Chapter : 675

"We are not even," Elma declared passionately. A single, happy tear formed in the corner of her blue eye. She smiled a beautiful, radiant smile. She looked directly into his sleepy dark eyes.

"I love you, Ken Eliot," Elma confessed officially. The heavy words hung in the warm air. "I have fallen deeply in love with you. You are the most wonderful person I have ever met."

The living room exploded into pure, silent shock.

Laxmi dropped her jaw wide open. A tiny spark of fire fizzled out on her finger.

Sayma dropped her silver pen. The pen clattered loudly onto the wooden floor. Click. Clack.

Luna sat straight up from her fluffy pillow. Her eyes were wide. She forgot to be sleepy.

Ira blinked her eyes twice. It was a massive display of emotion for the ice-cold mage.

Princess Iris covered her mouth with her hand. She looked surprised.

Naomi froze . Her breath stopped. Her heart clenches tightly in her chest. She stared at Elma. She stared at Ken. A chaotic storm of confusing emotions swirled inside Naomi's mind. She did not know what to do. She just sat perfectly still on the sofa.

Ken Eliot sat on the soft cushions. He was , flustered.

He was a master of dodging physical attacks. He could dodge a lightning bolt. He could slip on a banana peel to avoid a magic spear. He could trick a corrupt politician with flawless logic.

But he could not dodge this. There was no anime logic for a sudden, highly public romantic confession in a living room. He had zero defensive tactics for pure, honest love.

Ken scratched the back of his messy black hair. He looked at the ceiling. He looked at the floor. He looked at the pink pastry box. He avoided eye contact . His lazy persona struggled to find the right words. He felt his own face get a tiny bit warm.

"Wow," Ken mumbled softly. He drooped his posture as far as it could possibly go. He tried to shrink deep into the sofa cushions. "That is a very big statement. That is a massive plot twist. I did not read the script for this episode."

Elma stood still. She waited patiently. She breathed slowly. She looked at him with affection.

Ken looked back at her. He dropped his goofy smile. He looked very honest. He decided to tell her the absolute truth.

"Elma," Ken admitted lazily. His voice was very quiet. He scratched his head again. "I am lazy. I do not like making big decisions. I do not even know what my own long-term life goals are yet. I just want to find a quiet place to sleep. Maybe grow some potatoes on a quiet farm. I do not have a plan for tomorrow, let alone a plan for the entire future."

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Ken let out a long, quiet sigh. He looked directly at her blue eyes.

"I am very flattered," Ken said sincerely. He slumped his shoulders. "But I honestly do not know how to answer your confession. My brain is not equipped for romance. It is only equipped for finding snacks and video games."

The room stayed silent. Naomi waited for Elma's reaction. Naomi's heart beat rapidly.

Elma did not cry. She did not yell. She did not look disappointed.

Instead, Elma smiled. It was a very soft, very warm, very beautiful smile. She looked relieved. A massive weight lifted off her shoulders. She finally said the words out loud.

"It is okay, Ken," Elma replied softly. Her voice was gentle. She took a small step back. "You do not need to give me an answer right now. You can take all the time you need. You can take years if you want."

Elma smoothed her pristine white uniform. She looked very calm and very happy.

"I just wanted to be honest about my feelings," Elma explained warmly. "I wanted you to know how much you mean to me. You do not have to change your plans. Just keep being you."

---

Naomi lay perfectly flat on her soft bed. The room was dark. The silver moonlight shined through her small glass window. The light cast long, quiet shadows across her bedroom wall.

She stared directly at the ceiling. She did not blink. She listened to the quiet ticking of the clock on her nightstand. Tick. Tick. Tick.

She could not sleep. She was awake.

Naomi turned over onto her right side. She pulled the warm blanket up to her chin. She closed her green eyes tightly. She tried to force her brain to shut down. She tried to think about boring things. She tried to think about training drills. She tried to think about polishing her silver daggers.

Nothing worked. Her mind refused to rest.

She turned over onto her left side. She kicked the blanket away from her legs. She felt restless. A deep, quiet sadness settled inside her chest. It felt like a cold stone resting right over her heart.

Her mind played a video on a constant loop. It repeated the exact same memory from earlier that afternoon.

She saw the bright living room. She saw the pink pastry box sitting on the coffee table. She saw Elma standing perfectly straight in her spotless white uniform. She remembered the loud, clear sound of Elma’s voice.

"I love you, Ken Eliot."

The words echoed in Naomi's brain. They bounced around her head over and over again. Elma was honest. Elma did not hide her feelings. Elma stood up in front of the entire 13th Unit. She faced her fear directly. She put her entire heart on display for everyone to see.

Naomi felt a massive surge of frustration. She gritted her teeth. She grabbed her pillow and squeezed it tightly against her chest.

She was not frustrated with Elma. She was deeply frustrated with herself.

Naomi was the vanguard leader of the 13th Unit. She was a fierce, brave warrior. She charged directly into dangerous battles. She fought mutated monsters. She deflected lethal magic spells. She protected Princess Iris with her life. She never backed down from a physical fight.

But today, she backed down from an emotional fight.

Naomi hid behind her strict persona. She built a tough, unyielding wall around herself. She acted like a demanding boss. She yelled at people to follow orders. She scolded Ken for being . She told him to tuck in his shirt. She complained when he left crumbs on the table. She used her pride as a massive shield.

Her pride stopped her from speaking up. Her strict persona paralyzed her.

Naomi realized the truth in the dark room. She spent every single day with Ken. She sat next to him on the sofa. She cooked meals for him. She handed him napkins when he made a mess. She laughed at his ridiculous jokes.

She thought about Ken. A small, sad smile touched her lips.

Ken was lazy. He always wore baggy gray sweatpants. He sagged his shoulders constantly. He complained about standing up. He ate way too many sour cream and onion potato chips. He drank sugary sodas.