Chapter 47: Tampered

"Eons has passed, Zeus."

"Okay."

"All our knowledge, all the rules we knew, and all the realms have changed— our knowledge, and even we have become ancient. And apparently, the five moons just disappeared on the day you were sealed. And all our companions either went missing, or it was made like they never existed."

As soon as Sophia said that, Nero stood up and nodded slowly. "Enough."

"But I just started. There are—"

"That's all I wanted to know." Nero was trying to avoid the topic, but Sophia knew what exactly he was trying to avoid.

"It's been eons, Zeus," she said again.

"Yeah, and so?" Nero tried to put up a poker face.

"I am talking about Elvia and Zelda."

Nero clenched his teeth and nodded slightly, "Stop."

"Eons has passed, Zeus. Even if they are from a noble race, there is no way that there are—"

"Sophi, I asked you to stop."

Sophia wanted to make things clear with Nero, and Nero knew what Sophia was trying to say, but he didn't want to admit it.

Nero walked to the door and left the room, saying, "I won't believe it unless I confirm it myself. And besides, they said they would wait for me, and they are waiting for me, so I shall find them as soon as possible."

Emilia and Sophia exchanged glances for a while.

"What? If you have something to ask, then go ahead?" Sophia questioned.

"Who are Elvia and Zelda? Are they friends of Nero's?" Emilia asked meekly.

Sophia turned around and spoke, "I said you could ask, but I never said I would answer."

Sophia left the room, leaving Emilia alone in the room.

"Tsk!" Emilia clicked her tongue, and her eyes fell on the bag Nero threw at the corner of the room.

Emilia sighed as she walked to the bag and checked inside.

"Even though some of them are weeks old, it's not rotting or smelling."

Nero had cast a sealing spell on the bag, which worked like preservation.

GROWL~!

Emilia's stomach growled as her face flushed. "I should go downstairs too."

As Emilia was walking downstairs, she remembered what Nero said earlier, 'If someone takes advantage of one's kindness, then it's their fault to be kind.'

'I am not claiming that I am kind— at least, not anymore. But what if Nero is also just taking advantage of me?' Emilia wondered.

Emilia reached the ground floor only to see Nero and Sophia had already started eating, and they were chatting with smiles on their faces.

Her heart ached a little after seeing that.

Nero noticed Emilia and waved his hand. "Here!"

Emilia walked to the table and sat on the empty chair beside Nero. Nero slid his plate at Emilia and said, "Here, eat it while it's hot."

"But… what about you?"

"I already ate one, so I can wait for a while to get another one. And you look hungry." Nero grinned. "I don't want you to drink my blood later."

Emilia smiled a little as she started eating while staring at Nero. 'I wouldn't mind even if he is taking advantage of me.'

Emilia was in a happy mood until she saw Sophia feeding Nero.

'I hate her!' Emilia stabbed the fork on the plate. 'How did they make up anyway? I thought they were fighting just now.'

Emilia's attention was diverted by the sound of light' thud' on the table. It was the woman who just served a plate to Nero.

Nero tried to take the plate his way, but Emilia pulled it instead and started eating from it.

Nero, Sophia, and Laira looked at Emilia in surprise. Nero shook his head in disbelief and looked at the woman. "Bring me some rum."

"My name is Laira," the woman told her name.

"Bring me some rum, Laira."

Laira nodded and made her way to the kitchen. Nero's eyes were fixated on the kitchen exit— seemingly waiting for the rum.

"Here," Emilia moved the fork with a slice of meat pie stuck on it.

Nero knew what Emilia was trying to do, but he decided to play dumb and stared at Emilia. "What?"

"Eat it," Emilia moved her hand further towards Nero's mouth.

Nero grinned and opened his mouth, then ate it. He chewed it and swallowed it while staring and smirking at Emilia.

"Why are you turning into a tsundere again?"

"I am not!" Emilia hissed.

On their 24 days journey, Nero ended up telling Emilia the true meaning of 'tsundere' and 'yandere'. And Emilia experienced mixed feelings on that since the definition of 'yandere' was true, and it described Emilia perfectly.

'She is acting like she is on her periods,' Nero thought.

After a while, Laira came with a jug filled with rum and a plate with an extra-large meat pie. "This is the last one."

Nero picked up the jug and took a sip, then looked at Laira, "Not bad."

Nero started eating while drinking the rum after some bites. Emilia had finished her plate, so she started eating from Nero's plate, and Sophia and Laira watched them eat.

Nero kept teasing Emilia by snatching the pie from her fork, and Emilia grabbed the jug whenever Nero tried to drink rum.

"You two are hilarious," Laira commented.

"I know, right?!" Nero pointed his gaze at Emilia and laughed. "She is so hilarious. Her reactions are so cute that it just makes me wanna tease her more."

Laira chuckled and then spoke, "Are you two, perhaps brother and sister?"

Nero choked on the meat pie while Emilia on the rum.

"Do we look like we are brother and sister?" Nero asked curiously.

"You both look similar, and you get along too well," Laira answered.

Nero looked at Emilia and squinted his eyes, "Just because we have black hair and azure eyes don't mean we are brother and sister, does it?"

"Yeah, it doesn't. And that's why I asked."

Nero waved his hand in denial and groaned, "I don't want a sister like this." Nero poked Emilia's face.

"My sister was very diligent and never raised her voice against me."

Nero was referring to his twin sister in his past life, who was some minutes younger than him.