She heard a 'thunk' and looked up, not knowing what he had tossed in, and asked in a muffled voice, "What are you doing?"
He said, "Making a wish."
"I want to make a wish too."
Then she watched Ruka search through every pocket on his body but couldn't find a single Star Coin.
"If you don't have one, just forget it." She only said it casually.
But Ruka picked up the jacket from her head and then took off a badge from his military uniform.
"Throw this."
She took the badge. Though small, it felt heavy in her palm. It was shaped like a golden star with five horizontal bars embedded beside it. She didn't understand what it symbolized but sensed its value, so she kept shaking her head.
"I don't have any wishes left. Let's go back."
Seeing she absolutely refused to throw it, Ruka took off another badge from his uniform, tossed it into the fountain like a coin, then closed his eyes. After a moment, he opened them again.
Curiosity got the better of her. "What did you wish for?"
"Interstellar peace."
Are people this noble, really?
Her eyes widened. The man's dead-serious look left her stunned, and she even forgot to cry.
She glanced at the badge in her hand. In the end, she couldn't bear to throw it away. Instead, she held it tight and silently made her wish in her heart. As she closed her eyes, Ruka turned his head to gaze at her, unaware of the gentleness in his eyes.
Seeing Suisui's mood had settled and she tried to return the badge, he spoke first: "If you've made a wish, you have to keep it." Then he picked her up and strode forward.
"I can walk on my own."
"Your heels are a bit high. Next time, you can walk by yourself."
On the way, neither of them spoke. Suisui relaxed, breathing in his scent, and, inexplicably, felt drowsy.
She wanted to ask about the injury on his face, but then remembered he had a fiancée. Even if she could receive his care now, she ought to keep their boundaries clear. So she yawned and said, "What did my test results say?"
Ruka stopped for a moment and looked down at her.
"You... are an Ancient Human."
...It sounded like she'd suddenly become some kind of artifact.
But when her identity was revealed, Qiao Suisui didn't panic much. Instead, she began to weigh the practical issues.
"Yeah. So what will you do with me?"
Ruka was startled. "I won't do anything to you, and no one else will either. Suisui, your existence is a blessing for the interstellar world." And for me, too. He didn't voice that last part.
"No one will dissect me in a lab?"
"That would be a serious crime — gene elimination."
"And no one will lock me up and make me perform live online?"
"Exploiting Ancient Humans for illegal profit gets you kicked out of the Federation."
"Then... I won't be forced out of your secondary palace either?"
Ruka's expression grew tense. "Did someone do something to you?"
"No, I just... feel so different from all of you. I'm an oddity, aren't I? No spiritual power, no talent, and I can't calm whatever rampage factor like other females."
Hearing this, Ruka wanted to pull her tightly into his arms, but at last he only gently tightened his hold and softened his voice: "That's exactly why you're the most precious. What you have, we don't. I swear on the honor of the Sikoses Family, I will never let anyone harm you."
...Or our child.
Suisui looked at him. That handsome face usually seemed expressionless, but while he gazed at her now, a tenderness hard to describe appeared. She quickly covered her chest, afraid her heartbeat would be too loud for him to hear.
Maybe it was relief, but on the way back she fell asleep in Ruka's arms.
...
"About this tall, ridiculously pretty, pale as moonlight — you can see her at a glance in a crowd... She's been missing for ten minutes! Ten minutes and you're still asking me stupid questions!"
"Sir, calm down. You don't mean that female over there, do you?"
Leberli followed the policeman's finger and saw the person he'd reported missing was nestled in Ruka's arms, covered by the man's military jacket, looking tired.
He immediately rushed over to check Suisui's condition.
"She's asleep," Ruka said.
Leberli confirmed she was okay before shooting Ruka a mocking look. "What, want to get beaten up again?"
Ruka hadn't really left the hospital at all. He just didn't want Suisui to see the injury on his face, so he'd been hiding in the shadows, trailing them. From Leberli buying her clothes to their conversation about partners, Ruka had been there all along.
"What exactly do you want? Two-timing? Sikoses, you can't keep taking everything for yourself."
"This isn't the time for that. Take her back."
The two unconsciously lowered their voices, but it didn't make the tension any less sharp.
Only when Qiao Suisui wasn't watching did Ruka stop hiding his emotions. He gently handed her to Leberli, tucked the jacket around her, and never took his eyes off her.
Leberli shot him a dirty look and asked, "When are you going to tell her about the pregnancy?"
"Wait a bit more. I need to prepare ahead of time."
"You mean regarding the Princess?"
"Yeah. If the Royal Family finds out, Suisui will be in trouble."
Getting another female pregnant before the ceremony was sheer humiliation for the Royal Family. More than that, it implicated the entire Sikoses Family, and he couldn't let them suffer for his sake — nor could he stand to see Suisui hurt because of him.
Leberli evidently thought of this too. "If you ask me, you should just accept your fate as the Princess's partner and stop showing up in front of Suisui. I'll treat her and the child well, you—"
Before he could finish, Ruka's released pressure throttled his throat. In that instant, Leberli saw real murderous intent in his eyes.
"Leberli, I won't let some other male raise my child. Between me and her, we don't need you to play the good guy."
Leberli sneered, "So what's your plan? Betray the Sikoses Family? Break off your engagement with the Royal Family and Princess?"
He'd meant it as a joke, but after saying it, he saw Ruka's calm face and determined look and was stunned.
"You aren't seriously planning to do that, are you?"
All their lives, Ruka had always been the cautious one, the more exceptional one, heir of the Sikoses Family, never allowed to make mistakes. Leberli was the one for direct action, always acting before thinking, his rebellious streak shaped by the Royal Family's neglect — indulging himself on purpose, until adulthood mellowed him somewhat.
"Even if she's pregnant with your kid, I won't give up," Leberli said.
"Is it really because she's the one you want, or is it just that anything I have, you need to have too?"
Leberli froze, unable to respond.
Ruka gently gazed at the sleeping figure in his arms, tenderly arranging a strand of hair at her ear, then dropped his hand, face blank again. He never looked at Leberli again—he left in absolute silence.