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Chapter 476
🕑 Added 2025-04-07 15:01:10 +0000 UTCChapter 476
Under the influence of her aura, Ponzu’s hair dried in no time. The door to Sumas’s space remained on the wall; all she had to do was open it and step inside. Yet the moment she lifted her hand, Ponzu hesitated. A powerful loneliness swept over her—an empty feeling in the pit of her stomach.
She looked around and saw no one else. Before hearing about Oster’s death, she hadn’t felt this overwhelming sense of solitude. When she’d stayed in Sumas’s space, Ponzu had thrown herself into training, vowing to kill Oster. But now that he was gone, she’d lost her driving purpose. Hearing of his death made her momentarily happy, but afterward, she felt lost. Alone in silence, fear and rejection stirred inside her.
Ron emerged from the shower in his pajamas.
“Captain,” Ponzu asked, “is it alright if I don’t go back in there? Could I stay here instead?”
She gazed at him, eyes pleading. Ron hesitated.
“Sure. The room next door is vacant if you’d like to sleep there.”
He’d originally kept her in Sumas’s space because he had his own affairs to handle, and the Zoldyck estate wasn’t a place one could wander freely. Better for her to remain in Sumas’s dimension, where she’d have more freedom.
But as soon as Ron finished speaking, Ponzu spoke up again, her eyes full of longing.
“Captain…can I please stay in this room instead? I’m a little afraid to be alone right now. I promise I won’t bother you. I’ll just sit on a chair all night, that’s enough for me.”
“.....Alright,” Ron said with a nod.
“Thank you, Captain.”
Ponzu exhaled in relief, and Ron lay down on the bed. Click—the lights went out.
At that moment, Ponzu’s body gave a start in the darkness. She couldn’t see Ron anymore; she could only sense him from a distance by his aura. Nervously, she shuffled her chair a bit closer to him. Ron opened his eyes. Unlike Ponzu, he’d been professionally trained to see in near darkness; even the faintest light allowed him to perceive what was happening.
“Come on up,” he said. “If it helps you feel safer, there’s plenty of room.”
Ponzu froze for a moment, then made up her mind. She felt her way to the edge of the bed and lay down in one corner.
“Captain, I’ll just use this spot, so I won’t disturb you.”
“Alright,” Ron replied. “Sleep well.”
As night deepened, Ron drifted off. Suddenly he felt the blanket shift. Opening his eyes, he saw that Ponzu had unknowingly scooted much closer, brow furrowed as though having a nightmare.
“Grandma!” she whimpered.
Ron thought for a moment, then reached out and took her hand. Ponzu gradually calmed down, her expression easing.
.........
..
.
Early the next morning, Ponzu awoke and, upon opening her eyes, her face flared bright red. She’d promised she would only stay in the corner, but here she was in the middle of the bed, curled snugly against Ron, feeling his warmth. Her heart pounded.
“What is this feeling?” she wondered. A guess formed in her mind, followed by a wave of uncertainty—she didn’t know how Ron felt about her.
Just then, Ron turned over, his arm landing on Ponzu’s body. He woke immediately, blinking as he realized Ponzu was curled against him with her eyes closed. Yet her fluttering lashes and glowing cheeks made it obvious she was wide awake. Heat seemed to steam from her face.
A sudden ring sliced through the moment. Ron glanced at his phone and saw an unknown number.
“Hello?”
“Is this Mr. Ron? I’m Nesli.”
“What’s the matter?”
“Oster might still be alive,” Nesli said. “The Saherta United Federation hasn’t really changed at all. Sotan even betrayed the Revolutionary Army—no, the entire Revolutionary Army is compromised. Tuck’s sacrifice became a complete joke.”
She drew a sharp breath.
“Ron, if you don’t absolutely need to come back here, please stay away. It’s dangerous. Someone might target you. And if you run into people from Saherta anywhere else, you have to be careful. The country is beyond saving. I just…can’t believe it’s come to this.”
Nesli’s voice trembled with fury and bitterness. It was a betrayal that rendered all the sacrifices made by her and so many others utterly meaningless. Ron had assumed Oster’s death wouldn’t change much, but Sotan’s actions still caught him off guard. He refused to believe Sotan was blind to the reality of Saherta, yet he’d submitted to the royal family anyway. All his past ideals and dreams proved hollow.
“Maybe Sotan was using the Revolutionary Army from the start,” Ron thought. “He built up a force, earned the royal family’s notice, then surrendered to gain power and status. It’s ironic, but this is Saherta. And the royal family doesn’t seem to mind. It’s just like they tolerated Oster even when they knew he was rotten. Why would they care if Sotan’s no better? They’re content with a new pawn—to them, it’s just a toy.”
