_________

Yue set her thermos down on the table in front of her.

She didn’t know how much time had passed, but she knew that it felt like an eternity without John beside her.

‘Because you don’t know, do you? While you were worrying about him, he went and fulfilled those young girls’ dreams. What happened to fulfilling yours about having a family together?’

Yue shook her head. “…It’s understandable. I had been too clingy and desperate. No matter how tolerant Husband is, even he would need some space with how I acted.”

Monopolizing his attention, ignoring everything else, baring her body and trying to charm him at every opportunity… Acting more bold than even the lewdest courtesan…

‘And that wasn’t enough, was it? And look, with that space you gave him, others went to fill it. That cute young girl who stares at him with bright eyes. That competent young woman who stares at him with desire… Are you sure he won’t change his mind now that he found someone new?”

Yue stood up and clamped her hands over her ears. “Shut up, shut up, shut up!” She squeezed her eyes shut and said, “You’re not real!”

‘Am I not?’

It was dark. Yue had shut her eyes. Even so, she could see her.

A beautiful young woman with flowing green hair and matching eyes. Elegant, serene… And one with a vicious and haughty smile that looked down on everything. She turned her nose up at Yue and then laughed.

‘Maybe you’re right. But I *was* real. Or did you forget how many women you made cry? How many tears you trampled on as you forced them to sign promissory notes?’

Yue flinched and opened her eyes.

The young woman… No, her younger self was gone. But she could still hear that cold and mocking voice.

‘Well, most of it was fine. John only had a passing encounter with them and he didn’t care for most of them. But those three… You knew full well, didn’t you? Those two, he cared like his own children. That one, he promised to protect since she was targeted by everything in the world. And then you came along and-“

“I said shut up!”

Yue threw her hands out, sending her spiritual energy to sever the karmic threads nearby. To get rid of the bad karma binding those three girls. But-

‘That doesn’t change anything~ You can cut the connections but what you did still remains.’

Yue staggered back and shook her head. “I-I…!”

‘Tell me, Tian Yue. Why you? Why do you think you deserve to be with John? What makes you think you’ve earned his affection? What makes you so special over all the other women in existence?’

Yue’s heart ran cold and she felt her stomach twist with regret. But then she felt something else stir in her stomach. A soft and quiet warmth.

Feeling that, Yue slowly sat back down on the chair. Taking a deep breath to calm down, she lowered her head and lightly rubbed her belly. “…I’m sorry, little one. Mommy is fine.”

The baby moved around for a while longer, but it eventually settled down.

Yue smiled and hugged her belly and the child within. But as she did, a faint pang of guilt passed her heart.

She couldn’t help but think of it now. A child born from her selfishness. One born because she selfishly stopped John from seeing anyone else. And while it was proof of their love, her love… that love was twisted.

Wasn’t it?

Alpha and Beta smiled at her and called her mother, but they didn’t know her vicious thoughts about them in the beginning. They didn’t know the reason why she sent them away to begin with. The reason she hid with a lie so well that she started to believe it herself.

And then there was Meggie. Her other child with John that she selfishly kept to herself and prevented from seeing other people because she didn’t want her perfect child to be tainted. But she hid it under the guise of concern.

Someone who did that… was going to become a true mother…?

Yue started to tear up.

‘Oh, so you’re just crying now, are you? How weak. What happened to the perfect jade princess back then? The one who John fell in love with? What will he think of you now, so flawed and twisted?’

“I-I…! I…!!!”

A sudden distortion in space.

Yue instinctively looked up, blinking away her tears.

John looked at Yue and then shook his head. But after that he walked over to Yue and knelt down before her. Brushing away her tears, he said, “Sorry, Yue. I didn’t think it would take so long.”

Yue shook her head and let out a wobbly smile. “I-It’s fine.”

Silence, with nothing but John staring into her eyes, a slight frown on his face.

‘See? He knows.’

Yue forcibly ignored the voice and then said, “What was the conversation about, Husband?”

John laughed and scratched the back of his head. “Nothing serious. Just talking about a potential new member of Project MirAIs and arrangements for the girls’ concert.”

‘He’s ly~ing~!’

Yue saw it too. Whenever her husband lied, his smile became one sided. His bright eyes, a bit dimmer. And while he could do so perfectly in front of other people, when in front of her…

Yue bit her lips and then said, “…Is there anything you want to ask me, Husband?”

John laughed and then gave Yue a chaste kiss. “What is there to ask?”

Yue was quiet.

Seeing that, John sighed and then nodded. “Fine. I guess there is one thing I want to ask.”

Yue winced and lowered her head. “…I will answer it truthfully. No matter what.”

“Good. Then…”

Yue’s heart raced in her chest.

“…What do you want to have for dinner?”

Yue froze and then looked up. “W-What?”

John shrugged and said, “It’s getting late and it’s cold, so I was thinking we could have a relaxing dinner and then wind down… But I need to know what you want first to make it. So, what do you want for dinner?”

A casual and nonchalant response. Warm eyes that had nothing within them except for her and a soft smile that seemed to accept everything about her. That didn’t judge her for anything at all.

Yue felt guilty about it. Even so, seeing that again washed away the tension and worry she was feeling. And with that gone, she laughed. A laugh of pure relief, followed by the first words on her mind. “You are the same as always, Husband.”

‘And you are too, aren’t you, Tian Yue?’

John smiled and patted Yue’s head. “And I love you too, Wifey. Now, about dinner?”

Yue hesitated and then said, “…You can make whatever you desire, Husband. If it is from you… I will accept whatever you give me.”

‘Hoh~ Trying to take responsibility? But can you?’

John hummed and then said, “In that case, I can make… Yeah, that seems like a good idea. But…” He took a look at the kitchen and said, “This place is definitely too small. So… Here.” He grabbed Yue’s hand and stood up. “Come with me.”

Yue nodded and stood up with John.

He smiled and said, “Don’t let go now, okay?”

Yue subconsciously clenched his hand tighter and said, “I won’t.”

He nodded and then the surroundings blurred. When they came back into focus, the apartment had been replaced by an industrial kitchen, filled with cutting edge appliances. The one that John made in the basement of Myth Inc. HQ.

John led Yue to a chair by the countertop and said, “Take a seat here, okay? I’ll make sure to make the best meal you’ve ever had to make up for cutting our date short.”

“…You don’t have to do that much.”

John flicked his hand, causing his clothes to change into a red Chinese suit and black pants. He rolled up his sleeves and then grabbed the black apron hanging nearby before tossing it on. After that, he looked back at Yue and smiled. “But I want to. So… Relax. Okay, Wifey?”

“…Okay.”

John smiled and then walked over to wash his hands at the sink.

Yue watched him. And as she did…

‘If only you could wash your hands of your sins just as easily, right?’

…That cold voice whispered to her again.

Yue shivered and then hugged herself, trying to stay warm.

—–AI|IA—–

John’s office.

Bai growled and slammed his fist on the desk again. “It’s unforgiveable! John didn’t even care!”

Qing poured a cup of tea and then slid it over to Bai. “Relax and calm down first, Bai.”

The White Tiger knocked the cup of tea down and jumped to his feat. “Relax?! How the hell am I supposed to relax!?” Bai jabbed a finger at Qing and said, “That guy- That bastard! Argh!” He ran his hands through his hair and said, “I respected him, but after this?!”

Qing poured another cup of tea and set it down on the table. “I know.”

“Zhuque didn’t just force herself to reincarnate! She shattered her truesoul and forged a new one! The Vermillion Bird will never be born again, and the kind sister we knew…!”

Qing nodded. “I know.”

Bai spun back around to Qing and slammed his fist on the table again, causing the tea cup to jump and splash the table. Growling, he said, “You heartless bastard! How are you sitting there and just saying ‘I know’?!”

Qing was silent. Instead of responding, he poured himself a cup of tea and then raised it to his mouth with his left hand, taking a sip.

“ANSWER ME, QING!”

Qing slammed his cup down. The porcelain shattered, cutting Qing’s hand and sending blood flying.

Bai froze.

“…I know. I know, dammit!” Qing trembled and lowered his head. “I know that it’s wrong. I know that John isn’t listening. And I know that we shouldn’t just let this stand… But what are we going to do?” Qing slammed his bloody hand on the table and said, “She’s already gone, Bai! She’s gone, but Miss Suzume is here. At the least… At the least we have to take care of her. And we can’t do that if we go against John.”

Bai clenched his fists and then said, “Dammit… I knew the Jade Princess was cold, but to force someone to reincarnate just because they loved the man she married…”

Qing laughed. “She is cold indeed.” He looked up at Bai and said, “Did you know? Little Xuan and Little Wu is here as well.”

“What?!”

Qing looked out the window at the blizzard happening outside and said, “I heard it from Lady Daji. John freed them from that curse and resentment, taking them in as his own children. And yet, they were sealed away again after the Jade Princess went to talk to them when she married John.”

Bai slammed the table again. This time, it shattered, sending his tea cup and shattered fragments from the one Qing destroyed flying into the air. “Why would John marry a woman like that?!”

“…I think he doesn’t know.”

Bai paused and then slowly nodded. “…That might be true. The Timeless Savant might be good at most things, but when it came to women he was always known as the Idiot Savant… But so what?”

Qing was quiet. And then he nodded and stood up. “We have to tell him. Since we’re his servants, we have to act accordingly. And when a Master is on the wrong path, it’s up to his servants to lead him back.”

“…And if he doesn’t listen? Weren’t you just saying how we have to take care of Suzume?”

Qing hesitated. But then he shook his head and said, “This time… This time we have to act. It’s risky, but it’s too dangerous to just ignore it.”

“Heh.” Bai chuckled and said, “And here I was thinking you’d just be a snake like usual.”

“Every dragon has its reverse scale, Bai.”

“Mm. Then I need to call Eri first.”

Qing nodded. “I should call Sitri as well. Fortunately, Chihiro’s interview went smoothly so those matters are settled.” He muttered and then reached for his phone.

Bai looked at Qing’s hand and said, “Take care of that first.”

“Ah. Thank you, Bai.” Qing nodded and then started healing his bleeding hand.

“You’re welcome. And take care of yourself. I… don’t want to lose another one of us.”

“…I know- Hm?”

Bai blinked. “What?”

Qing looked down and muttered, “It seems our Master has returned to cook a meal for his beloved wife. And that he’s going so far as to use his full powers to do so.”

Bai narrowed his eyes. “…Let’s go have another chat with our Boss then. And Miss Yue as well.”

—–AI|IA—–

Space cracked. The Heavenly Realm that Zhaojun overlaid onto the apartment shattered as she ran out of power, sending the three sisters back into the apartment.

Xuannu dusted off her clothes and stared at Zhaojun. “Do you yield?”

Daji pursed her lips and then said, “That’s enough Zhaozhao. We… I don’t want to hurt you.”

“…” Zhaojun slowly raised her body. Her clothes were ripped and cuts riddled her snowy skin, staining it red. The swords she used were gone, shattered except for the hilts she still clutched in a death grip. “…Not… yet…”

Xuannu shook her head. “…I don’t get it.” She stared at Zhaojun and said, “You love Johnny, don’t you? Why don’t you agree?”

“…Because…” Zhaojun took a deep breath and then straightened, glaring at the two. “You two are just in love with him. You do not really love him… No. You two do not understand what it truly means to love someone.”

Daji growled. “You don’t know anything about how I feel!”

Zhaojun laughed. “And those words are how I know you still do not love him. Love is not a feeling. It is an action.” She shook her head and said, “To love someone is to accept and support that person even through the pain and the sorrow, not just revel in those heady feelings and emotions.”

“…Whatever.” Xuannu spun around and looked at Daji. “Zhaojun can’t move anyway… And it looks like Johnny’s gone back to his office building. Let’s go, Daji.”

Daji nodded, but then stared at Zhaojun. She sighed and then waved her hand, healing the black-haired beauty’s wounds and fixing her clothes. After that, she let out a small smile and said, “Let’s end it here, Zhaozhao.”

Zhaojun was quiet. She stared at the two woman, still clinging onto her sword hilts. But then she let out a deep sigh and let them go. “Very well. But… I will tell you now that you are making a mistake.”

Xuannu snorted. “We’ll see about that. Now come on. We shouldn’t let that princess get too comfortable.”

—–AI|IA—–

At an office building near Akihabara. There, Beta looked up from her laptop, staring in the direction of Myth Inc. HQ.

“Hm?” Emily Nova brushed her orange hair and said, “Is something wrong, Mistress?”

Sakura looked up from her laptop as well and frowned. “Yeah, Betty. Something happened?”

Ichiro Torabu froze in the middle of drawing something on his tablet. He started to sweat and said, “I-I didn’t forget something else, did I?”

Beta smiled. “No. I just… understood a bit more about what love can be.”

Emily tilted her head.

Beta’s smile widened and she shook her head. “Nothing. Now… Do we have the demo prepared for Comiket? We are only a few weeks away…”

—–AI|IA—–

In another building in Akihabara, a certain mad scientist managed to slip away from his technically nieces, actually adopted goddaughters, and the two yakuza legends employed by his other self.

Sitting in the bathroom, Titor put on his VR headset and looked towards Myth Inc. HQ.

And when seeing what was happening there, Titor shook his head and muttered, “You really need to have a proper sit down with everyone, John. The only person who can read your mind is me, you know? Actions speak louder than words, but they also need to be translated… And a lot is lost in translation.”