They walked along the ship's corridor. The corridor walls were made of smoothly polished dark wood. A thick red carpet stretched across the floor, muffling the sound of their footsteps. Yellow light from the lanterns on the walls illuminated the way.
Aldes looked down. He saw his right hand being held tightly by Leafa. The woman looked captivating walking by his side.
The original Aldes was quite close to her, Aldes muttered inwardly.
He smiled softly. His fingers moved to return the woman's grip. His thumb rubbed the back of Leafa's hand in a slow, constant motion.
Leafa's steps hitched slightly. Her eyelids widened for a moment. A faint red flush crept across both of her cheeks. Her chest rose and fell as her breathing grew subtly faster. But a second later, she adjusted the rhythm of her steps and stared straight ahead as if nothing had happened.
"You have soft hands," Aldes praised. He quickened his pace, aligning himself beside Leafa without releasing her hand.
"Thank you," Leafa replied softly.
They walked in silence for a few moments. Only the sound of fabric brushing together and muffled footsteps echoed through the quiet corridor.
"You can get shy too, huh?" Aldes said, breaking the silence.
Leafa slowly turned her head.
"I..." She paused for a moment. "I was just surprised," she replied in a low voice.
Aldes studied her face.
"You know, I've been paying attention to our interactions for quite some time now. Especially back when I visited the library."
He looked directly into Leafa's purple eyes.
"The way you talk to me. The way you touch me."
Aldes stepped ahead of her and stopped, blocking the path.
The corners of his lips curled into a sly smile.
"Do you love me?"
Leafa's eyes widened completely.
Heat rushed through her body, turning the tips of her ears red. Her heart pounded rapidly against her chest. She stood frozen for several seconds, unsure of how to answer.
Her reaction... Aldes observed quietly. She's still a normal girl.
Leafa took a deep breath.
The shock on her face gradually shifted into a smile. She stepped forward, closing the distance between them. Reaching up, she pulled Aldes's head toward her and buried his face in the crook of her neck. Her left hand gently brushed against his earlobe.
"Are you hoping for that honey?" Leafa whispered into his ear.
Aldes chuckled.
He pulled back, breaking the embrace, and calmly met her gaze.
"You tell me darlin.."
He turned around and resumed walking, still holding Leafa's hand as he led the way.
After several more minutes through the corridor, they arrived at the dining room.
The room was spacious and brightly lit. Its interior was dominated by dark mahogany wood accented with intricate gold carvings along the ceiling. Large red lanterns hung overhead, casting an elegant glow throughout the chamber. Giant round windows displayed the bright blue sea and drifting white clouds outside.
At the center of the room stood a long wooden table already filled with ceramic plates carrying various steaming dishes.
At one corner of the table, Amor sat facing the window. The red-haired man now had a pair of horns protruding from his head. He wore a dark red military uniform beneath black armor. Holding a brush, he painted the ocean scenery onto a small canvas. His expression remained blank, but his sharp eyes focused intensely on every stroke.
The plate of food beside him sat completely untouched.
On the opposite side of the table, Illfa sat beside Mila.
Mila leaned back casually in her chair, her long black hair cascading over her shoulders while curved horns extended from her head.
Illfa turned upon hearing footsteps at the entrance.
"Ah, Aldes," Illfa greeted. Her gaze shifted toward the woman beside him.
"And Captain."
Her eyes narrowed when she noticed their tightly intertwined hands.
"You two..."
A thick expression of astonishment spread across her face.
Mila picked up a fried shrimp from the plate in front of her and ate it casually.
"They fuck. What else?" Mila said flatly without even turning her head.
Illfa's eyes widened in horror.
She immediately raised both hands.
"Pause!! Pauseee!!!"
Amor briefly glanced toward the source of the commotion. Showing no reaction whatsoever, he simply returned to painting his canvas.
Aldes swept his gaze across the dining table.
It's pretty crowded. Are they all hanging out here? Out of all the empty rooms on this ship...
Leafa smiled brightly at the reactions of her subordinates.
She raised her free hand and waved.
"Hello, hello~."
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