Chapter Fifty-Six: Untitled

Mayoona was squatting under a tree, bored, counting ants, while Ryan leaned against a pillar, motionless, gazing intently at the metal house. As the hinges creaked, the door slowly opened, and the metallic structure began to revert back to branches. Ruby and Tinasia emerged, pushing a mobile hospital bed.

"Is it over already? That was fast," Mayoona remarked, quickly approaching Ruby, curiosity lighting her eyes as she peered at the slumbering Emperor. Ryan, on the other hand, only relaxed after confirming that the Emperor's vital signs were perfectly healthy. His interest in Ruby deepened, and his linear pupils, previously soft, now brimmed with urgency and agitation. Ruby grew visibly uncomfortable under such a gaze, and Mayoona noticed, stepping in front of Ryan to shield him. Realizing his own lapse in composure, the golden Sword Lion offered Ruby an apologetic smile.

Led by Tinasia, Ruby wheeled the Emperor back to his bedchamber. After settling him onto the bed, she administered an IV drip under the pained gaze of the onlookers. Mayoona, however, seemed used to it, remarking that post-surgery care was equally important. During the procedure, Ruby had discovered that people from this world possessed far sturdier constitutions than those from Earth, yet it was still necessary to wait for the body to resume normal functioning.

"Tinasia, from here on it's just a matter of rest. If anything comes up, come find me at once," Ruby said, knowing that Tinasia could handle the rest. She was a clever girl, unlikely to overlook anything important.

"Thank you," Tinasia replied, nodding sincerely. After all that had happened, Ruby was no longer simply Mayoona's friend in her eyes; from any angle, she felt compelled to understand him better.

"Now that everything's settled, we should be going," Mayoona interjected just as Ruby was about to speak again. She glanced up to see three people hurrying toward them. Without another word, she whisked Ruby away using spatial magic. As they vanished, Ruby distinctly caught Tinasia’s shocked expression, as if to say, ‘Mayoona, you set me up!’

"Who were those people?" Ruby asked, recalling the trio—a strikingly beautiful woman leading two brothers who looked alike.

"That was Her Majesty the Empress and the two princes. We'll let Tinasia deal with the aftermath," Mayoona replied.

Mayoona disliked trouble and was keenly alert to it; performing surgery on His Majesty, even under her protection, would only invite a barrage of questions from the Empress. As she predicted, Tinasia was now being scolded harshly by her not-quite-biological mother and two older brothers. Even though the surgery had succeeded, for people of this world, such an event was a profound shock to their worldview. No one could easily accept their loved one being inexplicably cut open.

"When are we leaving?" Ruby asked. His tasks in the imperial capital were complete, and he had acquired the resident stone. For someone eager to study, there was nothing left to keep him here. Of course, he wasn’t suggesting leaving immediately—a doctor who abandons their patient is unworthy of the title; he was merely asking about the timing.

"We could leave now, but Rhine Academy’s term hasn’t started yet. Do you want to go back to the little cabin?" Mayoona teased, wagging her finger. As the world’s most famous academy, it followed a strict schedule, and there was still about a month until the new term began.

"..."

"You want to stay, don't you? People always yearn for something grander. After getting used to the splendor of the capital, do you really want to go back to that tiny place in Dris?"

"You see right through me," Ruby admitted, shooting Mayoona a sidelong glance. He couldn’t deny that the sorceress had a point; staying here until the term began wasn’t a bad idea.

"Exactly! So make me something fun to play with, something for two people if you can," Mayoona demanded, extending her fair palm expectantly. She was never shy about asking for things, especially in a place like this, so different from the cramped little cabin—here, they could finally try some toys from another world.

Ruby was always indulgent toward the capricious sorceress. So, the next day when Tinasia returned to Mayoona’s residence, she found Mayoona sprawled across a peculiar table in a rather unladylike pose, her skirt clinging tightly to her hips. The sight made the green-haired princess blush in confusion.

"Nana, you know everyone can see you—shouldn’t a young lady be more careful?"

"So what if they see? I’m surprised you’re even out and about," Mayoona replied unconcernedly, sitting up and gripping a long cue stick in her right hand. Only then did Tinasia notice the table in full—it was a rectangular table with six pockets, scattered with brightly colored balls. Mayoona had just been using the cue to strike them.

"That’s rich coming from you. Yesterday, Mother scolded me to death," Tinasia said with a pitiful expression. Although the Empress wasn’t her biological mother, she had always cared for her, and her two brothers treated her as a cherished little sister. It was thanks to them that Tinasia had grown up healthy and happy, but yesterday the Empress had unleashed her wrath upon her.

"Has your father woken up?"

"Yes. As you instructed, he hasn’t eaten anything yet. Ruby, I know I’ve imposed on you so much, and I feel awful, but I must ask you to come with me. Father wishes to speak with you," Tinasia said, guilt coloring her tone. It seemed as if Ruby had done nothing but help her since arriving in the capital. She longed to be a princess who cared for her people, yet found herself unable to do anything for him. All she could do was find a chance to repay him in the future.

"I’ll stay here. Tinasia, just make sure you bring him back safe and sound," Mayoona declared, uninterested in royal affairs. To her, this game—known as billiards—was clearly more important than anything happening in the palace.

Ruby, of course, agreed to go, while Mayoona remained behind, absorbed in the new game.