Chapter 434: Chapter 434: Ruri Wants to Be a Mother
Chapter 434: Ruri Wants to Be a Mother
"I give in to you, as you wish!" Kai said, looking at Giada’s feigned aggrieved expression.
He pinched her little nose and spoke.
Hearing Kai’s words, Giada’s face, which had been pretending to be sorrowful, lit up with a bright smile.
"That is what you said! Do not even think about going back on your word. If you do, I will pester you every day and never leave," she said.
Her deep emerald pupils sparkled with mischief as she gave Kai a fierce yet adorable look.
Kai rubbed her tender face and nodded.
"Great!" Giada exclaimed, smiling triumphantly like a child.
Eagerly, she led Kai to see her mature gift.
In a room, an elegant banquet had been prepared.
The three princesses of the Chaos Realm sat at the banquet table, each dressed in a gorgeous dinner gown.
Ankleya, the Dominion Princess with long blue hair, seemed a little distracted.
Her red pupils occasionally flashed with a hint of blood.
Saijō, the Death Tide Princess with beige hair, gazed at the fine wine on the table, a bold and wild air about her.
She sniffed the wafting aroma of the wine, her dark gold pupils widening slightly.
"Gulp!" she swallowed, unable to help herself.
Bejana, the Scarlet Princess, had her bright, blood-red hair tied up, adorned with a small decorative black hat.
Compared to the restless Ankleya and the carefree Saijō, she maintained an elegant and composed demeanor.
Among the three, Bejana was the most mature, though at twenty-one, she was still young for her age.
From the outside, aside from her pronounced curves, her face looked no different from that of a seventeen- or eighteen-year-old girl.
This was especially true after she became Giada’s blood dependent, her appearance fixed in time.
At that moment, Bejana felt no worry about the situation they were about to face; instead, she was curious.
She had spent much of the past month or two with Ruri.
They had a small understanding of the master they were destined to serve.
She had even seen the portraits painted by Ruri.
"Relax, Ankleya. It will not do if His Majesty sees you like this," Bejana said.
"Hmph! I do not need you to tell me, Bejana," Ankleya replied, her expression tightening into one of indifference.
Seeing Ankleya’s reaction, Bejana shook her head.
As the Dominion Princess, Ankleya’s name hinted at her character: domineering, ambitious, and filled with a desire to control.
Even when faced with the Goddess’s arrangements, she did not yield easily.
However, such resistance was ultimately futile.
Their power stemmed from the gifts of their lord, so what right did they have to defy her?
Bejana glanced at Saijō, the other princess beside her.
Saijō was easier to deal with, still carefree, content as long as she had wine.
Or rather, as long as she had her saber.
Even in her elegant dress, Saijō still wore a saber at her waist, a gift from the Goddess.
Bejana turned her gaze to the flickering candlelight on the banquet table.
Her thoughts wandered, lingering on the face in Ruri’s portrait, and she mused quietly.
What kind of man is my lord?
After a while, Bejana’s expression shifted as she snapped back to reality.
"His Majesty has arrived," she said.
Hearing her words, Ankleya and Saijō stood up alongside Bejana.
They stepped away from their seats and stood in the open space.
Their eyes fixed on a door at the far end of the banquet hall.
When the door opened, they lifted their skirts and gave a slight curtsy.
With the Goddess’s permission, they raised their heads.
The moment they looked up, their attention was drawn to the young man beside the Goddess.
His presence, which seemed to blend seamlessly with nature, suddenly became perceptible to them.
With just one glance, they knew.
This was their Lord, connected to them through an unbreakable bond.
This sensation... the eternal blood contract of the True Ancestor of Blood?
Only then did they realize that the Goddess had used such a contract—or perhaps this man had used it with the Goddess.
They could not discern the nature of this bond.
But regardless, they understood one thing clearly.
Beyond being the Goddess’s retinue, they were also the Lord’s retinue.
As they looked at the man with a gentle smile, different emotions crossed their faces.
What kind of person is my lord?
A week later, Kai awoke in Giada’s room.
He was unsure how much time had passed since waking.
He watched Giada rise from the bed and rubbed her smooth, jewel-like green hair.
Each time Giada woke before him, she always brought something new.
This time was no different, though the context varied.
"Hehehe... My dear, let us do something pleasant again!" Giada said, her silly yet charming expression lighting up her face.
Kai lowered his head and kissed her delicate, swan-like neck.
In the luxurious room, the atmosphere grew warm and intense once more.
In the next room, Ruri sensed the movement.
Faint dark circles framed her deep eyes.
Such marks would never appear on her face due to her strength, and she could easily dispel them.
But she chose to keep them, wanting others to see her struggle.
Who could blame her father for forgetting his daughter, leaving her to face an empty room?
She was very afraid of the dark when alone.
Of course, she would not be afraid if she fell asleep in her father’s arms.
As for her mother, if Giada were there, Ruri would feel no fear.
But her mother outdid her in pretense.
Giada made her tell stories, sing children’s songs, rock tunes, and all sorts of random melodies every night, treating her like a pillow.
Who would believe such a thing?
Ruri felt that in her mother’s presence, she was reduced to a ruthless storytelling machine, a singing device, and a giant pillow.
Moreover, she seemed to be the target of daily teasing and jesting.
This left Ruri exhausted.
It felt as though her role and her mother’s had reversed.
At times, Ruri would think to herself that it might be better if she were the mother.
After all, she was merely a creation of her mother and father’s power, not a true daughter.
Whenever such thoughts crossed her mind, her small face would flush.
Especially now, her eyes grew hazy.
Ruri stretched out her arms, clutching a pillow tightly, and murmured, "Daddy..."
As evening approached outside, Kai bid farewell to Giada and Ruri, who were reluctant to see him go.
He also said goodbye to the three princesses before departing.
During his days on Eternal Night Island, he had spent time getting to know each of the three princesses.
He dedicated one day to each, almost like a date.
The rest of his time was spent with Giada and Ruri.
The three princesses of the Chaos Realm—Dominion Princess Ankleya, Death Tide Princess Saijō, and Scarlet Princess Bejana—each had a distinct style.
Giada had selected them from across West Blue.
Their appearance, figures, and resolve were impeccable.
They were all blood dependents chosen by Giada.
As for the other girls who were not selected, they became dependents of Eternal Night, wielding its power.
The Wonder of Eternal Night was a phenomenon maintained by Giada’s familiar beast, also named Eternal Night.
In a sense, the other girls were dependents of Giada’s beast, one step removed from her.
But there was nothing wrong with calling them Giada’s dependents.
The dependents of her beast were, after all, her dependents, and there was no fault in that reasoning.
( End of this Chapter )