unmanned Rock" was like the decapitated head of the enemy king.
Everyone in the castle was celebrating their win.
The banquet was full of familiar faces. But there were also a few surprise guests—people you wouldn't expect, yet somehow made sense.
It was an incredible feast, prepared by Granny Linne and her disciples.
The night almost turned into an all-nighter.
Thankfully, Chairman Netero stepped in and told the younger folks to cool it, before their endless energy dragged them into one activity after another.
That's how the celebration finally came to an end.
But as the crowd started to leave, Netero quietly pulled Germain aside and said, "Make sure to get up early tomorrow. Come see me—I've got something to talk to you about."
Germain had just stepped out of the bathroom—
When he bumped into Shizuku, who looked like she'd just woken up.
She was only wearing a loose white shirt with the collar open and snug pink shorts.
Barefoot, she walked out from the side of the bed.
Maybe she forgot, or just didn't care—
Either way, her glasses were nowhere to be seen.
Her eyes were squinting into sleepy downward curves.
Even with her eyes half-shut, Shizuku somehow moved toward Germain like a snake sensing warmth.
She reached out, placed her hands on his shoulders, then bent down with her head drooping and her hips sticking out— totally looking like she hadn't slept enough.
Her shirt collar and her, uh, "snowy peaks," gave in to gravity. The latter formed smooth, soft curves like fresh mochi.
Of course, it was a view Germain was pretty used to by now. Nothing new.
"Did I wake you?" Germain asked with concern.
"If you didn't sleep well, maybe lie down for a bit longer?"
Shizuku rested her hands on his shoulders, still bent forward in that same position, completely motionless.
It made him wonder if she had already fallen asleep again.
After a while, her drowsy voice finally drifted in: "Mmm... wait... wait a second... just let me stay like this... just for a bit..."
Finally, about three minutes later, Shizuku pushed herself up using Germain's shoulders and stood up.
She opened her eyes to glance at Germain, then immediately closed them again, yawning as she staggered off toward the bathroom.
Leaning against the doorframe, Germain said, "I'm going to see Chairman Netero. We arranged it last night. Go ahead and have breakfast first."
"Mm..." came her weak reply from the toilet seat.
At Chairman Netero's door, Germain had just raised his hand to knock when he heard the old man's voice from inside: "Come in. The door's not locked."
From experience, Germain knew the Chairman must've sensed him out in the hallway and waited until he made a move to knock before speaking up.
Chairman Netero enjoyed messing with people around him over the smallest, most trivial things. Hardly anyone ever escaped his playful "clutches."
Germain pushed the door open and entered.
"You're earlier than I thought," said Chairman Netero, his snowy white hair and beard—grown back after the Chimera Ant war—now flowing again. Stroking his beard with a grin, he added, "Haha, I figured you and Shizuku would sleep until noon."
By now, everyone in the Limeiro castle and the Ancient Labyrinth fortress had already figured out the relationship between Germain and Shizuku. No one was clueless anymore.
Chairman Netero motioned for Germain to sit on the couch, then handed him a metal box filled with preserved fruits. "Want one?"
"Thanks." Germain picked one that looked both salty and sweet—probably a preserved plum—and popped it into his mouth.
Sure enough, it was salty and sweet.
"I used to be all over my wife back in the day," Netero said with a nostalgic grin. "That's how we got Beyond."
He raised both fists toward Germain. "In martial arts and in marriage—you gotta be strong in both!"
Germain had the look of someone silently saying, "If you're not going to get to the point, I'll just sit here sucking on my plum candy all day. I've got all the patience in the world."
"Tch, such boring young people," Chairman Netero clicked his tongue. "Moments like this really make me miss Pariston. He always had a way of tossing in some sarcastic jab out of nowhere."
"Since you're working with Beyond now," Germain said with a mocking tone, "haven't you had a chance to see your beloved Pariston again?"
"Once," Chairman Netero replied, standing up and heading over to a desk nearby, rummaging through its drawers.
"He smiled and said, 'So sorry to disappoint you, Chairman Netero. But serving your son is probably the closest thing to reconciliation you'll get.'..."
********
Support me on my patreon and read upto 30 early chapters.
https://www.patreon.com/Unique_Writer