"Mmm-hmmm~~~"
A soft, delicate moan echoed across the large, plush bed.
Long, platinum-blonde curls fell over her skin as she moved. She felt a faint, ticklish sensation. Her reddish-orange eyes slowly opened. Her pupils were shaped like cross-flowers, looking like real blossoms with a touch of charm.
Alice's mind began to clear. She tried to sit up, but—
Aching. Sore. Numb.
Many sensations hit her at once, and she fell back onto the mattress. Frustrated, Alice slapped her slender hand against the chest of the man beside her.
"Sleep, sleep, sleep! Is that all you know how to do? Am I some used-up item? Some old car you can just drive whenever you want? You damn bastard!"
*Alice: Do you really think I wouldn't drag a train away today and make sure you never see your own daughter?*
*Riku: Really? I don't believe you!*
A large hand grabbed Alice's thin waist and pulled her hard. With a startled cry, she was pinned against his chest.
Riku's eyes were half-closed. His black eyes were not normal; they looked like the vast cosmos. If you looked closely, it was as if you could see the entire universe swirling inside them.
"Alice, were you really planning on running off with our daughter?" Riku asked with a playful smile.
Alice's body went stiff. She forced a sweet smile. "Of course not, darling. How could I let our daughter be born without her father around~~~"
*Riku: Really? Is that what you meant just now?*
*Alice: Darling, you must have misread me!* [Nodding earnestly.jpg]
She was defeated. Completely defeated.
There was no helping it. Alice was a famous Witch of the Hexenzirkel and a rare Elf. She was so powerful that she could barely find an opponent in all of Teyvat. Yet, when she was with her man, she felt weak. She felt like she might break into pieces if things kept going like this. She was no match for him.
After some playful arguing, the two finally got out of bed. Riku was usually gentle, but the recent situation—"Not enough," "Still hungry"—was too much! Any man would be pushed to his limit. Riku had to teach Alice a lesson.
On a large, soft sofa, Riku leaned back. Alice lounged in his arms, playing with his long, black hair. She flipped over and sprawled out on his lap. She blinked her beautiful eyes and purred, "Darling~~~"
"What is it?" Riku narrowed his eyes.
When a child is quiet, they are usually up to no good. He knew his partner well. Her personality was very mischievous. She was using a sweet, gentle tone out of nowhere. He didn't even need to ask what was happening.
"Oh, come on~~~"
"Speak properly."
"I just..."
"I'll agree to it."
"Hehe~~~"
The clever witch had won again. Alice sat up on Riku's lap. She cupped his face in her hands, forcing him to look at her.
Riku chuckled. "Go on, then. As long as it's not something dangerous, I'll agree."
"I want to go explor—"
"No."
Riku stopped her immediately. Exploration? Explore what? Their daughter had been in the womb for nearly 136 years and was about to be born. How could he let her go on an adventure now?
"Damn it!" Alice puffed out her cheeks.
Riku smiled. She was a stunning beauty who acted like a queen, yet she always behaved like a spoiled child.
"It's been two hundred years! I haven't been on an adventure in two hundred years!" Alice started to throw a tantrum.
*sob sob sob~~~*
*Alice: I see it now, darling! You just want to keep me hidden away in a golden cage!*
Riku watched her, amused, even as she jumped up and pointed at him.
"I've already finished researching the 'Gate of the Universe.' Once our daughter is born, we can go explore. How about that?" What else could he do? Pregnant women were like this; he had to be patient.
"Really?!"
"Really."
Alice's eyes sparkled. She was a lively witch who had once managed to make "Hilichurls self-sufficient." Staying home for two centuries was hard for her. If not for her love for him and her maternal instincts, she would never have stayed!
Alice thought quickly. She sat back down and asked, "Darling, does that mean the end of the universe can be stopped soon?"
"It's difficult." As the Lord of the Universe, even Riku found this hard.
Usually, as a universe grows, if it cannot advance, it will move toward extinction. However, when a universe ends, it leaves behind a "Seed of the Universe." This seed gives birth to a new one. This happens over and over until a breakthrough is made.
Riku's situation was special. When he arrived, he found a dying universe giving birth to its "Seed of the Universe." As the last living being, he became the "Lord of the Universe."
Riku had tried to leave for a new universe, but this broken one was also dying. He wanted to leave, but Alice, who had also arrived from another world, had stayed with him. And then? Heh~~~
While Riku and Alice were together, this dying universe attached itself to them, too.
Damn it. This universe had mistaken Riku for the true "Lord of the Universe." It wasn't that Riku couldn't leave, but he would have to "cut off his own flesh." He would have to give up seventy percent of his power. That would be a joke!
So, there was no choice. Riku had to accept it. *Fine, let's do it. As long as it hasn't fully ended, we can fix it.*
In the end, it wasn't a bad thing. If he just acted as a "universe" to birth a new one, it would be a very slow and difficult path.
But now? Saving this universe while growing his own "Seed of the Universe" was like 1+1=100. It was exhausting, but Riku felt the reward was worth it.