A gentle current of magic flowed from Luo Yu's fingertip, spreading across Miko Yotsuya's eyes like a thin veil of light.
Under her curious gaze, he explained calmly, "I've temporarily sealed your spiritual sight. Your eyes are of a fairly high grade, so the magic I applied will only last for one day. If I force more power into it, I might damage your vision. Until this time tomorrow, you shouldn't see any wraiths."
"R-really?"
Touching her eyes cautiously, Miko swallowed and hurried back to the place where she had just seen the wraiths.
Nothing.
There was nothing there anymore.
When she turned around, Luo Yu was already standing behind her.
Tears welled up in her eyes almost instantly.
"Luo Yu-san… thank you so much!"
Seeing how close she was to crying, Luo Yu understood the surge of relief she must be feeling and smiled gently.
"Don't celebrate too early. This only treats the symptoms, not the root cause. I still don't know whether I can fully resolve your condition. Let's exchange contact information. Whether I find a solution or not, I'll contact you tomorrow."
"Okay!"
Quickly wiping her eyes, Miko pulled out her phone and added him on LINE.
As she looked at his handsome face at such close range, her cheeks flushed red. Clutching her phone to her chest, she stammered, "Th-then… it's getting late. I'll head home first. See you tomorrow, Luo Yu-san!"
With that, she hurried off.
Luo Yu simply shrugged and walked toward the bus stop.
Helping Miko had been a spontaneous decision.
The girl was undeniably unfortunate—blessed with spiritual sight yet unable to close it, forced to coexist daily with wraiths no one else could see.
Yet she was resilient. Most people would have broken down under such pressure. The fact that she had endured this long was admirable.
"If I remember correctly," he mused, "something watches over her. It intervenes when her life is in danger. Still, that doesn't make the situation ideal. I'll discuss it with Ranni tonight. When it comes to magic, her mastery far exceeds mine."
Before long, he arrived home.
Opening the door, he called out, "Ranni, I'm back!"
There was no response.
Frowning slightly, he sensed her presence upstairs.
After changing into slippers and retrieving the shopping bags from storage, he headed up to the bedroom.
The moment he opened the door, he froze.
Ranni was sitting in front of the computer.
And on the screen—
Civilization VI.
Her eyes were fixed on the display, fingers moving deftly across the mouse and keyboard.
"My king, one moment," she said without looking back. "I am about to win."
"…I see."
Walking over, Luo Yu observed her focused expression, the empty chip bags and cola cans in the trash bin nearby.
"You spent the entire day playing games?"
After eliminating her final opponent and securing victory, Ranni exhaled softly.
"You mentioned that this game reflects the history of this world. I wished to learn. The first attempt ended in failure. I studied the mechanics and tried again. This time, I succeeded."
"…Impressive."
He stared at her in disbelief.
Is my Ranni about to become a hardcore gamer?
For a fleeting moment, an absurd image crossed his mind—Ranni wearing a white T-shirt printed with an anime character, long legs folded on a gaming chair, completely immersed in virtual conquest.
He shuddered.
Strangely enough… it wasn't an unpleasant image.
While he was lost in thought, Ranni noticed the shopping bags in his hands.
"These are the clothes you purchased for me?"
Snapping out of his imagination, Luo Yu nodded.
"Yes. I bought several sets. For staying at home, these should be suitable. Let me show you."
He laid out the garments one by one, paying particular attention as he explained modern undergarments—items that did not exist in The Lands Between.
After listening, Ranni glanced down at her temporary body.
"They appear well designed. But since this is only a puppet body, is such clothing necessary?"
"It may not be strictly necessary," Luo Yu admitted, "but there's a sense of ritual to it. And this body feels almost identical to a human's in terms of sensation. Wearing them will at least be more comfortable."
"I understand."
Ranni accepted his reasoning.
Without hesitation, she removed her witch's robe and began changing in front of him.
Luo Yu made no attempt to avert his gaze.
After all, he had crafted this body with his own hands.
And it was undeniably beautiful.
Halfway through dressing, holding a long skirt, Ranni paused and looked at him thoughtfully.
"My king, even if this is a puppet body, I am still female. Watching me like this… do you truly feel nothing?"
"…"
Luo Yu blinked, then gave a wry smile.
"Of course I do. But I can restrain myself. As Tarnished… as Elden Lord… my will is firm."
Ranni studied his eyes for a moment.
Then, quite suddenly, she set the skirt aside and walked toward him, dressed only in white undergarments.
She wrapped her arms around him gently.
"Ranni?"
Resting her head against his chest, she closed her eyes.
"When I was young, my mother once told me how she met Radagon… how they came to love one another. After the Night of the Black Knives, I never imagined I would one day find a king of my own. Yet you appeared. You cleared every obstacle in my path and claimed the Dark Moon Ring. Though my goal has always been to shatter the Order and cast out the outer gods, whenever I think of you… I feel fortunate. And happy. My king… thank you."
For two seconds, Luo Yu stood in silence.
Then he smiled and embraced her.
"You're being unusually sentimental. That's not like you. Like I said before—the past is over. From now on, we can simply live for ourselves. Once you regain a true body completely, I intend for us to have a child of our own."
"Oh?"
Ranni tilted her head up, her azure eyes meeting his.
"That may take quite some time."
"Not necessarily. You should have faith in the king you chose."
He gently pinched her cheek. Under her surprised gaze, he cupped her face and leaned down.
Their lips met.
Though this was only a temporary puppet body, its sensations were nearly indistinguishable from reality.
As their lips touched, a subtle warmth stirred within Ranni's heart.
She did not resist.
Instead, she closed her eyes slowly, accepting the emotion he offered.