Read Novel Full Chapter 778: Come Back to Me
Chapter 778: Come Back to Me
Lucianna was a strange woman.
Nikolai followed her without complaint as she inspected and enjoyed walking around the palace gardens. At first, he thought of this tall powerhouse as a monster, but after quite some time, she just reminded him of his own mother.
A gentle, yet principled woman.
However, he regretted his words after offering to guide her to meet his wife.
“Oh my goodness!”
Kumiko’s golden eyes widened as Lucianna casually placed the sleeping Ryuji into her arms. Her nine tails instantly rose behind her, spreading apart like a huge golden fan while she stared down at the tiny blonde child.
“So cute…”
Her voice changed completely.
Nikolai sighed.
‘I knew this would happen.’
Lucianna seemed equally pleased, standing beside Kumiko with both hands pressed against her cheeks as the two women examined her son like they’d discovered some priceless treasure.
“Oh my~ look at his little cheeks!”
“Mhm! They’re so soft!”
“Right?! My darling says I squeeze them too much.”
“You can never squeeze a baby’s cheeks too much.”
‘That’s definitely not true.’
Nikolai wisely kept that thought inside his head.
Ryuji slowly opened his eyes, seemingly confused by the strange woman holding him. His little gaze remained fixed on Kumiko for several seconds before one of her tails drifted close to his face, and his tiny hand reached out, grabbing the fur.
“Ah!”
And refused to let go, of course.
“Ohhhhh!”
The Demon Queen suddenly grabbed Nikolai’s shoulders from behind and shook him with enough strength to make his neck crack.
“You have really soft fur… do you have a certain routine?” Though she appeared human, Lucianna also had a tail, but unlike the silky fur of Kumiko the fox. Hers was demonic and coarsely scaled. So she wrapped it around her thigh like a belt.
“Ah… not really.” Kumiko seemed a little embarrassed as Lucianna openly stroked one of her tails. “They’re naturally like this, but Nikolai brushes them sometimes.”
“Oh?” Lucianna’s eyes shifted to the tall male leaning against the door, watching with a smile. He didn’t get involved or try to insert himself when she began talking to Kumiko. “He’s really an unexpectedly great catch…”
The similarities between her husband and the hybrid boy were growing each moment.
Nikolai only felt a sudden chill of danger and hugged his shoulders.
He glared at Lucianna and grumbled.
“Don’t.”
“Hahaha! I didn’t even say anything, yet!”
“…I don’t trust you.
There was a strange tingle in my spine, warning me of danger.”
While the two spoke, Ryuji continued clutching Kumiko’s tail, his little fingers disappearing into the golden fur. However, after several seconds, his sleepy eyes drifted away from it and slowly traced another fluffy white tail that danced from left to right.
It was Nikolai’s.
“Hm?”
The little boy stared at him.
‘Wow, he’s really cute… why does he remind me so much of Leonid? Am I just a stupid, doting father now?!’
His little nose wrinkled before sniffing the air; it resembled a tiny animal catching a familiar scent. Before Nikolai could understand what was happening, Ryuji released Kumiko’s tail and stretched both arms towards him.
“…Eh?”
“Apa…..” The little blue eyes sparkled as he muffled words, struggling to speak several times.
Even Lucianna was gobsmacked, staring at her son with tears in her eyes. Nikolai didn’t argue, reaching beneath Ryuji’s arms and lifting the tiny body against his chest. And almost immediately, the little thing relaxed and clung to his chest.
‘Well…’
After seeing him enjoy the tail of Kumiko so much, he wrapped his huge, bushy tail around the little misfit like a blanket and glanced helplessly at Lucianna.
Ryuji’s tiny fingers then grabbed it.
“Oi….” Nikolai lowered his gaze, then stopped mid-sentence and shook his head.
The child didn’t care and squeezed the white tail twice before releasing a soft, satisfied yawn and closing his eyes.
“Oh my, it seems he truly does prefer you…” Kumiko giggled.
Lucianna didn’t look surprised at all.
Instead, she watched Nikolai carefully, her expression becoming strangely affectionate.
“Really… It’s not surprising, though. This little thing pretends to be a mommy’s boy… but if his dad is around, he’ll follow him desperately, no matter how dangerous it gets. You really do resemble my husband. Maybe you’re related…?”
She paused while rubbing her chin before tilting it.
“Do they feel that similar?” Kumiko asked.
“Mhm. Not exactly the same, but…” Lucianna stepped closer and gently stroked Ryuji’s back. “That strange atmosphere and the way you frown all the time. Heh, it probably helps that you’re handsome too. I wonder if it’s because my husband became half-demon due to certain circumstances…”
‘Well, it helps either way.’
Lucianna was likely more content to accept his request. Not just because of his mother, but because, thanks to Ryuji being so clingy to him, though it was a little strange.
“Here, let me take him. You’re busy, right?” Lucianna offered her arms, lifting her son free, with a smile on her face. “It’s truly been a long time since we had such a peaceful moment. Maybe I can enjoy this as a kind of holiday.”
A little reluctant, Nikolai nodded.
“Yeah, though I doubt it’ll remain peaceful for long, so enjoy it.”
His eyes drifted towards the distant windows overlooking the northern district of S-city. Though the red mood wasn’t as visible during the day, its presence hadn’t disappeared.
He could still feel the faint pressure pulsing within his veins, agitating his blood.
‘And once we leave, it’ll be on everyone here to endure whatever comes next.’
Lucianna noticed the change in his expression but didn’t comment on it.
Instead, she gently rocked Ryuji in her arms while Kumiko moved closer, already reaching for one of the blankets folded beside the sofa.
“You should go,” Kumiko said softly.
“Hm?”
“We’re fine here.”
Her nine tails slowly lowered before curling around Lucianna and Ryuji almost instinctively, creating a huge golden wall of fur around them to block their view as she approached Nikolai. She then wrapped her arms around his chest, cuddling him tight. “Honey~ you don’t have to keep worrying, okay?”
“Kumi?”
Nikolai was caught off guard.
Kumiko rarely spoke like this unless she noticed something bothering him.
Maybe it was because she’d spent so much time around him, or perhaps being a mother had improved her senses slightly. Either way, she seemed frighteningly good at noticing the moments when his thoughts became heavier than usual.
“I know you’re suffering, and under a lot of stress. So please, don’t worry about us… You’ve already done enough.”
“But I…”
“Nikolai! Focus, and be at ease. We’re all on your side and support you and everything you’ve chosen to stand for. Please… just let me help you a little, okay?” Kumiko’s golden eyes stared directly into his without their usual playful glimmer. She didn’t seem angry or upset, just worried.
“I have to do that, though…”
“Mhm, I know.”
She pushed herself closer.
“But we’re not helpless anymore, Honey.”
His gaze shifted past her tails to Lucianna, who was still sitting behind the wall of golden tails, quietly rocking Ryuji while pretending not to listen.
“You don’t need to protect everything alone. You just need to come back.”
“…”
‘She’s right.’
His tension must’ve been too obvious; he couldn’t help but smile at his beloved wife. From the moment they met, this foxy woman had been supporting him. Different from Nikita or Selene, who held huge amounts of his life from the start, Kumiko built everything from scratch through her careful, affectionate actions.
‘What have I done for her in return?’
He asked himself, but didn’t mean to brood.
It was a question for the future: how could he make it up to her, to the others?
To come back.
That’s all he needed to focus on for now.
“I promise to return to you. Even if I am torn to shreds, I will come home.”
Maybe that was the biggest difference between now and before, when he used to be a stupid kid with no one around him but his dad. But now, there were people strong enough to protect the things behind him while he moved forward.
His hand slipped around Kumiko’s waist and pulled her closer.
“Come here.”
“Hm?”
Before she could react, Nikolai lowered his head and kissed her.
“Mmph…!”
Her eyes widened for only a second before slowly closing and standing on her tiptoes. Their kiss was gentle and filled with warmth. Nikolai simply held her against his body while his lips moved against hers, enjoying the warmth of her breath and the familiar sweetness lingering on her tongue.
She responded enthusiastically, moving her hands higher, before one slipped around his neck and the other pressed gently against his muscular chest.
Their tongues slowly twirled for a few seconds, neither of them willing to pull away.
Then Nikolai finally broke the kiss.
A thin strand of saliva briefly connected their lips before disappearing.
Kumiko’s cheeks were bright red.
“…That was unfair.”
“What was?”
“You can’t kiss me like that and then leave.”
Nikolai noticed the red hue on his wife’s cheeks and the way she bit her lower lip. It was quite cute how the modest Kumiko hid her lust.
“Well, we can settle those feelings when I come back later.”
Her little mouth opened wide, and her ears twitched as she gasped. It took her a moment to recover before she frowned and gently thumped his chest.
“Y-You better!”
“I will.”
“Hmph… men! Always quick to run away when you want them.”
Kumiko stared at him for another moment before suddenly grabbing his collar and pulling him down again.
Mwah!
After a short but aggressive little peck, she released him with a sneaky smirk on her face.
“You can go now, honey.”
“Yeah, I’ll see you later, Kumi… don’t miss me too much.”
“…Mm…”
Nikolai turned and left the mansion, while the beautiful fox stared at his back with a wistful gaze. “Idiot… at least kiss me again…” Her tails finally opened, revealing Lucianna sitting behind them with the widest grin imaginable.
“Oh my~”
He could picture Kumiko’s entire face turning crimson, but Nikolai shook his head and stepped away before the two women dragged him into another conversation.
Alexei and Ryan were already waiting for him in the central camp.