definition of love
Oliver solemnly twisted one of the rings and put it on his left ring finger.
As a famous jewelry family, the Tristan family is really good at craftsmanship. It's just that Oliver lost a lot of weight during this time, and the ring was a little loose. The one belonging to Nemo was carefully put into the gold pendant and hung on his chest.
The phantom of the Demon King stood before him, the translucent shadow glowing dimly.
like a dream.
Oliver stepped forward and kissed the phantom like a swirl of water.
A year ago today, his father had not died. At this time, I should get up early, taste the soup for breakfast, and help the kitchen prepare the ingredients for the next day. The merchants who came to deliver fresh meat and fruit would arrive soon, and his father was definitely still in bed—then he was like a pocket watch full of clockwork, lined up every day, and his life crammed with trivial tasks. Full.
And now, he stepped on the magic circle that could imprison the will of the world, and successfully proposed to his lover who was above everything in the world.
Maybe the next second the alarm will go off, and I'll have to stumble out of bed, boil the milk, and peel the carrots and potatoes for the soup.
Oliver took a deep breath.
"Don't make me wait too long, Ollie." The Demon King obviously found that his fiancé was too dazed, and reminded him with a smile. "I believe you have a plan."
"yes."
Oliver looked at his left hand with the ring, and the black flint on the ring shone dimly.
"But if, I mean if, you're forcing yourself to do it. Remember, I don't change my mind—not because I love you, you have to respond to that love, Nemo."
His right hand pinched the ring on his finger, the metal was already warm because of his body temperature.
"You're still here, it's enough to stop my pain... I don't know how to explain, uh, now your memory should be restored, right?"
There were countless moments between them.
Like a miracle, the dragon really fell in love with the mayfly. This is all too beautiful, too beautiful to make people panic. The ring was already on his hand, but Oliver wasn't quite sure—
Yes, his love for Nemo never wavered. It's just that he is not that special, and their former relationship is also strong and stable, not as sharp as a blade.
If Nemo just kept his relatively thin feelings, trying to make himself feel better... This thought was like a piece of ice that slipped into his stomach, and he wanted to vomit it and smash it, recklessly embracing the sweet reality.
But he can't.
I really want to be the chain that stabilizes the world, but I don't want to greedily lock everything and indulge in self-deceiving fantasies.
He still wants to truly walk side by side with the people he loves.
"I've been chasing your back, and now I've finally touched it." Oliver swallowed. Ecstasy and apprehension intertwined, his head was splitting in pain, and the countless rushing thoughts almost drove him crazy.
"If you just have a crush on me, I'll go after you again. Start over from the first step with who I am now. So, if you..."
Nemo stretched out his right hand and let it stay in the air.
Oliver looked at the hand suspiciously for a while, hesitated for a few seconds, and put his left hand on it.
The demon king in human form bent down and left a kiss on the ring.
"I understand your concerns, Ollie. Emotions are indeed a foreign thing to me, and strictly speaking, I have only had them for less than twenty years. No matter how smart a child is, they can't see the world in the eyes of an old man, can they?"
His demon king exuded a faint power. It felt very strange, Oliver shook his head - the creature in front of him was obviously a strong man, but it was also the Nemo he was familiar with.
"Knowledge doesn't equal wisdom, gentleness and intelligence are irrelevant. I'm still learning how to use my feelings, and I don't have much more experience than you. Well, to be honest, I'm not sure if I love you the same way—with you The way you love me."
Those inhuman eyes looked over, and the voice was full of comfort and calmness.
"Listen, Oliver Ramon. As a pillar of the world, you're the most elusive creature I've ever seen. I can't guess what you're thinking, and would love to chase new intelligence and excitement."
Oliver's hands were a little tense and stiff.
"As Nemo Wright, I used to think I needed to do what the story says, hold on for love itself, be with you... But now, I think I made a mistake. That's not something I need to hold on to. A 'mission'. I don't love you continuously."
"If 'love' is defined as the emotion that makes the heart beat faster and survival itself more interesting, or the instinctive anticipation, closeness and trust - then I'm falling in love with you again every single day."
The phantom took two steps forward and made a hug.
"Love is not my purpose, you are all my purpose. Put on your ring, it's not the end, it's the beginning. Oliver Ramon."
From this angle, Oliver couldn't see Nemo's face clearly. He opened his mouth, before he could express any emotion—
The warm exhalation blew into his right ear, and Oliver could feel a burst of heat explode on his face.
"Not to mention, in a certain respect, you still have a long way to go." His demon king approached his ear and muttered maliciously.
"... one day you will regret those words, my majesty."
Oliver rubbed his ears, and the voice finally took off the weight and relaxed.
"I'm looking forward to it." Nemo let go of the illusory embrace.
Oliver finally took his right hand off the ring. The arm wrapped in armor had nowhere to use it, and he twisted his face fiercely. After confirming again and again that this was not a dream, the head of the tumbleweed waved to his companions with complicated expressions not far away.
"It's all right," he shouted, not trying to hide the joy in his voice.
The grey parrot rushed over first.
Baglmore didn't fly, it flapped its wings and trotted closer, eventually stopping in front of Nemo.
"You really aren't Ulysses?" Grey Parrot's voice was extremely serious.
"I am." Nemo crouched down, poked its head symbolically with his hand, and the gray parrot's fur exploded a little in an instant.
"...Like I was once the 'tenth generation' demon king who stuffed you with flesh and blood, the three-eyed corpse dragon Ziraglugo. I'm sorry, Bagelmoru - but I think it was the first time you attacked me. At that point, we were about even," Nemo said half-jokingly.
"It's not even!" Grey Parrot yelled, immediately putting his fears behind him. "I did a great job later, you can't just let it go! You gotta… you gotta—"
It turned its head and thought for a while: "You have to buy me all the things I want to eat and want, and then continue to call me Lord Bagelmore."
Nemo smiled and sighed, while Oliver stared at him closely, not looking away, as if watching a meteor that would only appear in a thousand years, or a wisp of smoke that could be blown away at any time.
"Are you sure there's nothing wrong, Oliver?"
Ann approached the second, and she looked at Nemo with a stiff expression: "Would it be a bit...too sloppy?"
"No." Oliver didn't feel unhappy because of this question.
Ann Savage was willing to approach, and for that alone, he wouldn't care if her questioning was more rude.
"After the knight's oath is completed, whether the Pillars of the World wants to study me or order me to accompany him, I will not refuse - he has no reason to disguise as Nemo Wright again."
Oliver rubbed the ring on the ring finger of his left hand.
"Now that the marriage-like covenant effect is in place, only the Pillars of Reason will no longer agree to a 'worthless' human ritual. Unless he can understand another layer of it - the emotional meaning that has nothing to do with profit."
…and Ulysses would never tease himself so naturally, it’s just that it’s not a convenient reason to say it.
"Okay." An picked up the corners of his mouth, but failed to laugh. She looked at Nemo silently.
"Ann..." Nemo stood up straight, his expression serious.
"I don't want to talk to you right now - don't be too busy to apologize, I'm not going to forgive you on the spot." "When Oliver pulls you up from below, I'll have to punch you hard before we can talk formally."
The muscles in her face twitched a little, as if she couldn't make up her mind on how to make an expression.
"… promise I'll beat you up before your wedding, okay? I still want to go to the wedding for a drink."
"Since Mr. Ramon is so sure, I am willing to accept his judgment." Adrian's voice was as calm as ever.
The former Judge Knight Commander looked at Nemo as sharply as when they met for the first time, but there was less of the insoluble chill in his eyes.
Jesse was silent. The white giant looked at Oliver's left hand, then at the translucent Demon King's phantom, and then turned his gaze back to Oliver's face again.
Finally he snorted twice, stuck out his tongue, and licked the face of Adrian Close beside him.
Those icy blue beast eyes were full of superiority.
Oliver: "… "
"Although the atmosphere makes you want to open a bottle of champagne."
An said dryly, grabbing the dishonest pink tongue and slamming it back into the beast's long mouth.
"But Oliver, what are you going to do next? The Demon King is not so easy to catch, right? Are you going to move to the bottom of the abyss?"
She exhaled forcefully: "And I have to remind the two of you that the next expedition is already in preparation, and you don't have much time."
"I know." Oliver glared at Jesse and nodded. "I have a plan on how to get Nemo up."
After all, he and his demon king fiancé looked at each other, and the tacit understanding in his eyes almost overflowed.
Ann snapped her eyes.
"Stop, okay? Since we're not engaged to you one by one, we can't directly read your special eyes. Explain." The Queen of Albans clicked hard. "...Is it related to the letter you asked the Mercenary Guild to collect on your behalf?"
"It can't be explained in a sentence or two." Oliver smiled shyly. "first… "
But a slightly indifferent, familiar voice interjected.
"I'm very sorry. Before you start explaining in detail, I have a question. According to Mr. Dylan, if the pillar of the world is not asleep, it should know everything that happens in the abyss."
Della Laineen, who had been silent for a while, finally approached. He looked at Nemo with a blank expression on his face. The early morning sky begins to brighten, the real sun is rising, and the faint morning light covers the starry sky little by little.
"Mr. Wright." The abyss sage's tone was emotionless. "Where is Aurora?"
At this moment, in the territory of Pledo, the headquarters of the Mercenary Guild.
Old John walked to the front desk early, with a straight back, and even a little deliberately showing off his walking posture.
Five days later, his lower back pain became less and less, and finally disappeared completely today. He couldn't wait to finish his final work, rushing to let the therapist do the final appraisal.
"Letters to tumbleweeds, letters to tumbleweeds... I'll see..." he muttered, bending down shyly and burying himself in the hill of envelopes. "Ouch."
As Oliver Ramon said, a large, thick envelope was sent to the front desk. Old John confirmed again and again that the name of the tumbleweed was indeed marked on it.
Just updating the team information, it's a breeze. Old John grasped the letter opener familiarly and opened the sturdy envelope. Take out the paper stuffed inside - in addition to various documents, the envelope also carries a few pieces of recording crystal.
There are not many people in the tumbleweed, and one died a few days ago. Where did they get so much information to update
Old John picked up the top sheet of paper.
Then the small silver knife that opened the credit card fell to the ground, making a soft ding sound.
He quickly flipped through the stationery—the tumbleweed just wanted to update one person's information, and the rest of the documents were all evidence for this information. There's even an autograph of Horizon Head Godwin Lopez inside, as proof of credibility.
"…Updated information. Changes to the leader's profile of the Black Badge Team Tumbleweed—"
Xiaobu rushed to the area in charge of information management, and did not worry about the cumbersome procedures that should have been carried out. Under the surprised eyes of the staff, Old John raised his voice, his voice trembling a little.
"—from Oliver Ramon, corrected to Oliver Lopez!"
The author has something to say:
Ollie: My Nemo is still there.
Jesse: (licks the knight commander)
Ollie: I'm engaged to Nemo.
Jesse: (licks the knight commander)
Ollie: … you want to fight, do you
———
You can't see it, you can't touch it, Ollie.