The White Cat That Swore Vengeance Was Just Lazing on the Dragon King’s Lap - Volume 5 - Chapter 25

Chapter 25: Emotions Bound

After witnessing the reunion decades in the making, Ruri and the others decided it was time to head back to the castle. The Spirit of Darkness needed to return to Yadacain, so Kotaro was going to take him back.

Jade bowed his head to the supreme-level spirit and said, “Thank you very much for all of your help.” Without Darkness’s powers, the Spirit of Light’s barrier would have prevented them from finding Ruri.

“Don’t mention it,” the Spirit of Darkness said, sounding debonair. “Consider it my thanks for causing you so much trouble.” Then he hopped on Kotaro’s back and they left for Yadacain.

Meanwhile, Quartz was having a tiny dispute. The Spirit of Light was clinging to Seraphie’s ghost right in front of him. He watched as his body shook in frustration. He couldn’t lay a single finger on Seraphie because she was a ghost, but the Spirit of Light was touching her just fine. In fact, the spirit was lovingly embracing her—a sight that Quartz couldn’t tolerate.

“How are you able to touch Seraphie?!” he asked, demanding an answer.

“Hmph, ’cause I’m a spirit,” the Spirit of Light said with a smirk. She clung even tighter to Seraphie, as if to show off.

“What does she mean?” Ruri asked Rin.

“Spirits are also beings composed solely of power. They don’t have physical bodies. You know how even the little spirits without bodies can touch things that contain mana, right? It’s the same as that. Souls contain mana. Even if someone seemingly has none, all manner of beings possess trace amounts of mana. The Spirit of Light is touching that mana right now.”

“Hmm, so would it be possible for Quartz to touch her as well?”

“I certainly can’t help.”

“You can’t?” Ruri asked. Rin’s emphasis on herself had drawn Ruri’s attention. “So someone other than you can, Rin?”

Quartz, who had been listening to the conversation, was looking on with hope in his eyes. Things would get ugly if they embellished the truth.

“Light, why don’t you stop being mean and tell him?”

“Oh, come on. I was trying to tease him. You’re no fun,” the Spirit of Light grumbled, jutting out her lips. She took Seraphie’s hand and circulated power into it. Just then, Seraphie’s body started to sparkle. “There, have at it.”

The Spirit of Light went behind Quartz and shoved him hard. He lost his balance and fell forward—bumping right into Seraphie. Quartz ended up clinging on to her. His fingers were definitely grabbing hold of her.

“What’s going on?” Ruri asked.

Quartz was touching Seraphie even though she was a ghost. Ruri wanted to check it out, but she didn’t have the courage to interrupt the happy and joyful couple.

“Light wrapped her power around her soul. I could explain further, but I don’t think you’ll be able to understand as a human, so I’m curtailing some of the details. But you can pretty much think of it as that.”

“Hmm...”

“Well, I’d like to head back home now, but...” said Jade, awkwardly looking at Quartz and Seraphie. The two of them were cuddled up and ignoring everything else around them.

“If you have the courage to step up to them being all lovey-dovey, then by all means,” Ruri prodded.

“I can’t. I know better than to do something like that.”

“Well, I don’t want to either. I’d rather not face the backlash for trying to break them up.”

As Jade and Ruri quibbled over calling out to them, Quartz’s hand slipped through Seraphie once again. It seemed he could only touch her while the Spirit of Light’s powers were still active. Quartz looked disappointed, but happy nonetheless—a natural response given that he’d found his mate after years of searching.

Quartz wanted more cuddle time, but Ruri pulled him away and they all returned back to the castle.

Chelsea had been quite worried, but Jade explained the situation to her. In the end, she reluctantly smiled and accepted it.

It was fortunate that Euclase had thought to issue a gag order, so the kidnapping didn’t turn into a huge panic. Everyone bought the story that Quartz and Ruri had gone to see the Spirit of Light, especially since they had brought the Spirit of Light back to the castle.

The problem now was how the Nation of the Beast King would react to Quartz’s deeds. But once the Spirit of Light bowed and apologized to Arman, the king of the spirit-religious nation felt nothing but shame. Celestine even got angry at him for making the Spirit of Light bow her head in deference.

Now that the Spirit of Light and the other supreme-level spirits had stepped forward, the Nation of the Beast King wasn’t able to openly punish Quartz. If they did, the Spirit of Light would come forward and say she was to blame as well.

Nevertheless, Quartz felt a simple apology to the Nation of the Dragon King or the Nation of the Beast King wasn’t enough. After discussing it, it was decided that Quartz would help Jade out with his work for free, at least for the time being. The Nation of the Beast King, however, couldn’t come up with any ideas right away, so they asked for time to think about it. Even so, they probably couldn’t cast any unwise requests upon him since the Spirit of Light was silently pressuring them from behind Quartz.

Arman started to feel his stomach turn, so he decided to go back to his kingdom and think it over there.

The fact that Quartz was the previous Dragon King meant that the Nation of the Dragon King owed the Nation of the Beast King a great debt. That fact depressed Quartz, but with his beloved mate by his side, things would work out just fine.

◆ ◆ ◆ ◆

Once everything else had been settled, Ruri finally made up her mind and went to visit Jade. Her heart was beating out of her chest. She wanted to give up this very second, but she squashed her trepidation and kept walking up to the door of the royal office. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself, but she was so tense that she felt sick.

After she knocked on the door, a voice from inside gave her the okay. Ruri slowly opened the door and found Jade and Claus hard at work.

The corners of Jade’s lips gently raised into a smile once he saw Ruri enter the room.

“Jade-sama, I need to talk to you, but is now a good time?”

“Yes, perfectly fine. I was just about to take a break anyway,” Jade stated, but he seemed to be fibbing.

Claus grinned, looking resigned. Ruri felt sorry for him, but his compliance was helpful. It had taken her quite a while to make up her mind to come here. If she had been sent away, then she didn’t know when she’d ever make up her mind again.

Jade placed his pen down. “So what did you want to talk about?”

Ruri peeked at Claus. “Well, I’d like to talk alone, if possible...”

Jade threw a look at Claus. Understanding what that meant, Claus stood up, bowed, and left the room.

With the both of them alone and the room quiet, Ruri felt herself getting even more nervous.

“Okay, what’s on your mind?” Jade asked, oblivious to Ruri’s tension.

Although he had no idea what Ruri was about to tell him, he was genuinely happy that Ruri was visiting. Nevertheless, he started to suspect something was wrong with her when she refused to say anything.

“What’s the matter, Ruri?”

Ruri remained silent and put her hand on the dragonheart around her neck. Then she took it off and held it out to Jade.

Jade looked puzzled, not understanding the meaning behind Ruri’s actions. She took Jade’s hand and placed the dragonheart on his palm. As soon as the pendant touched his hand, his face immediately tensed.

“Ruri, what does this—”

Ruri had returned the dragonheart, an act that painted an unpleasant conclusion in Jade’s mind. Ruri interrupted him before he could finish his sentence, though.

“When I first learned this was a dragonheart, I thought it was unbelievable. I always thought I was just a cat—a pet—to you, Jade-sama. I’m not from this world, so I don’t know what logic dictates this world or dragonkin. Nothing strikes a bell when you tell me what a dragonheart is either. Because I’m not from this world.”

“Master Quartz told me the same thing. He said that I needed to tell you plain and simple. But since you were being so proactive afterward, I thought you did get the message.”

“I see your point, but you didn’t deliver the message to me clearly, did you?” Ruri stated with conviction. She looked into Jade’s eyes and thought about the thing that had been on her mind the entire time—her wish. “Please put it into words and say it. Don’t say it in some special dragonkin way. Say it so that even someone ignorant of the ways of this world can understand. I want you to tell me in your own words, Jade-sama.”

She’d said it. She had actually said it. She had put all the feelings stuck in her chest into words. But now a new fear arose. How would Jade react?

Jade had been silently staring at Ruri, but he stood up and pulled on Ruri’s hand, bringing her closer. They were both extremely close now. Ruri’s reflexes kicked in, and she tried to back away, but Jade wrapped his arms around her waist.

As Ruri stood flustered, Jade calmly said, “What you’re saying is right, Ruri. Looks like I was imposing my own logic onto you and not considering yours at all.” Jade offered her the dragonheart that she’d returned to him. “Ruri, you are precious to me. And not because you’re a cat. I want you by my side as a woman. So, I ask you...please accept this. I want you to be my mate—my one and only for the rest of my days.”

His shining jadeite eyes, filled with sincerity, had captured Ruri and wouldn’t let go. They were urging her for an answer. His arms around her tightened, and she could feel his nervousness. He was probably anxious about how she would respond. He was anxious for no reason, however. Ruri already had her answer.

“I will,” Ruri said, taking the dragonheart and wrapping her arms around Jade tightly.

“Is that it? I told you everything on my mind. I’d like you to do the same,” Jade said in vague dissatisfaction as he squeezed her just as tightly.

“When I witnessed Quartz-sama’s deep love for his mate, I wanted to be with you so badly. The thought that you loved me just as much filled me with sheer delight. It made me want to be there with you—to fill the place by your side.” Ruri looked up at Jade with a wide smile. “I love you as well, Jade-sama.”

A gentle smile formed on Jade’s face as he squeezed her even more. “The day is finally here. I’ve been waiting all this time for the moment you’d come to me. But as much as I waited, you never came. In fact, you started avoiding me as of late.”

“That is your fault, Jade-sama. After all, I’ve been worried that I had the wrong idea this whole time.”

“Is that so? I should have been quicker about getting the message to you, then.”

“But thanks to that, I had time to think it over, so I’m grateful in a way,” Ruri said. She was sure that if Jade had confessed to her when he’d given her his dragonheart, she wouldn’t have been able to respond right away.

“Ruri, now that you are my mate in both name and reality, I take it you’ve also agreed to marry me?”

“Yes. I’m prepared to walk the aisle. Besides, if I said no after becoming your mate, Agate-san and the others would raise a huge commotion.”

“They’re apparently already going through with preparations. I’m sure they’ll be pleased to hear you’ve agreed. They’ve been putting more effort into this wedding than any other before.”

“Then again, I am a little nervous about leaving things to them...” Ruri said, sounding hesitant.

“Yes, I can certainly see why,” Jade agreed.

If the people insisting that Ruri change her wardrobe five times were to spearhead the ceremony, then it was anyone’s guess as to how it would turn out.

“I wish they’d allow me a little more leeway to interject. It is my wedding, you know...” Ruri added. She was afraid that the elders were going to hold a ceremony by the elders, for the elders.

For now, Ruri put that matter aside as she and Jade snuggled together, their emotions finally bound.

◆ ◆ ◆ ◆

There were eyes secretly staring at Ruri and Jade’s exchange. Rin, Kotaro, Chi, and a number of smaller spirits were peeking inside through a tiny crack in the door. Standing off to the side was Claus, watching them in exasperation.

“May I remind all of you that eavesdropping is in bad taste?” Claus said, chiding them, but none of the spirits showed any signs of caring.

“Ruri’s business is our business. Now, you better plant a kiss on her, you lousy king,” Rin said, launching into her frustrations and forgetting that she was being a Peeping Tom.

“Good job, Ruri,” Kotaro whispered in congratulations.

Chi added, “Yeah, all’s well that ends well!”

“Hooray!” the other spirits cheered above their heads, high-fiving each other in celebration.

“Hmm, I can only hope that the elders do not go overboard...” commented Claus. He was overjoyed at their newfound relationship, but he also pictured Agate and the other elders flying into a frenzy at this.