The Iudex's day off

Chapter 68 - Forever

 "Now you know that we're the same person?!"

 He was fuming and somehow it was incredibly satisfying to see.

 Suddenly, his expression changed, morphing from frustration into an ominous smirk.

 "Hey, Wrio. Don't forget the shakes."

 And then amidst his laughter, he disappeared.

 "He's gone?" Wrio asked in a bit of a shock.

 "No, not quite yet. He's still lurking around here somewhere."

 "Tsk! That stupid pervert!"

 "Just what on Teyvat did he do?"

 As soon as he heard my question, a small blush spread across his face.

 "N-Nothing."

 Sure. Sure.

 Very believable.

 "Hey, Neuvillette-"

 "No. It was a no before and it's still a no now."

 "Neuv, come now, at least-"

 "You dying is one thing, killing you with my own hands is another!"

 I snapped.

 I finally snapped.

 That was it.

 The line I was not willing to even approach.

 "Neuv-"

 "No."

 "I love you."

 "You-"

 He looked at me, eyes brimming with tears.

 "I love you with all I have, Neuv. Won't you let me stay with you forever?"

 Instantly, my instincts flared. They screamed to mark, to claim, but-

 "You- You will die!"

 I just couldn't do it.

 "I won't. I could. But I won't. Look, I even brought us both one of Sigewinne's miracle milkshakes to be sure."

 He waved the two bottles around and I suppressed a laugh.

 "If I'm dying because of anything, it's gonna be this milkshake." He grinned.

 As if to prove his determination, he opened one of the bottles and chugged its contents down in one go.

 I had never seen so much disgust fill someone's face so fast.

 "Archons! This is even worse than before! Good god! What the hell did Sigewinne put in here?!"

 He grumbled as he tossed the empty bottle as far away as he could, looking at it as if it was his arch-enemy.

 Then, he handed me the other.

 "Here, this is yours."

 "M-Mine, you say?"

 Can I not?

 In the end, under his insistent gaze, I opened the other bottle.

 The smell of its contents hit me and-

 Oh?

 It took all I had not to smile.

 Slowly, under his watchful eyes, I gulped down the liquid.

 "So?"

 "It was quite delicious."

 Wrio looked at me as if he had seen a ghost.