It was the end of the day and Ruri was finishing her job the cafeteria.
"Haa, I'm sorry, could you say that again?" - Ruri
Ruri couldn't believe her ears, and she repeats the question to the person in front of her.
"Yeah, I want you to go out with me." - Man
That's what the man with dog ears and tail said, he seemed only a little older that Ruri.
Ruri was bashful and embarrassed, because he was a good looking young man. She suddenly stopped asking him to repeat himself and realised it wasn't a misunderstanding, but she wasn't completely sure.
However, after Ruri asked she knew for certain.
"... ... ... that, do you want me to go somewhere with you?" - Ruri
"No! No! I like you, so it means that I want you to be my lover." - Man
He panicked, denying Ruri's doubt that it could be a prank.
Ruri finally realised that she had been confessed to.
The victory celebrations had ended, and the usual everyday routine had returned, and Ruri had also resumed her short shifts at the cafeteria.
He favoured her as she worked hard and it seems he had been anxious about the absence of Ruri in the cafeteria.
It seems that he confessed today after seeing her return, boosting his spirits.
He was a regular in the dining hall, and she was surprised that he had confessed because she had talked to him a lot lately, she was surprised he confessed on this rainy day.
And, Ruri realises she didn't notice after speaking with him so many times, was she unexpectedly dull? Ruri looked back at herself.
"So, what do you think? I will go on a date with you." - Ruri
She replies to the beastman who is shaking in expectation and anxiety, and Ruri then returns to the castle in a hurry.
"Is Euclase there?!" - Ruri
She went into Jade's office, not only Euclase, but everyone was there, their eyes rounded looking at Ruri who had barged in.
"He's here. What's the matter, why are you in such a hurry?
Once in a while, seen as though this is the office of the King, please come in more quietly." - Jade
"Ugh ...... sorry, Jade." - Ruri
Jade smiles.
"So, you want something from Euclase?" - Jade
"Yes! Euclase, I think you know the fashion and the type of clothes that girls currently wear. Please tell me." - Ruri
"Oh yeah, of course I know, what happened to you so suddenly?" - Euclase
After Euclace's question, Ruri gave a chuckle and responded proudly "I was invited to date!"
Euclase became fightened.
"With whom!?" - Euclase
"With a regular from the cafeteria, a beastman called Jet. I was confessed to today. Were going to go on a trial date for the time being. There is such a thing in this world." - Ruri
It was like when you have a two week slot for returning an item you had bought online, Ruri was surprised.
"... ... the stronger the magical power, the stronger it will influence someone with an affinity.
For magical beastmen, it is common to have a trial period to check each other's compatibility.
Rather than that, it means that you like the man already, because you accepted the trial period?" - Euclase
The terrified Euclase asks.
"I do not like him yet, but Jet is a good young man who seems to be innocent, I bet he would be a good husband in the future!" - Ruri
"You, a husband ...…!" - Euclase
"Because he is a dog beastman, I think that the children that would be born would be pretty and fluffy!" - Ruri
"Children!?" - Euclase
Ruri answers strongly, Euclase sits on a chair that was close to him, and holds his head in his hands.
A cold sweat runs down his back.
Ruri had been confessed too, Euclase was fearful and couldn't turn to look at Jade.
"Ruri, is it necessary to find a marriage partner so quickly?
You are still young." - Klaus
Klaus tried to make Ruri think twice ... ….
"But I want a family soon.
My family ...I'll have a home ... .... " - Ruri
No one could say anything back to Ruri, who spoke with lonely longing.
Although Ruri always looks energetic, given that Ruri was cruelly and suddenly separated from her family, it's not surprising that she has a strong desire to create her own family.
No one was able to say anything, Jade gradually stood up and said "I will take a short break" taking Ruri's hand and leaving the office together.
After Ruri and Jade leave, a condemning glance is thrown at Euclase.
"Was it a mistake to let Ruri work in the cafeteria?" - Klaus
Klaus' said, Finn and Agete are silent but their eyes agree.
It was only recently that Klaus learned why Ruri sometimes disappeared.
From then on, Klaus had tried to stop her working, but Ruri had stubbornly refused.
Although he could not restrict the Cherished One, he got told by Jade to wait for the time being, but if he had known this was going to happen he would have stopped it, he held a grudge against Euclase who arranged for Ruri to work part-time at the cafeteria.
"It can not be helped. It is impossible to stop Ruri, she wants to work.
The only thing we can do is be someone she trusts.
Even if Ruri likes him, I don't think Ruri will answer his confession positively!" - Euclase
Well certainly, Klaus agreed.
The woman who owned the cafeteria originally worked for Euclase, and he knew her well, her husband was a soldier of the Dragon Kingdoms army, and he stood together with everyone in the war.
It was the perfect place to fulfil Ruri's hopes to work, and to subtly protect her.
If you think about it, Ruri was wearing a good disguise, it was impossible for a man with an interest in the Cherished One loved by the faeries to appear.
Even though he thought that it would be a problem, Euclase tried to look confident.
The compatibility of Ruri and Jade's magical powers was good. It was so good it made everyone envious.
As they thought Ruri was a cat, it was impossible for her to be Jade's bride even if their compatibility was good.
On top of that, everyone thought that Jade's feelings were successfully transmitted to Ruri.
He also showed feeding behaviour which is a expression of a Dragon's affection.
However, Ruri was not from this world.
It is no wonder that she didn't understand the expression of love belonging to Dragon kind and she also didn't know that compatibility of magical power is the most important element in a marriage partner.
Perhaps Jade is amazed that things were not conveyed at all.
If Ruri falls in love with that beastman ...….
"I, my head may fly ...…" - Euclase
Jade's attachment to the Dragon Kings aide was not extraordinary.
Although it was not Euclase's time to go, he was beginning to think that it might change depending on how Jade felt.
They're sure Jade will be so angry that he will refuse to even look at Euclase, the one that caused the situation.
"Before that, Euclase, your head may fly, rather than loosing your job you might physically loose something." - Agete
Silence falls for a while after Agete's words.
Euclase raises his voice as if he had been propelled.
"Finn, Joshua, call Joshua!
Lets investigate this man ASAP!" - Euclase
"Understood." - Finn
Klaus and Agete begin talking seriously.
"In case of emergency, let's protect ourselves and flee the country."
"If we were to flee, is the best country to go to the Beast Kingdom who's King has the power to compete against his Majesty? No, the Spirit King is better at negotiation…?"
"No, but if we do flee it may develop into a national problem ..."
Leaving the office in a great turmoil, Ruri and Jade arrived at the gardens.
Jade released her hand and changed into his dragon form.
The Dragon tribe's Dragon form was a different colour than their human skin.
Their scales where the same colour as their human counterpart's hair, Jade is a jet black dragon.
Ruri doesn't know the reason behind Jade transforming into his dragon form, and she watches him while wondering.
"What's the matter, Jade?
Suddenly transforming, are you going somewhere?" - Ruri
"I want to show you something interesting." - Jade
After he said that, Jade flapped his wings upward.
A big gust of wind picks up and tunnels upward. At the same time, something begins peeling off of Jade's body, and they were taken up by the wind, but soon they began to rain down onto the ground.
The flakes reflected the sun and fell like sparkling snowflakes.
"Wow, beautiful" - Ruri
Watching the fantastic spectacle, Ruri becomes like an excited child.
Jade is also happy, looking at Ruri smiling happily.
After Ruri see's that everything has fallen to the ground, she crouches and picks a piece up.
"What is this? ...... A scale?" - Ruri
It was transparent and colourless in the shape of a scale.
However, it was not as thin as a fish scale, it was thick, and at first glance it looks like a jewel.
Ruri had noticed that they where scales because she saw them fall off of Jade, but she didn't think they where Jade's because Jade was jet black and the scales where transparent, Ruri was quite confused.
"Oh, it's scales. The dragon tribe regularly grow scales and the old scales fall off. Well, it's similar to shedding hair.
These are old scales so they're colourless and they're useless for us Dragons, but other tribes find them useful so they sell for a high price.
They can be processed into weapons, armour or ornaments.
It can earn some pocket money for the dragons." - Jade
Surprisingly, it seems that Dragon King who could be replaced at any time wanted to earn a salary, so he sells scales and earns pocket money.
It seems that quality of a strong dragon scales is good and sells for a high price, Jade and Finn's scales are popular enough for there to be a reservation waiting list, so they are able to earn an amount that was a bit more than pocket money.
Because Jade said that she could take as much as she wanted, she picks up several pieces that had fallen at her feet.
"Thank you, Jade." - Ruri
Ruri raised her face and turned to look at Jade, she stopped as she spotted something.
"Eh? Jade, the colour of your scales is different in this spot, has that always been there?" - Ruri
The scales around his heart where different from the scales on the rest of his body.
Ruri felt that it wasn't there when they returned from Chelsea's house.
Or she just didn't notice.
Jade, with his big mouth, peels off a strange coloured heart scale with skill, and hands it to Ruri.
"It's like a jewel" - Ruri
It has the same shape as the scales scattered on the ground, but it has a beautiful colour similar to the colour of a jade stone, it looks like a jewel.
It looks like a raw stone, not a processed gemstone.
Jade returns to his human form, and takes out a slender chain necklace.
On the necklace there was a small glass sphere cut in half, Jade took the heart scale from Ruri, and he put it in one hemisphere, covering it with another hemisphere of the same size and melted it with fire magic to seal it.
Jade put the necklace with the glass ball containing the heart scale on Ruri's neck.
"Oh, can I keep it?" - Ruri
"It's an amulet. It's good to keep it against your skin." - Jade
"Wow, thank you. It's the same colour as your eyes." - Ruri
Ruri received a heart scale the same colour as Jade's eyes, who put it in a glass bead for her, she was delighted.
After seeing Ruri, he smiled with a sad expression for a moment.
Just before Ruri asks Jade why he smiled so sadly, she saw behind Jade, Finn's figure running impatiently coming into view.
"Oh, Finn" - Ruri
"Looks like something has happened." - Jade
Jade says as he looks back, with a stern expression.
"Your Majesty! The Asahi woman has disappeared!!" - Finn
After the report from Finn, Ruri becomes frightened and her eyes open wide.
"What the hell!?" - Ruri
The surprised cry from Ruri echoed through the garden.