Their romance storyline only begins on the second playthrough

Last but not least, there was the thing that gave him the chance to break through one or two more advancement levels in a row—the [Demon God's Throne Fragment].

The path to becoming stronger is clear and plentiful, so just go for it boldly.

……

...

Rhodes returned to his room.

He knocked gently on the door, and only after receiving no response did he push it open with a hint of doubt and enter the house.

In an instant, the girl lying on the bed with a satisfied look on her face had clearly fallen asleep.

Yes, she's asleep with a satisfied look on her face.

Clearly... she was thinking about what she would do with Rhodes later, and then she happily fell asleep.

Even if you give them a chance, it won't work.

Chapter 145 Dragon God's List of Defeat

The lights inside the room were still bright, at least deliberately left to give him a sense of returning.

Even though the girl in the thin slip dress was curled up, her shoulders were still slightly exposed to the air, covered by her light red hair.

The graceful curves, like those of a fish, are accentuated by the undulations of the quilt.

Rod walked to the edge of the bed, took off his boots, and turned off the bedside lamp.

"Hmm..." Natalie opened her eyes groggily, only to find herself seeing the person she had missed so much that she had fallen asleep.

The light was dim.

But it's still clear.

Rod is back.

However, when she saw Rod looking at her with such tenderness, her ears turned a little red.

There was definitely some awkwardness.

Although the long-married couple knew each other well enough to recognize each other's sleeping faces, she still felt somewhat embarrassed when Rhodes looked at her like that.

Because it felt like being treated like a child...

"I accidentally fell asleep. I was supposed to sit and wait for you to come back, and then give you a hug."

Natalie's light red hair seemed to reflect her intense emotions, but this awkwardness made her feel somewhat restrained. She tried to reach out and warm Rod up, but her movements were clumsy and awkward.

"Okay, go back to sleep."

"Huh?" Natalie stopped what she was doing.

She just stared blankly as Rod lifted the covers, then burrowed inside and snuggled up to her side.

"Hey, hey, hey, it's freezing cold. Don't come here and contaminate my warm space with your cool body," she stammered.

Is it very cold?

"Just a little bit, never mind, I'll warm it up for you."

For Rhodes, a low body temperature was just a matter of adjusting his condition slightly, but this kind of care was essentially an expression of emotional value.

It's as if no matter how much they change or grow, in each other's eyes, the other person will always still be the same as when they were a child.

People always get to know each other gradually as they get to know each other, and as they get closer, more and more of their shortcomings are exposed, which can cause trouble.

But even when they finally understand each other completely, their gazes always remain fixed on the original image of him... and they never want to change it.

Natalie reached out and took Rhodes's hand in hers, conveying her delicate emotions through the warmth of the hand.

"Hoo hoo." She even buried her head in the blanket and blew on Rhodes's hand.

The hot water vapor condensed quickly on Rhodes's hands, and after a brief moment of warmth came an even colder feeling of evaporation.

But because the girl quickly blew on it again, she wasn't cold at all.

"Are you feeling warmer now?"

"Ah."

"..."

Natalie fell silent.

The night was deep.

Actually, she had a lot more to say.

It's impossible for her to feel at peace about being able to sense Rhodes' presence again after all these years, and to be able to truly sleep peacefully alone with him.

As if she had eaten a sweet candy, she felt as if she were immersed in a dream.

But it's really strange...

You must feel wronged.

After suffering for so long, I can finally relax.

Unlike the excitement I felt in the afternoon, I'm more in a daze now.

Having endured so much alone for so long, during those years of living alone, she was like a walking corpse, unable even to force a smile.

It's very simple.

She likes taking photos.

But the person who could take photos with her is no longer here.

Without the photos, her memories, just like before, could be erased at any time.

Her greatest fear was amnesia, and the rupture caused by that unusual amnesia was immense.

Everyone says she was a cheerful little girl from a young age, so she can only force herself to maintain a certain appearance and pretend to be her former self, trying to look as much like Natalie as possible.

Otherwise, whenever someone says things like "You've changed" or "You're so strange," she always feels... like she's the one who's taken over the original [Natalie] and is just barely surviving...

After Rod died, everything became chaotic.

It's impossible to think about who is who, or to figure it out.

Everything... appeared pale.

"Rhodes".

"Ok?"

"Good night."

"Huh? Really asleep? I was just kidding."

"Well, it's good that you're here."

"If there's anything you want to say, you should say it."

"Well... do you have the courage to tell my father that you like me or something like that?"

"Huh?"

“Actually…” Natalie forced a smile, “your relationship with Felicity goes beyond just a simple discussion.”

"It seems to be a special plan."

"However, the High Priestess refused to tell me everything, so I don't understand what the Emperor is thinking for the time being."

"But all in all, they seem to think that you and Felicity are tied together."

"It's true, Felicity has actually fallen for you now, and I can't really say anything to her."

"After all, having her by your side is indeed the best choice, isn't it?"

"But... if Felicity is with you in terms of status, then as the daughter of the Duke of the North, I will definitely be treated as a concubine or something, right?"

"No matter how I think about it, I'm not happy."

"When you are of a lower social status, you will always have these concerns. Even friends who are originally equals will seem to have a class distinction."

"A thick barrier...? That's what you said."

“This has nothing to do with the thick barrier,” Rhodes denied.

But he soon fell into deep thought.

A special plan?

It's no longer just about discussing and building relationships like before?

He frowned slightly, but quickly relaxed, deciding not to dwell on something for which there were no clues to be found.

"Since you have this concern, then after returning to the capital, the first thing to do is to obtain the Star God Bow from the church, and the second thing is to visit Duke Flora, shall we?"

“It just so happens that you are familiar with the former, the Holy Maiden, and you are even more familiar with the latter, which is your family’s territory in the capital.”

Upon hearing this, Natalie's eyes trembled slightly.

She certainly understood what Rod meant...

Coincidentally, her father did indeed return to the capital from the North to attend a council meeting during this period, so it was a good opportunity to visit him.

She raised her eyes and looked at Rod:

"Really?"

"Ah."

"Ok!"

Natalie immediately shifted her body and hugged Rhodes tightly, then rubbed her face against him like a kitten, laughing foolishly.

Laughing happily...

After all, they received a promise.

……

...