Date: Unspecified
Ti: Unspecified
Location: Myriad Realms, Card World, Central Region, Central Academic City, Morningstar University District, Brothwork Manor, Temporal Separation Array
"I have my ans," I answered, offering Jill no further explanation—only for her to scoff, "You already tricked to beco yours; you don’t have to act mysterious around now."
"No, I do. At least if I want to keep you around," I countered lightly, tipping my head back until it rested on her shoulder. She leaned in, letting hers settle against mine. The demigods still hadn’t moved against us—not yet, anyway—so I allowed myself that mont.
"You think I’m only with you because of your tricks, is that it?" Jill asked, her voice carrying a subtle chill.
That was when it hit : no matter how open-minded a woman might be, she wouldn’t tolerate certain jokes—not ones aid at her.
Or... maybe it was simply too early in our relationship for that kind of teasing.
"Honestly, I have no idea what you see in . You even gave the demonic card your father entrusted to you for your protection after the Pregnant Dungeon ordeal. You went as far as betraying his trust to warn about the conspiracy during the Southern Capital incident. And now, after I admitted I have feelings for other won, here we are dating. If I asked you why of all the people in the world, I doubt you’d tell ... would you?" I spoke from the heart. I genuinely didn’t understand the reason behind Jill’s unwavering devotion—devotion that had stirred feelings in despite myself.
"No, I won’t. Because I also want to keep you around," Jill replied, turning my own words back on .
I guessed she finally understood what I ant. Her arms tightened around my waist, and she pressed her face into my shoulder as if trying to sink deeper into . I turned my head, tilted back against her shoulder, just enough to gently nibble on her earlobe.
In the end, both of us were pretending we had control over this relationship, clinging to whatever comfort we could find to settle our restless hearts.
"Ahem. You two have been ambushed. Please conduct yourselves appropriately."
A voice cut through our mont. A bearded demigod stepped out from hiding, his shadow stretched unnaturally long despite the array’s controlled lighting.
"We know that. Why else would we stop here in the middle of an array, dumbass?" Jill shot back without lifting her chin far from my shoulder, speaking to him as if he were beneath notice. She feared nothing from them—governnt dogs or major-family enforcers alike. None of them would dare touch her.
"Your Highness, please stay out of this. We already have authorization from Demigod Norley," the bearded demigod said, offering a half-truth in hopes that invoking her father’s na would make her withdraw.
"I’m guessing your master didn’t tell him I was with Wyatt—just that Wyatt has captured his heir. Am I right?" Jill smirked, confident speculating.
She knew her father too well. If he’d been inford she was involved, he wouldn’t have granted them permission even if they claid Wyatt had killed one of the founders, let alone for so excuse about retrieving an heir.
The bearded demigod fell silent, his expression twisting as Jill effortlessly exposed his lie. Inwardly, he cursed Brolock. If that fool had managed to keep Jill at the dinner table and sent their target out alone, they wouldn’t now be forced to tread so carefully with the target standing right in front of them.
"Your Highness, our orders are clear. Please don’t bla us if you get hurt," the bearded demigod said at last, dropping the polite façade. It was a warning—leave now, or they would no longer be held responsible for what happened next.
"You’ve all gotten quite bold, haven’t you? Wait until my father hears about this," Jill replied, summoning her grimoire. The man went pale instantly, panic flashing through his eyes. That panic turned into astonishnt when I stopped Jill from actually contacting her father.
Under normal circumstances, no card apprentice inside a temporal separation array could reach the outside world. But knowing Demigod Norley, he had no doubt given his only daughter a ans to do so, just to be available for his daughter at a mont’s notice, regardless of the situation’s scale. He simply wanted to be there for her—just as any father would.
"Jill, let handle this on my own," I said as I stored the nanomorpher hover-bike back into my grimoire. Without warning her, I shifted to my flight ability and lifted us off the ground. Jill, seated behind , stiffened for a mont before adjusting; once she understood the change, she released her hold on my waist and hovered beside . I took her hand in mine. Observing this, the bearded demigod responded with an exaggerated eye roll.
"Fine. But if they push too far, I’m calling my father," Jill warned, directing a cold glare at the bearded demigod, promising that he would face consequences far beyond anything he wished to face.
"Your Highness, please rest assured," the bearded demigod said quickly, hands raised in a placating gesture. "We are only here to negotiate with Master Wyatt. As long as he cooperates with our requests, you may continue your date as if nothing happened." His tone made it clear that he wanted a peaceful resolution even more than we did.
Then he summoned his diamond grimoire and unfurled a scroll. The mont Jill saw it, her eyes widened.
"World Decree!" she exclaid.
She couldn’t believe the founders had gone so far as to use sothing as precious as a World Decree just to deal with . At first, it felt excessive—but when she considered who I was, what I possessed, and what I was capable of, she realized it wasn’t unreasonable for them to bring out a World Decree to restrain .
The bearded demigod extended the scroll toward .
"Master Wyatt, please review the contract and sign it. If anything in the terms displeases you, speak up. My masters are more than willing to accommodate a brilliant mind like yourself."
The mont he ntioned the Masters, the color drained from Jill’s face. She understood imdiately: the only way I would be allowed to walk out of here alive was by signing the World Decree—and in doing so, acknowledging them as my masters.
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