Chapter 25: Sun Of The Sun Town (5)
"I'm Estelle's boyfriend, and only recently saved Moon from nearly getting devoured by the foreign existence within her," Benjamin explained, his words causing Sun's warm expression to turn cold and ashen, painting her horrified.
In no world would she ever imagine that Moon could lose herself.
It sounded impossible because of what both of them had gone through.
Those words had sown some doubts about Benjamin's identity for a few seconds, but Sun decided to believe in her judgment.
During her battle with Benjamin, she had seen through his movements and ensured that he wasn't anyone from her father's forces or shrines devoted to the three goddesses her family was familiar with. He was a foreign factor that had lent a hand to her sisters.
"Could you fill me in with particulars?" Sun asked.
Since Benjamin's Investor's Keen Eye had told him that she was the same person he had fought today, he cast away his own doubts about her identity and told her what had happened between him, Estelle, and Moon.
For some time, Sun's warmth returned to her face as Benjamin spoke about Estelle's growth and her duties.
But when Sun learned that it had been two years since she entered the imaginary world and trifled with the foreign existence within her, leaving Estelle alone for such a long time, Sun chided herself, and remorse hit her from inside.
Benjamin flatly continued and shifted the focus of his story to Moon.
"I have no excuses," Sun whispered before throwing her eyes at the gentle moon in the cloudless sky. It was so pleasant because Sun loved her sister, Moon. That shining circle in heaven reminded her only of her sister, no one else.
Benjamin sighed, "She's been sometimes looking at me with odd eyes… any idea what it might be?"
"I have no clue," Sun replied, telling him a lie. Whether Benjamin noticed it or not, he had no right to ask about it, as it was a matter between Sun and Moon.
Truth be told, Sun only had her suspicions about Moon's cause, and it was exactly because of them that she had zipped her mouth.
"You're heartless, though," Sun added, her tone sharper and more authoritative, "You should have comforted me instead of asking about Moon and the problem between you two… you lack some tact, don't you?"
Benjamin raised his hands in surrender, "You said you have no excuses, so what kind of comfort could I give you?"
"Just saying 'You will be fine' or anything like that would have been enough," Sun heaved a sigh as she had a few hopes Benjamin would be a perfect guy to have around with.
Alas, it seemed he had his own troubles that required her keen eye. Estelle, Moon, and now him… her family grew bigger, and responsibilities piled instead of shrinking!
"Don't look at me like that," Benjamin couldn't understand what was behind that disappointing stare. Feelings were one of the human's heart mysteries, and he was particularly bad at them because of his upbringing.
Sun heaved another sigh before stretching her arms up and working out on her soreness. Her unique style had pushed out one of her breasts forward while the other tried to fight against the kimono, momentarily stealing Benjamin's attention. He never had really a thing for breasts, let alone this big, but something in those sisters could really steal his attention.
Was that a protagonist's aura? In fact, Benjamin bet on it because such an improper action had already given a lot of room for Sun to take advantage of him. Anything could bring prospects to protagonists and antagonists, after all.
Sun didn't seem to care or mind about a few peeks from the opposite gender.
Her whimpers blended with words about the future, "Seems like it's time to leave this idyllic dream. It's been so fun, liberating even… but it's not a real life without problems, right?"
"What exactly is going on here?" Benjamin asked.
Sun leaned down onto the wall and crossed her legs at the ankles, staring back to the past, "For a certain reason, Moon and I struggle at times against those foreign existences within us-"
"Let me guess, it's because of your names," Benjamin interjected, his words weighing a ton.
He drew all of Sun's attention. Her eyes were no longer clouded by the past. Instead, she took in the sight of the man before her in its entirety, and her assessment of him increased tenfold. She reclined on the bed and even slid down a little, nodding to him.
"Correct," Sun confirmed Benjamin's theories about those three sister priestesses, "Has Moon told you about it?"
Benjamin shook his head.
Sun nodded and continued, "You're right, then. It's because I am Sun that the woman within me can completely take over me… by that, I mean she can devour me wholly to become Sun. I doubt Estelle can entirely lose herself like me and Moon, but the threat still hangs above her."
Benjamin crossed his arms and nodded, "When Estelle lost herself against her for the first time, I simply called out her name, and that was enough to bring her back. That's when I got my first doubts."
Sun replied, "Amazing."
Having said that much, the silence naturally expanded from within them both. Only the warmth of their shoulders and arms remained as the duo relaxed on the bed. Each was thinking about similar stuff but in a different way.
Sun parted her lips first, "I reckon Moon was about to lose herself because of the passage of time. I didn't even know it's been two years until you told me… and her disposition must have gone against her. I'd say it's amazing of her to survive two years in such circumstances. What do you think?"
Benjamin agreed with her words, unaware that Sun had already returned to her elder sister mode and would use every chance to increase his view of her sisters in their favor.
"What about you?" Benjamin asked.
Sun blinked before realizing that she hadn't finished her story yet, "Ah, yes… It's been an idyllic dream, just like I said. The Sun Town appeared out of nowhere, and its prosperity warned all neighboring governments. Since I got everything on a golden plate, I could enjoy my time here to my heart's content. You could say that this enjoyment is what kept the foreign existence within me at bay."
Benjamin gently nudged her shoulder with his to continue as Sun meaningfully smiled, wanting him to guess her scheme.
She clicked her tongue and spilled the beans. "I shoved all the paperwork on that woman, who was waiting for the perfect chance to take me down. She's been hiding herself as my secretary, thinking I'd not recognize her. Before coming here, I handed her piles of paperwork, too. She can't just solve those problems with her influence as they're the cause of my actions in the Sun Town and on the international scene."
Only one word rolled onto Benjamin's tongue: the word she had contracted him with.
He said, "Amazing."
Sun's lips curved up before she thanked him for everything he had done for her sisters, "Thank you. Thank you for saving and taking care of my sisters. I hope we'll reach a consensus once the four of us sit at the table in the shrine."
"Likewise," Benjamin nodded.
Once again, the silence blanketed them.
Benjamin broke it first, "Should we bully that woman before we get out of here?"
"Have you had enough of getting bullied?" Sun teased.
Benjamin scraped her bare arm with his, "The pros of this room outweighed the cons."
"Are you a womanizer? Should I be concerned?" Sun chuckled before rising to her feet.
Following her suit, Benjamin stood up and replied, "I give credit where credit is due."
"Sounds like what a womanizer would say," Sun rebuked Benjamin before opening the door and leaving his room first, urging him to follow her as it was time to say goodbye to the person behind this world.
Benjamin shoved his hands into his short pockets and followed her with a faint curve of his lips, unintentionally telling her that he would never change his ways of being honest.
Although it meant more problems, Sun was, for some reason, not so bothered by it.