|Ch.112

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"That's why I left. I knew everything. So if I stayed,Pendragons would have used me to get to Nabi",Ruby placed a cup of tea on the table before sitting down on her chair.

Luca took the tea cup and took a small sip,"....shitbabe did not have to do this for me. Do you really believe I would sacrifice myself for her?",He scoffed.

Ruby gave him a look making him clear his throat.

Ruby,"You said you haven't seen Jaykar in years too. You didn't go looking for him?"

Luca looked away,"...I did not"

"Why?"

"....."

Though he did not say it in words,Ruby could guess the reason. He was scared. He was scared to go and find something unexpected.....or maybe deep down he knows. Jaykar was not in the traitors' list but who could say definitely he was not one.

Luca,"...He sends his golden butterflies from time to time to Sir Namjoon to inform about the kingdom matters but he never really contacts the Pendragons directly anymore"

Ruby,"And he never sends a butterfly to you?"

"....no. But I could feel them around me"

The two fell into a silence. Ruby sat down on the opposite chair and took her own tea cup before taking a sip. "He is the shadow guard commander,they don't act under the broad day lights,maybe that's why —"

"Stop bullshitting me diamond bitch",Luca scoffed with an eye roll. He spoke in a strained voice,"The nine commanders under Nabi,one of them has the power to manipulate evil souls. Black flying insects similar to butterflies.....I really wonder who that is"

Ruby stared straight into Luca's blank eyes. "....."

"No one is dumb,maybe it's precisely because he is a shadow guard that he is out of everyone's sight but to Pendragons,his identity is no secret",Luca continued. Everyone in the Pendragon family knew that their shadow guard commander is no longer trustable,a person who works for both sides,a double agent. But no one speaks up. Because he is under Nabi's command.

"Jaykar is one of the nine catastrophes",Luca stated with no questioning tone at all. "Logan,Lucy,Julia,Nakamura,Gaara,Nine,the blindfold mage,the Queen Beatrice and last but not least Jaykar"

Ruby said nothing to confirm his statement. She silently sipped her tea.
She gazed at Luca who was just blankly staring down at his tea. "....Luca,do you not want to know about your sister?"

Luca used to get all angry at the slightest mention of his sister but time had past. He is no longer that hot blooded youth who would curse the streets as if his dog bit his ass. A mature man he is today.  "I do not hate her anymore. But I don't know what to feel about her. It feels like talking about a stranger. I guess I'm worried because my parents are worrying too much thinking about her"

Ruby sighed at the terrible fate Lucy had to face. And she could not even reveal the truth to that woman's younger brother. Knowing Luca,she knew that the man would definitely pull out his own core without thinking about his own life.

"....she is your family Luca. You don't need an extra effort to feel anything special for them. It's natural to worry about her because she is your sister "

Luca felt a pang of guilt striking his heart but he did not even know why. Maybe because he was such a shitty sibling?

Just then,the door was banged opened revealing a teenage boy with black hair and black eyes. Strangely,the kid looked too familiar in Luca's eyes. He felt nostalgic for some reason. Taking another sip from his tea,he wondered who that kid is until,

"Mom!"

P

phoo!!!

Luca splashed the tea as he was choking so hard with wide unbelievable eyes. He watched as the kid ran over to Ruby with worrier eyes. Luca was about to talk,yet again,the words got caught in his throat when another man entered the room.

"Holy shit! What the fuck!",Luca couldn't help but to return back to his old habit. "Ethan fucking Black!"

Ethan mirrored Luca's shocked face as he paused on his steps.

Luca pointed his index finger at Ethan and then at the kid,"Explain this! No! Wait!",he again pointed at Ethan and then Ruby,"Explain this! "

Ruby sighed as if she is so done.

"Mom! Who is this man?"

"Don't worry July,he is my friend,and your dad's junior"

Luca was freaking out,"When the fuck did you two screw?!"

Ruby glared at Luca,"Shut your trap Luca,there is a kid!"

Ethan stood next to Ruby with somewhat a worried look,"I heard there was a commotion at the gambling house from one of your hosts. So we came here to check on you"

Luca,"Are you two married?! Since when?!"

Ruby sighed loudly and facepalmed. She looked at the teen who has been calling her 'mom'. "July,please go back home with dad,I'll be back quickly",she then looked at the unbothered Ethan,"I'm fine,it was just Luca throwing a tantrum fit. Go home and wait for me,alright?"

Luca had an incredulous look like he was gravely offended.

Ethan nodded without hesitation,"Alright,July,let's go back,mom is fine and safe with him"

After sending them back,Ruby sat again facing the her shocked nasty mouthed friend. "I know what you are thinking but no,that was Julia's child"

"Hah??"

"She was pregnant before the war. Remember lady Nabi letting her join our knight order?"

Luca,"I don't fucking remember?? Why do I not remember?"

Ruby,"You were a total garbage who only focused on himself that time"

Luca couldn't argue with that,he was indeed trash that time.

"Anyway,the kid was raised secretly for five years during the war,and when I ran away,Lady Nabi told me to take the kid with me. So I decided to raise him with me. Then,Ethan came looking for the kid,at that time,Ethan had no desire to go back to that destroyed kingdom with his son and July was too attached to me. So,we kind of decided to stick together"

"So you two are married now?"

"No"

"....."

"....it's complicated but we are living together"

"....."

"Stop with that look!"

Luca snickered,"I did nothing"

"Yeah sure"

"Anyways,so where is shitbabe?"

Ruby had a headache for the thousandth time,"Just how many times should I repeat Luca,you cannot meet her. It's been more than 8 years already. Just give up on her already. You gain nothing but death by reaching to her"

"Ruby",Luca called out her real name that it almost shook Ruby. "I know that we can't bring back the time where we could star gaze from the rooftop together,but I still cherish that day. Everyone is moving on but I am still stuck on that day"

The three of them used to star gaze when they were young,but Nabi and Ruby left Luca on the rooftop to star gaze all alone. And he is still there waiting for them to come back.

"I'd rather die than looking at the stars alone",Luca whispered a painful truth.

Ruby was never the sentimental type but she could not lie to herself that she did not love the time they laid on the rooftop to star gaze. But she knew the reality. The world is cruel. She had to move on. It was her way of protecting Luca and respecting Nabi's will. It was all for them. Biting her lips hard,she tried not to waver infront of Luca. But her lips were already trembling.

Luca stood up slowly and took a step towards the door,"I guess it was too much to ask. I'm sorry,Ruby. Farewell then"

Ruby stood up abruptly sending her chair down to the floor,"Wait!"

Luca still looked back for her with an emotion that betrayed Ruby's eyes. His harsh crimson eyes seemed to gone soft and weak. It was too much for Ruby to bear. She walked towards him and faced him with misty eyes that betrayed her whole personality.

Luca smiled sadly and hugged her for one last time. Ruby hugged him back hiding her pain from his eyes. She smiled as the tears of anguish fell down from her eyes,"Farewell Luca"

When Luca turned back to leave again,Ruby spoke again with a hoarse and strained voice," 'Live for me' were her last words for us"

Luca did not look back this time. He left. Live for her? How dare she say that after leaving him all alone? Everyone will move on but he never will. He will forever be on the rooftop staring into the night sky.

On the downstairs,Ethan was still waiting for Ruby. When she appeared,he sighed a relief. Looking at her haggard state,he became worried,"Are you alright?"

Ruby smiled,"....let's go home"

In the end,she did not answer to his question. Was she alright? No one is alright at this point. But still,she now had a place to call home.

Ethan,"Alright,let's go home"

They were not lovers but survivors who are living together,healing together,and making each other happy. And there was one thing that bound them together,

"Mom! Dad! Welcome home!"

Ruby looked back one last time before entering her home,it was indeed her last Farewell to her past.

[Author:Farewell Ruby!]

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