"...Wait, WHAT?! You were my student?!"
And here it was—another wild revelation from His Majesty the Emperor!
Now that he thought about it, if Li Shen really had lived for 500 years, then practically everyone else would be younger than him by default, right?! Still, he made a mental note to ask someone what the average life expectancy was in this world—just to be sure.
Li Shen opened his mouth, ready to throw more questions, but stopped himself when he felt Somnus’s arms tighten around him just slightly. He stayed quiet, sensing that maybe now wasn’t the time to interrupt.
"We’ll talk more about that later," Somnus continued softly. "What I want to say now is this: I spent my childhood beside Del Delatia, listening to his voice directly. And I can say this for certain—this world, this land ..."
Somnus’s voice wavered for just a moment, like he was searching for the right words.
"...was cruel to a child who suddenly wandered into it from another world. They treated him horribly. No one helped him—no one, except for one single person. And perhaps the cruelest part of it all... was that because of the enormous magic power he carried inside him, his body had an incredibly high self-healing ability. Which meant... even in the most terrible conditions, he couldn’t die. He was forced to keep living through it all."
His voice cracked—just a little. Li Shen thought he could hear it shaking.
Somnus held him tighter, pressing Li Shen’s head gently against his chest.
Li Shen couldn’t see Somnus’s face anymore, but the warmth of being held like this felt deeply comforting.
Somnus’s voice stayed calm and steady as he went on.
"That’s why he hated this world. He hated the humans who lived in it. And honestly, he had every right to. No one could blame him if he had destroyed everything. But... even so... he still fought for the sake of this world, for its people. No matter what the reason was, I will never resent the man you once were. In fact, I feel proud of you. Proud of Del Delatia. Proud of Li Shen. If anything, those foolish enough to hate you... they are the ones who should disappear from this world."
Only then did Somnus’s arms relax and he gently pulled back a little.
When Li Shen looked up, he saw a man so beautiful and divine that he could’ve been mistaken for a god—but now, that perfect face was twisted with rare emotion, like he might start crying at any moment.
"Even though I’m a human—one of the very people that you hated—I still missed you. If it had been possible... if I had the chance... I wanted to welcome you into this world when you arrived. And I wanted to protect you from everything, with these hands."
Even so, Somnus thought, it was only after things had come to this that he could finally say these words out loud. He felt like a truly pathetic man.
He knew he was taking advantage him—who had lost both his memories and powers and now needed someone to protect him. Somnus was fully aware of that. And still, he wasn’t asking for forgiveness. No matter how selfish or self-serving it was, Somnus wanted to be the one to protect the current Li Shen.
Because he loved him.
He loved the Li Shen who once saved many lives and ended many others.
He loved the Li Shen who now struggled with confusion and searched for who he truly was.
More than anyone, Somnus found this version of him to be the most precious.
Those words carried a deep heat that couldn’t be seen, only felt.
They didn’t just reach the ears—they sank straight into the heart.
Even though Somnus’s face looked pained and almost like he was confessing some sin, the emotion that began swelling inside Li Shen’s chest was unmistakable: it was joy.
A joy so overwhelming it nearly burst.
What was he supposed to do with this feeling? He was happy. So happy, it was like his face and even the inside of his head were on fire.
No matter what his past had been, there was someone here who thought about him this deeply, someone who valued him this much, someone who didn’t hesitate to say "I love you."
And that person... was standing right in front of him now.
It didn’t matter anymore that they were both men.
It didn’t matter what anyone else would think.
All of that felt pointless.
If this was a dream, it was one he never wanted to wake up from.
He’d be okay staying in this dream forever, even until the day he died.
That’s why—for the first time—Li Shen reached out with both hands toward Somnus’s face.
"Somnus, I know it too," he said. "If I was thrown out into the world right now, with no memories and no clue what’s going on, I’d probably suffer a lot. That’s why... I want to stay right here, with you. It’s safe. It’s warm. I feel at ease with you. And yeah, I’ll admit it—maybe I’m being selfish too. But even so..."
Somnus’s smooth cheek felt slightly cool under his fingers.
Li Shen forced his trembling hands to stay steady.
Somnus was at least a full head taller than him, but Li Shen pulled that handsome face down toward his own.
"...Even so, is it okay if I say I like you?"
After all, technically speaking, Li Shen was the older one, right? He figured he should at least take the lead a little with someone younger.
He looked directly into Somnus’s amethyst eyes.
Those beautiful colors up close took his breath away. Then, standing on his toes and closing his eyes, Li Shen leaned in.
For the first time in his life, he kissed someone—on his own terms.
He didn’t need confirmation. The shared warmth of their lips told him it had worked.
Who was the idiot who thought being the older one meant he should act all cool and take the lead?