Julius stopped in front of the fountain.
The thought that he would drown her in the water quickly passed through Mio’s mind.
After all, he had just revealed to her that he was at least around during Caesar’s reign, maybe even longer.
What if he was only indulging her because he was going to silence her afterwards?
But just as quickly it arrived in her mind, she immediately squashed the thought.
‘No,’ she shook her head. ‘He’s not that type of person.’
Mio discovered Takuya’s true nature, hidden behind a persona which always fooled her parents, after only a few years.
She was confident that her eye for people couldn’t be mistaken.
And yet…the silence was beginning to unsettle her.
“J-Julius?” she softly asked, delighting in his name.
God, even his name sounded hot.
Still no answer. His enchanting crimson eyes were fixed somewhere beyond her.
“A-Are you mad that—kyaa!”
Suddenly, he shifted her in his arms until her waist rested against his abdomen, their faces only inches apart.
“Julius?!”
Her arms and legs wrapped around him, trying to regain her balance.
Objective achieved, but now her heart was the one at risk of falling apart.
She tried leaning back, putting some very necessary distance between their faces, but one of his hands grabbed her chin, turning it to face him.
Their eyes inevitably met, a teasing smile plastered on his face.
Mio could feel his warm breath hitting her skin, a constant reminder that if she just moved her lips a bit closer, she could feel his gentle yet demanding kiss again, with his tongue that invaded her—
‘What the hell am I thinking?!’
She felt as if her heart went through a marathon, something that she would never do.
“I’m sorry, Mio,” he finally spoke, “I was just a bit taken aback by your question.”
Sometimes, she felt like she had to register his words twice. The first time was to enjoy the voice that entered her ears. The second one was to process it in her brain.
But when she finished processing his words, she frowned.
“...Why did my question surprise you?”
He chuckled, the sound always making her heart flutter.
“I just can’t get used to how fast you flip between a shy flower and a fearless warrior.”
She tilted her head, raising her hand closer. “Warrior? With these flimsy hands?”
“That’s just you not knowing what those hands can do to me.” He grinned, capturing her arm under his cheek.
“Wha—?!”
No, forget her hands, his face card was too lethal! Up close, it was a nuclear bomb!
“S-Stop avoiding the question!” She finally mustered.
Her outburst only made him laugh, making Mio pout even more.
“You meanie!” She playfully bit the exposed part of his shoulder.
Somehow, it wasn’t as hard as she thought. It was even oddly…delicious?
“Ow, ow! Stop eating me! I can’t answer your question in your stomach!”
Mio gasped, realizing how she was fully chomping on his skin.
“S-Sorry! I—!”
“Haha, don’t worry. Every scar is a medal of honor for a man. Especially if it’s from a woman.”
That damned smile again.
Her heart could never decide whether to explode or melt.
“Alright, enough messing around.”
“...You’re the one mostly doing it.”
Julius smiled again. It was gentler this time.
He then casually supported her weight with one hand, raising the other to wipe the blood off her cheek.
Wait…the blood?
Mio snapped her head down, scanning her clothes.
It was her worst nightmare.
She was still wearing her favorite oversized shirt, but this was hardly an appropriate attire for an outing, especially not for an outing with someone like him.
Even worse, the white of her clothes was covered in splashes of red, as if she just survived a deadly pillow fight.
She didn’t even want to imagine what she smelled like.
Suddenly, the idea of drowning in the fountain seemed very appealing.
“Calm down,” Julius cupped her cheeks, forcing her to face him. “You’re overthinking things.”
Her eyes widened. “H-How did you…”
“Did you use your mind-reading powers?”
Julius laughed. “Didn’t have to. Your face makes it obvious.”
That only made her want to disappear into the trees.
The man then extended his hand towards the fountain.
In the next moment, the stream of water changed course, heading towards their direction.
Somehow, the fact that he was possibly also an elemental mage didn’t surprise her anymore.
The water was surprisingly warm.
It gently brushed over her skin, cleaning the bloodstains on her cheeks. Some of them even seeped through her clothes, fully erasing traces of her ex’s existence.
But just as she relished in his treatment, Julius suddenly spoke.
“No, I’m not.”
It took her a moment to realize that this was the answer to her question.
She desperately tried to fit this answer to her other questions, but none of them made any sense.
No matter how much she tried to reprocess his words, the result was clear.
Julius already had another woman.
Mio averted her eyes, avoiding his gaze.
“...I…see…”
The previously warm embrace felt like a shackle now. A reminder of what she could’ve had, but never could obtain.
“Can I ask my questions now?”
“...Sure.”
What was even the point? He probably already knew everything about her anyway.
“Alright, then. What’s your favorite food?”
“...Cheeseburger.”
Was this some sort of humiliation ritual now? Was he delighting in her suffering?
Even the questions didn’t even try to be unique anymore.
They probably were just some sort of sick formality, only there to finish his little game.
Julius went silent for a while.
“...So it’s a combination of bread, beef, and cheese, huh? How interesting.”
Oh, right. He was old.
The man was probably just looking for meal recommendations now.
“Thank you for the answer. Next question, then.”
She inwardly sighed. It would probably be another simple question.
“Do you want to be my wife?”
She exhaled. “...See? Another simple ques…tion…?”
Mio robotically looked up, meeting his radiant smile head-on.
“Simple question? I didn’t know marriage is treated lightly in this era.”
The woman didn’t respond to his usual remark. She didn’t even know if her brain was fully responding.
“...But…you said…”
“That I’m not single, yes.”
Julius smirked. “But I have multiple wives, Mio. Some of them as old as me. Others might have names you recognize.”
Her brain slowly began to function again. Most importantly, her heart blazed in a fire so hot it felt like bursting.
And yet, with her brain working overtime, reason also showed up, potentially erasing all hope.
“...Why…me…?”
If his words were true, his other wives were all far older than her. She also had a small feeling that the names she might know would give her a heart attack.
If so, why would he choose her?
Why would he choose…Mio?
Her eyes began to drift away again, which Julius immediately prevented by cupping her cheeks, his warmth enveloping her face.
“Listen to me, Mio.”
The woman met his eyes, an emotion sleeping deep inside them.
Would she dare call it affection?
“I just woke up a few hours ago from a very long nap.”
She blinked. That explained his disconnect from her usage of modern slang.
“Shortly after I woke up,” he continued, “I found your…boyfriend insulting my wife’s appearance.”
Ex-boyfriend, she wanted to correct. The distinction was necessary here, but she didn’t interrupt him.
“That’s why I came here. And that’s when I met you.”
Mio pursed her lips.
Did that mean he only wanted her to punish his ex?
“I—”
“The moment I met you, I knew you were someone I wanted to spend my life with."
Her mouth hung open before a word even came out.
Julius chuckled. “Can you even blame me? The first thing that you did after entering the room was not scream in horror or run away; you marched straight towards me with shining enthusiasm when I was clearly skinning a man alive.”
A faint blush crept towards her face.
“...You…just look…like Lord Nerovana…”
The man laughed. “And I still don’t know who that is.”
“Moreover, imagine my surprise that when you finally noticed the gore, you slapped him across his face, fully intending to do it again if I didn’t stop you.”
He playfully pinched her cheeks. “You have the guts of a Spartan woman, a bubbly personality that I absolutely adore, and a spark of life so contagious that even I couldn't help but catch it."
“How can I not fall in love?”
Love.
At times, she thought it was a luxury for her.
That she didn’t need one if she could drown in her hobbies.
And yet, when it was right in front of her, she didn’t know what to do.
“Am I…dreaming?”
Julius leaned closer, his lips almost touching hers.
“How about you kiss me and find out?”
That was it.
Mio surged forward, her lips hitting his like a tidal wave.
The force of it even made Julius fall backwards, landing on his back.
Neither of them seemed to care.
“Yes!! Are you crazy?!! Of course, it’s a yes!!”
The woman screamed into her husband, devouring his lips as if they were the most delicious thing in existence.
They were.
Julius didn’t seem to mind her aggression. It even felt like he was letting her do whatever she wanted, only pushing back when it gave her the most pleasure.
The new couple seemed to melt into each other, the sounds they made rivaling the fountain.
‘Thank god, he’s a harem protagonist.’
That was Mio’s last thought before she willingly drowned in his love.