The dining area had not gotten smaller.
The walls were exactly where they had always been. The table was the same table. Nothing about the room had changed in any structural or measurable sense.
It simply felt considerably more occupied than usual.
Effie had not moved from her chair. She had, in fact, gone very still the specific stillness of someone who has been waiting a very long time for a particular moment and has now, at last, been given it. Her fork rested untouched against her plate. Her chin was in her hand. Her eyes moved between Sunny and Nephis with the slow, savoring patience of a person who intends to enjoy every single second of what was in front of her.
"FINALLY," she said.
And then, because Effie had never once in her life kept a realization to herself when enthusiasm was an available option:
"I KNEW IT. I HAVE BEEN SAYING THIS FOR YEARS. JET YOU MAY NOT HAVE SEEN IT ALL BUT I TOLD YOU THERE WAS SOMETHING BETWEEN THEM. CASSIE, I BET YOU KNEW, DIDN'T YOU?! YOU ALWAYS KNOW! AND SUNNY, YOU ABSOLUTE IDIOT, WHY DID IT TAKE YOU THIS LONG—"
Meanwhile, in the space Effie was not paying attention to, Sunny and Nephis were still extracting themselves from the moment that had just happened.
It was not fast. It was not particularly graceful.
Nephis lowered her hand from his face first her fingertips brushing the line of his jaw one last time, a touch that was almost involuntary, the way you reach back for something you are not quite ready to stop holding. Sunny's hands slid from her hips with the same reluctance, his palms lingering for half a second longer than strictly necessary. They stepped back from each other, restoring a respectable distance between their bodies, and only after that did their eyes finally separate.
Not easily. The eye contact held for a beat longer than it should have, carrying the weight of a silent conversation that neither of them was ready to end. Then Nephis turned her gaze toward her seat. Sunny did the same.
The separation felt strangely loud in the quiet that followed.
"I knew." said Cassie, mildly.
"I had my suspicions." said Jet, with a small, composed smile.
"It took as long as it took." said Sunny, entirely unbothered.
Nephis sat back down at her seat with perfect, almost mechanical grace. She retrieved her fork, straightened her posture, and returned to her breakfast as if nothing had happened as if she hadn't just been pulled into a very public, very theatrical moment in front of her entire cohort.
But inside, her mind was in absolute chaos.
They just did that. In front of everyone.
The words she had said, the way she had touched him, the way she had let herself be pulled into his game or was it their their game? It was all crashing over her now. Her heart was beating far too fast, and she could feel the heat still lingering on her cheeks. She was extremely grateful for years of ironclad control over her facial expression. Without it, she was fairly certain she would be visibly, unmistakably flushed right now.
Across the table, Sunny was experiencing a similar internal storm.
He had stood up so dramatically only moments ago. He had invited her to a date like some kind of ridiculous prince. In front of Effie. In front of Jet. In front of Cassie. The memory replayed in his head with merciless clarity, and a wave of belated embarrassment washed over him.
What the hell was I thinking?
He wasn't regretting the invitation itself. Not really. But the way he had done it the grand theatrical gesture, the hand over the heart, the whole princely performance in front of the entire cohort it was mortifying now that the adrenaline had faded. He ran a hand through his hair, keeping his face calm. Years of hiding his emotions in life-or-death situations had given him an excellent poker face too. He was grateful for it right now.
He glanced at Nephis across the table. She was sitting with perfect composure, fork in hand, but he could see the faint tension in her shoulders barely there, visible only because he had spent years learning to see the things she didn't intend to show.
He didn't know exactly how to fix it. Not yet.
But he knew one thing with unargued certainty:
He only wanted her.
Their eyes met briefly across the table. Neither of them smiled. Neither of them spoke. But the look they shared carried the same quiet awareness they had just exposed themselves, made their relationship public in the most chaotic way possible, and now they had to deal with the consequences.
Effie, of course, was not about to let the moment pass.
She leaned forward, elbows on the table, fork still in hand, eyes gleaming with unrestrained glee.
"But by the dead gods," she said, barely holding back another burst of laughter. "You two just put on a whole performance and now you're acting like nothing happened? That was beautiful. Truly entertaining. I feel honored to have witnessed it."
Sunny picked up his fork and stabbed a piece of meat with more force than strictly necessary, trying and failing to look completely unbothered.
"Yeah, well… good for you," he muttered. "We didn't plan any of it, though."
Effie's face lit up like she had just won the lottery. She leaned forward, elbows on the table, eyes sparkling with pure, unfiltered glee.
"You're aware you're about to be interrogated, right?"
Her grin widened.
"Come on! You two are finally together! After all these years all that tension, all those long stares across and outside the battlefield and it finally happens here in the Third Nightmare, of all places?"
Sunny didn't answer out loud.
Instead, he discreetly activated the enchantement [Blessing of Dusk] of the [Shroud of Graceless Dusk] and sent a quiet mental message straight to Nephis.
We need to work together here, his voice echoed in her mind, carrying the tone of a man who had already accepted defeat in this particular battle alone. We can't let Effie control the entire conversation.
Nephis's eyes flicked toward him for the briefest instant.
Agreed, she replied, her mental voice calm, steady, and resolute as always. We handle this together.
Sunny cleared his throat and spoke more directly to the table.
"Look, I didn't exactly plan to confess here or anything like that," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I didn't have some grand romantic idea in mind waiting for a sunset on the deck or whatever. Nephis just came to talk to me, and it felt like the right moment. That's all."
Effie's expression softened into something almost fond as she leaned back in her chair.
"I get it," she said gently, though the amusement never fully left her voice. "For you, Sunny, it doesn't matter where you are. As long as you're with Nephis, it's already the best place in the world. The most romantic. The most special. She's the love of your life. I understand now."
Of course, Sunny thought dryly, the answer ringing clear and simple in his head.
Effie paused, tilting her head, the playful glint already returning.
"So obviously you just wanted to confess to her. But you still haven't really answered, have you?" She smiled sweetly. "Why now?"
Sunny didn't reply immediately.
He let out a quiet sigh the kind that carried the weight of too many loops and too many truths between them he'd rather keep buried. When he finally spoke, his voice was steady, but there was a rare, quiet sincerity beneath it.
"During the Third Nightmare, I was forced to confront things I never wanted to face. Especially during the loops." He glanced at Nephis for the briefest second before his eyes returned to the table. "And I just finally accepted the truth. Or more like stop denying it, I love Nephis. There's nothing to hide anymore. I love her, and that's how it is."
A small silence settled over the group.
For the first time, Sunny had said it plainly, without deflection or sarcasm. The words hung in the air simple, honest, and strangely moving in their rawness.
Before Effie could pounce on the opening, Nephis intervened, her voice calm but firm.
"Stop."
She looked directly at Effie, silver eyes steady.
"Don't ask why not before, or why it took him so long. He has things he doesn't want to say. We both do. And we've already talked about it. This is our business. This is our relationship."
Effie tilted her head, her wide grin softening into something almost gentle, though the amusement never fully left.
"But does that work for you, princess?" she asked lightly. "After all, you waited quite a long time. A guy shouldn't make a lady wait!"
Nephis was quiet for a moment, then answered with quiet, unflinching honesty.
"Even if Sunny hadn't said it before, I wanted it too. I could have confessed." She paused, her gaze drifting briefly toward Sunny. "But neither of us ever took that step. Not him. Not me."
Her voice grew a fraction softer.
"But now we finally did. Together. So what matters now is our future."
Effie's eyes lit up with delight.
"Oh? 'Our future', heh?" She leaned forward, clearly thriving. "I never expected you to be so direct about wanting it, princess!"
She wiggled her eyebrows.
"Since you're finally being this honest mind telling us how long you've been in love with him?"
Nephis didn't hesitate.
"I don't know," she said softly, almost thoughtfully. "Probably from the beginning. There was never a single moment of revelation. He simply became a part of me. Something I would never want to be apart from."
Effie turned her gaze toward Sunny, eyebrows raised expectantly.
Without waiting for the question, Sunny simply shrugged.
"Same."
Effie's grin turned positively wicked. She leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand.
"So you're both an integral part of each other now?" She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. "Who would've thought that simply seeing me pregnant would inspire you two to… do the same?"
Sunny and Nephis answered at the exact same time, their voices overlapping in perfect sync.
"We did not."
"We did not."
Effie burst out laughing, clearly delighted by their synchronized denial.
"Oh come on, you'll have to get there eventually, won't you?"
She turned her gaze straight at Sunny, eyes sparkling with unrestrained mischief.
Sunny felt the familiar, treacherous pull of his Flaw activating before he could stop it.
"…Probably?" he muttered, looking visibly pained. "But I'm not thinking about that right now. Even during my confession, I knew it was a terrible idea. Who the hell thinks about confessing in the middle of a Nightmare anyway?"
He was very deliberately not thinking about having children with Nephis.
If he let his mind wander down that path, it would become a very dangerous slope. Yes, he loved her. But they had both agreed one step at a time. Anything more right now was too much, too soon, and far too complicated.
Nephis, however, decided to have a little fun.
Using the [Blessing of Dusk], she spoke directly into his mind, her mental voice soft and almost innocently curious:
I see, it seems you don't want to have children with me.
Sunny managed to keep his expression perfectly neutral. He didn't flinch. He didn't choke. He didn't even let his eyes widen. Years of brutal survival instinct kicked in, locking his face into absolute calm.
He answered her through the same channel, his mental voice serene and dangerous in equal measure:
You're going to pay for that.
He was a patient man. He could wait.
Out loud, he kept his voice steady.
"That conversation will happen later. When our lives aren't constantly in danger." He shrugged. "Besides, we're still young."
Effie tilted her head, still grinning like she had just uncovered the best gossip of the century.
"So you are thinking about it~"
Sunny's jaw tightened for exactly one second.
This is really annoying.
"Effie, if someone mentions something, I'm going to think about it. That's just how thinking work," he replied dryly.
Effie continued cheerfully, refusing to let him steer the discussion away.
"You say that, but Nephis's parents weren't exactly old when they had her, were they? Smile of the Heaven was already a renowned Legacy, and Broken Sword was still just a talented nobody from nowhere. Look how well that turned out! The similarities are already striking so you might as well keep the rest of the family tradition alive and get to work on the next generation as soon as possible!"
She turned toward Nephis with a bright, playful sparkle in her eyes.
"Therefore princess, do you think it runs in the family?"
Nephis blinked several times, clearly caught off guard by the wild turn the conversation had taken.
Jet let out a quiet laugh and shook her head.
"What she means," Jet explained dryly, "is that your father, Broken Sword, wasn't exactly an Outskirts rat like Sunny, but he was clearly no Legacy either. So Effie is suggesting you seem to have a type, talented people, who don't come from prestigious backgrounds."
Cassie, who had been listening quietly with a small, amused smile, added softly:
"Well… she did say earlier that she 'prefers having the advantage over him' Maybe that's part of the appeal~ Now she just have to work on the second part~"
Nephis slowly turned her head toward Cassie, fixing her best friend with the unmistakable look of someone who has just been gently stabbed in the back. As expected of Cassie.
Effie burst out laughing, unable to hold it in any longer.
"That right! She gave the proof herself, our princess likes being in control, huh!" She leaned forward, eyes gleaming with mischief. "Perhaps she's exactly that kind of girl who wants to assert her dominance and make her man feel the difference in status! Flaunting her power, her name, her Legacy blood… She probably just wants to put a leash on Sunny and parade him around like a trophy."
Effie's grin widened further.
"Not that I don't understand her! Honestly, I'd love to parade a guy like Sunny around too."
She was too busy laughing to notice the brief, sharp tensing of Sunny's shoulders. But Jet saw it. And Nephis, of course, noticed it too.
Nephis hesitated for a fraction of a second, carefully choosing her next words.
Before she could speak, Jet answered for her, her voice calm but firm.
"You'd better not start thinking like that."
Effie blinked, genuinely confused.
"What are you talking about? A lot of guys love being dominated by a woman who knows what she's doing. I bet Sunny would actually enjoy that!" She grinned mischievously. "Not that our princess is very experienced in that department, but I can and I will teach her!"
Jet sighed, turning toward Effie and giving her a flat, unamused look.
"Not that," she said, clearly dismissing the implication. "I'm not talking about that."
Effie's grin only widened.
"Then what? Because everything always circles back to sex!"
Jet shook her head, exasperated, her tone shifting into something far more serious.
"If Nephis ever tries to control Sunny, it will end badly. You don't understand, because you can't." Her gaze swept the table. "Those of us who grew up in the Outskirts don't think like others. Freedom is the only thing we truly have. If Nephis genuinely believes she can control him put a leash on him it won't end well for either of them."
Nephis met Jet's words with quiet seriousness, her silver eyes steady and attentive.
Effie, never one to let a heavy moment linger too long, leaned forward with a playful shrug.
"Otherwise what? Worst-case scenario which obviously won't happen, Sunny just refuses, they talk it through, come up with some kind of safe word, and that's it. Problem solved."
Jet remained calm, but her voice carried a quiet, unshakable weight.
"I can also very easily imagine what would happen if someone tried to treat me like a toy or a doll. I would remind that person exactly why they call me Soul Reaper." She paused, her dark eyes shifting briefly toward Sunny. "And even if Sunny doesn't have a name as evocative as mine, I know exactly what he is capable of. We're the same at our core."
The table grew noticeably quieter. Jet's words weren't a threat they were a simple statement of fact, delivered with the same steady certainty she used on the battlefield.
Nephis held Jet's gaze for a long moment before answering, her voice low and sincere.
"I know that," she said firmly. "And I will never impose anything on him that he doesn't want. Never. I swear it."
Jet studied her for a moment, then nodded once, her expression softening just a fraction.
"This is a good moment to say something else."
The table fell into a brief, attentive silence.
"I like Sunny," Jet said quietly, her voice steady but warm. "And obviously not in the same way you do, so stop trying to murder me with your eyes."
A faint, rare smile touched her lips.
"I just selfishly think of him as the troublesome little brother I never had. Out of everyone here, he's my favorite. If he trusts you enough to want to be in a relationship with you, then that's good enough for me. I've just watched him change from someone who trusted no one to someone willing to open up to the person he decided to love. So you must be worth it."
She paused, her gaze steady and serious once more.
"But I don't know you well enough, or anyone here, not really. I'm still wary of Legacies. I can't forget that the whole reason we're stuck in this mess is because of their little war." Her voice remained calm, but there was steel beneath it. "Still, I know Sunny. And if you ever hurt him, if you make him suffer for some shallow or selfish reason, I will come find you, and we will have a talk."
Sunny stayed silent, but the words hit him harder than he expected.
Jet had always been straightforward, reliable, never overly emotional. But hearing her call him her favorite hearing her say she saw him as a little brother something stirred deep in his chest. She had been one of his first real anchors in the world of the Awakened. She had helped him more times than he could count, especially in the early days. In a way, she really did feel like the big sister he had never had, even if he had never consciously admitted it before.
Nephis met Jet's eyes without flinching. She understood perfectly. There was no bluster in Jet's voice only quiet, protective certainty.
Effie, who had been unusually quiet during Jet's words, finally couldn't resist.
"She's not exactly a normal Legacy, you know," she said with a grin, trying to lighten the mood. "She does things her own way and she's not the type to follow orders she doesn't believe in. She prefers giving them."
Jet didn't even glance at Effie.
"You can keep making jokes if you want," she said evenly. "But what I'm saying is serious, and I need her to understand it."
The air around the table grew a little heavier, though not hostile. It was the kind of protective warning that came only from someone who had fought beside Sunny through hell and back.
Nephis gave a single, slow nod.
"I understand."
Jet studied her for a long moment more, searching her face. She saw the sincerity there quiet, steady, unwavering. Nephis wasn't making empty promises or playing games. The warning had landed where it needed to.
Jet gave a small nod of her own.
She could at least believe, in part, the girl who had managed to capture the heart of her idiot little brother. If Sunny trusted her enough to stand beside her, then Jet could give her that much credit.
But she wasn't finished.
Jet turned her gaze toward Sunny, her expression calm but unmistakably serious.
"Now," she said quietly, "I need to scold you. Little brother."
Sunny had his suspicions. He kept his mouth shut and waited. He wasn't stupid. After all, he was sitting right in front of his big sister or at least the closest thing he had to one. And Jet could still decide to bring up what had happened during their very first interaction if she felt like it. Or what happened earlier. If that happened, the scolding would become much longer and far more painful.
Jet continued without raising her voice.
"Do you know why?"
Cassie intervened gently, her voice soft but carrying quiet weight.
"It's true. We need to explain something important to you, Sunny. So listen carefully."
Sunny exhaled slowly, already guessing where this was heading.
"I shouldn't have mentioned other women's names in front of Nephis."
"At least you know what you did," Cassie said evenly. "But why? Why shouldn't you do that?"
Sunny hesitated, then answered with raw honesty.
"Because I shouldn't talk about another girl in front of my girlfriend especially not imply that I have other 'options' when I'm already with her."
The three women exchanged glances. Jet's expression remained steady, but a faint spark of approval flickered in her eyes.
"No matter your reasons, you messed up," Jet said, her voice carrying the quiet authority of someone who had seen too much to let it slide. "You should never compare your partner to another woman or mention another woman in a flattering way in a sensitive context. It's disrespectful."
Sunny opened his mouth, then closed it again. He looked genuinely lost.
"I get that now," he admitted. "But it still feels unfair. I don't know how any of this works. I've never been in a relationship before. I've never felt this for anyone."
His voice grew quieter, more earnest.
"My eyes might have landed on other women in the past, yes. I've seen beautiful women. But looking at something beautiful and actually feeling something are two completely different things. I have never looked at anyone the way I look at Nephis. Never. My heart never hesitated. There is only ever her."
He paused, then added with quiet conviction, almost like a declaration:
"So yes, I messed up. But it doesn't change the fact that she's the only one in my life. The only one I want. The only one who matters. Even when I was still trying to deny my feelings the simple fact that I was never interested in anyone else… doesn't that prove it?"
A brief, surprised silence fell over the table.
Nephis's eyes softened, a small, private smile touching her lips as she watched him struggle to explain himself with such clumsy sincerity. It was rare to see Sunny this honest and vulnerable in front of others.
Effie, Jet, and Cassie exchanged glances this time with a mix of amusement and reluctant approval.
Effie let out a dramatic sigh.
"Gods, he's hopeless… but at least he's loyal. We'll take what we can get, I suppose."
Sunny looked around the table, taking in the expressions of the three women. He saw Jet's quiet approval, Cassie's gentle smile, Effie's teasing grin. But most of all, he saw Nephis watching him with that soft, patient look.
He realized, with quiet clarity, that he owed her more than an awkward explanation.
He turned directly toward Nephis, his voice low and sincere.
"I'm sorry," he said simply, without deflection. "I didn't know it would land that way. I won't do it again. I promise."
Nephis looked at him for a long moment, then her shoulders relaxed just a fraction.
"I'm sorry too," she replied, her voice calm and surprisingly gentle. "I may have overreacted. Crushing your foot three times wasn't very mature of me. »
Cassie nodded, her blind eyes turned toward Sunny with quiet patience.
"Moreover a few more advices for you, don't call your girlfriend heavy. Or just don't comment on her weight at all! Don't give her less attention than she deserves. Communicate clearly. Show initiative. Give recognition when it's due. Never be ambiguous with other women. Stay consistent. Manage your priorities…" She let out a small sigh. "And for the love of the Spell, stop being so defensive when she's trying to talk to you!"
Jet added softly, a gentle smile touching her lips.
"And remember that even small things can hurt when they come from the person you love. So overall… just be careful with your words when you speak to her."
Sunny rubbed the back of his neck, looking slightly overwhelmed like a student who had just been handed a long list of rules he didn't fully understand.
"…I'll try," he said, his voice a little hesitant. "But seriously, Cassie… you know a lot for someone who's never been in a relationship. A lot of those rules sound ridiculous to me."
Cassie's smile faltered for the briefest instant. A faint, almost imperceptible tension passed over her shoulders, and her fingers tightened slightly around her teacup. She didn't say anything, didn't comment, didn't defend herself. She simply lowered her head a little, as if the words had brushed against an old, quiet wound she had no intention of showing.
Yet the small, gentle smile she wore remained in place a little more fragile than before.
Jet nodded, visibly satisfied.
"Well you'll get their eventually, but it's a good thing that you both clarified that." She gave them a small, genuine smile. "Good luck to both of you, though because Effie is going to continue her interrogation without mercy. I'll go back to the spectator seat. The food is getting cold."
Effie burst out laughing, completely unashamed.
"Of course I'm going to continue!" She pointed her fork at Nephis, eyes sparkling with mischief. "Sure, Nephis didn't exactly choose the best words either, but we're talking about Nephis. She's not exactly used to this kind of thing." She paused. "Still, you do seem the possessive type, princess. You got angry and stomped on his foot for being friendly with Jet? For complimenting his own Goddess of an Echo? And for preferring Kai over you for a date?"
Nephis's expression remained composed, but her voice was firm.
"Sunny avoided the last one. That's why I glared at him."
Effie burst out laughing, slapping the table lightly.
"Oh! And then came your little maneuver using your body to shut him up? Bold move! I'm actually proud of you, princess. That's the best solution sometimes. Men really do have a weakness for women who know how to use their charm."
Cassie, who had been listening quietly, added with a gentle smile, careful not to fan the flames too obviously:
"She's right. And Sunny admitted it himself anyway."
Sunny shot Cassie a quick sideways glance but chose not to intervene just yet. He could already feel the conversation slipping dangerously out of his control.
Effie wasn't done. She turned her full attention back to Sunny, eyes gleaming with unrestrained mischief.
"Really though, Sunny what was that? Your tongue can't only be used for words? Mind explaining yourself, young man?"
Sunny groaned, rubbing his temple.
"It's your fault!" he muttered. "If you weren't so shameless, I wouldn't have said any of that! You're a bad influence!"
Effie raised an eyebrow, clearly delighted.
"Oh? I wonder what you were thinking about, because…"
Nephis stepped in smoothly, covering for him with her usual calm authority.
"It just means he was thinking about kissing me. That's all."
Jet's expression made it very clear she was wisely choosing not to comment. Cassie looked like she was making the same choice and finding it somewhat difficult.
Effie clapped her hands together in glee.
"Ahh, I see! It seems I'll really need to give you some lessons!" She turned to Sunny with a wicked grin. "And Sunny, if you want, I can create a private course just for you~"
Sunny immediately shook his head.
"I don't want anything from you in this category!"
Effie's grin widened.
"You sure? Because if you want me to stop giving lessons to Nephis, just say the word." She tilted her head innocently. "But consider it carefully because in the end, it's really in your best interest~"
Sunny groaned louder, burying his face in his hand for a moment.
"Just do whatever you want! Nephis can choose for herself. And it's not like you listen to me anyway!"
Effie laughed brightly.
"If you don't want mine, you could always ask Kai for tips! He pretends to be all innocent and pure, but I know he's as good in bed as he is beautiful. With a face like that, he must play around quite a lot!"
Cassie and Nephis immediately jumped to Kai's defense, their voices overlapping with the synchronized conviction of two people who had independently arrived at the same very strong opinion.
"He is not like that," they said, in unison.
Nephis continued firmly, her composure cracking just enough to reveal genuine feeling.
"Night.. I mean, Kai, is kind, respectful, and incredibly professional. He would never act that way."
Cassie nodded quickly, her blindfolded face turning toward Effie.
"Exactly. He's always been a gentleman. The rumors are just that, rumors. He's far too sincere for that kind of thing."
Jet let out a soft, surprised laugh.
"I wouldn't have guessed either of you would be so animated defending a colleague especially not you, Nephis."
Sunny couldn't resist. He leaned toward Jet with a teasing smirk.
"She's always been a devoted fan, even in the Forgotten Shore she was quite animated when she first saw him. And now, I'm going to have to ask Kai for an autograph on her behalf because she's too composed to ask one herself."
Cassie's head tilted slightly. A small flicker of something crossed her features before she could fully contain it.
"I always wanted one too," she admitted quietly. "But I never had the right moment."
Sunny hesitated for half a second, then grinned.
"Be braver, then!" He pointed at Nephis with mock seriousness. "I'll only do it for my girlfriend."
Cassie turned her head slightly toward Sunny. Even with the blindfold covering her eyes, a small, gentle smile curved her lips warm, but undeniably wistful.
For a brief moment, she considered asking him the same favor but under the pretext of "for a friend." The words were already forming in her mind.
Yet the mere thought of hearing his answer made something tighten painfully in her chest. She didn't want to know. She didn't want to hear him say it out loud even if it was kind, even if it was gentle. Some truths were easier to carry when they remained unspoken.
So she swallowed the words, letting them sink back down where they belonged. She remained silent, content to simply listen, though her smile lingered just a little longer than usual, fragile and quietly aching.
Effie immediately burst out laughing, slapping the table lightly.
"Look at you trying to act all cool in front of your girl! You're really pulling out the 'I'll only do it for her' card, huh?"
Sunny shrugged, trying to sound casual.
"It's normal, isn't it?"
Nephis gave him a sideways glance.
"You went a bit overboard with that one, though."
Effie leaned forward eagerly.
"Details! I need details!"
Cassie, who had been listening quietly, spoke up with a small smile.
"Sunny told Nephis, right before he confessed, that she might had feelings for Kai."
Effie's eyes went wide.
"He baited her with Kai and then confessed?! That's—" She was laughing too hard to finish.
Sunny rubbed the back of his neck.
"It was to lighten the mood. To prepare for… well, my confession."
Cassie tilted her head, still smiling softly.
"That was quite the way to start a conversation."
Sunny turned to stare at Cassie, eyes narrowing.
Cassie froze.
For a split second, her prophetic sight had flickered just enough to catch the shape of the words about to leave Sunny's mouth. She opened her mouth quickly, trying to cut in before it was too late.
"Wait, actually—"
But it was already too late.
"Song of the Freak."
The nickname landed like a perfectly aimed arrow.
A small silence fell over the table.
Then Effie burst out laughing, loud and completely unrestrained. Even Jet allowed herself a faint, amused smile. And Nephis's lips curved with quiet satisfaction.
Cassie looked genuinely indignant, her cheeks flushing beneath the blindfold.
"Why?!"
Sunny shrugged, completely unrepentant.
"Why not? You spend your time spying on your own friends."
"I'm not spying!" Cassie protested. "You all knew I could see anyway, so it's not spying, I was just looking—"
"Yes. Without permission."
"I was concerned!" Cassie insisted, her voice rising just a notch.
"More like curious," Sunny corrected dryly, crossing his arms.
"Concerned!" she repeated, cheeks growing warmer.
Sunny pointed an accusatory finger at her, his voice taking on the conviction of a prosecutor who has assembled all the evidence.
"You watched our confession. Then you sat there while we poured our heart out for what I'm sure felt like hours—"
"It wasn't that long," Cassie replied quickly, then immediately realized that was not the defense she had intended. Her shoulders stiffened slightly.
Nephis, who had been observing the exchange with a faint smile, intervened casually.
"Strange. It seemed to me like it lasted quite a long time. We had a lot to say, after all."
Cassie's mouth opened, then closed again. She looked genuinely flustered.
Effie leaned forward, eyes wide with delight.
"Wait, wait, wait, how long are we actually talking here? Because I need to know exactly how much I missed! How many hours?!"
Sunny jumped back in before Cassie could dodge.
"I didn't count, but this particular pervert sat there and watched the whole thing like it was prime entertainment. We were baring our souls and she was just… spectating!"
Cassie raised both hands in a placating gesture.
"I wasn't spectating! I was making sure you two were okay. I only saw fragments—"
"Fragments that lasted several hours?" Nephis asked, one elegant eyebrow arched.
Cassie hesitated, then admitted with a small, defeated sigh:
"…Well. Yes."
Effie slammed both palms on the table.
"SEVERAL HOURS?! I missed several hours of this?! And you're just sitting there with your little blindfold pretending everything's normal?!"
"I was making sure they were alright!" Cassie defended herself, dignity fully restored armored and sincere in the way that only she could manage.
"Song of the Freak," Nephis said quietly and finally, her voice cool and deliberate, clearly joining Sunny on the offensive.
Cassie's mouth opened, then closed again. A faint flush crept higher up her cheeks beneath the blindfold.
"That's not going to stick," she protested, trying to sound firm.
"We'll see," said Nephis, a very small, very private smile tugging at the corner of her lips.
She had been observing the entire exchange from behind her usual composure, watching two people she cared about deeply engage in an argument that was mostly wrapped in affection. Now that she had decided to take Sunny's side, the dynamic had shifted cleanly into a two-against-one.
This was her payback for the little stab in the back Cassie had given her earlier.
Sunny added with a lazy grin: "You'll be surprised how fast rumors can spread. And how good I'll be at spreading them once we get out of here."
Cassie straightened in her seat, attempting to reclaim some ground.
"Anyway, you both knew I was listening! You said it yourself! It's not because I can that I'm not allowed to—"
Nephis raised an elegant eyebrow.
"Knowing you can see doesn't mean we gave you permission to watch, does it?"
Cassie hesitated, then added with a slightly defensive tone:
"I can't see much anyway because of my Flaw… so I have to rely on—"
Sunny leaned forward, his voice dripping with mock pity.
"So now you're playing the poor blind girl card? I'm not saying your Flaw isn't difficult, but I'm fairly sure you could have done without turning us into your personal…" He paused, then grinned. "Sunphis TV?"
Nephis tilted her head, her silver eyes widening slightly in genuine surprise.
"Sunphis?" she repeated. The corner of her mouth twitched with reluctant amusement. "Did you just… create a word for us?"
Sunny shrugged, completely unrepentant.
"Yeah. Sunphis. Sunny plus Nephis. It has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"
Nephis let out a soft, almost incredulous laugh and shook her head.
"You really do enjoy giving nicknames."
Sunny shrugged again, still smiling.
"It's thanks to my mother. She had the soul of a poet. Must run in the family."
Nephis tilted her head, her tone light but cutting.
"So, Song of the Freak did you at least bring popcorn?"
Cassie began to stammer.
"I… I was at the helm all night—"
Sunny piled on with a grin.
"Despite knowing it's not proper, you still kept watching. I wonder how many things Song of the Freak has seen that she wasn't supposed to."
Nephis added smoothly: "Probably far more than she would ever admit."
Effie pointed between them with her fork, laughing brightly.
"Look at you two teaming up already! That's adorable but terrifying."
The table erupted into a mix of laughter and teasing. Jet shook her head with a small smile, while Cassie looked thoroughly betrayed by her two closest friends joining forces against her.
Cassie tried to reclaim some ground, her voice gaining a slightly mischievous edge.
"In that case… I could also reveal what happened during your evening, couldn't I? You wouldn't mind, right? Since I'm such a horrible spectator!"
Sunny and Nephis. Without missing a beat, completed each other's sentence in perfect sync.
"Are you certain—"
"—you want to play that game?"
Cassie hesitated, clearly wary of their united front.
"Anyway, you've already decided to play the two-against-the-world card," she said, a small smile tugging at her lips despite herself. "You're not exactly subtle about it. I bet you haven't stopped using Sunny's [Shroud of Graceless Dusk] since the beginning of this conversation!"
Sunny shrugged, completely unfazed.
"And so?"
Nephis added calmly, her tone almost challenging.
"What's stopping us?"
Effie exploded into laughter again, slapping the table lightly.
"Are you two serious right now?! You were about to tear each other apart five minutes ago!"
Sunny grinned, leaning back in his chair.
"Wanting to defeat a common enemy is always a good way to find common ground."
Nephis nodded, a faint, elegant smile on her lips.
"The enemy of my friend is my enemy."
Effie pointed between them with her fork, still laughing.
"So now the whole table is hostile territory for you two?!"
Sunny raised a hand in mock surrender.
"No. Jet is the exception."
Nephis added without missing a beat.
"She's been quiet and she blessed our relationship without discourtesy."
Jet let out a quiet laugh, shaking her head.
"I was right to keep my mouth shut. It's saved me more than once and it looks like it's saving me again."
Effie immediately pointed at her with her fork, eyes wide with mock outrage.
"You're way more of a coward than I thought!"
Jet shrugged, completely unfazed.
"I don't remember ever claiming to be brave. It's a perfectly valid tactical choice." She paused. "Besides if you weren't pregnant, maybe you'd be talking just as much. But Sunny would probably be a lot less restrained with his attacks, wouldn't he?"
Sunny nodded without hesitation.
"Absolutely."
Jet continued, turning slightly: "And Cassie—"
"Song of the Freak," Sunny cut in smoothly, not missing a beat.
Jet gave him a look that was half warning, half amusement, but didn't stop him.
"—I'm surprised you're being this adventurous. Because let's be honest, Sunny can be downright odious when he wants to be, and he'd have considerably less restraint with you than with a pregnant woman. You should be careful."
Effie's grin widened as she looked around the table.
"So now it's a straight 3 vs 2?! Even pregnant, I'll still fight and give everything, you know!"
Cassie straightened in her seat, her blindfolded face turning toward the group with surprising confidence.
"I'm not scared."
Nephis, who had been quietly observing with a small smile, finally spoke, her voice cool and composed.
"You should be."
Sunny leaned back in his chair, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"It's really a shame I can't use [Shadow Step] on Cassie. I wish I could teleport her somewhere very high up and just… leave her there."
Cassie's mouth fell open in genuine outrage.
"You're horrible! You want to leave a blind girl stranded somewhere like that?!"
Nephis watched the exchange with quiet amusement, then spoke.
"I warned you."
Cassie turned toward her best friend, clearly betrayed.
"You're not ashamed? Your boyfriend is threatening your best friend and you're just sitting there?!"
Nephis met her gaze calmly.
"I sympathize. I may even come get you after enough time if you don't come back. But if Sunny wants to take his revenge, it's his right. He deserves it, and we both know it."
Cassie's voice wavered.
"That's not fair, using that card…"
Sunny cut in before she could continue.
"You should consider yourself lucky that I've never really used it before."
Cassie opened her mouth, ready to form something that might resemble another apology, but the words died in her throat.
She had already apologized once. Before everything. The damage was done. She knew Sunny well enough to understand that he hadn't forgiven her. And strangely, the way he was speaking to her right now dry, a little sharp, but without real anger filled her with a quiet, complicated happiness. It was proof that he still considered her close enough to tease, close enough to scold.
That alone made something warm and painful bloom in her chest.
Sunny was her weakness.
No matter how many walls she built, no matter how calmly she faced nightmares and prophecies, when it came to him… she never quite knew how to handle the feelings that rose up. She didn't know how to push them down, nor how to let them breathe.
So instead of apologizing again, she simply closed her mouth and lowered her head slightly, the faint flush beneath her blindfold the only sign of the storm inside her.
Sunny watched her for a moment longer, then added more quietly:
"Anyway, I'm not going to do anything right now. Since you listened to us last night, you know what I think. End of this conversation."
Cassie stayed silent for a moment, then gave a small, defeated nod.
"…Alright."
Effie, who had been watching the whole exchange with growing curiosity, suddenly perked up.
"Wait, there was a whole side conversation going on there! I want to know too!"
Sunny gave her a flat look.
"If you keep sticking your nose into things that don't concern you, I can very easily leave the table with [Shadow Step] and avoid answering your questions. I can even become intangible and turn into a shadow and you won't see me again until it's strictly necessary."
Effie gasped dramatically.
"And you'd abandon your girlfriend? What a magnificent prince you make! Coward!"
Sunny scoffed.
"Even if I left her here, she'd still be in a superior position. She can lie, and Nephis is just that strong. Her poker face is excellent and too bad for you, Kai isn't here and I'm the one who knows her best. Good luck guessing what she really thinks."
Effie tilted her head, still grinning.
"That doesn't change anything. You'd still be abandoning her."
Sunny shook his head, a reluctant smile tugging at his lips.
"Please. I can make her disappear with me if she wishes."
Jet raised an eyebrow, genuinely curious.
"You just said you can't transport someone, but Nephis is fine?"
Effie jumped in immediately.
"It's true isn't that weird?"
Sunny didn't flinch. He answered with calm confidence.
"I can. But only her." He said it simply, without embellishment. "Call it the power of love or whatever you want. Nephis is just special to me. That's all."
Nephis allowed herself a small, private smile.
She was quietly pleased to see how much effort Sunny was putting into navigating everything the conversation, the questions, their Bond in front of everyone. It filled her with a warm, steady feeling that she didn't try to hide completely. After everything they had been through, hearing him acknowledge her importance so openly, even casually, still meant more to her than she would ever admit out loud.
Effie couldn't resist jumping back in.
"By the way it's really a shame Kai wasn't here. He would have loved to see all of this!"
Sunny snorted.
"I might have finally made him pass out from shock!"
Jet raised an eyebrow.
"Are you seriously trying to abuse his Flaw to do that?"
Sunny nodded, completely earnest.
"Obviously! I've never actually managed it before I've come close, but I always fall just a little short."
Effie grinned.
"Is that how you should treat your poor best friend?"
Sunny shrugged.
"It's my way of expressing my love."
Nephis let out a soft sigh, shaking her head with a mix of amusement and exasperation.
"You're going to exhaust him and myself rather quickly."
Sunny shot her a playful look.
"If Kai were here, he'd say you're lying. You adore me!"
Nephis let out a long, dramatic sigh.
"Yes, yes. That's right."
Effie leaned forward, eyes sparkling with fresh mischief.
"Still, having Kai here would have been so much fun. We all know Sunny told the truth but how honest was Nephis, really?"
Nephis remained perfectly composed.
"No comment."
Effie laughed.
"You'll have to answer eventually!"
Nephis gave a small, elegant shrug.
"Then I'll simply twist my words enough to obscure the truth. I had a good teacher." She paused, the corner of her mouth curving slightly. "Or, worst case, I ask my prince to disappear with me far from all of this."
Effie's grin turned positively wicked.
"You're that eager to go on a honeymoon with him already?"
Sunny nearly choked on his own breath.
"What the hell?!"
Sunny looked genuinely horrified, eyes wide with pure disgust.
"Absolutely not! Nephis, I love you, but no matter what I REFUSE whatever that monstrosity is! And isn't the moon supposed to be some terrifying horror that corrupts everything it touches? It's double the horror! No way!"
Effie immediately pointed at him with her fork, grinning like a predator who had just found fresh prey.
"Apparently he loves you, princess… but not that much!"
She let out a bright, teasing laugh.
"Seems like marriage is a hard no for him. You'll just have to stay boyfriend and girlfriend forever!"
Nephis turned toward Sunny, her silver eyes calm but sparkling with clear amusement.
"Do you even know what a honeymoon means?"
Sunny raised both hands defensively.
"No! That alone tells me it can't be good! I can promise you many things, Nephis, but not that!"
Effie tilted her head, now genuinely curious.
"Why not?"
Sunny's face twisted with pure, deeply personal disgust.
"Because I hate honey! It's an abomination! How can people willingly eat that sticky, gross garbage?!"
Jet had to bite her lip hard. She hid her mouth behind her hand, shoulders shaking with silent amusement. She understood exactly where this was coming from.
Effie finally connected the dots and exploded into laughter, nearly falling off her chair.
"You! You're refusing a honeymoon just because you heard the word honey?! Oh my gods—"
She wiped a tear from her eye, still giggling.
"Then what if Nephis was covered head to toe in honey and asked for a hug? Or… more?"
Sunny's expression shifted into raw revulsion for a fraction of a second before he forced it back under control. He turned to Nephis with an almost pleading look.
"Please! Don't listen to her! You don't need honey for anything!"
Nephis looked at him with perfectly feigned sadness, her voice soft and dramatically tragic.
"So… you don't love me anymore?"
Sunny's eyes widened in instant panic as his Flaw activated.
"No, I do! I love you but the honey, Neph… please…"
Effie was laughing so hard she had to clutch her stomach.
"So if her lips were covered in honey and she was under some terrible curse, and the only way to save her was a kiss… you still wouldn't do it?"
Sunny looked utterly horrified. His face twisted in genuine revulsion.
"She's incorruptible! And she can heal herself! Why would she even need me for that?!"
Nephis placed a hand lightly over her chest, her expression shifting into one of quiet, almost elegant sorrow. Even her "wounded" look remained perfectly composed — like a queen who had been betrayed, yet refused to raise her voice.
"My own boyfriend…" she said softly, her voice calm and heartbreakingly measured, "is ready to let me die… because he hates honey more than he loves me."
She let the words hang in the air for a moment, her silver eyes fixed on Sunny with a faint, unreadable glint.
"I never imagined I would lose to something as trivial as honey. How… disappointing."
There was no exaggeration in her tone, yet the subtle dryness and the tiny, almost imperceptible curve at the corner of her lips made the accusation hit ten times harder.
She turned her gaze toward Sunny, blinking slowly, the picture of betrayed innocence.
Sunny groaned miserably, dragging a hand down his face as if the mere thought was physically painful.
"No… it's not like that…" he muttered, clearly suffering. "Fine! I'll do it if it actually happens, okay? I'll kiss you. Even if you're covered in that disgusting sticky abomination, I'll… I'll do it."
He pointed a finger at her with desperate seriousness.
"But please, I'm begging you, if you ever see a Nightmare creature dripping with honey, or any kind of honey-related monstrosity, just run away. Or better yet, burn it to the ground. Incinerate it. Leave nothing but ashes. I believe in you. You're strong. You're the strongest person I know. Just… don't get cursed by that stuff. I'd rather fight ten Fallen than deal with honey."
He paused, then added in a low, pained voice:
"…And if possible, never mention honey again. Ever."
Cassie finally let out a soft, genuine laugh the sound light and a little surprised, as if she had been holding it in for too long.
Effie pointed at her immediately with her fork, delighted.
"There it is! Finally! A real reaction from you!"
Effie's bright laughter filled the small cabin, making the teacups rattle softly on the wooden table.
Cassie shook her head, a faint, almost transparent smile lingering on her lips.
"I just wanted to avoid taking any more hits… or ending up tied to the mast if Sunny decided I'd said too much."
Effie tilted her head, studying her with playful curiosity. She leaned back in her chair, arms crossed, a mischievous glint in her hazel eyes.
"Hmm… I'm not sure if you're actually happy, or maybe just a tiny bit jealous of Nephis?" Her voice dropped into a teasing whisper. "Come on, admit it. You wanted Sunny all to yourself, didn't you~?"
Cassie's smile faltered for the briefest moment so quick it could have been imagined. When she spoke, her voice was quiet and sincere, each word chosen with care.
"…Perhaps. But not in the way you think."
She paused, her fingers slowly tracing the rim of her teacup as if searching for something solid to hold onto.
"Nephis and Sunny… they're both very important to me. And I never wanted to come between them. They belong together in a way I could never match. Seeing them finally like this… it's like a dream becoming reality. It makes me happy."
Yet her voice carried a quiet heaviness, a somber undertone that turned her words of joy into something fragile and bittersweet as if she were attending a funeral rather than celebrating a long-awaited union.
Effie's laughter faded. She watched Cassie more closely now, her playful expression softening into something gentler, more attentive.
"Oh, come on, me? I'm over the moon. I can't stop laughing just thinking about all the jokes I'm going to throw at them later. What you see today is only a warm-up!" She leaned forward slightly, her tone becoming more direct but still kind. "But you… you look like you're mourning instead of celebrating. What's going on, Cassie?"
Cassie remained silent for a long moment. Her fingers continued their slow, absentminded movement along the edge of the cup. When she finally lifted her face toward where she sensed Effie's presence, her expression was calm on the surface but her lips trembled ever so slightly.
"I have my reasons."
Effie didn't back down. She rested one elbow on the table, her voice steady and warm.
"Come on. Be honest with me, at least. Are you happy… or are you just pretending to be?"
The silence stretched between them, heavy and thick, broken only by the distant creak of the ship's timbers and the soft murmur of the river outside.
Cassie lowered her head, her shoulders curling inward slightly as if trying to protect herself. Her blind eyes remained fixed on her hands, but her expression had become painfully open the mask slipping just enough to reveal the raw ache underneath.
"…Both." she whispered.
Her voice cracked on the single word. It was small, honest, and unbearably vulnerable. For a moment, she looked far younger than she was a girl carrying far too much weight on her shoulders, trying desperately not to let it show.
A heavy silence settled over the table thick enough to feel.