Chapter 70: Talks

Chapter 70: Chapter 70: Talks

Tolu couldn’t sleep.

His body was exhausted from the day’s training, but exhaustion didn’t always guarantee sleep. His muscles ached from swinging the war hammer, his palms still felt tender, and even lying down had done little to quiet his mind.

Eventually, he gave up.

He slipped out of his room and walked quietly through the manor.

The halls were dark, illuminated only by the occasional lantern burning along the walls. Most of the household had already gone to sleep.

Tolu stepped outside.

The night air immediately felt better.

Cool.

Quiet.

He walked toward the edge of the courtyard, intending to sit for a while before trying his luck with sleep again.

Then he noticed someone.

A figure was sitting beneath one of the trees at the far end of the courtyard.

Tolu slowed.

He recognized the long dark hair.

"Ore?"

She turned.

A small smile appeared on her face.

"Tolu."

He walked toward her.

"What are you doing out here?"

"Couldn’t sleep."

He nodded.

"Me neither."

He stopped beside the tree.

Ore shifted slightly, making room.

Tolu sat beside her.

For a while, neither spoke.

The courtyard was peaceful.

The distant sounds of the city were barely audible beyond the manor walls. Somewhere nearby, insects chirped softly in the grass.

Tolu leaned his head against the tree.

"Training really did a number on us."

Ore laughed quietly.

"You should see your hands."

Tolu looked at them.

"They’re fine."

"They’re red."

"They’ll recover."

"You said the same thing about your shoulder."

"My shoulder recovered."

"Eventually."

Tolu smiled.

"You’re starting to sound like my mother."

Ore laughed again.

The sound was soft.

Tolu smiled without thinking.

It had been a while since he’d heard her laugh like that.

He glanced at her.

Ore noticed.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"You were staring."

"I wasn’t."

"You were."

Tolu looked away.

"Maybe a little."

Ore smiled.

Neither said anything for a moment.

Then she looked toward the courtyard.

"It’s strange."

"What is?"

"Living here."

Tolu nodded.

"Very."

She looked around.

"A months ago, we were worried about whether we’d have enough money to pay for our room."

Tolu laughed.

"That wasn’t a few months ago."

"It feels like it was."

"I remember that place."

Ore smiled.

"The room?"

"Calling it a room is generous."

"It had a roof."

"Barely."

"It had a bed."

"One."

"We survived."

Tolu chuckled.

"I still remember the smell."

Ore covered her mouth as she laughed.

"You complained about it every night."

"Because it smelled terrible."

"You still slept there."

"We couldn’t afford anything better."

"None of us could."

The laughter slowly faded.

They sat quietly again.

Tolu looked toward the sky.

"Ile-Esha."

Ore nodded.

"The Land of the Poor."

"That’s what everyone called it."

"I never liked that name."

"Why?"

Ore thought for a moment.

"Because it made it sound like everyone there was destined to remain poor."

Tolu looked at her.

"And now?"

She smiled faintly.

"Now I’m sitting in a rich man’s courtyard."

Tolu laughed.

"Don’t get too comfortable."

She turned toward him.

"Why?"

"Because Folami could throw us out tomorrow."

Ore’s smile disappeared slightly.

"You really think about that?"

"Sometimes."

"Why?"

Tolu shrugged.

"Because this isn’t ours."

He looked toward the manor.

"The rooms aren’t ours. The food isn’t ours. The money isn’t ours."

He paused.

"It’s good. I’m grateful for it."

Then he looked down at his hands.

"But I don’t want to depend on someone else’s kindness forever."

Ore studied him.

"You’ve changed."

Tolu looked at her.

"Have I?"

"Yes."

She smiled.

"You’re more serious."

"That’s unfortunate."

"You’re still annoying."

"Good."

Ore laughed.

Tolu smiled.

The silence that followed wasn’t uncomfortable.

It was different.

Comfortable.

Familiar.

After a while, Ore spoke.

"We don’t talk anymore."

Tolu’s smile faded.

He looked at her.

"What do you mean?"

"Like this."

She gestured vaguely between them.

"We used to."

Tolu thought about it.

She was right.

Before the dungeon.

Before Folami.

Before the tournament.

Before everything became complicated.

They had spent countless nights talking after missions.

Sometimes about serious things.

Sometimes about nothing.

Sometimes they had simply sat together because neither of them wanted to return to their rooms yet.

"I noticed it too."

Ore looked at him.

"You did?"

Tolu nodded.

"I wouldn’t have come outside if I hadn’t."

Her expression softened.

For some reason, those words seemed to mean more to her than they should have.

"You were looking for me?"

Tolu hesitated.

"Not exactly."

Ore smiled.

"That’s not what your face said."

Tolu laughed quietly.

"Fine."

He looked at her.

"Maybe I was."

Her smile remained.

"Why?"

Tolu thought about it.

"I don’t know."

Ore lowered her gaze.

"Maybe I know."

Tolu raised an eyebrow.

"You do?"

She nodded.

"Maybe we haven’t had time to miss each other."

Tolu’s expression softened.

"Maybe."

The wind moved through the leaves above them.

Ore tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I’ve missed this."

Tolu looked at her.

"This?"

She nodded.

"Talking to you."

Tolu smiled as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Yeah."

His voice was quieter.

"I’ve missed it too."

Ore raised her head to look at him for several seconds.

Then she asked,

"What do you actually want?"

Tolu frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"Not tomorrow. Not the next contract. Not the dungeon."

She paused.

"Your life."

Tolu leaned back against the tree.

"I want to be strong."

Ore smiled.

"I expected that."

"I want money too."

"That too."

"A lot of money."

She laughed.

"Of course."

Tolu smiled.

"But..."

He looked toward the distant lights of Ile-Esha.

"I want a place that belongs to me."

Ore listened.

"A home."

He continued.

"Somewhere nobody can tell me to leave."

His voice became quieter.

"And somewhere I don’t have to worry about whether I’ll have enough to eat tomorrow."

Ore looked at him.

"That’s all?"

Tolu shook his head.

"No."

He thought for a moment.

"I want people around me."

She smiled.

"You already have people."

"I know."

His gaze shifted toward her.

"I want them to stay."

Ore’s smile slowly disappeared.

Not because she was sad.

Because she understood.

"Even when things get difficult?"

"Especially then."

Their eyes met.

Neither looked away.

The space between them suddenly felt smaller.

Ore’s hand rested on the grass beside her.

Tolu’s hand was close to hers.

Neither moved.

Their fingers brushed.

A tiny touch.

Almost accidental.

Ore didn’t pull away.

Neither did Tolu.

They remained like that.

Their hands touching.

Tolu looked down briefly.

Then back at her.

Ore was already watching him.

Something had changed.

Neither of them said it.

They didn’t need to.

Tolu’s heart beat a little faster.

Ore’s breathing had become quieter.

He shifted slightly toward her.

She didn’t move away.

Instead, she moved just enough for their shoulders to touch.

Tolu smiled faintly.

"What?"

Ore whispered.

"Nothing."

"You keep saying that."

"I don’t know what else to say."

She smiled.

"That’s unusual for you."

"You’re usually the one talking."

"Maybe I’m nervous."

Tolu blinked.

"You?"

Ore looked down.

"Maybe."

He didn’t tease her.

He simply watched her.

After a moment, Ore looked back at him.

Their faces were close now.

Close enough that Tolu could see the faint reflection of moonlight in her eyes.

Neither spoke.

Tolu’s gaze dropped for the briefest moment.

Ore noticed.

Her expression changed.

Not fear.

Not surprise.

Something softer.

Something that made Tolu’s heart beat harder.

He looked back into her eyes.

"Ore..."

"Hmm?"

Tolu hesitated.

"If I do something stupid..."

Ore’s lips curved.

"You already do stupid things."

He smiled.

"I mean something really stupid."

Her smile slowly faded.

She understood.

For several seconds, she said nothing.

Then she moved slightly closer.

Tolu’s breath caught.

She didn’t look away.

Neither did he.

The world seemed strangely quiet.

Tolu lifted his hand slowly.

He stopped before touching her.

Ore glanced at his hand.

Then back at him.

She closed the remaining distance.

Their lips met.

It was gentle.

Almost hesitant.

Neither of them seemed completely certain what to do with the moment.

Then they separated.

Only by an inch.

They stared at each other.

Ore’s cheeks had turned slightly warm.

Tolu smiled.

She noticed.

"Don’t."

"I didn’t say anything."

"You were about to."

"I wasn’t."

"You were."

Tolu laughed softly.

Ore shook her head, smiling despite herself.

Then she looked at him again.

The hesitation was gone.

This time, when they kissed, neither of them pulled away so quickly.

The kiss lasted longer.

Still gentle.

Still uncertain.

But no longer accidental.

When they finally separated, they remained close.

Their foreheads nearly touched.

Neither spoke.

They didn’t need to.

For the first time in a long while, Tolu wasn’t thinking about cultivation.

He wasn’t thinking about the dungeon.

He wasn’t thinking about money, Bolaji, the Oriyomi family, or the future.

He was simply sitting beneath a tree with Ore.

And somehow, that felt like enough.

Ore smiled softly.

"I think we really have been neglecting each other."

Tolu smiled.

"Yeah."

She leaned against his shoulder.

"Don’t do it again."

Tolu looked down at her. "I won’t." Taking her lips again.

Neither of them noticed how much later it had become.

For tonight, there was nowhere else they needed to be.