“These are all the stories I've written in the last three weeks.”

Under the glare of Vena, Ruby proceeded to put down several stacks of papers on the wooden table. While Altarin stood a little away from them—prepared to prevent any slashing-related things that his currently high-spirited sister might attempt.

Because even though Vena was asked by Eden to ‘please get along with Ruby’. She seemed to only interpret it as ‘please don’t kill her'.

“This is quite a lot,” Vena said with a surprised gaze, begrudgingly admitting to herself that she was amazed at the red-eyed girl’s diligence.

The three of them were currently inside Ruby’s room on the second floor of the bookstore.

For the record, her room was quite small, with only a table in the middle, a wardrobe, and a bed under the window with not much else to speak of. The other pieces of furniture inside the room were predictably filled-up bookshelves.

—As a whole, the room gave the impression that the owner was a book-loving literary girl.

The literary girl in question, however, was currently wiping the sweats off her forehead. “You can read them yourself and find out…”

“Heee~~”

To what Ruby said, Vena responded by making a curious noise and sat down on the wooden floor.

She picked up a stack of papers from the piles and started reading it…

Then she went into complete silence...

For a really long time.

So long, that the already a little curious Altarin noticed and moved to her side

—What could it be about? Altarin thought and began to read as well.

The story was called 'Nede of the Exiled'—it was a romantic tale about a runaway Princess Nede's encounter with a male commoner merchant 'Athemyst' and falling in love while they were being hunted by the assassin the evil prince sent after them. And with a strikingly familiar description given to the princess’s appearance. Altarin couldn't help but begin to feel a little interested.

—Isn’t this, Eden? But she’s a girl?

So he continued to read the story.

At first, it was a sweet story about love. Princess Nede was raised in an enclosed environment and knew very little about the outside world while the merchant Athemyst was a jaded and cold man.

They both initially didn’t like each other but were forced to be together by circumstance.

But as they became closer and closer, Nede was taught by Athemyst how to take care of herself in the cruel world while Athemyst was reminded of his lost innocence by Nede—eventually, they began to rely on each other physically and mentally.

—Typical romance story stuff.

Or at least, until the halfway point—the story heavily shifted its focus to the sexual aspect—with extremely detailed narration from the viewpoint of the ‘Athemyst’ as he started teaching all sorts of erotic knowledge and skills to ‘Princess Nede’ from the gentle cuddling types to wanton, hardcore lovemaking!

“Hold on a second!”

Altarin stepped on the brake for his action and slammed the stack of papers back on the table! He then glared at Ruby and shouted, “Don’t you think there is something strange about this—?!”

“Ah… um... well... that…” Ruby tried to avoid his eyes.

“They…” Altarin’s aggressive and overwhelming aura began to fill up Ruby’s small bedroom. The power of a High-Ranked Divine Spirit gave her a sense of never before seen oppression!

“I-I was… just..” Ruby waved her arms about trying to explain herself to Altarin, but the immensely powerful strength he emanated from his body prevented her from forming any coherent sentence.

Ruby and Altarin’s eyes locked in uncomfortable silence until eventually, Altarin said, “They never would outright allow something like this in their monthly releases—!”

“Y-yes! I-I’m sor—...Eh?” Ruby closed her eyes and reflectively responded… Then made a noise of confusion when she realized that he didn’t exactly scold her.

“You said that Anorlon Times Magazine contacted you, right? Then that’s strange… despite publishing a few articles targeted at adult audiences. They never would allow something like this in their monthly releases. The Magazine’s reputation as a family-friendly entertainment would be ruined.”

Altarin insisted, completely ignoring Ruby’s confusion—actually, he didn’t even notice it in the first place.

"..."

—That’s what you find strange about this?! That threatening aura was because of a magazine?!

Still confused and now a little angry, she asked Altarin anyway, “Do they really?”

“Trust me. I know what I’m talking about.” Altarin’s eyes glinted with the light of wisdom as he pushed the non-existence glasses on his nose.

Ruby strangely became convinced of his opinion, and if assuming what Altarin said was true—she started to wonder as well. “But then… why did they contact me?”

“I’m not sure… what do you think, Vena?”Altarin pinched his chin and turned to ask Vena who was sitting by his side.

“...” But he was met with only silence...

“Vena?”

“...” She still didn’t respond to him.

“Oi!”

“Heh? Oh, right? What’s up?”

—Finally, Vena jolted out of her trance.

“Where were you?”

“I was just… you know.”

“...You know what?”

At Altarin’s and Ruby’s questioning gazes—Vena started to blush.

“A-anyway…. What are these stories!? How dare you portray the cute and innocent little Eden—I mean Nede in s-such an... obscene…”

—And at Altarin’s and Ruby's stoic gazes—Vena decided to shut up.

“Well, I originally wrote it as a normal romance story…”

...Ruby turned to sit down on her bed, picking up a pillow and hugging it in front of her chest.

“But then my memories of that day came back to me…”

...She began to blush.

“So my writing started to change its focus... and when I realized it. I already wrote everything out.”

...Finally, she fell sideways onto her bed. Vena and Altarin watched on with cold gazes as the red-eyed girl melted into a pulp right in front of their eyes.

“That’s why I was acting suspiciously earlier... I’m fine if anyone else reads this but I can’t just say in front of Eden that I was having weird fantasies about him, can I? What if he starts thinking that I’m that kind of girl?”

—Then why the hell did you publish it to the whole city? Altarin and Vena thought at the same time.

Altarin stroked his chin, pondering seriously for the first time about Ruby’s relationship with Eden. He knew a bit about Eden’s past, at least what Athena allowed him to know.

“...I can understand your feelings, Miss Fairwright, but I have to be honest with you, I don't think you and Eden are on the same page about what kind of relationship you two have, like at all,” Altarin starts to say.

“What... do you mean?” Ruby looked up from her pillow.

“What you did to him… or what he did to you. For him, that’s normal.”

But Altarin’s answer didn’t make any more sense to Ruby… noticing her confusion, Vena spoke up solemnly, “Lady Athena told us very little about Eden’s past, but over the years, we were able to discern a lot from his behavior and attitude…”

“You have seen his choker and bracelet, right?” Altarin pointed at his own neck for reference.

Ruby nodded weakly. Altarin continued to ask, “Then, have you seen him fully naked?”

“I… huh? I haven’t… that’s weird. Why is that?”

“That’s obvious, isn’t it? Back then why would he trust you, the person who he had just met for the first time?”

“...” Ruby rolled her eyes at Vena’s remark.

However, the next thing the twins said brought her attention back.

““We have seen it.””

As the image of Eden’s naked back flashed through their minds, Ruby could feel their cold seething rage from the other side of the room. For a second she almost felt like she was standing in a violent snowstorm that threatened to freeze her alive.

“It was the second most cruel thing we have ever seen…” said Vena with a suppressed voice.

“What’s crueler was that Eden himself didn’t even realize how cruel it truly was...” said Altarin, releasing his clenched fist.

“That pain—” said Vena.

“That past—” said Altarin.

““For him. They’re normal,”” the twins declared at the same time.

"..."

“So Miss Fairwright, you may be thinking that we’re overreacting, and in some ways Vena kind of is. But we have good reasons to worry about Eden… Right now, he's just too young.”

Ruby cast her eyes downward. “I will… think about it.”

Seeing that his point had been made, Altarin shifted the topic to try to elevate the suddenly tense atmosphere. “Besides I don’t think Eden would make a good boyfriend anyway, aside from being cute who knows what goes on in that little head of his?”

““Being cute is enough!”” Vena and Ruby declared at the same time.

“You people are incomprehensible to me...”

"It's not just being cute, though. Eden might appear simple at first glance, but sometimes he's able to say exactly what people want to hear. It surprises me every time," Vena said, smiling gently.

"Right? I wonder how he knew to say stuff like that. Is it some kind of innocent wisdom?" Ruby's eyes also lit up with clear curiosity.

"Doesn't Lady Athena say it a lot? What is it? 'There are few things in this world I can't predict. The Future, The Heart, and then there's Eden,' or something like that?" Altarin says as he tries to recall his Lady's troubled face every time those words are spoken.

Suddenly, Ruby noticed something and spoke up, “By the way, are you guys okay about this? Leaving him alone for so long?”

""...""

At her words...

“W-we completely forgot!!” Altarin abruptly stood up.

“Aaah—! E-Eden! What if those Valkyrian angels take advantage of him too!" Vena suddenly exclaimed.

Then they both ran out of the room in a panic.

“Wait!”

With Ruby quickly following after.

…...

When Vena and Altarin came back to the storefront, they were greeted with an inexplicable scene.

In the now quiet bookstore, the previously energetic and lively group of Valkyrian angels were sitting in a row side by side, whispering quietly to each other. Some of them were even slightly blushing.

A little away from them was Eden, leaning against one of the many bookshelves in the store and reading something.

His long golden hair spread across the wooden floor of the shop, framing the perfect image of angelic pureness.

“Big sister Vena… Brother Altarin.”

Eden’s small voice came out to greet them but he didn’t look up to meet their eyes. The atmosphere was starting to get a little bit weird to Vena and Altrarin, and when Ruby came back to join them—

“What’s... F*****?”

“““...”””

Eden asked innocently... and no one knew what kind of face they should be making at that question.

“W-why do you want to know that?” Vena, who had recovered quicker than the rest of them, asked back with a flushed face.

“Because Eden did it—“

“““YOU DID WHAT?!”””

Everyone questioned their ears!

“—In this story.”

“““Phewww~!”””

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief...

“This is Eden... isn’t it?”

Eden held out the book he was reading to Vena and Altarin, and they immediately recognized what it was by title. They turned to Ruby, she shook her head to indicate that she had no idea.

They kept looking around the room questioningly until they eventually got a reply from one of the nearby Valkyrian angels.

“I’m sorry…” one of them spoke up, and the others followed after.

“I recognized the similarities between Little Eden and the princess Nede, and brought it up...”

“She asks us to show it to her…”

“And we did.”

“At least you didn’t write it.” Vena threw a side-eye glance at Ruby, then looked back at Eden. “Eden, I know that when you’re curious about something you have to know it, but this...”

“Will it happen again later… in the story?”

“No! Not at all! Definitely not!” Ruby ran up to Eden, snatched the book away from his hands, then threw it to the side.

“But Eden is curious…”

“““DON’T BE CURIOUS ABOUT STRANGE THINGS!!!””””

“Okay…”

But when everyone thought it was over. Eden rummaged through his messenger bag for his dictionary and began looking through it.

“““———!!”””

“It’s not in here either… maybe Eden should ask for… an upgrade?”

Fortunately, Eden eventually muttered in disappointment when he couldn’t find it…

“A-anyway Eden! The reason why I ask you to come here today!” Ruby tried to divert Eden’s attention, Eden turned to look at her, tilting his head questioningly.

“The reason why I ask you to come here...” Ruby reached out to hold Eden’s cheeks. “I-is because I really miss you!”

Eden widened his eyes at Ruby’s words.

“Ruby… were you… lonely?”

"Y-yes... I'm very lonely! That's why I..."

—Want to hug and pat your head for the rest of today!

But as Ruby was about to finish saying that...

What the twins said made Ruby change her words.

“...Eden, I-I want to talk with you alone, is that okay?”

Eden glanced toward Vena and Altarin, then turned back to Ruby and nodded.

"Um."

“L-let’s do it in my room, you haven’t been there before, have you?”

Immediately, and before anyone could say anything, Ruby led Eden by the hand to the backside of the store.

After the two disappeared…

“—Wait, what did she just say?” Vena's brows suddenly furrowed.

“I mean, Eden's a girl,” said one of the nearby Valkyrian angels, and the rest followed.

“So…”

“It’s probably fine,”

But then...

“Huaaaa!” Altarin let out an immeasurably deep sigh that contained almost every single emotion possible—and said out loud, “Eden's not a girl...”

Except for Vena’s… the eyes of everyone else in the store were all on him.

…..

And after a moment of silence.

“““Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehhhhhh!?”””

Cries of confusion echoed throughout the Realm of Gods.

—————……….

[ Fairwright's General Bookstore - 2nd Floor]

…..

Clicked~!

The door makes a soft sound, indicating that it’s been successfully locked. I turn around to see Eden inspecting the room—my room—and suddenly can’t help but feel a little nervous.

I didn’t leave any weird thing lying around, did I? Ah~! The original drafts! Their contents are more hardcore than the published version!

“What’s…. this?”

“N-no! Eden t-that’s not—”

Before I can reach out and hide the stack of papers—Eden has already picked it up! I lunge toward him to try to snatch them off his hand, only to fail and cause both of us to tumble to the ground!

Thud—!

And I’m now sitting on Eden’s small body, surrounded by papers that have been dropped messily to the floor...

““....””

We both stare at each other in silence... or at least I am silent, captured by the light of Eden’s golden eyes.

—He's just too pretty, huh?

Even in the Realm of Gods, this kind of perfection of form is very rare. Almost unheard of.

It wouldn’t be surprising if he turns out to be the child of the goddess of beauty herself, Alphelia—whose appearance is unknown to all outside [The Flying Palace] ever since the Holy War ended—she leads a life of seclusion for her beauty would instantly charm anyone who lays eyes on her…

Would Eden, eventually be condemned to the same fate? Locked away in a cage for his radiance shines so bright it burns all that basks in its light?

—If so, then I would give up my life to save him from that without hesitation.

When I look at Eden again, my eyes are drawn to the black choker on his neck. And the words of those two echo in my mind.

They make me realize that my meeting with Eden was merely a coincidence… I was just in the right place at the right time, not fated to be with him or anything like that.

What am I to Eden, really? Vena can probably protect him better than I could, even though she’s a little crazy, and brother Altarin seems… reliable. I'm not smart or reliable, or powerful. In the end, he even said so himself that he doesn’t love me.

“Ruby…”

A sweet voice brings me back to reality.

“Huh? What is it?”

Eden looks back at me with a serious expression and says, “You’re heavy…”

“——!!”

—H-heavy!? M-me?! I was too deep into my thoughts that I forgot I’m still on top of Eden! B-but, heavy—?!

“A-am I really that heavy?”

“Eden promised Athena.... that Eden would never lie or hurt anyone…”

“S-so?”

“So yes… Ruby... is heavy…”

“Gu-u...”

—Eden… your honesty is bringing tears to my eyes, literally.

“But it’s not very heavy… just pretty heavy… or really heavy… so it’s fine.”

—That’s not making it any better at all! You even say ‘heavy’ 3 more times! White lies without any lies are worse than the truth!!

“It’s fine.. so don’t worry about it… You can stop... thinking about it now.”

Huh? W-what does he mean by that? I look at Eden once more, trying to discern the meaning behind his words…

“Do you… know what I was thinking?” I carefully ask him.

“...”

Eden doesn’t say anything in response. I lightly poke his soft cheek for a reaction—he doesn’t react to that either but seeing the marshmallowy cheek conforms to my finger is very adorable…

Eventually, I ask him again.

“Eden, do you love me?”

—The same question.

“No, I love Athena.”

—The same answer…

I smile in defeat. I guess I can only pretend till here…

But as I’m about to get off—

“But Eden likes Ruby… Is it not enough?”

I halt…

Is it… enough?

“Is it... enough?”

To me, Eden looks so pure and bright that he seems to almost sparkle. And like a moth that is instinctively attracted to flame, I find myself helpless against it.

What do I actually want from Eden? His love? His affection?

—No, it’s none of that…

“Of course, it’s enough! Because the only thing I want from you is your cuteness~!"

—Even if I can’t have anything else… Just seeing your cute face is enough!

I pull Eden into my embrace.

"Hey, Eden, do you know? When my grandfather died, I felt like my place in the world disappeared, and everything was grey and lifeless—but then you suddenly appeared in front of me, and everything turned bright and colorful again!"

—You become something that makes me regain hope! Just being around you paints everything with magical intrigues of nigh-infinite possibilities!

“I want to stay by your side forever. I will keep chasing after your shine even if it leads me to the depth of the abyss! So, of course!”

—Because I’m in love! Because I’m helplessly hopelessly head over heels in love with you. Just seeing you makes me happy! Just holding your hand makes my heart pound!

—You are so wonderfully cute that the whole realm seems more alive just because you exist!

“So even if you don’t love me, Eden… I still want to dedicate all my life to making you smile, are you okay with that?”

“U-um…”

Because I'm still embracing him very closely, Eden's response is a bit muffled, but— Aaaaahh~! He's so ‘cute’~! How could any living thing be allowed to be this ‘cute’?! It’s almost a crime to my heart!

“Hehehe~!”

Muuwa~! Muuwa~! Muuwa~!

I hold Eden’s face with both my hands and repeatedly kiss all over it. Right now I’m the only one who can do this, you know? Just thinking about it makes me kinda jealous of myself!

“Ruby… Ear... Don’t bite.”

“——!!”

How could you say something like that and expect me to not—want to do it!? Now, I really want to do it! I really, really want to do it!

—No, no, no, no, no. You can’t, Ruby!!

“Aagh~! But still though…”

Holding Eden’s face with my palms, I bite my lips in disappointment.

“Ruby… why did you… call Eden here?”

“Eh? Oh, right…”

I’m supposed to talk to him about something, but now that I think about it, there’s nothing to talk about anymore. Soo…

“Eden, do you want to just… read books?” I propose awkwardly.

“Okay…” And Eden agrees, somehow?

—————..........