Return of the Legendary Runesmith-Chapter 491 - 489- Adorable sight

[A few minutes earlier]

"Nope. I never said anything like that. I just slammed him to the ground and finished it," Ariana said, chewing what looked like her fifth bun of the night.

"Damn, that’s so like you," Annabelle hummed in surprise, licking the chocolate jam clean from her spoon. "Darling was there too?"

Ariana nodded. "He looked like he was on the verge of killing him once he heard what that creep did."

Ruby smiled coldly. "He deserved it. Men forcing their desires on women are the worst." She took another bite of cream bread after speaking.

Ariana hesitated. "Have you ever received a confession like that before?"

Annabelle snickered. "Ask her about the numbers. From what she’s told me, Ruby has broken over two dozen hearts since she was twelve."

Ariana was shocked. "Twelve? Well, I can tell you must have been quite beautiful and admired even as a kid."

Ruby rolled her eyes. "I feel like half of them were courting me because of my background. And well, they were all quite nasty and two-faced."

Ruby had truly awful experiences with confessions, with people going far beyond normal just to show how much they wanted to date her or make her theirs.

Ariana took the spoon from Annabelle and tasted some jam before asking, "So you never dated anyone?"

Ruby shook her head. "I did have some close friends, but dating never crossed my mind." She exhaled softly. "I always wanted my partner to impress me with their wits and intelligence, not their strength or looks."

Annabelle chuckled. "And yet you got attracted to Darling because of his looks."

Ruby protested, "Hey, I noticed him because he was the only one in the runesmithing tools shop who sounded rational."

Ariana chuckled. "You remember your first meeting with him, huh?"

Ruby shrugged. "Not like you’ve forgotten anything about him, unless it’s from the phase when he used to bully you."

Annabelle chimed in, "I wonder how Darling used to behave before that witch ruined his life."

The witch in question was Adrian’s academy bully, Sarah.

Ariana hummed, then shed some light on their past. "Cruel, straightforward, sharp-tongued, rough, and very energetic."

She had summed up everything the young Adrian once was.

He was not evil, but even when his intentions were good, he relied on brute and cruel methods that left Ariana teary-eyed and fuming.

Ruby finished chewing her bun, crumbs falling onto the sheet that no one minded, before asking, "What about Anna? What are your favorite moments with Adrian?"

Annabelle tilted her head. Taking the pillow onto her lap, she said, "Well, I’ve lived through two phases with him. As Avirin, he was quite reserved and always kept his distance. Still, I remember a few moments clearly, like when he baked a cake for me or when he stayed by my side all night after I caught a cold. Those were truly wholesome moments."

Her cheeks turning crimson, she added, "But in this life, I’ve experienced something different with him, not just a familial bond, but something deeper. Recently, we even shared a rather romantic moment in a strange place, a blanket wrapped around us as we sat peacefully near the campsite."

Hearing her words, Ruby could not help but mumble, "I’m kind of jealous." She glanced at Ariana and then Annabelle before adding, "You two have spent so much time with him, and here I barely even get the chance to ask if he could come over."

Ariana smiled fondly at the girl and said, "None of us is truly free, Ruby, and all of us want to spend time with him. So rather than hesitating and overthinking, think about how you can be with him, even if it’s just for an hour or a day. Don’t keep stopping yourself."

Annabelle nodded eagerly. "Yes, yes. I always tell her to use her usual style and go aggressive with Darling, or she’ll remain stuck in the first phase with him."

Ariana’s eyes widened slightly. "First phase?" She turned toward Ruby and asked, "You two kissed?" Her tone carried surprise rather than shock, which greatly relieved Ruby.

Though she felt a little shy, Ruby nodded in confirmation.

Just as Ariana was about to react to the revelation, a silver brilliance scattered across the room, and before them appeared the very man they had been talking about.

The three of them froze in place, with Ariana being the most shocked of all.

She was wearing a childish nightdress, her face smeared with all the nonsense they had been eating throughout the night.

Ruby reacted much the same. Whenever they met, she always took extra care with her appearance, but right now...

Adrian froze as well, though only for a moment. His gaze fell on Ariana, and her appearance melted his heart instantly. "Ah, you should’ve told me to prepare my heart. I wasn’t ready for so much cuteness."

Ariana’s cheeks turned red, words refusing to form on her lips.

Then he turned to Ruby and said, "Pink really suits you. Mind if I pinch your cheeks?"

Ruby wanted to bury her face in the pillow or dig a hole and disappear. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

This was far more difficult than she had imagined.

Annabelle grinned. "Eheh, what about me, Darling?"

Adrian smiled at the girl who had tied her hair into twin buns and was wearing gray and white pajamas. "I might need this Annabelle to help me recover from my exhaustion from time to time. Now come here and give me a hug."

Giggling, she hopped into his arms, her legs dangling to the side as she wrapped an arm around his neck and snuggled her face against it.

SNIFF SNIFF

After taking a few sniffs, Annabelle pouted and began rubbing herself against him. "Stupid woman’s scent..." she muttered under her breath.

Adrian clearly heard her but chose to ignore it for now. He turned toward the two fidgeting women and asked, "Was I not supposed to see this adorable sight? Should I leave?"

"No!" "No, that’s not..." They both reacted at once, as if Adrian would disappear instantly if they hesitated even for a moment.

They both glanced at each other once before Ariana sighed and said, "I-well, I thought it would be better to make a few changes from time to time."

Ruby nodded, "Here, please help yourself." She offered her face.

Adrian grinned and leaned forward. While holding Annabelle with mana—which she didn’t notice, currently busy rubbing herself on him—and pinched the soft cheeks of his fiancée.

Once done, he said, "Now, since you all seemed to have enjoyed quite enough, should we get prepared for the day."

Annabelle flinched while the other two’s eyes widened as they both turned to the window...and indeed, some warm sunlight had begun to pour into the room.

At that moment, the three of them realized that today was going to be quite long.