Read Novel Full Chapter 616: Birthday Gift for Shion
Chapter 616: Birthday Gift for Shion
As a woman standing at the pinnacle of the imperial hierarchy, Shion feared absolutely nothing—except for a few things. One of them was deep water.
Even Shion herself didn’t understand where that fear came from. In fact, she had never once swum in a lake, a river, or even the sea.
What was strange was that the fear had appeared suddenly. Most likely, she had read too many reports about monsters lurking in the depths of the ocean, and without realizing it, that fear had taken root within her.
"We’re here," Nolan’s voice snapped her out of her reverie.
She turned her head—and froze in surprise. Dozens of fireflies were fluttering above the blooming lotus flowers.
Shion couldn’t look away; the sight was simply breathtaking.
Suddenly, Nolan reached into his pocket and pulled out a small red box, only about the size of a fist.
Shion instinctively turned to him and asked, "What is that?"
Nolan simply smiled and opened it. Inside was a dark red bracelet.
The bracelet was incredibly beautiful, adorned with small, precise, and intricate engravings.
Three red crystals were set into it, shimmering faintly as they reflected the moonlight.
"This is the second gift for you—a bracelet," Nolan said softly. "Its name is Noctrum. It’s not an ordinary bracelet but a powerful artifact that can protect you when you’re in danger."
He had taken the name Noctrum from the language of his previous world, where it meant darkness. Of course, the bracelet’s power had nothing to do with darkness.
It simply contained a power of chaos within it, ready to activate at any moment to protect Shion from danger.
Even if she were attacked by one of the six Singularities, she would still be safe.
He had made this bracelet while on the ship, during the journey home from the eastern continent to the central continent.
And the reason? Of course, today was Shion’s twenty-fifth birthday.
"You didn’t forget?" Shion asked, her voice trembling.
Tears welled in the corners of her eyes as she stared at Nolan in utter surprise.
"Of course not. I remember it clearly," Nolan said with a soft chuckle.
He handed the box to her. Shion looked dazed for a moment before accepting it.
She examined the bracelet closely, then whispered, "It’s a very beautiful bracelet. Did you make it just for me?"
Nolan wanted to say yes but held back and replied casually, "No, I bought it. After all, it’s an exceptionally powerful artifact, and I don’t have that kind of ability."
But Shion didn’t believe a word of it. She could feel the love within the bracelet, as if it had been carved by him personally.
"Can you put it on me?" Shion asked with a hopeful look.
"Okay."
Nolan didn’t say no. He carefully lifted the bracelet out of the box.
Then he gently took Shion’s left hand and slipped it onto her wrist.
The moment the bracelet settled around her wrist, Shion felt a strange, nice tingle, like her whole body had gotten lighter and stronger.
She raised her left arm and gazed at the bracelet with a sweet smile on her lips.
"Thank you, Master. I’ll take good care of this gift," she said softly.
"You’re welcome. Remember—always wear this, even when you bathe. Understand?"
"M-mm! I understand!" Shion nodded enthusiastically. "I’ll always wear it. Don’t worry."
She had already come to see the bracelet as a part of herself, and she would never take it off for the rest of her life.
Nolan gave a satisfied nod. Just as he was about to row the wooden boat back to shore, something unexpected suddenly happened.
Shion leaned toward him and hugged him tightly.
Then, under Nolan’s stunned gaze, she pressed her lips against his and kissed him.
Nolan’s mind froze for a few seconds. Before he could react, Shion pulled away first and turned her face to the side, looking shy.
"Don’t be angry. That was the only thing I could give you in return," she whispered in a voice as soft as a mosquito’s buzz.
Nolan: "..."
...
Nolan and Shion walked back to where their horse-drawn carriage had been parked earlier.
They held hands, but the atmosphere between them felt awkward.
Actually, Nolan didn’t mind it at all. Evalyn had done the same thing to him before, so he wasn’t particularly surprised.
However, the problem was the way it happened. It was so sudden and quiet that it caught him completely off guard.
As the Singularity of Chaos, he felt incredibly embarrassed and helpless.
It wasn’t that he couldn’t have dodged it—it was simply that he had let his guard down around someone he trusted.
So it wasn’t his fault he didn’t have time to pull away from the sudden kiss.
Meanwhile, Shion lowered her head. She didn’t dare look at Nolan because she felt guilty about what she had just done.
’I’m such an idiot! Argh... How am I supposed to face him later?’ Shion muttered, embarrassed and panicked.
She had no idea where that sudden courage had come from. It felt as though her body had been taken over by her desires, and she couldn’t stop herself.
Suddenly, Nolan stopped in his tracks, and Shion bumped into his back.
"What’s wrong?" Shion asked, looking at him in confusion.
Nolan didn’t answer. He looked toward the bushes on the right, then gave a faint smile.
"It’s nothing. Just a few uninvited guests," he replied calmly.
"A few uninvited guests? What do you mean?" Shion furrowed her brow.
Nolan simply smiled as he raised his right hand, then waved it downward.
Without saying another word, he pulled Shion along and continued walking.
What Shion didn’t know was that in the direction Nolan had been staring, two burly men stood hidden among the bushes with blank expressions.
The next moment, their bodies split in two and fell lifelessly to the ground.
No one knew they had died there. Before long, their bodies would become food for wild beasts.
...
The next morning...
"Ugh... I’m so embarrassed! But he didn’t seem angry. Could it be that Master now sees me fully as a woman? Oh no, I don’t know how to react to this!"
Sitting in her desk chair, Shion squirmed happily, her embarrassment mixed with excitement.
Last night’s incident was still fresh in her mind, to the point that she couldn’t sleep because she kept thinking about it.
Luna, who was cleaning the desk, grew curious and asked, "What’s wrong, Sister Shion? Did something good happen?"
Shion snapped out of her reverie and coughed shyly.
"It’s nothing. By the way, are there any new reports?"
Luna’s status at Blue Moon had now risen from a mere personal maid to a personal assistant.
Of course, Shion had made that decision because Luna truly deserved it.
The girl was intelligent, quick-witted, and able to grasp things with just a simple explanation.
"There are no important reports today, Sister Shion. But..." Luna’s expression slowly turned serious. "There’s a report that several heads of trading houses in the capital wish to meet with you. Do you want to grant their request?"