"You're really weird sotis, junior…" Alice muttered, crossing her arms as she gave a half-lidded stare.
I tilted my head slightly. "Why am I weird?"
"Well, normal people don't just suddenly caress soone's belly, right?"
I sighed, rubbing the back of my head. "I told you, that was just a bit of intrusive thoughts leaking out…"
"Heh~" Alice smirked, her golden eyes narrowing with playful amusent. "So you wanted to touch my belly that much~?"
"Pretty much."
For a mont, there was silence. Then—
Smack!
A small red card ca flying straight at my face, bouncing off my forehead before landing on the white road.
"At least try to deny it, stupid perv!" Alice huffed, her entire face flushed a deep shade of red. Even her ears were burning.
She was recalling what had happened earlier this morning.
And honestly? She had every right to be embarrassed—maybe even a little pissed.
After that random nightmare, my half-asleep, instinct-driven self had… well, instinctively reached out and placed a hand on Alice's stomach while she was sleeping.
It was only when she stirred awake that I realized what I was doing.
Now that I think about it… yeah, I was acting like a creep, huh?
We might be lovers, but there were still certain boundaries we hadn't exactly crossed yet.
Though…
Alice's fingers fidgeted slightly as she glanced away, looking more flustered than genuinely angry.
"…Seriously, at least let prepare if you're going to do that…" she muttered under her breath.
That was as close to a not-hating-it reaction as I was going to get.
Right now, the two of us were walking down the pristine white roads that stretched out from the White Queen's castle.
The architecture around us glead under the ethereal glow of the realm, the pathways eerily silent, as if the world itself had been holding its breath while I was unconscious.
The air felt lighter here, yet it carried a strange weight—sothing otherworldly, a constant reminder that this place wasn't part of the mortal world.
Alice had already filled in on what had happened while I was out.
It had been two and a half weeks since I fell into a coma.
That part… well, it was both unexpected and a bit of a problem.
I had braced myself for sothing like this—after all, I had pushed myself to the limit.
Maintaining my sanity while housing the goddess's blessing, undergoing ascension, and even forming a temporary contract blessing with Erebil… any normal person would've died from that alone.
Their soul would've shattered under the sheer burden of acquiring so much power at once.
So, in the grand sche of things, spending nearly three weeks unconscious wasn't exactly the worst trade-off.
I was alive, my soul unexpectedly wasn't broken? and my body was still intact.
'It seriously could've been a lot worse.'
That said, it did co with its own set of problems.
Ti worked differently here in the White Realm compared to the mortal world.
I had no idea how much ti had actually passed back in reality.
What felt like two and a half weeks here could be significantly longer—or shorter—outside.
And that uncertainty gnawed at .
By now, Lucas and the others should have long since finished the current Act and its major scenarios.
No doubt, even the final bonus objectives of the act and chapters would be wrapped up by now.
If that was the case, then [Descent of the Demon King]—the final chapter of the current third act—should be done.
That ant the world had likely shifted in a major way.
By now, people should be more or less aware of the existence of demons, sothing that had been lurking in the shadows up until this point.
That revelation alone would send ripples through every kingdom, faction, and power structure.
And in Act 4 and beyond, that awareness would turn into sothing bigger.
Of course, while the widespread demon cults would have been nearly wiped out in the fallout, so of them were bound to survive.
And those few survivors?
They'd beco a massive headache.
Especially in Act 5, where an entire scenario would revolve around my fiancée and the very source of my nightmares… the start of the epilogue chapters is coming closer than ever…
I exhaled sharply and shook my head, shoving the thought aside. No point dwelling on that right now.
For now, my focus was on sothing more imdiate.
The academy.
It should be in absolute chaos right about now—scandals, disasters, power struggles. Just thinking about the ss I'd be walking into was already giving a headache.
The principal was probably scrambling, desperately trying to put out fires left and right, trying to contain the damage before things spiraled even further out of control.
And then there was Clara.
Oh, she was definitely benefiting from all of this.
War, instability, chaos—those were pri conditions for a rchant like her.
Money and goods always flowed fastest in tis of crisis.
People got desperate, prices surged, and those who knew exactly where to place their bets ca out richer than ever.
I could already see it—Clara's smug, satisfied smirk as she watched the wealth flow in and out of the academy like a river, her mind three steps ahead of everyone else, making deals that would leave her sitting on a fortune when the dust settled.
Yeah… she was definitely drooling over the profits right now.
Though giving anyone a monopoly over sothing was never a good idea—especially when it ca to Clara—I decided to let her be for now.
Sure, her growing influence could be a problem down the line, but in the short term, it might actually be useful.
If I played my cards right, I could use her connections as leverage in future negotiations with the principal.
That alone made it worth letting her enjoy her little golden age of comrce… for now.
As for the first-year heroines, they should be fine.
Most of their major storylines were tied to Lucas and the Saintess, Emilia.
Lucas had his own destiny to fulfill, and Emilia's divine presence would naturally shield them from so of the chaos.
Plus, my clone was already in place, handling things in my stead.
Since I had entrusted her with the Ring of Bonds, her influence should be strong enough to prevent certain tragedies from unfolding.
That was the main reason I gave her the ring—to act as a stabilizing force, making sure things didn't spiral out of control while I was gone.
…Though, I had one lingering concern.
I just hoped she wouldn't influence Lucas too much.
That guy already had so questionable tendencies toward my female self.
If my clone ended up leading him down a path I really didn't want to see, that would be a whole other problem to deal with.
But, setting that aside…
There was still another issue.
Snow. And the others.
I had told them beforehand that I might be gone for a while, but even with that warning, I was sure they were mad as hell by now.
And to make matters worse, they had probably noticed Alice disappeared at the sa ti I did. That wasn't going to help my case at all.
Trust was already a delicate matter when it ca to the girls, and the last thing I needed was for them to start doubting .
So, when I returned…
I would have to apologize properly.
And sincerely.
'I just hope Rose won't try to lock up…'
Her tendencies had already changed quite a bit since we officially beca lovers, so I doubted she'd go that far… but at the sa ti, Rose was still one of the more intense heroines out there.
There was no telling what she might do on an obsessive whim.
If she got it in her head that I had been gone for too long or that I had been too reckless with my life… locking up for my own "safety" wouldn't be completely out of the question.
…That girl did have a certain crazed devotion to her.
Technically, I could return right away with Alice and Cheshire's help. With their abilities, leaving the White Realm wouldn't be too difficult.
But the problem was… my mana reserves still hadn't fully recovered.
And on top of that, I was still dealing with lingering headaches and a deep, dull ache all throughout my body.
I wasn't the only one, either.
I could see it in Alice, too—she was still feeling the aftereffects of everything we had gone through.
The exhaustion clung to her like a shadow, no matter how composed she tried to look.
It was better for both of us to stay in this realm a little longer, just long enough to fully heal before jumping back into everything.
And, to be honest…
I think we both needed the rest.
After everything that had happened, neither of us had gotten a proper chance to breathe.
Alice especially… she had probably spent every single day of the past few weeks looking after while I was unconscious.
Which ant she hadn't taken the ti to properly mourn her mother.
And she definitely hadn't allowed herself to relax, not with the way her mind worked.
So…
Before we returned, I wanted to make sure she got that chance.
I glanced at Alice walking beside , her smooth pink hair bouncing gently with each step.
The pale wind swept through the strands, making them flutter slightly, adding an almost ethereal softness to her appearance.
Since she wasn't wearing her usual oversized witch hat, she looked… different.
Fresher.
More natural.
"What's wrong…?"
She had noticed my lingering gaze and tilted her head slightly in question.
"Nothing…" I shook my head, brushing off her concern.
But even as I said it, my heart thumped in my chest.
Looking at her now, really looking at her… it hit all over again.
I actually did it.
It hadn't fully sunk in before, but now, standing here beside her, it finally started to feel real.
I had saved her.
My beloved Alice. My favorite. My ever-precious lover.
She was here, alive, walking beside , safe in this mont.
It felt unreal.
Defying the fate that had been set for her… knowing that my actions had truly altered the outco she had been ant to face…
The pride swelling in my chest was overwhelming.
The sheer happiness I felt right now was beyond words.
Because this proved sothing—my choices, my efforts, could change the future.
Not just for Alice. Not just for the people around .
But for myself as well.
Eventually, our steps slowed, and we ca to a stop at a small park nestled in the heart of the White City below the grand castle.
In the center of the square-like clearing, a small white bridge arched over a peaceful stream, where water fountains bubbled softly from carefully carved openings in the stone.
Alice and I settled onto a bench near the bridge, the weight of everything making us both instinctively decide to rest for a while.
So of the water splashes from the fountains reached us, prompting Alice to raise her hand slightly.
A soft shimr of mana flickered around us, forming a thin, transparent red barrier just strong enough to prevent us from getting drenched.
The droplets that made contact with the barrier slid down like raindrops against glass, leaving us dry while still allowing the cool mist of the fountains to linger in the air.
Alice's gaze drifted toward the fountains, her golden eyes carrying a nostalgic glimr.
"Did you know I used to play around here, Junior?" she mused, a soft chuckle escaping her lips. "Hehe~ Mother scolded all the ti for it."
I leaned back against the bench, crossing my arms. "I can totally see that happening."
She giggled, twirling a lock of her pink hair between her fingers. "I was actually quite spoiled, you know? Back then, I never really understood how blessed I was."
"Do you regret it?" I asked, tilting my head slightly.
Alice shook her head, her expression unwavering. "No, not really. Mistakes and problems exist so we can learn from them, right?"
She stretched her arms out lazily before resting them on her lap.
"And besides… everything that happened afterward was way beyond our control. No matter what, I'm just glad that all the good that ca with it actually happened."
She turned to with a warm, sincere smile.
"I wouldn't be who I am now if things had gone any differently, you know, Junior~?"
I exhaled softly, feeling a weight I didn't realize I was carrying lift from my chest.
"I see… I'm glad then."
I watched her, admiring the way her face remained gentle and relaxed, a serene expression gracing her features.
After everything she had been through—the loss, the struggles, the near-fatal fate she had barely escaped—I had expected her to carry at least a bit of lingering sadness.
Even after weeks had passed, I thought there would still be traces of it in her eyes.
But Alice was still Alice.
The bubbly, bright, and lovable person I had co to know and cherish.
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