In the depths of a mountain range, beneath a wooden pavilion with benches extending around its edges...
Fu Hua lay reclined, her head resting on Zeke's lap. Her smooth, flowing gray hair draped gently over Zeke and the bench, creating an atmosphere of serene tranquility.
With closed eyes, she gradually drifted off to sleep.
Zeke tenderly caressed her icy-cold yet silky strands, a faint smile playing at the corners of his lips.
Regardless of circumstances, Fu Hua was a gentle and unassuming girl who brought calmness to those around her. Here, Zeke found the serenity he sought.
Suddenly, the disruptive white-haired whirlwind burst out from a space tunnel.
"Zei..."
"Shh! She's asleep; keep it down." Zeke flicked his finger, gently tapping Kiana's forehead mid-exclamation to silence her.
With a honey cookie hanging from her mouth, Kiana rubbed her forehead, watching Fu Hua relish the comfort of Zeke's lap pillow, audibly grinding her teeth.
However, she remembered Fu Hua was injured and refrained from causing a scene at that moment. Instead, Kiana shot Zeke a menacing glare before turning her gaze away and dashing into the adjacent room.
Upon entering, Kiana took a deep breath. Then, like a puppy searching for a meaty bone, she meticulously sniffed every corner, room, bed, table, windowsill, and wall junction throughout the house.
After some time, Kiana emerged with furrowed brows, her figure darting around various spots in the courtyard, vigorously sniffing everywhere.
Finally, she approached Zeke and Fu Hua, circling them while taking deep whiffs—notably, when near Zeke's face, she seized the opportunity to plant a kiss, seemingly asserting her claim triumphantly.
After this flurry of activity, she finally stood before Zeke with relief evident on her face, noisily finishing off the remaining half-piece of pancake.
Zeke stroked Fu Hua's lovely hair, sighing wearily yet skillfully as he softly asked:
"Ah, what are you doing?"
"Looking for any strange smells!" Kiana declared assertively while licking her fingers clean after devouring the sweet pastry.
"Cough!"
Zeke clenched his fist to cover his mouth, unable to suppress a cough. What kind of thought process does this girl have? Sniffing around like a dog, trying to detect traces—this isn't how one catches someone cheating, is it?!
"Sigh..."
Zeke let out another weary sigh. It was hard to describe his feelings at that moment; all the rare tranquility he had experienced now vanished completely.
Kiana noticed Zeke's deadpan stare, and under his gaze, her cheeks flushed red, feeling slightly embarrassed by her peculiar actions. However, when around Zeke, Kia never seemed too concerned about maintaining her dignity.
Swiftly feigning indifference, Kiana moved closer to Zeke, rested her head on his lap, and lay down beside him.
"Ahh... Ah! Comfy~" Kiana closed her eyes, hands gently placed over her flat stomach. Initially intending to catch Fu Hua red-handed, she couldn't resist the allure of the serene sleeping Fu Hua nearby, combined with her fullness from indulging in sweets moments ago. The comfort of Zeke's knee pillow and the wooden floor beneath her lulled Kiana towards sleep effortlessly.
Zeke hesitated before speaking up.
"Kiana."
"Mm (=°ω°=)? What is it?"
"...Nothing, go back to sleep."
"Oh!"
Within ten seconds, Kiana's breathing became slow and even, mirroring Fu Hua's beside her.
Zeke covered his face with one hand, feeling a pang at the center of his brow.
He had initially wanted to encourage Kiana to act more mature, but upon further thought, he found himself unable to envision such a scenario and ultimately abandoned this futile attempt.
Meanwhile, as Kiana peacefully slept without any fuss, her quiet demeanor implicitly conveyed a tacit acceptance.
For both Kiana and Fu Hua, the usual coldness vanished from Zeke's expression, replaced by a rare look of inner turmoil, reflecting his feelings of guilt.
"H-husband, she..."
"Kiana is still asleep; please lower your voice."
"Yes... umm, I'll head back to recuperate now. Husband, you should return soon too. It's getting late, and I...I won't be having dinner tonight. See you tomorrow!"
The newly awakened Fu Hua hastily engaged in this brief conversation before darting back inside her room like a startled little rabbit, tightly shutting the door behind her.
Zeke watched this scene unfold, shaking his head with amusement.
At that moment, Kiana also opened her eyes.
"Should we go back, Zeke?"
"Yeah, it's time for dinner."
"Oh... But I don't feel like moving."
"Then I'll carry you."
With those words, Zeke effortlessly lifted Kiana's soft body into his arms, feeling her delicate silk-like skin beneath her clothes as he cradled her. Step by step, they made their way towards the space gate connecting the residential area to the Royal Palace Base below.
Once far enough from Fu Hua's residence, Kiana nestled against Zeke's chest, her muffled voice spoke softly:
"When we fought on the moon, Zeke, Fu Hua-sensei guided us to jointly unleash the Sword Goddess technique. During that brief moment, our consciousnesses connected..."
With their consciousnesses interconnected, emotions and sentiments were difficult to conceal. When confronting Zeke directly, Kiana could empathize with Fu Hua's feelings.
Zeke gently placed his hand on Kiana's head, murmuring softly:
"I know; I saw it."
"Hmph! So it wasn't just one-sided after all? Who would've thought you two had mutual affection for quite some time now, huh?"
"Um, yes, that's right."
"You scoundrel! You two-timing cad!" Kiana raised her hand and forcefully punched Zeke's chest.
Although she was already aware deep down, hearing Zeke admit it made Kiana's eyes well up involuntarily, a wave of hurt surging through her as she sniffled painfully.
Despite having Seele and Wendy as precedents, and despite Kiana expressing her willingness to compromise earlier, how could any girl remain indifferent when seeing her beloved divided among others?
Understanding is one thing; emotions are another.
"I'm sorry." Holding Kiana's head tenderly, Zeke uttered a heartfelt apology in a somber tone. He fully comprehended the feebleness of these words, but there was little else he could do.
Kiana's heart felt pierced by pain.
Zeke's mood visibly sank as well.
For a while, they walked side by side in silence.
Then Kiana mustered up a forced smile and said, "It's okay, I'm fine now..."
"Don't lie to me. I want you to know that there's no need to hide your feelings; you have every right to express them. But I don't know if letting it out or keeping it inside would make you feel better. Kiana, I love you more than anything else in this world, yet it seems like I'm always the one causing you the most pain."
With a long sigh, Zeke bowed his head, gently kissed the top of Kiana's hair, hoping to convey both his love and remorse through this gesture.
Kiana paused momentarily, her slightly widened blue eyes shimmering with emotion before she too let out a deep sigh.
"I can feel how Zeke feels."
"Does that... help even just a little?"
"Dumbass..."
Ten years had passed, but Zeke remained emotionally clumsy as ever.
Despite this, even knowing that part of their shared affection was being divided away, Kiana chose to linger in his embrace—because here lay her happiness.
With these thoughts, Kiana closed her eyes in Zeke's embrace. As she left Taixuan Mountain for the final time, a tear slid down from the corner of her eye.