On the Way
Aaron narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
Noel looked TOO happy all of a sudden.
Aaron:
"Why did you ask that question?" š¶
Noel:
"Nothing~" š
Aaron:
"No, no. There's something there." š
Noel puffed out her cheeks and glared at him.
Noel:
"It's justā¦ in the present world, same-sex marriage is a crime. So I was curious. I actually want to see that kind of marriage happen!" š
Aaron raised an eyebrow.
Aaron:
"Oh? So you want a female partner?" š
For one brief second, Noel's soul left her body.
Noel:
"If I can even GET a partner at all, that itself is a miracle! Doesn't matter if they're male or female!" š¤
Aaron stared at her.
Aaron:
"Oohhhh." š²
Noel immediately jabbed a finger at him.
Noel:
"And you! Both your partners were female, right?" š¤
Aaron's expression darkened.
Aaron:
"Itā¦ went like that." š
He paused.
Then suddenly turned toward her.
Aaron:
"WAITāOI! Whatever you're imagining, just know one thing!"
He lifted his chin dramatically, looking like a king delivering the most important declaration in history.
Aaron:
"If it's boy Ć boy, girl Ć girlā¦ Omega boy Ć Alpha girl hits DIFFERENT!" š¤
Noel smirked.
Noel:
"Like yours~?" š
Before Aaron could respond, she sprinted ahead.
Aaron blinked.
Then a grin spread across his face.
Aaron:
"YEAH, NOEL!" š
And he ran after her.
For two people supposedly on an important mission to save history, they were behaving suspiciously like children on a school picnic.
Unfortunately, neither of them seemed interested in acting mature.
At the Abandoned Palace
They finally stopped in front of a massive, decaying stone structure.
Vines crawled over broken pillars, cracked walls, and ancient statues. The wind whistled through the empty halls, creating an eerie sound that made the entire place feel abandoned for centuries.
Aaron stared at the building.
His playful expression disappeared.
Aaron:
"ā¦No way."
He slowly looked around, his eyes widening in disbelief.
Aaron:
"This is the main courtyard of my palace!" š²
Without wasting another second, he approached the enormous iron gate and placed his hand against it.
He pushed.
Nothing happened.
He pushed harder.
Still nothing.
Aaron's eyebrow twitched.
Aaron:
"Open."
The gate remained stubbornly shut.
Aaron:
"OPEN!"
The gate continued ignoring him.
Noel watched silently from behind.
Is he seriously arguing with a gate? š¶
Aaron finally stepped back, looking deeply offended.
Aaron:
"It won't open. My magic doesn't work here. There's no soul power in this era."
He turned toward Noel and pointed at the towering wall.
Aaron:
"We'll have to climb the wallā" š¤
Noel:
"Is it?" š
Aaron paused.
Aaron:
"What do you mean, 'Is it'?"
Noel casually walked past him.
She approached the enormous gate, placed one hand against it, and gave it a gentle push.
Noel:
"Just try like thisā"
CLANK!
The gate swung open instantly.
Silence.
The wind blew.
A tiny leaf drifted past Aaron's face.
Noel looked back at him with a bright smile.
Noel:
"Oh! It's open, Mr. King. Let's go?" š
Aaron stood completely frozen.
His mouth opened.
Closed.
Opened again.
Aaron:
"š±"
He stared at the open gate as though Noel had just committed treason against his entire royal bloodline.
Aaron:
"ā¦I am the king."
Noel:
"Yes?"
Aaron:
"I am the king of this palace."
Noel:
"Congratulations!" š
Aaron:
"I HAVE MAGIC!"
Noel:
"That's wonderful!" š
Aaron:
"AND YOU OPENED MY PALACE GATE WITH ONE HAND!"
Noel tilted her head innocently.
Noel:
"Maybe the gate likes me?"
Aaron looked at the gate.
Then at Noel.
Then back at the gate.
Aaron's thoughts: I've fought powerful enemies, survived deadly battles, and ruled an entire kingdomā¦
And now I've been defeated by a gate and a woman who doesn't even belong to my era.
Noel stepped through the entrance.
Noel:
"Are you coming, Your Majesty? Or should I ask the gate to carry you inside?" š
Aaron immediately marched after her.
Aaron:
"OI! DON'T YOU DARE INSULT THE KING!"
Noel burst out laughing.
And so, with a humiliated king following behind her, their investigation into the forgotten history of Oseose finally began.
To be continued...