A Flower With an Owner
"If you mean to pluck a flower that already has an owner, you'd best be ready to offer up a wrist or two."
Just what the hell was I supposed to be looking forward to?
I'd turned the day's events over in my head a dozen times and still couldn't make sense of it. But standing here, watching the scene unfold across the ballroom, a hazy guess began to take shape.
Maybe this was what she'd meant by "looking forward to it."
A noble investiture.
A ceremony to erase the fallen name of Silverrain and carve the name Scarlet in its place. The moment Ruby Scarlet rose from a mere knight to the ranks of high nobility.
"Well, well. A half-elf, of all things… standing up there. Wasn't it just yesterday they were calling her a mongrel?"
"Watch your mouth. Haven't you heard about the Heavenly Spirit War? She tore through the Silverrains single-handedly."
"Hah. Talk about a meteoric rise…"
The elves' jealous muttering burst around me like champagne bubbles. I swallowed the smile tugging at my lips and quietly tipped my glass.
Who would have imagined it?
Whatever the process had been, the ending was a happy one. That was enough.
The grand hall. Even the light cascading from hundreds of chandeliers seemed ready to be swallowed whole by the figure on the dais — Ruby, utterly singular.
The rebel who'd once swaggered around in ripped jeans and a T-shirt was nowhere to be found. True to the Scarlet name, perhaps? Whether or not it was the family crest, the dress was breathtaking. Cinched so tightly at the waist she could barely breathe, shoulders bared without a shred of hesitation — she looked every inch a queen.
"…Thus, I hereby appoint Ruby Scarlet a formal noble of the Empire."
Thunderous applause. She lifted her chin with arrogant grace and looked down upon the throng gazing up at her.
But I knew better. The tip of that haughty gaze was fixed, sticky and deliberate, on me — tucked away in a corner of the room.
Her lips moved soundlessly.
Come. Fol. Low.
…I hadn't imagined it. Ruby pretended to wet her lips with champagne, then gave me a sly little wink.
Hundreds of nobles were rapturous over a single gesture of hers — and in that same moment, she was sending a secret signal meant for me alone.
My heart stuttered irregularly in my chest.
Look forward to it, Tea.cher.
The whisper I'd heard that afternoon rang through my skull like a phantom echo.
"Heyyy! Scarlet——! You're even better in person! Kahahaha!"
A vulgar laugh shattered the atmosphere. A bloated elf waddled toward Ruby, his lecherous eyes dragging openly over her exposed collarbones and the line of her chest.
"Congrats on the title. My territory's pretty spacious, you know — how about an after-party tonight? Nice and hot."
…What a piece of shit.
At this rate he was about to become barbecue. Not even a god could rein in that woman's anger management issues.
But she'd gotten her happy ending. Had her personality reformed along with it? The way Elara von Heim's had?
I held my breath and watched for her reaction.
"Hey, what's with the silent treatment? Hmm?"
He was dripping in expensive jewels, but nothing could hide the sheen of grease on his skin or the reek of cheap liquor. Putting on a display like that in front of a former urban terrorist — the man was practically volunteering for suicide.
And yet Ruby smiled.
"Oh my. How flattering."
Far from angry, she gave her wineglass an elegant swirl and stepped closer to him.
"A-ahem! R-right? I knew you'd be reasonable!"
The pig-elf grinned, drooling, and reached for her — and in that instant, Ruby slipped in close enough to graze his chin, lips brushing his ear as she whispered, soft and sweet:
"But what a shame. My tastes are… rather particular."
"Huh?"
"I prefer a sharp wolf to a greasy little pig."
A voice coated in sugar. But the cold killing intent laced through it must have stabbed straight through his eardrums.
Ruby flicked his necktie with one finger, as if brushing off filthy dust.
"And more than anything…"
She curved her eyes into a sultry smile and flicked a glance toward me alone.
"If you mean to pluck a flower that already has an owner, you'd best be ready to offer up a wrist or two."
"H-hiiik…?!"
In that moment her eyes narrowed like a serpent's. To the people around them it might have looked like lovers' pillow talk — but the man taking that killing intent head-on went white as a sheet.
"…is what I almost said. Just kidding. Enjoy the party."
Ruby beamed again, radiant, and withdrew with perfect grace. Flawless handling. No scene, no violence — just garbage, disposed of cleanly.
She turned her head and looked at me. The chill from a moment ago was gone without a trace.
"Hehe…"
The smile of a dog fishing for praise — no. The smile of a fox with prey already in its sights. Her eyes were wet and shining.
"Well then, if you'll excuse me — I need the powder room…"
She slipped quietly out of the ballroom. I swallowed hard and followed her into the dark.
I ghosted out through the rear doors of the hall. The roar of cheers and the waltz melody fell away behind a single door.
Outside, pitch-black night. The deeper I walked into the forest that was our meeting place, the more the glittering lights faded, until only cold moonlight lit the path.
A silent wood where not even the hum of insects could be heard. The rustle of fallen leaves underfoot struck my eardrums with unnatural force.
"Haa… you're late, Teacher."
A languid voice drifted out of the dark. Beneath an old great tree, backlit by the moon, Ruby stood waiting with her arms crossed.
"Ruby… finished with the greetings, I take it?"
"Hmph. Who cares about that fake polite crap. More importantly — that pig bastard earlier. I nearly died of disgust."
She scowled and clicked her tongue in revulsion.
"I really wanted to roast him… but I held back. Because of you. Call it the three-second rule."
The training to hold still for three seconds. So it had actually worked.
I let out a short laugh.
"Well done restraining yourself."
"Mmm. You can praise me with your body later. More importantly…"
She walked toward me, slow and deliberate. Up close, her appearance was pure, undiluted danger.
A destructive force on an entirely different level from the casual look I'd seen that afternoon. A dress with a neckline bold enough to bare half her chest. With every step, the deep slit flashed a glimpse of pure white silk stockings sheathed around long, gleaming legs.
"Why are you standing there like an idiot?"
Ruby closed the distance until she was right in front of me. The thick scent of rose perfume and her own body heat mixed with the damp forest air and hit me all at once.
"Don't tell me. You're getting worked up over me right now, aren't you?"
"Pardon…? Th-that's—"
I couldn't deny it. What man could keep his composure in front of a presence this overwhelming? The brazenly exposed valley of her chest and the sleek line of her legs radiated a demonic allure that made anyone want to pin her down…
No — that made anyone want to be pinned down.
"Heh? Then prove it."
Thud!
It happened in an instant. Ruby seized me by the collar and shoved me hard against the tree trunk behind me.
"Ru—Ruby?!"
My back slammed into the rough bark, a dull ache blooming — but it was the soft, scorching heat of her body pressing into mine that made my mind go blank.
"I told you, didn't I? I still owe you for that slap. Tonight, to celebrate becoming a noble… I'm exercising my first right."
Ruby smiled, eyes curving in a graceful arc. A predator's smile.
"Haa… finally, I can breathe. That pig's stench almost made me throw up."
As if the fabric were in her way, she grabbed the hem of her dress in both hands and yanked it roughly up past her thighs. Moonlit white legs filled my entire field of vision.
Oh no. One wrong move and this is a straight shot to a bad ending…!
I forced a smile and tried to stop her.
"Lady Ruby, we're still outside. And you've only just become a noble—"
"Huh? A mere teacher talking this much? I'm a noble now, so— ah… no. I've always done whatever the hell I want."
She slid her leg deep between my thighs. The searing heat radiating from beneath her dress pressed nakedly against my trousers.
"I said it earlier, didn't I? An owned flower… the only one allowed to touch this body is you."
Her long, slender fingers traced down my jawline and locked around the back of my neck.
"So prove it, Teacher. Prove you're different from those pieces of trash."
Her pupils burned bright. The shell of a lofty noble lady had been shed — what stood before me was a starving female elf.
"Stay still. If you move… I might accidentally bite you."
A whisper that could have been a warning or a temptation. Ruby didn't wait for my answer.
Her delicate hands roughly tore open my shirt collar.
Pop—
The sound of a button ripping free tore through the forest silence. Her hot lips pressed against the bare skin of my neck.
"Nngh…!"
Fortunately, it wasn't a simple kiss. Or rather — kiss or not — as long as we didn't connect, I was fine.
The moment a lovers relationship formed, my entire plan would go up in smoke. Skinship of this degree, the system would still tolerate. Fighting back now would only make things more dangerous.
"You smell good…? Hehe."
She took the soft flesh of my neck between her lips and sucked hard, like a vacuum. A wet tongue dragged across my skin — then sharp canines scraped down, flooding me with pain and pleasure at once.
Schlick. Chuuup.
The raw, wet friction filled my ears. It felt as if every drop of blood in my body was rushing to the place her mouth was fixed.
Like a vampire draining my life force, she ravaged my neck with relentless, greedy hunger.
"La—Lady Ruby…? You're going to leave a mark."
"That's the point."
Without lifting her lips, she murmured against my skin. The tiny vibration of her voice shot down my spine in a shiver of electricity.
"So even a passing ant will know who you belong to… I'm branding you with a mark that won't wash off."
Satisfied, she dragged her tongue once more over the swollen red imprint of her teeth on my neck. Sticky saliva trailed down the line of my throat and wet my collarbone. The contrast of that scorching liquid against the cold night air nearly buckled my knees.
But she didn't stop. Unsatisfied with just my neck, her hand fisted hard in the back of my hair and forced my head down.
What filled my vision was Ruby's mouth — red lipstick smeared, looking all the more decadent for it.
If a kiss happens here, it's a total mess ending for sure — I'm finished…!
I needed a way out — anything!
Ah!
"W-wait!"
"…?"
"There's something I need to say first."
"Haa…? What now?"
Ruby's brow crumpled hard. Of course it did — I'd just dumped cold water on a mood that had been burning white-hot. Irritation and suspicion warred in her red eyes.
"Don't tell me you're chickening out because you're scared."
"Scared? Not at all. It's just…"
Feigning composure, I slowly raised my hand and lightly pressed my thumb against her lips. Soft, hot flesh met my fingertip.
"Lady Ruby. Look around you for a moment."
"…Around?"
"Dirt-covered ground. A rotting tree stump crawling with bugs."
I sighed as if genuinely pained, and gently tucked a strand of her disheveled hair behind her ear.
"Today, Lady Ruby became the head of the most noble Scarlet family — a true aristocrat, above anyone else."
"…So?"
"And the first night of someone so exalted is supposed to be in a savage forest like this? That's the kind of thing those pig-like bastards from earlier would do."
Her eyes wavered. For a woman as proud as she was, nothing worked as a brake quite like an appeal to dignity.
"The finest feast belongs on the finest plate."
I delivered the finishing blow.
"The highest-grade silk sheets. Soft lighting. And the finest wine… You should claim me with every one of those luxuries, as elegantly as possible. Rushing through it in a place like this only cheapens your own worth."
"…Ha."
Ruby gave a short snort. But it was a good sign — the arm locked around my neck was slowly losing its strength.
She stared at me for a long moment, then nodded, as if conceding the point.
"…Fine. Hearing you put it that way, yeah. I'm not some animal cub anymore. No reason to roll around in the grass."
Thank god…!
It worked.
Ruby gave the thumb that had been sealing her lips a light lick with her tongue, then released my collar.
"You've got more sense than I gave you credit for. Looking out for my dignity and everything…"
"You flatter me."
Ruby gave a casual wave of her hand. As if by magic, the wrinkled dress smoothed itself out and her tangled hair fell back into place.
"Alright. I'll let you off the hook for now, like you said."
She tapped my chin with a fingertip and smiled, sultry and dangerous.
"But you'd better prepare thoroughly. I might barge into your bedroom whenever I feel like it. When that happens… you'd better be ready for the bedsheets to get torn."
"I'll keep that in mind."
"I'm going first, then. Clean yourself up and follow. And don't you dare come back smelling like this."
Ruby turned without a shred of lingering attachment, her dress fluttering behind her.
Click. Click.
I barely managed to breathe until the sound of her heels had vanished completely into the forest dark.
"…Hoo."
The moment her presence faded, the strength left my legs and I sank to the ground. My neck throbbed. When I touched it, I felt a searing heat and a vivid, raised mark.
Fuck. That was almost the end of me.
She'd branded my neck — but at least the line hadn't been crossed.
Either way, I needed to run. Fast.
The reason the happy ending window still hadn't appeared was because I hadn't exited yet. Ruby's ending conditions: complete. Perfect self-sufficiency achieved through her noble title. Which left only one thing.
For me to quietly disappear from this world.