"You know, Lydia… Jealousy is an ugly thing."


    Yue’s reply raised the temperature, though not for a good reason. Battered in excitement, the girls flushed furiously while watching the fight unfold. Even Carmen, who had long passed the age where trivialities like matters of the heart would affect her, had one of her eyes open, eager to watch the show.


    "Jealousy… Yes, I guess you could call me jealous."


    Lydia didn’t deny Yue’s im, but rather, she fully admitted her feelings. In matters of the heart, there was no such thing as rationality. Facing her feelings head-on would be much faster than cowering in fear.


    "I’m jealous that you met Amon earlier than I did. I would have taken your ce if the timing were slightly different."


    "Taken my ce, haha. You’re funny."


    @@novelbin@@


    Yue brushed her silvery white hair, showing the utmost confidence in her position. It was as if Lydia’s threats were nothing more than a breeze in the wind. She didn’t feel offended either, as it was expected that a man of Amon’s calibre would have attracted multipledies. Hence, Yue just nced at Lydia and asked:


    "And what makes you think Amon would choose you over me?"


    "I see the way he looks at you sometimes. He looks like an animal trapped in a cage."


    Aside from Yue, Lydia was likely the only person who observed Amon in such detail. Though she never crossed any boundaries, her intense focus on anything rted to him could easily be misinterpreted as stalker-like behaviour. However, this vignt attention allowed Lydia to notice things about Amon that no one else did—such as the subtle unease in his expressions whenever Yue attempted physical affection, or how he would instinctively distance himself if she overstepped his boundaries.


    They were all signs of a one-sided rtionship where one party was unwilling.


    Of course, that was all just Lydia’s conjecture from her observations, but nevertheless, her ims did raise some eyebrows in the hot springs, particrly Amon’s little sister, Arya.


    No one understood Amon and Yue’s rtionship better than Arya. In her mind, there was no question about Yue’s deep love for her brother. If any uncertainty existed, it woulde from Amon’s side. Despite being engaged for nearly a decade, Amon rarely treated Yue like a lover. To an outside observer, his demeanour toward her resembled that of a business partner more than that of a future spouse.


    But Yue never once felt that way.


    "Trapped in a cage… Don’t be silly; if anyone is trapped, it would be me."


    "What?"


    "You don’t know anything, huh? About Amon, about love."


    Yue was mentally double Lydia’s age. To her, arguing with an infatuated girl about matters of the heart was simply childish. But, since Lydia wasing at her straight on, Yue would answer in kind.


    "Why do you like Amon Sris? Is it his overwhelming strength? Or is it because he saved you before?"


    "That…"


    "What you have for Amon isn’t love. But just a foolish crush."


    The ethereal beauty didn’t wait for Lydia to gather her thoughts—Yue already knew the answer. Like a devoted fan idolising a star, Lydia had idealised Amon as a wless being incapable of error. Her infatuation had clouded her perception of reality, making her extol him as the only man for her.


    And yet, Lydia knew nothing about the real Amon Sris.


    Did she know his goals? His beliefs? Or even what he likes?


    No, Lydia did not. All she had was a persistent crush that had grown with her since childhood. And since she had never experienced what it was like to be with Amon, her fantasies had grown to ridiculous proportions.


    Which was what made her lose control.


    "Y-You don’t know that! I’m sure if I could be with Amon, I would make him happy!"


    "Be with Amon? Don’t make meugh!"


    For perhaps the first time in front of others, Yue let out a derisive snort. She had always seemed to embody perfection—not as a facade, but simply because little outside of Amon truly captured her interest. The other girls were stunned, witnessing this unguarded glimpse of Yue’s true self.


    Yue may be far more mature than Lydia, but even the best humans had a breakpoint. For Yue, it was the idea of Amon embracing another woman other than herself.


    "There’s only so much insolence I can tolerate…"


    Uncharacteristically, Yue lost her temper. Her ruby eyes red at Lydia as a wave of dominant mana surged in the hot springs. At that moment, Lydia felt like the entire world had constricted against her body. First, she lost control over her senses as the world went dark. The weight of the dimensions seemed to fold upon her, and her mind was sent into an abyss. In a daze, the youngss began to hallucinate as nightmares broke into her mind.


    Images of a wartornndscape, where death and destruction loomed, dominated Lydia’s mind. Transported into a new universe, she saw countless dead bodies littered on the ground. Corpse towers and rivers of blood streamed in the forsaken battlefield as survivors wept tragically for their fallen brethren.


    Everywhere Lydia turned, she was engulfed by death. The world around her was bleak and deste, shrouded in darkness, with the acrid stench of blood hanging heavy in the air. Despair permeated everything, an oppressive force in this post-apocalyptdscape. The sight was iprehensible for Lydia, ustomed to peace and prosperity—a nightmare beyond her imagination.


    Luckily, she didn’t have to stay in this dream for much longer.


    Reality shattered, and her consciousness returned to the hot springs. nked out, it took a while for Lydia to catch her breath and observe her surroundings. The first thing she saw was the side profile of Yue’s face. Her ruby eyes that seemed to reflect the world were now directed at a new foe, a Grand Commander of the Sris House.


    Carmen pointed her fingers at Yue as if threatening to gouge her eyeballs out of their sockets at any moment. Being a Sun Knight with seven Suns condensed, Carmen was near the peak of humanity’s strength. Few in the world could stand up to her, and many simply bowed their heads in fear.


    Yet, Yue showed no such behaviour. Instead, she looked rxed as she stared straight at the Grand Commander of the ck Order.


    "I’m surprised! Did you manage to feel that?"


    "Yue Elune… What are you?"


    Beads of perspiration dripped down Carmen’s face as her golden eyes betrayed a look of shock. She couldn’t believe the power that Yue had just disyed. The mana control and dominant ability of Yue surpassed anything she’d ever felt before, and more importantly… The absolute superiority of her eyes, as if there were no equal to her under the heavens.


    Carmen was beyond stunned. She’d always believed that Amon was the greatest genius of the generation. A monster that couldn’t be equalled, even by the newest Hero. But this one exchange between Yue and herself changed her mind.


    The real monster… was right before her eyes.


    "Me? I’m just a girl in love."


    Releasing her mana, Yue stood up and exited the pool with a helpless sigh. Reflecting, she said: "I apologise for making amotion. It seems like I have made a fool of myself. I shall return to our room."


    As Yue left the hot springs, she rified that she wasn’t returning to her own room but to the one she shared with Amon. Like a wolf marking its territory, she was staking her im, ensuring everyone understood that Amon was hers and hers alone.


    As for the girls remaining in the hot springs, they all shared one singr thought.


    ’Yue Elune is dangerous!’


    ???


    [Yue’s POV]


    Ahhh, I’m so childish. I lost control of myself against a mere child.


    I knew for the longest time that Lydia was interested in Amon, but I didn’t expect to lose my temper so quickly. Am I such an easy person to trigger? No, it’s just matters with Amon that can get my heart. Such a sinful man…


    It wasn’t long until I reached my room and noticed signs of movement within it. Unknowingly, my lips curled upwards as my feet shuffled hurriedly to the door. And sure enough…


    "You’re back?"


    Amon’s manly voice beckoned to me within the room. Seeing my beloved waiting for me in a hotel room set my heart aze. Although we were sleeping on separate beds tonight, it doesn’t change that we’re sharing the same room—a few years back, it would have been unthinkable for Amon to allow such a scenario to happen.


    It was proof that my efforts had changed him, albeit slightly.


    In the eight years I’ve been with him, we never once progressed to the stage of lovers. Not even the puppy love that young children shared. No kissing, no hand-holding… and, of course, we hadn’t done anything sexual.


    Some ten-year-olds would look at our rtionship and think we’re slow.


    But there was no helping it. Amon was a slow learner. Even in my previous timeline, it took years of experiencing life and death together before Amon would even think about opening up about his past. This time, progress was slower because of how peaceful our lives were, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t any.


    The fact that I’m in this room alone with him is proof of that.


    "I felt dizzy in the baths, so I returned earlier."


    I twirled my hair and casually headed towards his bed. Amon raised his brow but didn’t stop me from sitting beside him. Before I entered the room, he stared out the window as always. I’d asked him countless times before what he was thinking about, and the answer was the same each time.


    How to save the world?


    "I see… Do you require healing?"


    "No, just a moment out of the heat would do."


    "That’s good."


    I couldn’t help but smile at his obvious concern for me. Perhaps it was simply a friend looking out for another, but hearing the worry in his voice still warmed my heart. At that moment, it felt like he genuinely cared for me as a husband would for his wife.


    It would be even better if he took on more responsibilities expected of a husband.


    Was it so hard to give a wee-back kiss?!


    "Now that we’re alone, shall we discuss the matters of the Foolish Lich?"


    "Tch, zero points."


    "... What?"


    "Moments like these are rare toe by! We seldom get a day off, so shouldn’t we just rx and enjoy each other’spany?"


    "... fine."


    Fortunately, Amon wasn’t such a stuck-up. He sighed, but didn’t press the matter too much. Rather, he nced out the window once more, his mind probably wondering on the next course of action again.


    Hah… Why on earth did I fall for a fool like him?


    With a huff, I threw my head on his shoulder and embraced his left arm. Amon’s body twitched a little but he didn’t deny my touch. ncing down at the crown of my head, he asked:


    "Yue?"


    "I’m tired, just indulge me today… okay?"


    "Fine…"


    Gaining his permission, I nuzzled my head deeper into Amon’s shoulder.


    Ahhh… Now I remember…


    Why did I send my consciousness across time… Why did I preserve so hard… Why did I sacrifice everything…


    It was for moments like these.