Through trial and error, Ruri's words had successfully brought Ewans feelings out.
He apologised again, which Ruri accepted becoming a little relieved.
After all she did want to get along with Finn's brother.
Ewan's face had no expression of hatred towards Ruri, and there there was no closed off expression like there was before, it felt refreshing.
It is nice to get along well, but now ... ….
"Oh my gosh, that's what I mean. My brother is wonderful. And there's more ...…" - Ewan
"Ah yes yes. I know Finn's amazing." - Ruri
Hearing Ewan's bragging about Finn continuing, Ruri interrupted him in a panic.
While picking up the food that they ordered, they talked about how Ruri became a cat after being summoned, and how it was like living in the other world.
The wall between Ruri and Ewan gradually broke down while they were talking.
Unexpectedly, it seems like she had distracted Ewan, who was clearly speaking well.
Ruri understands how Ewan feels, and his attitude towards her changes.
Ruri regrets that she hadn't become friends with Ewan earlier. However, she wanted Ewan to stop bragging about his brother.
"You've had a hard time, too .......
Speaking of which, did you go out alone? You don't seem very wary." - Ewan
"I mean, I was going on a date, but he isn't with me.
He was a dog beastman and he seemed to be a good person, but he said something I didn't understand and ran away. Don't you think it's awful?" - Ruri
Ewan, who was taking a sip of his drink, choked and started coughing.
"Are you all right?" - Ruri
Ruri looked at him confused, and Ewan has tears in his eyes.
"Eh!? What, do you want to be killed? Dragons are very jealous unlike humans.
In the past people would treat cheating like suicide.
I don't know what you're planning, but you'd better not flirt with other men while you have a dragon heart." - Ewan
"Dragon heart? What's that?" - Ruri
Ruri tilts her head to the word she doesn't recognise.
Ewan realises that she doesn't know, and he knows its not a joke because Ruri doesn't often make jokes.
"You don't know anything?" - Ewan
Ruri nods.
Ewan points to the necklace hanging around Ruri's neck.
To be precise, he points to Jade's scale in the glass ball attached to the necklace.
"That scale is a Dragon heart. It's a scale that a man of the dragon tribe man can only produce once in his lifetime, called a dragon heart.
That guy ran away because you were wearing such a thing. You don't want to be killed, do you?" - Ewan
"Really. I understand why he ran away, but why would Jade kill him?" - Ruri
"...... You where given it without knowing anything, that stupid king!" - Ewan
Ewan taught Ruri the meaning of being given a dragon heart, while watching her with sympathy.
After listening to Ewan, Ruri picked up the glass ball containing the scale, she couldn't believe it and kept asking Ewan again and again, eventually he became tired and said "why don't you ask the person in question?", Ewan left the shop and transformed into his dragon form, grabbed Ruri and flew to the castle.
"Oh, this is a pretty rare combination, did you reconcile?" - Euclase
Ruri who had just arrived at the castle, met Euclase by chance as he was exiting Jade's office.
Euclase eyes were wide at the sight of Ewan and Ruri together, but he relaxes when he sees their expressions.
When he see's Ewan, he decides not to ask how the date went, Euclase knew what would happen.
Despite that, what was important now was something different.
"Euclase, is Jade in his office?!" - Ruri
"Yes, he's doing his work." - Euclase
Ruri was full of spirit, Euclase was puzzled for a moment, but immediately guessed the circumstances, he looked towards Ewan who he realised had probably told Ruri.
Meanwhile, Ruri was progressing to Jade's office.
"Didn't you tell her about it…?" - Ewan
"No, it would have been a problem for her to know immediately.
I would like to know what happened to make you such good friends." - Euclase
Ewan was caught up talking to Euclase.
＊＊＊
Ruri headed for the office, and after knocking on the door, rushed inside before the reply from inside came.
"If you open the door before the reply, there's no point in knocking." - Jade
Jade smiled wryly, Ruri walks away from the door, around the desk and stands next to Jade.
"Jade, I have something to tell you." - Ruri
After seeing that Ruri is grumpy, Jade urges those who where working in the office with him to leave with a glance.
After everyone had left, it was only Ruri and Jade, he turned towards Ruri.
"What do you have to tell me?" - Jade
Ruri took off the necklace she had around her neck and presented it to Jade.
"... ... ... why did you lie, saying it was an amulet?" - Ruri
"I didn't lie, it's an amulet that protects against guys." - Jade
Jade says unapologetically, Ruri face shows a disgruntled expression.
"I don't know what you were planning, but I can't receive such an important thing!" - Ruri
As she said that, she pushed the necklace towards him, but he didn't take it back.
"This is an important scale that you have to give to your lover, isn't it?
I'm thankful that you're worried about me, but please give this to someone you love, not me who you think of as a pet." - Ruri
A dragon heart is not an amulet, it has a symbolism very similar to a wedding ring in Ruri's old world, only given to a loved one.
It's similar to a wedding ring, but because there can only be one scale, the weight of being given one cannot be compared.
The scales can be peeled from their body only once in their lifetime won't grow again unlike the other scales that will be replaced.
A man of the Dragon tribe can only have a child with a person they have been married to with the ceremony of the scales.
Ruri was making such an effort to pass the scale back, after learning is was such an important thing, her emotions where so painful as she thought that she wasn't the right person to receive Jade's scale.
Not realising Ruri's feelings, Jade's eye's widened after hearing Ruri's pet remarks.
"Pet? ...... I see, I know exactly where the misunderstanding was." - Jade
Jade places his hand on his forehead breathes a deep sigh, then he asks Ruri a question.
"What criteria do you choose for lovers and marriage partners in Ruri's old world?" - Jade
"Eh, suddenly you ask such a thing ... ....
In general, it's things such as personality or values?" - Ruri
"Well, yes. Such standards are certainly important, but in this world, the stronger the magical power, and the better the magical compatibility decides how you choose your partner.
Didn't you say you where comfortable with me?" - Jade
"Yes..." - Ruri
When asked again, there is some embarrassment, but being by Jade's side is very comfortable.
Ruri had already heard about compatibility of magical power.
"It is the same for me. Being at Ruri's side is so comfortable I think that I don't ever want to leave.
There are very few people who can meet a partner, which they have such good magical compatibility with that they feel comfortable just by being at the others side.
It is almost a miracle to have met Ruri, because even if one person feels comfortable, the other person may not feel the same way.
It was a happy thing, but because you where a cat I despaired at the same time. I thought I wouldn't be able to love anyone else." - Jade
Saying so, Jade lowers his brows a little sadly.
Jade continues.
"As I said earlier, a strong magical tribe like the Dragon tribe decides their partners with magical compatibility.
Even if a woman appears in front of me in the future, I will certainly compare them with Ruri.
Even if I found someone with some magical compatibility, I would think that they couldn't be more important than Ruri.
How many times did I wish for you to be a human or an ape, rather than a cat?" - Jade
Jade's clear eyes looked up at Ruri, and her heart fluttered briskly.
"Did you know how happy I was to learn that you where a human?
You think I'm thinking of you as a pet?
There is no such thing. You said yourself earlier. The dragon heart is an important thing that is only given to the one you love.
No matter how important it is, I wouldn't give a dragon heart to a pet." - Jade
"Eh, that's ...…" - Ruri
Ruri's eyes widen and she stares at Jade in astonishment.
Laughing at her, Jade pulled out the sweets that Ruri had said were delicious from the drawer, and pushed it against Ruri's lips.
Why did he bring the sweets out? At that time Ruri couldn't even think about sweets.
"Did you know Ruri? It is an expression of love if a man of the Dragon tribe feeds someone like this, they only do this to their lover and their child" - Jade
Ruri was speechless. She was so surprised that she swallowed sweets she had in her mouth without chewing them.
Jade knew that Ruri didn't know the feeding behaviour of the dragon tribe.
Feeling the sweetness of being fed sweets, Jade follows up.
"I won't do this for a pet.
This is an important expression of affection for my loved ones." - Jade
Ruri's face is already red.
"Ah ... ... ... But the compatibility with me is not always the best, is not it?
If Jade says that he chose me because we have good magical chemistry, but what if there is a better person, it would be better to choose that person.
Also Jade is the king and I am just a common person …" - Ruri
Ruri asked.
It was a very courageous question, but if he hadn't heard it now it might have caused a problem in the furture.
"I think that you are quite different from ordinary people because you are a Cherished One. A Cherished One has a position even higher than the king. There will be no one condemning the decision, people would only be happy." - Jade
It seems that Jade is a little amazed by Ruri, who doesn't yet seem to know the value of the Cherished One.
"A dragon heart has no colour unless there is a certain condition.
It is when a dragon man admits they love someone.
My colour changed after seeing Ruri's human figure, and knowing that you were not a cat but a human being.
At that point I decided to love you Ruri.
And a dragon never cheats. For their whole lifetime, they will love the first person who changed the colour of their heart. Even if a person with better compatibility appears afterwards." - Jade
So Ruri doesn't need to worry about anything. Jade brings his hand to Ruri's cheek.
"But that's alright .... Even if my feelings are heard, it cannot be helped if Ruri says that she wants to return the dragon heart.
I am not trying to force you. If Ruri likes another man, then it would be inevitable." - Jade
Jade slowly reaches out to grab the necklace that was resting in Ruri's hand.
However, before Jade's hand reached necklace, Ruri suddenly pulled her hand away.
"I don't want to return it .... ….." - Ruri
Grasping the glass ball containing the dragon heart firmly with both hands. She shakes her head back and forth, showing that she refuses to give it back.
"I don't need sympathy. If I don't have a marriage ceremony with the dragon heart, the colour will fade and I can find a new lover.
So there is no need for Ruri to take responsibility." - Jade
"I don't like that. It's not sympathy.
...... Because I like Jade." - Ruri
The corner of Jade's eyes gently lower as Ruri embraces the courage and speaks her feelings.
"Are you sure?
Dragons are very jealous. There is no way to divorce like humans do if things become unpleasant.
If you turn your attention to another man, I may kill the other man. There will be things that restrict Ruri's behaviour." - Jade
"I don't care." - Ruri
"You can't turn back, all right?" - Jade
"Yes…" - Ruri
Before finishing her reply, she was drawn into to a hug by Jade standing up.
"I haven't said it yet. I love you, Ruri."
"I also like you..." - Ruri
Ruri returns his words while placing her arms around his back cautiously.
Jade seems to have been a little dissatisfied with the confession, but Ruri was full of nerves and was satisfied.
"... ...... I wish you would you say you love me in return." - Jade
"I will on occasion, but now my nerves are winning. I want a little more time to say it smoothly ...…" - Ruri
"Well, there is lots of time." - Jade
Jade puts a hand on her jaw, pulling her face upwards and lowers his lips onto hers, touching gently for a little while before moving away quickly.
"You should get used to this from now on." - Jade
Ruri who was staring stunned at Jade's face, he raised the corners of his mouth in a smirk, and her legs went weak as she collapsed in his arms.