The morning light filtered through the chamber windows as Rudra slowly opened his eyes. He groaned faintly, pushing himself up into a sitting position on the bed and stretching his body with a satisfying crack of his joints.
"Huh… feels better than last time," he muttered to himself, rolling his shoulders.
[System]:How do you feel?
Rudra blinked at the voice echoing in his head, then smirked. "Better than before. Still sore, but not like I've been hit by a freight train."
[System]:You're welcome.
Chuckling softly, Rudra leaned back against the headboard. "So… does that mean I can use my powers again?"
[System]:No. Not yet. I only repaired the damage to your body enough so you can move without collapsing. Your Devil Trigger and chakra are still off-limits.
Rudra sighed in mild annoyance, tilting his head back. "Figures. So how long before I'm back to normal?"
[System]:If you behave—and I mean no Yamato stunts, transformations, or chakra nonsense—maximum one to two weeks.
"Yeah, yeah…" Rudra waved a hand lazily. "I get it. No flashy moves. What about Haki though? Is that in lockdown too?"
[System]:Haki is fine. It doesn't conflict with your other energy sources.
A grin crept onto Rudra's face. "Heh, at least it's something. Better than nothing."
Just then, the large chamber doors creaked open. Rudra turned his head casually toward the entrance.
Walking in was Princess Hisui, accompanied by a couple of maids. Her emerald eyes widened the moment she saw him awake. She froze briefly—then suddenly bolted toward him.
"Rudra!" she cried out, throwing her arms around him. "You're finally awake! Do you have any idea how worried I was?!"
Caught off guard, Rudra blinked… then grinned. "Wow, I didn't think a princess would be so concerned about a guy like me."
Hisui tightened the hug. "Of course I was worried! When I saw you unconscious and wrapped in bandages, I—" she paused, flustered, cheeks reddening.
Just as Rudra opened his mouth to tease her, a loud ahem echoed from across the room. Arcadios stood there, arms crossed, glaring. Hisui instantly pulled back from the hug, her face now fully red.
Rudra smirked. "Well, that ruined the moment."
He looked at Hisui, expression growing serious. "So… what's my punishment? For what my clone did."
Hisui seemed surprised by the question but quickly composed herself. "Nothing."
"Nothing?" Rudra raised an eyebrow.
She nodded. "You helped with the demon incident… and Victor's rebellion. The Magic Council and I agreed not to hold you accountable. Besides," she added with a small sigh, "punishing you would be pointless. You could escape easily… or worse, retaliate."
Rudra gave a thumbs-up. "Wow. You really do know me well Hisui."
Arcadios frowned. "Princess Hisui—he should address you properly."
But Hisui gently cut in, "It's fine, Arcadios. I gave Rudra permission to call me Hisui."
Changing the subject, she smiled warmly. "Anyway, you must be hungry after sleeping for days. I'll have something brought up right away."
Arcadios opened his mouth again but immediately quieted under her sharp glance. With that, Hisui turned and left the room cheerfully, the maids trailing behind her. Rudra watched her go, chuckling softly.
Moments after the door closed, it opened once more—this time, Erza and Mira stepped inside.
Rudra glanced up briefly before reaching for a book on the nightstand. "Is there something you need?" he asked casually, already flipping through the pages to pass the time.
Mira offered a gentle smile. "We heard you woke up. Just wanted to check on you."
"Are you alright?" Erza added, her tone carrying genuine concern.
"I'm fine now," Rudra replied, eyes still glued to the book, not sparing them a glance.
"If you need anything… let us know," Mira said softly, though her words hung awkwardly in the air.
Rudra merely responded with a quiet "Hmm," and said nothing more.
An uneasy silence settled in the room. Mira shifted uncomfortably, thinking to herself how awkward things had become. Erza, however, kept her eyes on Rudra, her expression thoughtful—as if she wanted to speak but hesitated.
Without looking up, Rudra spoke, "If you have something to say, say it, Erza."
The sudden call-out made her flinch, if only for a second. Her grip on her arm tightened as she searched for the right words.
"I… I have so many questions," she admitted, her voice soft but steady. "But somehow, I knew—you wouldn't answer them even if I asked."
A ghost of a smirk tugged at Rudra's lips. His eyes never left the page. "Anything else?"
She looked at him—really looked—searching for a crack in the mask he always wore. Some sign that he still cared.
"We understand what happened in the throne room," she said, voice firmer now. "What you did. We're not here to blame you."
Mira gave a gentle nod beside her. "Yeah."
At last, Rudra closed the book with a quiet snap. He lifted his gaze, meeting theirs. Not cold—but distant.
"That's surprising," he said. "I was expecting accusations. Maybe a demand for answers. A fight, even." His eyes lingered on Erza, narrowing ever so slightly. "Are you really Erza from Fairy Tail… or just someone pretending to be her?"
The words hit like a slap. Erza's jaw tightened, but she didn't back down.
"I am Erza," she replied, her tone unwavering. "And whatever happened between us—don't twist it. I was doing my duty."
Rudra leaned back, studying her with unreadable eyes. Then, with a tired shrug, the tension seemed to drain from his posture.
Yeah. Sure," Rudra muttered, cracking open the book again and retreating behind its pages.
Time slipped by in quiet waves.
Mira and Erza, no longer felling awkward, began chatting softly between themselves. Every so often, their gazes wandered toward Rudra—still fully immersed in his book, barely moving except to turn a page.
Then the heavy chamber doors creaked open.
Princess Hisui entered with a calm grace, followed by a maid carrying a silver tray. The soft clinking of dishes echoed faintly as they approached.
"Rudra, I brought you some food," Hisui said, her voice gentle.
Rudra slowly closed the book and looked up. "That so?"
The maid handed the tray to Hisui and stepped back. Hisui sat beside him, carefully placed the tray on her lap, and scooped a spoonful of the meal.
Then, without a word, she held the spoon up to his lips.
Rudra raised a brow. "...What are you doing?"
"I'm feeding you," she replied matter-of-factly. "You're still injured."
"I can feed myself, you know."
"No arguments," she said firmly. "Now open your mouth."
He stared at her for a second, sighed, and gave in. "Fine, fine." He leaned forward and took the bite.
"Well?" she asked. "I made it myself."
He chewed, then gave her a nod. "It's good. Better than I expected."
Her lips curled into a proud smile. "You should feel honored. It's not every day a princess cooks for someone… and personally feeds them too."
"Oh, I do feel honored," Rudra said with a smirk. He leaned slightly closer and lowered his voice to a whisper. "Though, last time a girl fed me like this, it led to… other things."
Hisui's eyes widened as her cheeks flared red. "Y-You—!" She shoved him lightly. "Shut up and eat!"
Rudra chuckled, clearly enjoying her flustered reaction. "Didn't think our princess could get this cute when embarrassed."
"Quiet," she muttered, trying to hide her blush as she offered another spoonful.
He opened his mouth obediently but gave her a teasing look as he ate. "You keep feeding me like this, and I might fall for you."
"Then starve," she replied, but her tone was soft, betrayed by the small smile tugging at her lips.
Rudra laughed again, the tension in the room melting away bite by bite.
While this was going on, on the other side of the room, Mira and Erza watched in silence.
Their light conversation had come to an abrupt halt the moment Rudra smiled.
It wasn't the usual smirk he threw their way—the kind laced with sarcasm or cold indifference. No, this one was genuine. Soft. Real.
Erza's brows furrowed slightly as she stared at him, her arms unconsciously crossing over her chest. "He… doesn't smile like that with us," she muttered, almost to herself.
Mira didn't respond right away. Her gaze lingered on Rudra—on the subtle way his posture relaxed, on the warmth in his expression as he let Hisui feed him without protest. There was no icy edge in his tone, no defensive wall around him. Just a quiet, open calm.
"He's… different with her," Mira finally said, her voice low.
Erza nodded slowly. "It's like… he's not the same person."
The indifference, the emotional distance he always kept between them—it wasn't there now. The coldness that seemed woven into his very presence had faded, replaced by a strange warmth they'd never seen before.
And it didn't feel good.
It felt like watching someone they thought they were starting to understand suddenly become a stranger again.
The two women remained silent, their gazes fixed on Rudra and Hisui, who were still locked in that oddly intimate moment of laughter and light teasing. The sound of it echoed faintly through the chamber, and somehow, it stung more than either of them expected.
For reasons neither could explain—or admit out loud—the sight left an uncomfortable weight in their chests.
"…Let's get some air," Erza said abruptly, standing up.
Mira looked at her, surprised, but nodded. "Yeah… sure."
And without another word, the two quietly made their way toward the chamber door, leaving behind the image of a man who—if only for a moment—had forgotten the cold.