The whale wrapped her in his arms, feeling the gentle rhythm of her heart and breath. She was truly alive, and Ruri responded to the affection calmly. The two remained embraced, while she clearly sensed the intense mixture of pain and relief emanating from him.
"Master... sorry..."
"You fool. Still got the nerve to call me that?" The whale spoke dryly, but his words carried no resentment.
A smile spread across everyone's faces in the room before they slowly left. Rehvka was the only one to leave a comment. "Don't be too soft on her, master. She may be small, but she can take quite a bit... if you're not satisfied, you can call me."
"Get out!" Ruri retorted promptly.
Rehvka gave a sarcastic smile and left quietly. When everyone was gone, Ruri lowered her eyes and nestled into his chest, unable to meet his gaze. After a few minutes, she murmured:
