Chapter Twelve: Handing That... That Thing to the Boss

Today was a rare leisurely day for Ruby. Moyuna hadn’t disturbed his sleep, nor asked him to cook, and she didn’t even emerge from her room when he had lunch ready. Though Ruby found it odd, he didn’t dwell on it, instead plunging himself into his laboratory work. It was only at midnight, when he came back to his senses and walked up to the first basement floor, that he noticed the food on the table remained untouched. Only then did it occur to him to check on Moyuna.

“You really intend to just walk in, human boy?”

As Ruby’s hand reached for the doorknob, Dragon suddenly spoke up. He always called Ruby “human boy”—the reason being that he found Ruby’s name ridiculous and refused to use it.

“Hm?”

“Tell me, how long has that white-haired girl been here?”

“Twenty-one days, eighteen hours, and eight minutes.”

“Damn it, who asked you for such precise timing? Is there not a shred of desire for women in your mind? At your age, you should be sniffing the clothes girls have taken off while—”

Dragon let out a classic otherworldly curse, exasperated. Though he often perched atop Ruby’s head, he could never figure out what this human was thinking, and he was nearly driven mad trying to educate him.

“What’s your point?”

“That white-haired girl suddenly stopped eating—doesn’t it mean that time has come? Girls are delicate creatures, you should pay close attention.”

Though Dragon was the embodiment of lust, he was undeniably male at heart, possessing a natural instinct to protect women. Seeing Ruby so dense, he cursed him for being hopeless. Ruby thought for a moment, then opened the door and entered.

“Why did you come in?”

Moyuna was sitting on the bed, hugging a cushion. Her hair was disheveled, faint shadows under her eyes, and her complexion was ghastly. She had clearly slept poorly since yesterday. Dragon’s guess was correct: Moyuna’s monthly visitor had indeed arrived.

But Ruby didn’t understand—could something as simple as that leave her so worn out?

This traced back to Moyuna’s childhood memories. After being taken as Yura’s apprentice, she had grown up mostly happy until her body matured enough for childbearing. The first time she saw blood from her lower body, Moyuna was so terrified she cried for an entire day. Yura, though a Master Mage, was clueless about such physiological matters, offering only endless reassurance that all girls went through this.

Fear of the unknown made Moyuna anxious, no matter how Yura comforted her. So each month during her period, Yura would stay by her side and lull her to sleep. But one day, Yura disappeared. Moyuna, accustomed to her teacher’s company, couldn’t sleep at all. The so-called “Memoir” magic was merely a poor substitute. Every visit from her monthly friend became a psychological burden.

“Not eating?”

“I don’t want to.”

Moyuna buried her face into the cushion, her muffled voice conveying embarrassment. She didn’t know how to face Ruby; this was her most fragile time and she didn’t want him to witness it—especially since he was a man.

“I’ll be outside. If you feel unwell, call me.”

Ruby didn’t force her, intending to leave the room.

“Ruby, I’m scared…”

Moyuna’s weak voice reached Ruby’s ears, halting his steps. Stripped of her divine aura, she was like a crying child now, her eyes reflecting inner anxiety and fear. Ruby thought for a moment, then left the room, only to return shortly with some cotton. He sat on the edge of the bed, placing what he’d brought on the nightstand and began his task.

“Dragon, Appliance Group No. 31, play Tom and Jerry.”

Feeling the room was too quiet, Ruby decided to let Dragon be useful. Dragon, long immersed in otherworldly culture, had studied the schematics of many devices out of boredom. Given his special abilities, Ruby assigned him numbers for various gadgets. Dragon complied, transforming from his perch atop Ruby’s head into a rectangular LCD screen and floated onto the wall.

“What—what is this? There are moving things inside!”

Moyuna’s gaze was entirely drawn to the images on the screen. This device reminded her of her Memoir, but whereas Memoir projected 3D images, this was a two-dimensional animation—completely different.

“Television. Just watch.”

“Oh.”

Moyuna quickly became engrossed in the nonsensical comedy. Tom and Jerry might not be the most brilliant cartoon, but it was certainly the most relaxing: no borders, no races, anyone would be amused by the clumsy cat. Moyuna was no exception, unconsciously smiling again and again.

‘So peaceful.’

Moyuna looked from the TV to Ruby’s busy silhouette, feeling a strange sense of comfort. She’d expected to spend this time alone again, but once more, he helped her in the simplest way.

“It’s done.”

After a flurry of activity, Ruby finally finished his task. All he could do to help Moyuna was this.

“What’s that?”

Moyuna eyed the rectangular object in Ruby’s hand with unease, reminiscent of the time he pulled out a syringe.

“A sanitary pad. Here’s how you use it…”

Ruby handed it to Moyuna and patiently explained its use in detail.

“Wait, wait! How can you talk about something so embarrassing without changing expression? Stop!”

Moyuna’s cheeks reddened at words like ‘place it’ and ‘stick it on,’ wishing she could shut Ruby’s mouth.

“There’s no need to be afraid. Every normal woman goes through this. Now, let me explain what menstruation is.”

“No, no, no! You embodiment of lust, I don’t want to hear it!”

Moyuna immediately pulled the blanket over herself, trying to resist Ruby with this act. She was already struggling with his previous words—who knew what else he might say.

“This is necessary guidance.”

Moyuna’s strength was no match for Ruby’s; he pulled her out from under the covers, forcing her to listen. At first, Moyuna pretended not to hear, but seeing Ruby’s serious expression, she had no choice but to listen, gaining a deeper understanding of her own body.

“So that’s how it is. It’s really unfair—why suffer if you’re not having children?”

Moyuna pouted resentfully. At moments like this, she envied Aqua. The body’s design was troublesome and showed no sympathy for women.

“Now use it. It’s easier than washing your underwear by yourself.”

“I can use it, but next time you…”

“I’ll prepare spares for you next time.”

“That’s not what I meant!”

In the end, too shy to ask, Moyuna didn’t request Ruby to keep her company next time.

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PS: Please add to your favorites and recommend.
PS: With your monthly friend visiting, can childbirth be far behind? (laugh)