Chapter 184: Wh-Wh-Wh-What Are You Doing Here?!
While Luke returned to Twilight Manor to explain the situation to Finn…
Ryuu and Ais were walking on the streets of Orario.
They had quite a few things to buy, and luckily many shops offered home delivery services, otherwise they really wouldn't have been able to carry everything back.
"Let's see, the next thing to buy is... blankets and pillows?"
Ryuu checked the note in her hand as she led Ais through the shops.
"Blankets... blankets... where should we buy blankets..."
Looking at the many shops in front of her with some distress, Ryuu stood there awkwardly.
She was completely inexperienced at shopping, not to mention knowing which shop had good things, she didn't even know which shop sold what she needed.
"Ais, do you know where we can buy blankets?"
The helpless elf girl could only turn to Ais behind her as a last resort.
Unfortunately, Ais was just as clueless as the elf girl was in this regard.
"I don't know."
The blond girl's innocent look and her words easily shattered the last shred of hope in Ryuu's heart.
In the end, the elf girl had no choice but to take Ais to visit each shop one by one.
Actually, at this time, Ais's mind wasn't focused on shopping at all.
Because this was the first time she had gone shopping alone with an "outsider."
Before this, Ais had only gone out with either Luke or Riveria.
Even Loki, Finn, and Gareth hadn't taken Ais out one-on-one.
Finn and Gareth were mainly busy, and they rarely had the opportunity to go shopping themselves.
Even if they occasionally had free time, they would either be alone or go out with Luke, Ais, and Riveria together.
As for Loki…
It was purely because Riveria didn't agree to her taking Ais out alone.
It was a unanimous decision among the upper echelons of Loki Familia to avoid letting Ais be alone with their goddess as much as possible before she had mature and independent thinking ability.
So for Ais, going shopping with Ryuu today was a very fresh experience.
However…
'I feel something is missing.'
Ais kept observing her surroundings.
She first looked at Ryuu walking in front, then at the passersby around her, then at the dazzling array of shops, and finally her gaze returned to the elf girl.
Just like this, she kept looking around, trying to find the source of the "what's wrong" feeling.
Suddenly, as if she had thought of something, she looked down at her hands, then suddenly looked up at Ryuu.
'For the first time... no one is holding my hands...'
After thinking about it carefully, Ais felt it was really true.
Because every time she went out, there would be at least one of Luke or Riveria with her, and they would definitely hold one of her hands.
At first, it was to prevent the young Ais from getting lost, but later it basically became a habit.
'My heart feels a little empty...'
Ais touched her chest, experiencing the feelings of 'loss', 'loneliness', 'unfamiliarity', and 'emptiness' coming from her heart.
"It seems a bit similar to that feeling I couldn't understand."
She silently compared it to the incomprehensible feeling she had felt in the dungeon.
'I don't like it a little...'
The moment this thought arose, Ais once again recalled what Luke had said to her.
'If you're not happy, I'll die.'
It seemed a little different from his original words?
But those were 'irrelevant' details.
At this moment, Ais, whose mind was full of 'I can't let Luke die', didn't have the heart to pay attention to these useless things.
After hesitating for a few seconds, Ais gathered her courage, took a step forward, and reached out her hand.
"Eh?!"
Ryuu, who was frowning at the note, was startled by the small hand that suddenly appeared in hers.
But then she realized it was Ais's hand.
The elf girl, thinking that the blond girl was comforting her, immediately felt warmth in her heart.
'Did my anxiety make Ais worried?'
With this thought in mind, Ryuu turned around to express her gratitude and saw Ais's serious and determined expression.
"???"
The scene, completely different from what she had expected, made the elf girl stand there in a daze.
…
The happy shopping trip of the troubled girls continued.
On the other side.
Luke, who had just dealt with his goddess, was now walking in the sky corridor connecting the towers.
"Phew, I finally managed to deal with Loki."
After Loki successfully succumbed to her desires, Luke also breathed a sigh of relief.
"However, the next one won't be so easy to deal with."
Walking all the way through the area where the female members lived, Luke finally stood in front of Riveria's room.
"Sigh."
To be honest, if he could, he really wanted to wait a while before coming to find Riveria.
With the "two fists can't beat four hands" incident just a few days ago, it would always feel a bit awkward when he and Riveria met alone.
But he couldn't avoid her when it came to taking Ais to live outside.
Moreover, he also had to take some of Ais's personal belongings to the Stardust Garden.
Knock, knock, knock!
There was no other way, so Luke finally chose to knock on the door.
"Who is it?"
A flat voice came from inside the door.
Riveria always had this indifferent tone in front of other members.
Her serious personality and royal etiquette made her privately known as the "Ice Beauty" by many people.
"It's me, Luke."
Bang!
Clang!
Thud!
"Ugh..."
The moment Luke said his name, a series of sounds came from inside the room.
He could vaguely hear a cry of pain.
"Wh-Wh-Wh-What are you doing here?!?! Didn't you go out with Ais!"
Luke stood awkwardly outside the door, listening to Riveria's startled questioning from inside the room, and helplessly replied:
"I just came back, and I have something to discuss with you, Riveria."
"...It's important."
After hesitating for a moment, Luke added a little more to his words.
"..."
"..."
"Th-Then wait a moment."
After a brief silence, the sound that came out of the room again made Luke feel relieved.
It was already good enough that Riveria didn't directly drive him away.
Click!
With the sound of the door opening, the elf princess appeared behind the door.
"Come in."
Entering the room, the first thing Luke saw was the desk placed under the window.
From the slightly messy arrangement of items on the desk and the water stains under the vase, it was clear that there were traces of hastily tidying up.
Immediately, Luke understood what the sounds and cries of pain were all about.
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