I think I've finally gotten Eve to like me. If I hadn't gone on this journey with her, she might still detest me. Our journey back was calm though. To have her treat me like the others was different, but definitely worth it. There was still something I couldn't understand, however.

Eve was just another being. Another living thing. Besides her origin, she was basically normal. For her to have hated me was nothing abnormal. Yet I couldn't comprehend why it bothered me. Did I desire to feel her respect? Was I looking to be accepted by her? If that was the case, why did I feel so required to get it from her and nobody else? What made her so unlike other haters?

I think I could be a fortune-teller. I'm able to foresee the near future. Or it's just a coincidence that my thoughts became a reality.

"We're back-"

A bucket's worth of icy cold water splashed my face while I entered into our house. Droplets dripping from my soaked hair, I spewed the water out that had entered my mouth.

Elsword walked from my right into plain view with a pleased look plastered on his face. In his left arm was a metal bucket that had wet traces.

"Welcome back you two! How was it?" He asked, smirking.

Aisha, Rena, and Raven all rushed out to find Eve and I at the door. The first two were shocked by why stood before them. Raven shrugged it off and went back to his room.

"Oh my dear..."

"Elsword...?"

"This does not surprise me..."

Elsword picked up an open bag on the ground and tossed the contents at my face. Soft, gray feathers stuck to my skin from the bucket of water.

Eve stepped in from behind me and gave Elsword a slap across the cheek that left a red imprint and took him off his feet. "Your prank was absolutely cruel, Elsword." With that said, Eve walked off to her room.

"Ouch...! That hurt..." He rubbed the spot where her skin made contact. "I was only trying to make her laugh."

"I already made her laugh."

The three had their mouths agape after I said that out loud. Were they really surprised?

The red-head jumped up from his sitting position on the tiled floor. "Y-You won?! N-No way..."

He shuffled himself to the table with his arms drooping down. Behind him, the two girls were jumping with joy. I mean, they seriously were holding hands and hopping around in circles.

"Why are you two so happy?" I asked while approaching them. Rena and Aisha stopped their display of joy and smiled at me.

"We're glad that you and Eve got along on the trip!" Aisha said with a tiny giggle in her voice.

"Yeah, thanks about that."

Rena poked her finger at the armor above my chest with some force. "So are you going to go on a date with her now?"

D-Date?! W-Where is that coming from?! We're just friends!

I stumbled backwards into a wall and banged my head in the process. "W-Why would I like Eve?"

Aisha and Rena both tilted their heads in sync and gave me a curious look. "So you don't know?" Aisha questioned me. I responded with a raised eyebrow.

Exchanging glances with the Mage, Rena made heart shapes with her hand while she spoke. "You're in looooove with Eve."

"Rena and I notice you blush when Eve is mentioned in anything."

"And the pain in your eyes when she glares at you. We figured sending you to Ruben with Eve would help you out... But we never expected you to make her laugh..."

Aisha nodded sadly. "We thought we'd still have a chance... What a shame!" She fell to her knees and began to fake-cry, as well as the Wind Sneaker.

As Aisha and Rena mourned over their "loss", I contemplated over the truth they had brought me.

I-I'm in love with Eve... N-No wonder... I suppose I show the symptoms. Racing heart. Sweating intensely. Burning face. Noticing how beautiful she is when she's nearby... Now I understand! I'm... I'm in love...

"T-Thanks you two."

The girls halted their tears and jumped up cheerfully.

"We're glad to have been of assistance Chung!" Rena replied, leaning her head on her hand and the arm supporting the mentioned on her other hand. She leaned her face downward, it darkening with an evil look. "Mostly because now we can put you two in more romantic situations~"

"Eh?! Wha-"

"Romantic situations?"

Behind Aisha and Rena was Eve who held a baffled expression. The three of us jumped at her sudden appearance. The queen approached me dangerously close to my face.

"What are these romantic situations you three speak of?"

"W-We were...!" I held my hands up defensively, attempting to muster up a reasonable explanation. "We were talking about Aisha and Elsword!"

Eve backed off of me, allowing me to breathe. "I suppose those two were being awfully flirty before we departed for Ruben."

The Elemental Master uttering a disturbed "what?", I smiled at Eve, noting how elegant she looked. I must have caught her attentions because she turned back to me expectingly. I tilted my head slightly and crossed my arms. "Why did you hate me so much Eve? I never understood why."

She mimic my posture and held her chin up with an extreme amount of dignity while shutting her eyes. "You insulted my race. One could only assume they were being disliked."

I recalled the event she spoke of. Once she noticed me struggling to bring back the memory, she sighed loudly. "Altera."

Huh? I did call a nasod useless once when a Nasod Scout Type-L ran away from a Pongo*... She sent Oberon on me and held a grudge for a long time. Is she talking about that?

"Eve, I didn't mean you and your nasods were useless. Moby and Remy have great accuracy, and Oberon and Ophelia are and amazing duo. And you," my face heated up before saying my next, quieter, words, "are a spectacle to watch in battle. Your serene manner in combat leaves me in awe..."

While Aisha and Rena began coughing suspiciously, Eve's eyes shot open and momentarily glanced at me. Instantaneously, she averted her eyes away, a pinkish tint appearing on her cheeks. "I-I see."

I timidly smiled and blushed madly while Rena and Aisha made hearts out of Eve's distracted sight.

*From the ElType. I hold no rights to the scene from that sentence.

Okay, next chapter is definitely the last. My bad. Also, there's still a chance to pick between my two future AU's. I'm sure you all don't really care which one gets written though.