Chapter 134: It Is Once Again... the Season of White Album

The time was eight o'clock in the morning. The location was the living room of Ruby's house, specifically, the sofa. At this moment, Ruby was pinning the Mage Goddess down in a posture that could only be described as upright and unyielding. Of course, this was not because he was attempting anything illicit; it was merely the classic, inevitable trope of an accidental slip. Ruby didn't even want to mention how he had tripped over Dragon, who had transformed into a bar of soap, and tumbled onto Mayouna.

"Y-you, get off me."

The sudden turn of events left Mayouna bewildered. She desperately wanted to push Ruby away, but her strength was already limited, and being stared at by him from such close proximity only sapped the remaining power from her limbs.

"No."

Ruby suddenly recalled the time when they had first moved into this house, when Mayouna had pushed him down in this exact same way. Now, however, the roles were reversed. The sight of the Mage Goddess's petite face just inches from his own left him feeling uncharacteristically hesitant. In the past, whenever he had been this close to Mayouna, he had never felt anything like this. If someone were to ask him now if there was a difference between a female friend and a girlfriend, he could confidently say that the feeling was entirely different.

"..."

Mayouna was getting a taste of instant karma. She was a mage, after all; shouldn't she be using magic to deal with Ruby if she couldn't push him off physically? Yet, her mind was currently blank—she couldn't even recall the casting steps for a basic fireball spell. She could only close her eyes and adopt a look of resignation. Her long, delicate white eyebrows trembled slightly, betraying the intense unease of their owner.

Ruby had to admit that Mayouna in this state stirred a desire to tease her, but he was no pervert. He wouldn't force her to do anything she didn't like. Abandoning the impulse to kiss her, he simply brushed his finger gently against her cheek.

"?"

Mayouna opened her eyes in confusion, surprised to find that Ruby hadn't forced another kiss on her but was instead stroking her cheek with the gentleness one might reserve for a loved one. Seeing her eyes open, Ruby prepared to pull away; there was little point in keeping her pinned down indefinitely.

"It's... it's okay. If you want to kiss me, you can. I don't mind."

Seeing Ruby about to leave, Mayouna suddenly grabbed his collar. Though her speech was stumbling, she forced herself to overcome the strange emotions in her heart to tell him.

"The fact that you don't mind is the problem, isn't it?"

Ruby raised a finger, intending to flick Mayouna on the forehead—her words sounded as if she had no feelings for him at all. Mayouna saw his finger approaching and closed her eyes again, but instead of the sting of a flick, she felt a soft, fleeting sensation touch her forehead. When she opened her eyes, she caught Ruby retreating, and even someone as dim-witted as her knew exactly what he had done.

Mayouna puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction, glaring at Ruby with hostile eyes as if she could kill him with her gaze. It was too much! This scoundrel who toyed with a girl's heart. Ruby stared right back at her, unflinching. He had gotten the kiss, so he was the victor this time.

*Ding—*

In the quiet atmosphere, the doorbell rang with a slightly jarring sound. Ruby ended the staring contest with the Mage Goddess and went to open the door.

"Nana! Are you surprised to see me? Wasn't that a shock?"

Before Ruby could even register what kind of creature was at the door, he was pulled into a bear hug. The newcomer spoke in a tone that suggested she thought she was incredibly popular.

"You've got the wrong person."

Ruby patted Tinasha's back helplessly. Why on earth did this idiot think that Mayouna would be the one answering the door?

"Ooh, well, it doesn't really matter."

The green-haired princess merely giggled upon realizing her mistake. Seeing Mayouna sitting on the sofa without a word, she immediately lunged toward her, wanting to offer a hug to show she was treating them equally.

"Why are you here again?"

No sooner said than done, Mayouna floated up from the sofa in an instant, dodging the lethal pounce. She then cast a petrification spell to freeze the princess in place before landing and sitting on her back.

"Why the word 'again'? Are you that unhappy to see me?"

Tinasha felt deeply aggrieved. It had been such a long time since they last met, yet Mayouna showed not a shred of warmth. By comparison, Ruby was much better; he let her hug him when she wanted to, even if he was just unable to dodge.

"If I had to be honest, yes."

"Mean, that's too mean! I was counting the days in the Imperial Capital waiting to see you guys!"

Tinasha’s arrival was a total surprise. Ruby didn't have much to entertain guests with, so he simply took her to his private kitchen to treat her to breakfast.

"Gulp, gulp, ahhh! The beer Ruby makes is truly refreshing. Big Brother Caesar sometimes asks me for this kind of ale, too."

Tinasha downed a glass of golden beer in one go, a lovely flush rising to her cheeks. She took a large bite of the roasted meat Ruby had prepared for Qianye and wore a look of complete satisfaction. Although she wasn't as picky about food as Mayouna, Ruby's cooking was like a luxury she only got to taste on rare occasions.

"Eating this stuff first thing in the morning, you're going to get sick of it."

"Why are you so late?"

Ruby carefully refilled Tinasha's glass, earning an appreciative look from the green-haired princess. According to the timeline, she should have arrived long ago; he hadn't expected her to be delayed until now.

"Because I've been busy lately! The 'Yu-Gi-Oh!' cards have officially been released, and I came to celebrate with you guys. Cheers!"

Tinasha raised her glass and drained it again. She told Ruby many details about the launch, such as how the cards in hundreds of shops had been sold out on the very first day, with sales figures crushing the shops owned by the Star Night family. Even the Emperor had been smiling all day long.

"I think you just found every possible excuse to sneak out."

"Is that so? Well, it should be arriving here soon, then."

Mayouna and Ruby offered their respective congratulations. Lacking the constitution to drink alcohol so early in the day, they toasted with water instead.

"Well, now that the business is out of the way, let's talk personal matters. I'm just asking casually, but the relationship between you two hasn't changed, has it? Like, you didn't accidentally end up kissing or anything... ahahaha, how could that happen, right?"

Tinasha was far more interested in her two friends than in official business. Since they didn't live together, she could only guess at how far their relationship had progressed. However, she laughed at her own hypothetical scenario—such a coincidence was impossible.

Yet, the reaction of her two friends left her stunned and speechless. Ruby silently ate his breakfast without a word, while Mayouna lowered her head, her face nearly buried in the bowl before her.

"I... I spoke too soon. I hope you have a healthy baby."

Tinasha looked utterly devastated, her mouth drooping like a duck's. Come to think of it, with the two of them living under the same roof every day, it would be a miracle if they didn't end up together. But now that it had happened, she couldn't keep inserting herself into their relationship. At the thought, her nose began to sting with unshed tears.

"What are you talking about! It was just an accidental kiss, it wasn't something I volunteered for!"

Mayouna slammed her hand on the table to deny it vehemently. This was clearly Ruby's fault; she was just caught in the crossfire.

"I was the one who was first, whether it's liking Nana or kissing Ruby."

"Your logic is flawed! Who do you actually care about!"

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Postscript:

Tinasha: Director, the script is wrong! Shouldn't I be the type who catches them in the act? How did they already finish everything by the time I got here!

Ruby: What era do you think this is? Catching someone in the act is long out of fashion. With your hair color, the result would be the same whether you caught them or not, trust me!