Surrounded by dense vegetation, there was a small open space of about a dozen square meters, with a simple pavilion built for resting.
The fresh scent of plants intertwined with the hazy moonlight, playing quietly within this abandoned, tranquil spot.
Ron and Nora's arrival broke the stillness—yet also brought a touch of life to it.
"Come on." Ron smiled faintly, taking Nora's hand and leading her to the center of the pavilion. One hand held hers, the other wrapped around her slender waist. "There's no one else here. Let's dance?"
Nora blinked shyly, then obediently placed her hand on Ron's shoulder. Following the steps she had just learned, she began to move slowly with him.
Under the moonlight, the two turned gently within the pavilion. A beam of light slipped through the broken roof above.
From afar, it looked like a music box—where a prince and princess danced gracefully within a crystal sphere.
The wind rustled through the surrounding plants, creating a soft shaa shaa sound, like the melody of that music box.
Without the strange gazes of others, Nora finally relaxed, following Ron's lead with growing confidence.
Even just the warmth in their eyes and the occasional shared expressions were enough to make the moment feel gentle and full.
Later on, they stopped sticking to formal steps altogether, letting their imagination run free—coming up with odd, even silly movements, laughing uncontrollably together.
"What kind of move is that, Boss? Does it have a name?"
"Of course. It's called Latin dance."
"Huh? Does it really have a name? But I didn't see anyone doing it earlier."
"Of course not. I just made it up."
"It feels so weird… and all the spinning is making me dizzy."
"I was kidding—I just wanted to see you spin."
Ron raised her hand high, guiding Nora into a twirl in front of him.
Hearing that, Nora burst into laughter—and promptly tripped over her own feet again.
"Ah!"
She fell straight into Ron's arms.
Burying her face in his chest, she wrapped her arms tightly around his back, greedily taking in the warmth and scent that belonged only to him.
Holding her soft body, Ron kept one arm around her waist and the other supporting the back of her head, his chin resting lightly atop her hair.
"Not dancing anymore?" he asked softly.
Nora rubbed her cheek gently against his chest, silently signaling that she just wanted to stay like this.
Time passed quietly.
The moon slowly shifted across the sky.
Only the rustling of leaves remained.
Held in each other's arms, they could clearly hear one another's heartbeat.
"Boss… thank you…"
Nora adjusted slightly, pressing one cheek closer against his chest, her lips just visible as she spoke.
Her eyes were misty as memories from the past months surfaced, and she couldn't help but voice them:
"When you first took me in as an employee…"
"When you let me eat upstairs with you…"
"When you went shopping with me…"
"When you sat with me in that dirty noodle shop…"
"When you taught me how to read, and let me use your study…"
"You even carefully commented on my messy reading notes…"
"Later, you taught me how to cook…"
"You used such precious resin for us…"
"After coming to the Royal Capital, even when you were busy, you still made time to talk with me…"
"You rushed back in time to accompany me to visit Grandma…"
"And in the end… You even entrusted the shop and the staff to me…"
"I… I don't even know how to repay you…"
Ron listened quietly.
His hand gently stroked her purple hair, while his arm around her waist tightened slightly.
At the beginning, his intentions had been simple.
He needed someone to help manage Ron's Wonderful Flower Shop while he spent time studying magic, so he wouldn't have to waste resources from the system.
And so, he had chosen this "little fool" who had helped him catch three flower thieves.
At first, he thought she was a boy.
Then realized she was a girl.
And a half-beast catgirl.
None of that had ever mattered to him.
So he kept her.
And gradually… he realized that having one more person in the shop felt nice.
Even though he occasionally had meals with Lyle, Edith, Mason, and Harper, being alone in the shop most of the time still felt lonely.
Especially as someone who had come from another world.
Even in a bustling place, his soul had always felt like the loneliest one.
But Nora's arrival had truly brought something different into his life.
At some point, he had begun to find it hard to imagine life without her.
Back when he was about to leave the City of Chaos for the Royal Capital, Nora had come to his room in the middle of the night, nervously listing all his eating habits.
That was probably when his heart had already been captured.
To the point that after leaving, he had to talk to her every day through the puppet—otherwise, something felt missing.
But Ron wasn't someone who liked to get overly sentimental.
Instead, he leaned closer to her ear and said with a teasing tone:
"You don't know how to repay me? I do."
Nora looked up at him blankly, confusion written all over her face.
"Boss… what should I do?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Ron smiled, gently lifting her chin with his fingers. His eyes were warm, carrying a quiet affection. "Then give yourself to me."
"That's the one thing no one else in the world can replace."
The moon hid halfway behind drifting clouds—like a shy child peeking, blushing as it tried to hide yet couldn't resist looking again.
Moonlight filtered through the broken roof, falling onto Nora's flushed face, reflecting in her eyes like a galaxy of stars.
She stared at Ron, lips slightly parted.
When she realized what he meant, she tried to lower her head shyly—but Ron held her chin in place.
Her gaze shifted away, unable to meet his burning eyes.
Her body felt like it was on fire.
Her heart pounded wildly.
Her hands clenched tightly at his back, afraid her trembling body might give out.
"Nora, look at me."
She forced herself to meet his gaze—but as his face drew closer, her eyes faltered, and she finally shut them tightly.
"B-Boss…"
"…Mm."