Burushi finished healing the mages, knights, and commoners who managed to return alive from the battles at both borders and was taking some days off Academy – resting in her hometown.
Not in her family house, though, because her mother took in her father after he was kicked out of the Tallaran territory.
No. Instead, she was relaxing in the cottage she bought with the money she received as compensation for her services to the kingdom.
Well... she was supposed to be relaxing, but she looked pretty tense when she was sitting on the bench outside her cottage...
... beside Zoemi enjoying the sunlight like a big satisfied cat...
"..."
Burushi gulped down her saliva, eyeing Zoemi's hand, looking prime for grabbing and holding like lovers, right there beside the sunbathing young man.
The blond-haired girl slowly moved her hand to the side, as if stretching, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible.
"...?"
Burhushi glanced over at Zoemi, but his peaceful expression didn't change, so she thought that she was still in the clear.
The closer their hands were, the more nervous the girl would become.
Just a few inches...! Just an inch...! Almost touching...!"
*tap*
"Hmm~?"
"!!!"
The tip of the girl's fingers brushed against the young man's hand, making him hum questioningly and look over – which in turn caused the girl to panic and hurriedly turn away with a face red as a ripe tomato.
"Burushi...? What was that~?"
"Nothing."
Zoemi smirked devilishly and asked, leaning forward and trying to catch a glimpse of Burushi's face, but the girl turned even more while answering instantly in an embarrassed voice.
"Is that so? I could swear that you are embarrassed because I saw how you looked before reincarnating into this world~"
"!!!"
Zoemi chuckled teasingly, and he had hit a bullseye, causing the girl to flinch and turn to face him, highly flustered.
"...get about it..."
The blond-haired girl lowered her head and murmured while clenching her fists.
"Ohh? Care to say that again~?"
Zoemi's smirk bloomed into an evil grin as he teased the girl despite hearing her perfectly the first time.
"I said... FORGET ABOUT IT!"
*BOING*
The girl gathered her courage and raised her voice while charging at the boy, pushing the young man's head and trapping it between her ample chest with her arms wrapped around his neck.
"FORGET! FORGET! FORGET! I WAS A PATHETIC ANTISOCIAL NERD WITH NO CHEST! BASICALLY A SHUT-IN! NO ONE WAS SUPPOSED TO KNOW THAT! FORGET IIIIIIIIT!"
Burushi demanded while the fire of embarrassment was burning her from the inside.
"Pfft! Make me!"
Zoemi's face peeked out from Burushi's cleavage, and he scoffed.
He easily pulled her arms back and held their hands, intertwining their fingers like lovers.
Zoemi could have moved back and freed his head from the snare of the boobie trap, but he did not do that.
"A...!"
Burushi gaped. She stared at Zoemi's face before glancing to the sides at their and started to get dizzy.
"... we-we're h-holding hands...! So... Sho... indecent...! Fueh..."
The girl muttered and swooned – she would fall off the bench if Zoemi didn't manage to catch her.
"Wait, what...? SINCE WHEN IS HOLDING HANDS TOO MUCH TO HANDLE?!"
The black-haired young man looked between the Burushi's face, her impressive breasts, and her hands and exclaimed in utter disbelief.
------
"Hubby, are you done with those earthly distractions~?"
Mireitte sitting cutely in the armchair, snuggled with a romance novel in one hand, looked over at Zoemi, who had just entered the living room and dropped on the sofa.
"...if you are talking about making sure that Aedlier is fine and she will get to govern the reclaim Banemor territory, then the answer is yes. Although, as Aspakeony said already, the current king is adamant about it not being a permanent change and only a temporary solution before I decide to return. I wanted the Galamroze family to take over the Banemor's place as one of the six great families, but that's out of the window for at least as long until Hereo will take the throne."
The black-haired man complained, leaning back comfortably and looking over at the platinum-haired girl.
"I can't believe that someone who knows how easily I could kill him without leaving a trace can be so stubborn with trying to to force me into doing something I clearly stated I will not be doing!"
Zoemi complained while leaning his head to the side and trying to read the title of the novel that Miriette has been reading.
"Really? That's annoying, especially since your cousin helped with finding all those documents about the traitors of the kingdom. Do you want me to smite that thick-haded guy?"
Miriette frowned and scoffed, closing her book and putting it to the side before raising her hands. Her fingertips lighted up with a brilliant platinum glow.
"Please don't."
Zoemi breathed out, rubbing his forehead.
"...but that said..."
"Oh, we're smiting?"
Zoemi's lowered his hand and muttered, squinting his eyes as if trying to remember something – which Miriette took as encouragement, and the platinum light grew in intensity.
"No! I'm not talking about smiting the king, Miri!"
"...okay..."
The young man raised his brow and stared at her, making the girl blush and grab her book again.
"You see, you mentioning Aedlier helping out reminded me about someone who also helped me out... It was right after I woke up in this timeline."
Zoemi sat up and said, trying to recall the past.
"Certain someone showed up out of nowhere and encouraged me not to give up. I mean, what they said ended up being wrong because they claimed that you would regain your memories in Aspakeony Academy when I would become your attendant again, but nonetheless, without their cheering me on, I would probably just give up."
"I doubt it."
Zoemi explained, but Miriette merely shrugged her shoulders and scoffed.
"No, I'm serious. Your plan wouldn't work out without them... So don't try to smite them or anything when I say their name.
"I believe that I know who you are talking about, but sure, go ahead and say it."
The young man added, and the unamused girl waved her hand encouragingly.
"If I remember correctly, they introduced themselves as the demon lord Mirienne – I told you about them before, didn't I?"
Zoemi revealed looking over at Mireitte to check her reaction to someone calling themselves a demon lord.
"Yeah, I knew it. And also, I know them."
"You do?!"
The platinum-haired girl groaned and leaned her head back as Zoemi gasped.
"...I sure do... that edgelord is a reason for so many of my future headaches after all... haaaa... Say... would you like to meet them?"
Miriette rolled her eyes, but then she suddenly perked up as if she had come up with a fantastic idea and asked.
"Yes, I would like. I didn't have the chance to thank them – and I would like to because I am grateful."
Zoemi nodded his head vigorously.
"It will take some time, not a full year, but still, it would be impossible to communicate with them for at least two years after that... are you still prepared?"
Miriette put both her hands on her armchair's armrests and leaned forwards with a gravely-serious expression.
"Yes, I do... but why would it be that troublesome? Is it because Mirienne is a demon lord...?"
Zoemi nodded, but there was some hesitation in his voice.
"The reason is not important. I am asking you. Are. You. Prepared?"
Miriette scoffed and asked, making it sound like a matter of utmost importance.
"Y-yes. I already told you that I want to meet them. What... are they actually some kind of god of a higher standing...?"
Zoemi gulped down his saliva – he still had some doubts, but that didn't change his final answer.
"Hmph. Is that so?"
Miriette snorted and stood up. Her hand flashed with platinum light, and her sundress, crumpled from sitting down, returned to its most presentable state.
"...?"
Then, the platinum-haired girl walked up confidently to the confused Zoemi and grabbed the sides of her dress while crossing her arms around her waist.
*WHOOSH*
"Strip."
The sundress went flying as Miriette took it off in one move before pointing at Zoemi and commanding him.
"HUH?!"
The stunned Zomei couldn't control his voice and gasped in bewilderment, once more presenting his legendary denseness.
"You want to meet our daughter, so we have to make her first. NOW STRIP!"
"OUR WHAT?!"