The World Is Mine For The Taking-Chapter 787 - 122 - Awakening And The True Reunion (3)

After that reunion with the three of them, which turned out to be deeply emotional, Zeruel and I found ourselves alone at last, sharing a rare, quiet moment together.

We ended up sitting side by side on a small, ornate bench built just for two. Its old wooden frame creaked faintly under us, while the distant hum of voices and soft rustling of leaves filled the silence around us. Though I felt unexpectedly calm, Zeruel was visibly struggling to hide her embarrassment. Her cheeks glowed a deep crimson, and her breathing came out a little quicker than normal.

For a while, neither of us spoke. Then, her fingers fidgeting nervously with the hem of her skirt, she finally managed to break the silence.

"Um, I’m really thankful to you for this," she said softly. Her words were simple, but the way she spoke them with her shoulders slightly hunched, gaze lowered yet peeking at me from under her lashes—made her gratitude feel heavy, honest, and raw.

The truth was, I didn’t feel like I had done anything that deserved such thanks. Sure, I’d funded the whole thing, poured in money to make it happen, but the real effort had come from Natasha and Trisha. They had handled everything from planning to execution. Compared to them, I’d barely lifted a finger.

Still, watching Zeruel like this—how deeply it seemed to matter to her—I realized arguing would only hurt her feelings. So, instead, I simply accepted her thanks, letting her have this moment.

"I-I don’t really know how to thank you... I mean, I don’t think I can give you something that you don’t already have..." she continued, her voice trembling as her eyes fell to her lap. Her fingers twisted the fabric of her skirt so tightly her knuckles turned white. "B-But... if you’re willing... then I’d gladly become your woman too. I-I don’t mean as lovers or anything. I-I’m fine with being some sort of mistress you can use from time to time."

The words spilled out in a rush—half shy and half desperate—but her eyes, when she dared to look up, were clear and unwavering. She truly meant it.

It caught me off guard, the seriousness in her expression blending with the vulnerability in her blush. For a moment, I simply stared at her, letting the meaning of what she offered sink in.

Of course, I planned to take her seriously—but definitely not like that. The thought of treating her as nothing more than a convenient body, someone I could take and discard whenever the urge struck, left a bitter taste in my mouth. She was worth far more than that.

Slowly, I reached out, gently wrapping my hands around hers. Her skin felt slightly cold, maybe from nerves, but it softened under my touch.

"I don’t think that’s really necessary," I told her quietly.

Her reaction was immediate. Her shoulders stiffened, her gaze dropped, and the hope flickering in her eyes seemed to dim. She must have thought I was pushing her away.

But that wasn’t what I meant at all.

"But... why don’t you become one of my girlfriends instead?" I asked, voice softer this time.

"Eh...?"

She blinked, stunned. For a heartbeat, her expression froze—eyes going wide, lips parting slightly, breath catching in her throat. The words seemed to echo in her mind, her surprise written across her face so plainly it was almost endearing.

"Of course... only if that’s fine with you," I added, my tone careful.

"W-Wait, y-your girlfriend? N-No... I mean, I couldn’t possibly... I mean..." she stammered, her words stumbling over each other, her voice shaking as her cheeks darkened to an even deeper red. It was hard to tell whether she was overwhelmed, embarrassed, or simply unable to process the idea.

"What? You don’t like it?" I teased gently, tilting my head.

"I-It’s not like I don’t like it, per se..." she mumbled, her voice so quiet it almost vanished under the breeze. Her eyes dropped again, lashes trembling. "I-It’s just that... if I became one of your girlfriends, I’d pale in comparison... T-They’re all beautiful and have high status, while I don’t really have anything to offer except my body to you." Her voice grew softer near the end, the confession hanging between us like something fragile. "S-So I don’t think being your girlfriend is something I’d be capable of pulling off."

"You really don’t have to worry about that," I told her, leaning slightly closer so our faces weren’t so far apart. "You can just be yourself, you know? There’s nothing wrong with that. And I don’t think Nia and the others would mind at all. Actually... Nia seemed to like the idea of having you join."

"P-Princess Titania... does?" she whispered, eyes widening again.

"Yeah. Nia doesn’t mind that I have a harem—in fact, she encourages me to take more," I explained, watching the play of surprise and uncertainty in her eyes. "So there’s really nothing stopping you."

"B-But..."

The conflict didn’t fully leave her face. I could almost read her thoughts.

I mean she was born a commoner, lacking wealth or title, and carrying a deeply rooted doubt in her own worth.

But to me, none of that mattered.

"Zeruel..." I murmured her name softly. My hand lifted, fingertips brushing under her chin, tilting her face toward mine.

Then I leaned in, closing the space between us, and kissed her.

She gasped softly against my lips, eyes going wide in shock. But then the tension left her shoulders, and she slowly relaxed, her eyelids fluttering shut. My tongue slipped past her lips, tasting her warmth, tracing gently along her own tongue.

Her breath grew shaky, chest rising and falling faster. Yet she didn’t pull away and instead, she let me in fully—her tongue hesitantly moving back against mine, shy at first, then bolder. The soft wetness, the heat, the taste of her—it made my heartbeat thud louder, my senses narrowing to nothing but her.

I felt her clench her fists at her sides, her whole body trembling lightly. But there was no resistance—only quiet acceptance, maybe even longing. The kiss deepened, our tongues tangling and exploring each other.

When we finally parted, breathing ragged, a thin, glistening string of saliva still connected our lips for a second before it broke and trailed down.

She looked dazed—eyes half-lidded, lips parted, cheeks flushed a vivid red. Beautifully vulnerable.

I couldn’t deny it.

My cock right now was straining hard inside my pants, throbbing from the heat of the moment.

"Zeruel. Huh?"

A voice snapped us out of the trance.

We both turned toward the sound. We are still breathless.

It was Juna.

"You’re talking to Leon..." she said, her tone calm but her gaze lingering knowingly.

"Um, w-we’re done talking!" Zeruel blurted out quickly, her face burning again. "Y-You said you wanted to have something to talk about with Leon, right?"

"Right. But... are you sure you’re really done?" Juna teased lightly. "Looked to me like you were just starting."

"W-We are! R-Right, Leon?" Zeruel turned to me, flustered and hoping for help.

I shrugged faintly, still catching my breath. "Yeah... we’re done," I confirmed.

"Alright then. Leon, do you have a moment? I’d like to talk to you about something," Juna asked, a small, knowing smile playing on her lips.

Juna wanting to talk? I wasn’t sure what she had in mind—but it couldn’t hurt to hear her out.

"Sure," I nodded. "Do you want to talk somewhere more private?"

"Private it is," she replied, her smile softening.

With that, the two of us left together.