Eric and Ruby had gone out onto the streets. The sun was high and shining brightly on Paris.
Ruby had her hands wrapped around Eric's right arm as they walked side by side.
At this moment, they were simply strolling along the footpath; they still had to decide where to go.
"Yeah, I remember when that bitch fell down the stairs! That was really satisfying to watch back in school," Ruby blurted out with a smile on her face.
"I didn't know my wife had so many interesting stories from her school days, haha," Eric laughed at her short tales of the past. She always had a ton of them.
"Maybe you would know if you actually sat with me and talked. Besides, I only talk about these stories when I'm feeling generous," Ruby puffed her cheeks as she turned her head away.
"I do sit and talk with you, but you're always worried about me or something about the family."
"That's because I love you!"
Their conversation continued like this. Anyone who looked at them could tell that the atmosphere around them was very joyous and warm.
Obviously, they were not the main characters of a story; they were not the center of attention of the countless number of people who were focused on work or had their own worries and only gave them a few glances.
Neither Eric nor Ruby were attention seeker. They didn't mind their invisibility in this huge city.
Especially Eric—he had always avoided being in the spotlight.
After some idle chatting and laughing, Eric and Ruby fell silent and started walking quietly.
Eric began to look around. This was a place where couples mostly came, due to there being a huge park named Bois de Boulogne.
Ruby is not a sybaritic woman. She prefers things to be more on the normal side. She is often very petty about money, but sometimes she can go out and spend a lot on things she likes.
It depends on her mood and the savings they have.
If Eric told her that he had a lot of liquid money stored—not only that, but quite a few aura stones too, each of which could be converted to a hundred thousand dollars—then he wondered what her reaction would be?
Glancing around, Eric noticed that there were many pregnant women.
Obviously, he can't just look at a woman and tell that she is pregnant. Even an expert can't tell unless they do a check-up.
But Eric is no ordinary human. He is an Aura user with Abyssal Eyes. The ability of his Abyssal Eyes is quite peculiar.
When he activates his Abyssal Eyes, a change occurs in them: both eyes start glowing with pink Aura and four arrows pointing downward—two on each side of his black pupil.
After this change occurs, he is able to see the soul of any person, and any change in their emotions shows a different color in his eyes.
Red for anger, blue for sadness, yellow for joy and happiness, green for trust, purple for fear, aqua for surprise, brown for disgust, orange for anticipation, pink for love, black for powerful and mixed emotions, white for balance or neutral.
The darker the color, the more intense the emotion.
Eric can also see some problems in the bodies of people as black and red spots. For example, he was able to see the red ball of flesh in Claude with his Abyssal Eyes with no problem.
The main reason was that the blob was either Lysi Nova or lower rank.
Through this, he can see the souls of women and see if there is another small soul in them. If they do, then that means they are pregnant.
The abilities of Abyssal Eyes have nothing to do with the pathway or ability of a person's Aura. It also has nothing to do with the person's personality or mindset.
It is completely independent and random.
If the logic of Abyssal Eyes getting abilities based on which pathway the person is from applied, then Eric would most probably have had to be an Aura user of the Afterlife Pathway to have this ability.
In the past, Eric was reluctant to use his Abyssal Eyes when he entered Paris—not only do Abyssal Eyes frequently consume the primary Aura of a person, but they are also way too eye-catching. Eric was also afraid of seeing something that he couldn't comprehend. But now?
He has two relics: Truth and the Imperator's Cross. He can activate his Abyssal Eyes anytime while his eyes remain as they are right now due to the ability of Truth.
And if he were to see something he shouldn't, then the Supernova angel spirit in the Imperator's Cross could save him—like he saved Uriel.
Talking about that, what about the blob of flame that was in Max's body? Wasn't it weird that everybody just ignored what it was? No. It wasn't that they all just ignored it.
But it was just that it was something they couldn't comprehend. There was no need to put themselves in danger for no reason. Max was in no danger; if he got some backlash in the future, they could use the Imperator's Cross then.
With all this in mind, they ignored the entire existence of the entity in Max.
Eric was sure to try to handle that flame, entity, or whatever it was when he advanced to Hypernova.
Eric couldn't see or sense the flame in Max with his Abyssal Eyes before; the reason was that it was too high-ranked and very well concealed. It was also a blessing in disguise—if Eric had seen this, he would have lost control for sure.
Eric looked around and saw that many women were pregnant.
After several minutes of silence, Ruby said, "Do you remember the time when Max and Zoe were caught doing it for the first time?"
Cough.
Eric coughed at her as he thought, "Ruby is being so shameless today."
"Yes, I do remember. They were in the back of the camp. Sigh, that time was something else. If it wasn't for me, they would have never gotten caught at all."
"Haha, you are right. You really blew their cover. I teased Zoe for days about that. All of her embarrassing moments were so satisfying and cute to watch. I had to stop when she started crying, though, but it was good while it lasted."
Eric turned his gaze down to Ruby's body. Her soul was filled with pink and bright yellow colors, with traces of orange here and there. There were many traces of black and blue on her before, but now they were all gone.
Taking her on this date was truly a wise choice. She is the one he had chosen to be his anchor while completing the steps of the method of control for the Lysi Nova rank.
After walking for an hour and taking a metro, they finally arrived at the place they wanted to go to.
This place was bustling with couples, and people were abundant here. Eric had long stopped using his Abyssal Eyes.
"Before going to the park, let's eat something. I'm starving!!"
Ruby waved her head with closed eyes as she made a pitiful look on her face, her hands pushing at Eric's arms.
Eric smiled at her cute acting as they saw a restaurant and sat at one of the tables that were outside.
They ordered quickly. Ruby was very talkative and asked about the local specialties of the place and some other dishes in Paris. The middle-aged female waiter was very pleased with the attitude of this young and beautiful lady. They joked about her having such a handsome husband, while Ruby joked about her being so pretty even after aging so much.
She emphasized the fact that she couldn't believe her when she told Ruby her age.
After they ate the chicken briskets and pork balls that they ordered, Ruby asked if she could get the recipes for some dishes from the restaurant, informing her that she is an avid cook and loves to cook for her hubby as she winked at Eric, making him smile awkwardly.
She was simply acting too flirty today!
Eric didn't need to activate his Abyssal Eyes to see that her soul would be completely pink.
Ruby saw that the waitress was reluctant. She immediately took out 40 euros from her pocket and handed it to the waitress with a smug face.
Which was very cute, let you know that!
The waitress's eyes lit up upon seeing the money, and she started writing on some notes.
After a few minutes, she handed them to Ruby.
She grinned like a winner and stood up, hugging the waitress, then went back to Eric as they left.
Ruby grabbed Eric's right arm again as she grinned and chuckled at herself.
Finally, after some walking, they reached the huge park.
It was beautiful; greenery was everywhere, and there was a lively atmosphere.
The chattering, laughing, and playing of people with each other made a serene air around the park.
Ruby walked forward happily and found a quiet and not-too-crowded spot beneath a tree.
"This place will be perfect!"
Ruby rolled around the place, running happily. Eric had a solemn gaze in his eyes, looking at her happy face.
He sighed internally but showed a smile on the outside.
Ruby took out a blanket from her bag and settled it on the grass before sitting down and patting the spot beside her, signaling Eric to sit beside her. Eric removed his shoes and walked on the blanket.
Sitting down, he spread his legs and relaxed his muscles.
He took off his silver watch and set it aside. The cold air on his wrist felt very satisfying.
Taking a long sigh, he looked at Ruby, who was smiling at him with a mischievous gaze. She patted her thighs.
Signaling for he-knows-what.
Eric leaned down and put his head on her lap as she started to stroke his hair.
Eric was staring at the branches of the tree.
At that moment, Ruby said, "Do you still remember when we first met?"
"Of course, I do. How can I forget that day? I was injured while exercising and had to be sent to the infirmary, where you were. I was captivated by how cute you looked. Like you do still now…"
As he said that, he raised his right arm and caressed her left cheek.
Ruby blushed at him as she put her left hand on his right hand.
"Hmph, you were so stoic. I was so turned off by your behavior at that time. But you showed me that you were a lovable person."
"I have always been lovable. Anyway, everyone was gossiping and spreading rumours about us, saying that I was going to the infirmary intentionally, just to meet you."
Ruby lightly slapped his forehead. "That is because you were doing it all on purpose!"
"Hehe, I was indeed doing that."
"But it is nothing compared to the game Max and Zoe were playing at those times."
"Yeah! You are right. Zoe and Max had started doing it in the week they met. I never knew that Zoe had it in her before that."
"Well, considering how crazy they are with each other after and even before getting married, it is not surprising now."
"It still is to me. Hubby, don't you remember? I have known Zoe since I was four, just like you and Max. I was so shocked at this coincidence when we first found out about it. I still remember my huge gasp at that time! We have gone to the same school, been in the same class, and even done the same jobs! It was a good decision. We were able to meet you two. Now, I wonder when we will have kids though…"
Ruby had closed her eyes while talking, but when saying the last line, she opened her left eye in a slit as she looked down at Eric.
Hearing it, Eric's heart shook.
"How am I going to explain to her that there is a baby with special powers that can kill itself and send its soul and will to our baby and take over him, while giving birth to him, you will for sure die a painful death."
But how could he say this to her? Let alone explain?
Eric coughed as his cheeks burned a little pink as he moved his gaze away from her and said, "Please don't talk about stuff like that here."
He sounded like an embarrassed young lady.
Ruby laughed heartily after listening to this.
Eric continued his act of being embarrassed as he thought, "At this moment, Truth's passive ability is helping a lot."
After some more idle chatting and some kisses from her, Ruby made Eric get up. Her thighs were numb now, and she was hungry again.
"Good thing I bought snacks for this!"
She took out some sandwiches wrapped in plastic and gave two to Eric, while taking two for herself.
The sandwiches were made with white bread and were filled with butter, cream, and strawberries.
They quickly finished their sandwiches and stored the wraps back into their bag.
They are not uncivilized like the people of a certain country.
"Well, are there any other plans for today?" Ruby asked with a cute gaze.
Eric nodded his head shortly and took out two movie tickets, and handed them to her.
"Oh my god! This is… the movie tickets for the return of the maniac movie! I have been wanting to go watch it for so long. I had cancelled my plans due to feeling that the money should be saved…"
She started with excitement but felt guiltier the more she spoke.
Eric patted her head and said softly, "Money is supposed to be used. Let's go. We don't have much time. I had purposely taken tickets for a theater nearby here."
Ruby nodded and smiled, hugging Eric tightly and giving him many kisses on the cheeks.
After that, they packed up and went to the theatres. The air conditioning was a huge contrast to the outside heat; it made Ruby cool down and shiver.
They bought some popcorn and went to the movie room.
This movie was action-packed. The story and plot were decent, and the character writing was better than average, but the thing that made this movie so famous was the romance aspect.
It truly depicted the concept of tormented love in a beautiful way.
The main character is a very ambitious leader. He wants to rule over the world and is ready to do anything for it, but every time, his love comes in his way.
It makes him hesitate and try to convince her or try to kill her, but he fails all the time. In the end, he has to make a decision: his dream or his love.
He chose his goal, having to kill her by the end. The ending and all these scenes were just brilliant; the actors did a wonderful job. Even Eric was full of praise. Most of the people, including Ruby, had red watery eyes and were crying.
After the movie ended, Ruby couldn't stop talking about it.
"Man! That was such a good movie."
"I loved the leader's and his wife's love conflicts the most; it was so beautiful."
"The ending where he had to kill her and scream while holding her dying body was just beautiful and heart-wrenching."
"Good night, my husband won't leave me."
Eric chuckled at her words as they had some late lunch; the sun had started to set.
The sunset it created was beautiful. Eric took Ruby to the River Seine.
They took a walk by the river's side silently as Ruby gazed at the river's reflection of the setting sun.
She was in a daze, as if in deep thought.
Eric asked her, "What are you thinking about?"
"I have been thinking about many things. I have many questions. Will you answer them for me, Eric?"
Her tone was soft and calm, like a ripple in the water as she turned her head slowly and looked at Eric while being covered by the red light from the sun.
Eric nodded with a determined look on his face.
They sat on one of the benches. Ruby had grabbed Eric's left hand with her right one tightly, as if afraid to let go.
She slowly took out some fish bait from her bag and threw it into the Seine River. Soon, fish came and started to fight for the food.
Ruby sighed and looked at the setting sun.
"I have thought about many things in the last few days—you, me, Max, Zoe, and many other things. I have some doubts to clear. Will you please help me?"
As she said that, she slowly put her hand on Eric's shoulder and closed her eyes as she nestled against it.
"Do you—have you… ever felt that I have been holding you back? I feel like you have something you want to do in your life, but you have given up on it. You are many times in your thoughts while being here physically."
"You do hold me back a little… I indeed had a goal in the past, but you can forget about it. It has nothing to do with our present. As for me being in my thoughts, I am just thinking of our future and financial condition. You know how I am."
Ruby's eyes fluttered a little after hearing his answer, but she didn't pursue it.
She spoke slowly after a long silence again, "I know… that you have been hiding a lot from me. There are many things that I don't know. Many things have been weird after coming here. I don't know why you don't tell me? Is it because you don't trust me? But I want to let you know… that I trust you with all my heart!"
A small smile formed on her face as her eyes teared up.
"Thus, I will continue to trust you until the end. I will wait for you to tell me. I will wait until you trust me enough to tell me everything. Just promise that you will never leave me."
Tears rolled down her face as she said her last words and looked at Eric.
Eric took a deep sigh internally. He understood her feeling—at least most of it. But he has his own reasons not to tell her things.
He had never cared about lying; with Truth's passive ability, his great acting skills, and her trust and love for him, he could easily lie.
But he still couldn't help but feel guilty deep down in his heart, enduring the feelings in his heart.
He looked straight in her eyes and said with a loving smile, "I promise that I will never leave you."
Ruby started sobbing after hearing that and threw herself into his arms. Eric caught her and started to caress her head as she sobbed. He kissed her head and started whispering sweet nothings in her ears.
SobSob
"You at least could have lied about me not holding you back!"
Ruby looked up at Eric as she tightly grabbed his collar. She was still crying.
"Huh?"
Eric was confused.
Ruby wiped off the tears on her cheeks and laughed while crying. Then she pushed her lips onto his, making him push back a little. Eric tried to get her off of him, but couldn't.
The sun set with this, and the date came to an end.