"How would you introduce me to them?"
Null asked, his eyes glinting with mischief. "As an observation subject, or as your secret boyfriend?"
Sora frozen mid-breath. "S-Secret?!"
Crimson flooded her cheeks like spilled wine. "Geez, Null-san!" She swatted at his arm without any real force. "Don't get ahead of yourself! I am not that type of woman!"
Null tilted his head, utterly unrepentant. "Oh? So that means you'd introduce me openly as your boyfriend?"
Sora's brain immediately short-circuited. Her mouth opened and closed "…I—I—" words failed her entirely.
Instead, her face burning redder than a sunset, Her white-haired head slowly, almost unconsciously leaned her head against his shoulder in complete silence.
Null chuckled softly, the sound warm and low. "If you actually did that, I'm sure your master and Illiana would tease you to no end."
Sora groaned, burying her face further into his shoulder.
"But don't worry," Null continued with exaggerated seriousness. "To protect your sacred dignity, I am willing to suffer in silence, Sora."
Sora's hand found his waist and pinched hard.
"Ow."
"Sacred dignity?" she asked with mock disbelief. "Do not make it sound so dramatic. And why do you sound like you are sacrificing half your life instead of simply staying quiet?"
She folded her arms, though her irritation was entirely fake. "Besides, I am perfectly capable of enduring a little teasing."
Probably, she added quietly to herself.
Null glanced at her sideways, raising an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"
"Rascal," she puffed her cheeks in indignation. "You doubt me?"
"Noooo," Null looked away with innocence, fixing his gaze on a distant tree. 'Well, she's only a half-tsundere. Maybe she can survive their teasing... Maybe.'
Sora sighed softly, the playful edge draining from her voice as the atmosphere shifted. "Actually... I am more worried about something else."
Null turned back to her. "What?"
"The vultures," she said, the moonlight catching the sudden gravity in her sky-blue eyes. "The people who would target you if they discovered a relationship between us. The difference in our status is significant."
Null let out a quiet sigh, acknowledging the harsh truth. "Yeah. I know." He absently twirled a strand of his dark-white hair, a habit when his thoughts turned serious. "Sorry for being weak right now. But I'll catch up. Eventually. I promise."
Sora nodded, her expression softening. "Good. Until then... we will keep it concealed. And not because I am afraid of my master or Illiana teasing me! Okay?!"
Null nodded with the solemnity of a knight accepting a sacred vow. "Okay."
'You're not convincing anyone, Miss Saintess,' he thought dryly. 'Not even yourself.'
A gentle breeze rustled the silver leaves around them before Null blinked, "Wait. Didn't we derail completely from the topic of your home?"
Sora blinked fondly. "Right."
Null laughed softly. "You finished telling me about the city. Now, what about your parents? What kind of people are they?"
Warmth bloomed behind Sora's eyes. "My father is a very responsible and caring man. His name is Siegfried von Luminous, and he is the Duke of the Luminous Duchy."
"That sounds like a lot of pressure."
"It is," she said with quiet pride. "But even so, he never forgets to spend time with his family. I am his only child, and since most of my time is spent training at the Sanctum or studying at Eden Academy, it is usually just him and my mother."
"So basically, he's a good father."
"Yes," Sora nodded with absolute certainty. Her expression softened further, like ice melting into spring water. "As for my mother... her name is Cecilia. She is beautiful, gentle, and incredibly kind. But she will cry like a baby if I fail to contact her at least once a day."
Null laughed along with her. "That sounds adorable."
"She is also the most overprotective mother in the world, but it's very endearing," Sora's smile widened. "I can say with all my heart that she is the best mother I could have asked for."
Null listened quietly, absorbing the warmth in her words. A subtle, rare trace of longing entered his voice. "That sounds incredibly warm. Now I really want to meet them." He hesitated, a flash of vulnerability crossing his features. "Although... I don't know if they'd accept someone like me."
Sora shook her head firmly. "Do not worry. My parents are kind people, and they are not against love. After all, they themselves had a love marriage."
Null blinked, genuinely surprised. "Really?"
"However," her tone shifted into a mock-serious warning, "my father will probably test you quite thoroughly. She giggled softly, the sound like wind chimes. "My mother, on the other hand, will accept you immediately as long as she sees that I am happy."
Null straightened his shoulders, a newfound determination settling over him. "That's reassuring. You just gave me another reason to get strong quickly."
"Hehe." (Sora)
She nudged him lightly with her elbow. "Now it is your turn, Null-san."
"Huh?" (Null)
"What do you mean 'huh'?" Sora looked at him expectantly, her sky-blue eyes bright with curiosity. "You just learned everything about my personal life. Won't you tell me about yours?"
Null scratched his cheek, suddenly uncomfortable. "Well..."
Sora pouted slightly, though her eyes remained soft. "No complaints. I want to get to know you better too, so tell me about yourself. Your home. And especially your parents."
Null froze. His shoulders stiffened almost imperceptibly, and the light in his dark white eyes dimmed.
"About that..." his voice faltered, his usual confidence draining away. "My parents..."
A sharp shadow passed through his dark pupils, hidden almost as quickly as it appeared. But it wasn't fast enough. Sora immediately went quiet, realizing with terrible clarity that she had accidentally touched something that still bled.
"My parents passed away when I was young," Null said quietly, his voice steady but hollow. "They left me with a decent inheritance and a loyal butler who helped raise me. But she passed away last year."
He let out a small breath, staring at a distant point in the garden. "Thankfully, I had a childhood friend and a few good friends who helped me through it. I'm sixteen. I was in my first year of high school before the summoning happened."
Guilt pooled in Sora's chest. "Null-san... I'm sorry."
Null blinked, the distant look in his eyes vanishing. "Why?"
"For insisting," she said softly. "I didn't know it would bring up such sad memories."
Null chuckled, a gentle, comforting sound that chased away the lingering shadows. "Sora, don't worry about it. If my girlfriend wants to know more about me, why would I blame her?"
Sora blinked, momentarily caught off guard. "You are incredibly understanding, Null-san."
"I think you're the more understanding one between us, Sora" Null shook his head.
Sora giggled, the heavy tension finally breaking. After a moment of comfortable silence, she tilted her head as a new thought struck her. "By the way, Null-san."
"Hmm?"
"I've been meaning to ask something since our date started," she said, puffing her cheeks in playful indignation. "You stopped using the '-san' suffix with my name. That's very unfair."
"Eh? Why?" Null asked. "I just thought we were close enough to drop honorifics." He put on a mock-worried expression. "Do you not like me calling you just Sora? If that's the case, I can go back to—"
"NO!" Sora panicked instantly, her hands flying up. "That's not what I meant! You can call me whatever you like. It's just..."
"Just?"
Her face turned bright red, the color spreading down her neck as her profile caught the moonlight. "I want to call you without honorifics too. That's why it's unfair."
Null blinked, and then a warm, genuine smile broke across his face. "Oh. That's all? I'm completely fine with it."
Sora brightened immediately. "Really? Thanks!"
Null leaned in a fraction closer, his eyes dancing with gentle mischief. "So? Why don't you start right now?"
Sora froze. She had known this trap was coming, but her heart raced like a caged bird against her ribs. 'He won't let it go until I say it...'
Taking a slow, deep breath, she tried to force the syllables out. "Nu... Nu..." Her voice trembled, barely audible. "Nu-Null."
She managed it. Barely.
Null laughed with unmistakable amusement. "Haha. That was delightful."
Sora snorted softly, hiding a smile. "Hmph. Silly."
Despite her mock indignation, she slowly let her head rest against his shoulder again. The silver-white moonlight wrapped gently around them, leaving the garden in a deep, welcoming peace as they sat together, continuing to learn how to belong beside each other.