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"Hmph. Must I knock on my own home's door?"
Accompanied by a soft, coquettish hum, a warm, soft body radiating the rich, intoxicating scent of camellias pressed against his back. Her arms wrapped around his waist, as naturally and flexibly as clinging vines.
Camellya rested her chin on his shoulder, her warm breath brushing against his ear.
"Besides, a certain heartless someone went out for so long and came back completely covered in... someone else's scent." Her voice carried obvious resentment. She deliberately sniffed the back of his neck. "Tell me, what's the deal with that little blonde knight? And... why do you smell like a little she-wolf?"
Rover neither broke free from her embrace nor answered immediately.
He could feel Camellya hugging him very tightly, almost as if she were afraid he would run away.
"Cartethyia is a trustworthy companion. She helped me a great deal, and right now, she needs help." He chose to answer the question regarding Cartethyia first, his tone incredibly calm.
"Oh? A companion?" Camellya clearly didn't buy it. She circled around to his front and looked up. Those bright, red-and-gray eyes stared directly at him in the dark, brimming with slyness and intense scrutiny. "Just a companion? The way that little girl looks at you isn't innocent at all, you know? Our Lord Leader truly possesses boundless charm nowadays. You go out for one trip, and you pick up an incredibly loyal little knight to bring home."
"Don't tell me you've grown tired of your old bodyguard..."
She stood on her tiptoes, bringing her face close to his, and reached out to lightly poke his chest. "Also, don't think you can change the subject. That other scent... it belongs to that gladiator girl, doesn't it? The extremely lively, fiery type."
"It seems my Lord Leader lived quite a comfortable, fulfilling life in the Seven Hills..."
Rover caught her mischievous finger and looked down at her face, which was merely inches away.
Under the moonlight, Camellya's smile remained as radiant as ever, but he could detect a hidden trace of nervousness and... an almost imperceptible sense of grievance beneath it.
He sighed. He knew he wouldn't be able to get past tonight without giving her a proper explanation.
"Lupa..." he began, his voice dropping slightly lower. "We went through a lot together... life-and-death battles."
He briefly recounted their cooperation in fighting the Threnodian, skipping the more intimate details but heavily emphasizing Lupa's bravery and the absolute trust they had in protecting each other's backs.
The teasing expression on Camellya's face slowly faded. She could hear the solemnity in his voice.
"So," she paused for a moment. When she spoke again, her voice held less playfulness and much more seriousness. "You and her..."
"Mm." Rover didn't deny it. He gave a gentle nod. "Exactly as you sensed."
A brief silence stretched between them.
Suddenly, Camellya lunged forward. Before he could react, her soft, warm lips pressed firmly against his with a touch of spiteful force.
The kiss wasn't long; their lips parted after a brief contact.
Camellya took a half-step back and stomped her foot. She looked up at him, her eyes looking partly angry and partly like something else entirely. "Fine... I don't care what kind of life-and-death battles you went through!"
"I've stayed by your side for so long! How many days has that little wolf cub even known you?! On what grounds..."
Her voice gradually trailed off, the rest of her words seemingly swallowed back down, rendering them indistinct. Yet, the intense unwillingness and jealousy in her tone were on full display.
Seeing her display such rare, genuine emotion, Rover's heart softened. He reached out and gently brushed aside a stray strand of grayish-white hair framing her cheek.
As the "Casanova" of Solaris who had always managed to stroll through endless fields of flowers without a single petal sticking to him...
Rover knew very well that despite Camellya's carefree and uninhibited facade, she was actually a young girl who admired strength and deeply craved attention. Her reliance on him was absolute, identical to how a flower desperately needed rain and sunlight.
She sneered at the weak—even including her past self, who had nearly died from Resonance Overclocking.
But she also longed to witness how resilient individuals managed to survive and forge ahead in this world...
Therefore, Camellya's heart was incredibly, obsessively fixated on him, her "Destined Seed." In the years past, because he had been entirely focused on his grand mission and completely uninterested in romance, Camellya had no choice but to suppress her deepest desires. Terrified of drawing his disgust and being driven away, she silently accepted her role as a mere Floramancer just to remain by his side.
As the saying goes, "If one doesn't turn bad in debauchery, they will turn twisted in silence." Over the long years, this intense admiration had gradually warped into a distorted, obsessive possessiveness.
When Rover remained wholly devoted to saving Solaris, maintaining only surface-level interactions with various women before leaving, Camellya could still paralyze herself with the belief that he was simply devoid of romantic feelings.
However, upon learning that Rover had tasted the forbidden fruit with someone else in the Seven Hills, she could no longer suppress the explosive emotions surging within her.
"Camellya," he called her name, his tone carrying an unprecedented gentleness and honesty. "Lupa is Lupa. And you... are Camellya."
"What kind of answer is that?" Camellya glared at him, though the aggressive edge in her eyes had softened significantly.
"It means," Rover stared directly into her eyes, speaking slowly, "to me, you are both completely unique. The experiences are different, so naturally, the feelings are different. But there are certain attachments that will never change, regardless of distance or new encounters."
He didn't offer empty, hollow promises. Instead, he gave her the most genuine, grounding validation.
Camellya stared at him blankly, seemingly not expecting such a direct answer.
She carefully chewed over his words. The dissatisfaction and jealousy on her face were gradually replaced by an incredibly complex expression.
She suddenly realized that the Rover who had returned this time seemed... different.
There was less evasion, and much more... responsibility and candor.
This sudden change left her momentarily at a loss for how to react.
She let out a soft hmph and turned her face away. Stepping forward, she wrapped her arms tightly around him and buried her face into his chest, her voice muffled. "...Such sweet, honeyed words, my Lord Leader."
Rover allowed her to hold him, raising a hand to gently pat her back.
For a while, neither spoke. They simply stood quietly by the window.
The moonlight spilled through the glass, bathing them both in its pale glow. The sound of the ocean tide drifted in faintly from the distance, perfectly accompanying the rhythmic beating of their hearts.
Meanwhile, on the high tower terrace at the opposite end of the headquarters building, the Shorekeeper stood silently by the railing.
The night breeze fluttered her light blue, bandana-tied short hair and sent the gradient blue-and-white hem of her dress dancing in the air.
Her gaze seemed to pierce straight through the layers of architectural barriers, landing flawlessly on the room belonging to the Supreme Leader of the Black Shores.
She could sense the two intertwining, fluctuating wavelengths.
One carried a trace of grievance and dissatisfaction, but was rapidly settling into peaceful reliance.
The other was steady and gentle, radiating an unprecedented sense of tolerance and soothing comfort.
There was neither joy nor sorrow on her face; absolutely no emotional fluctuation could be detected. However, within those eyes that seemed to contain entire galaxies, the swirling light paused for a fraction of a second.
It was like a stone dropped into a perfectly tranquil lake—rippling outward in tiny circles before instantly returning to bottomless, unfathomable stillness.
She slightly raised her hand. A butterfly glowing with a pale blue light fluttered over from afar, landing gently on her fingertip. It dissolved into a wisp of faint light, within which countless tiny torrents of data seemed to flow.
That core wavelength representing the Supreme Leader of the Black Shores had indeed become... far more complex and profound than when he had left. It seemed to have entangled with new, intensely fiery bonds.
She slowly closed her eyes and took a deep breath. After a long while, she finally let it out with a soft exhale.
A silent vigil, thus established.