“Kyaa!!” The woman screamed, hugging his neck.
Julius chuckled. “Calm down, Mio. We’re already outside.”
At his words, the woman slowly opened her eyes, looking at her surroundings.
The sight of a moonlit park greeted her.
Lamp posats illuminated the area not covered by the moon at deliberate intervals. The trees around them weren’t close enough to each other to be called a forest, but there were enough of them to replicate its refreshing feeling.
A small fountain decorated the center of the park, the sound constantly breaking the silence.
“This…is the park near the station…” Her mouth gaped.
“Did you just teleport us here with those shadows?!”
The man smiled as the excitement in her voice returned.
“I did—”
“Wait a minute!” She gasped, realization hitting her face.
“How did you know my name?!”
Julius blinked. “...I read his mind. I know a decent amount about you.”
“So telepathy?! Like Madam Eyes from Crimson Pulse?!”
Mio bounced so much in his arms that it was only a matter of time before she fell.
Naturally, Julius would never let that happen.
“...I have no idea who that is, but maybe yes?”
“That’s so cool!!” Her eyes gleamed.
It was like holding a box of laughter.
He couldn’t help but smile at her sheer joy, yet he also would prefer if she could stay still.
Thankfully, she gradually settled down. The excitement was still there, but it was more contained, no longer spilling into every movement.
Mio softly touched his chest. “I can’t believe it…are you really…real?”
Her hands wandered up, caressing his neck, then his face.
But the moment she looked up, meeting his teasing eyes, she froze.
Realizing what she just did, she tried to quickly withdraw her hands, only for one of them to be caught by a masculine hand.
“If I’m not real…can I do this?”
Julius kissed the back of her palm, grinning.
Her blush exploded on her face yet again. It certainly wasn’t helping that the man was kissing each of her fingers affectionately.
In the corner of his eyes, he could see that her other hand constantly twitched, as if jealous that it wasn’t getting the same treatment.
He could also see her body being held up by his other hand, with an invisible force that helped stabilize her. If Mio wasn’t so disoriented, she probably would have asked him how he was doing that.
Julius continued to her wrist, then her forearm. He briefly stopped at her elbow, giving the cute creases a bit more love.
Mio’s breath had turned ragged at this point.
But Julius leaned back at the moment, leaving only parts of her arm coated in saliva.
“N-No…” she whispered, “w-why did you stop?”
Her desperation made him chuckle. “So needy.”
“I just wanted to slow you down a bit. You’re going too fast for me, you know?”
His words slightly cleared up the fog that formed in her eyes.
Mio averted her eyes shyly. “S-Sorry, I just got so excited whenever I talk about my hobbies.”
“Can you even blame me? You literally look like someone who walked out of my favorite series! How am I supposed to stay calm?"
“...Fair enough.”
Julius hugged the woman closer to his body, forcing her eyes to meet his.
“How about this?”
“We barely met a few minutes ago. So shouldn’t we get to know each other first?”
Mio’s blush returned, even though it never truly left.
But then she pouted. “...You already know a lot about me, though.”
Julius laughed. “That’s why this is a good opportunity for you to know more about me.”
“How about this? I’ll start first.”
He met her eyes with a teasing smile.
“Do you want to get down?”
“...What?”
“I said, do you want to—”
“No!!” Mio pressed against his chest, their bodies practically melting into each other.
Then she gasped, once again only realizing afterward how bold she'd been.
“I-I mean, I’m a little dizzy after seeing all that blood, so, uh, I would prefer staying in this position…”
Julius held back his laughter. Something he had done so many times in just a few minutes, with not a lot of successes in his record.
Anyone could tell she was lying. But Julius wasn’t one to point that out.
He repositioned his arms under the small of her back and the other around her shoulders, carrying her more comfortably.
“Your wish is my command.” He grinned.
The bright smile after his acceptance reaffirmed his decision.
Julius then began to walk towards the fountain with a nonchalance rarely found in someone carrying another person in their arms.
“So? What’s your question?”
“Oh! Um…” She looked around as though trying to find a question in the trees.
Then, her eyes lit up. “I know!”
“So, uh, what exactly…are you?”
Julius smirked, his stride never faltering.
“Heh, not even asking for my name first?”
She coughed, the embarrassment visible on her face.
“Uh…the answer might also reveal your name?”
Mio pursed her lips, examining him. “I mean…you look like Lord Nerovana, but your eyes are red. Your voice is also deeper, but even more soothing.”
“Thanks for the compliment. I chose it myself.”
“...What?”
“Nothing.”
Julius stared at the sky, deciding how much he should reveal.
“Well, for starters, my name is Julius.”
At his revelation, her eyes widened, and her mouth hung open.
“...A-As in Julius Caesar?”
The man laughed. “Absolutely not. I’m not balding like him. And I don’t smell like sweat all the time.”
Mio narrowed her eyes, her lips parting, before Julius spoke again.
“As for what I am…”
Julius locked eyes with the woman. “I’m…merely a man. I’ve just lived for a very, very long time.”
A gentle breeze caressed his face, stirring his golden-blonde hair.
“...You mean, you’re very old? Like ancient old?”
“...That’s a rude way of putting it, but it’s not false.”
Mio gawked at his face, seemingly trying to discern if he was telling the truth.
Based on how she gasped, it felt like she didn’t find any signs of deception.
“Oh my god, you’re an immortal sugar daddy!”
Julius frowned. “...Why would I be a father of a seasoning?”
“Yeah, you’re definitely old.”
“Hey.”
Salt father would at least imply he was wealthy.
“Wait, wait! You talked as if you knew Caesar personally. So were you alive back—”
The man chuckled. “Calm down, Mio.”
“But—”
“If you don’t, I’ll kiss you again.”
Her mouth clamped shut instinctively. But he could see that she was internally debating whether she should speak out regardless.
“Good girl,” he caressed her shoulders with his fingers. “If you ask more than one question in a turn, it wouldn’t be fair, no?”
Mio pouted. “...I’m not a child.”
She pressed her curves to his chest as if to emphasize that point.
“...Of course, you aren’t.”
Julius then exhaled. “Alright, fine. You can ask one more question. We can all ask two questions in each turn.”
Her face brightened, giggling to herself.
He expected another question about his origins, or maybe his powers that she liked to bring up.
But suddenly, the blush on her face deepened, making him think otherwise.
Mio closed her eyes, quietly inhaling as if sucking up the courage in the air.
Then, she stared at him right in the eyes.
“A-Are you single?”