My Desertion Would Be Faster Than Heros' Obsession-Chapter 58Vol 2.

"Mm? Me?"

Of course, I must have changed. After all, the original Salvia and I were two completely different people.

"Yeah, I heard you were discharged from the Border Defense Army. Maybe that’s why, but you seem more confident and assertive now."

"What was I like before?"

I suddenly found myself curious about the original Salvia.

She had disappeared from this world because of me. If nothing else, shouldn't I at least remember her?

Lily hesitated for a moment, then answered.

"Hmm... You were a timid kid. A bit shy, too."

So she was talking about the Salvia from before I took over.

"But after you got really sick that one time, it seemed like your personality changed."

That must have been when I transmigrated. I felt a bit guilty. Yeah... I must have changed a lot after that.

"But to me, Salvia, you still feel like you."

"Huh? Didn’t you just say I changed?"

"Well, it’s more like... your essence hasn’t changed? You still give off the same kind of feeling."

The same kind of feeling? Was this some fantasy nonsense, or...

"Lily, do you follow any religion?"

"How did you know? Actually, this world was created by the one true god, Universe, and—"

"Ugh, I knew it was going to be something like that!"

Even after talking to Lily for a while longer, I still couldn’t feel a deeper connection with her.

She couldn’t become the new precious component I needed.

I’ll just have to wait until Victim finishes making the potion.

Though my visit to the orphanage turned out to be a dead end, I left one last warning for the director.

"Stop overworking the kids. If I hear that it happens again, I will report you."

Fortunately, my threat seemed effective. The director already looked a bit scared of me, probably because I was a hetero sapien who had survived the Border Defense Army.

And so, my attempt to create a new component ended in failure.

***

The Last Night of My Leave

Aquila and I lay together in bed.

During this leave, we had picked out our wedding outfits and rings, met his mother, visited my old orphanage, and even reunited with Dalin and Altair.

Unexpectedly, I had spent a lot of time thinking about things I never planned to dwell on.

Maybe because of that, I was especially exhausted tonight. Just as I was about to drift off to sleep—

"Salvia."

"Mm?"

Aquila called my name in a serious tone. I opened my eyes—

And what I saw made me freeze.

Aquila had gotten out of bed and was kneeling in front of me.

"Hey, hey—what are you doing?"

In his hands was a small box—just the right size for a ring.

Was he about to propose? With the wedding ring we had picked out together?

The moment I sat up, my heart fluttering with anticipation—

"I wanted to give you this."

With those words, he opened the box.

Inside was the ruby ring I hadn’t been able to take my eyes off when we were choosing rings.

Aquila took the diamond wedding band and slipped it onto my ring finger.

But then, instead of putting the ruby ring away—

He gently slid it onto my index finger.

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I could feel his warmth through the metal, and the thoughtfulness behind the gesture made me smile.

To be loved, to have someone care about me this much—there was nothing happier than that.

Aquila pressed a deep kiss into my palm and whispered softly.

"I love you, my Ruby."

"...Ah."

For a moment, my heart pounded violently.

Chills ran down my spine. My breath caught.

And my entire world shifted.

At that single, ordinary phrase—at that one simple word—something massive clicked into place.

A void that had always been empty inside me suddenly filled.

A missing gear turned, clicking into place, aligning perfectly with the rest of me.

I could no longer keep my composure.

Did I hear him right? Did he really say—

"Just now... Just now, what did you...?"

"You mean when I said I love you?"

"No, not that...."

"Ruby."

Aquila smiled, his eyes curving gently.

"A gemstone that resembles your name. And it suits you—you shine so brightly."

"Ah...!"

I collapsed, burying my face in my hands.

What I had erased with my own hands—

I had just retrieved, as if by fate.

Because Ruby—

That was my name.

***

I was Ruby.

That was my name. That was who I was.

Maybe that’s why I had been drawn to the ruby ring.

Because it was the name I had once cherished so deeply.

The moment I realized that my name had been Ruby—it felt like something long-sealed had burst open inside me.

My world changed into something entirely new.

And finally, I regained all of my past-life memories.

In my past life, I had been the definition of an ordinary girl.

I wasn’t an orphan, I wasn’t poor, and I wasn’t bullied.

I was just... completely, unremarkably average.

Unlike other protagonists in transmigration stories, I hadn’t died in a tragic accident, nor had I committed suicide.

One day, I simply woke up in this world as Salvia.

Ever since arriving here, I had always felt like something was missing. Like there was a hole inside me.

Maybe that was the "missing component" Victim had talked about.

That was why I had clung to Aquila so much.

When I was with him, that empty feeling disappeared.

His love for me was so vast that it filled the gaps inside me.

But now that I had reclaimed my name—

The missing part of me had finally been restored.

It wasn’t just about my name.

I had finally regained all the memories of who I was before I came here.

"Ah..."

So, in the end, I regained the memories I had erased with my own hands—thanks to Aquila.

Like an idiot, I had been running around looking for a solution, never realizing that, once again, I would find the right path through him.

A love more overwhelming than ever surged within me.

I had always vaguely suspected that Aquila’s love for me was greater than my love for him. But now that I had regained my memories, for the first time, it felt like our love was truly equal.

"I love you. I love you so much..."

He had no idea. He had no clue what I had lost, no idea that the thing I needed to reclaim was my name.

Aquila had simply noticed that I was obsessed with the ruby ring and decided to call me Ruby as a pet name. It was an incredible intuition, but at the same time, it was the result of his constant, unwavering attention to me.

The moment he said my name, I felt like I couldn’t contain the emotions welling up inside me.

I loved him so much that I didn’t know what to do with all this love. It was too immense for me to handle alone.

So, I just hugged him.

I hugged him with all my strength, trying to pour my love into him in the only way I knew how—

"Sa-Salvia. I... can’t breathe...."

"...Oh. Sorry."

Right. I forgot how strong I’d gotten from my time in the Border Defense Army. I quickly loosened my grip.

"Aquila, you have no idea how much I love you."

"That’s funny," Aquila murmured, meeting my gaze with a gentle voice.

"I’ve thought the same thing often."

"But now, I definitely love you more."

"Not a chance."

We exchanged childish words back and forth, but then I realized—tears were streaming down my face.

Aquila reached out and wiped them away.

"Why are you crying?"

"Because I love you too much."

"My Ruby."

"Mm..."

And with that, I burst into sobs again.

Every time he called my name, it felt like my love for him only grew.

Aquila didn’t ask why I was suddenly crying. He just held me tight. As always, he was so calm.

"You don’t even realize what an incredible thing you just did."

"Salvia, you’re always like this. You’re my entire world."

"Salvia, you’re an interesting person. Sometimes you have such strong preferences, and other times you’re so indecisive."

Dalin had said that to me before. Now, I finally understood what she meant.

Dalin really was sharp.

I had been drawn to Aquila without knowing why. Even though I couldn’t explain it, I had still liked him.

But now, I could list every reason why I loved him.

I loved the sharp curve of his eyes when he narrowed them.

I loved that, despite his cold exterior, his heart was soft.

I loved how he was sensitive and vulnerable but always tried to act strong in front of me.

I loved that he was unwavering when it came to anything involving me.

I loved that, for my sake, he could become colder than anyone else.

I loved his warm body temperature, his strong shoulders, the elegant shape of his nose.

And most of all, I loved that he knew me better than anyone.

That’s why I loved him.

Even as I continued to cry, I pressed my lips against his. His warmth spread over me, filling every part of me with a giddy, tingling sensation.

"Mm..."

When I tugged at him for more, he responded by kissing me even deeper.

After a long, lingering moment, he finally pulled away and whispered in my ear—

"I love you, my Ruby."

"Ah, wait—"

His breath tickled my ear, and I squirmed under the sensation.

Aquila held me firmly and gently pushed me onto the bed.

And so—

...Just kidding. I’m going to describe this in full detail.

Because right now, I love Aquila way too much.

"Lift your arms."

"Mm..."

He slid my arms up and pulled my clothes over my head.

I had been wearing a cute pink pajama set with buttons, but undoing them one by one would have been frustrating.

So instead, my clothes disappeared in an instant.

And suddenly, I was left «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» feeling just a bit indignant.

Was I really the only one getting undressed here?

I latched onto him, fumbling to get his shirt off.

Aquila watched me struggle for a moment, then lightly kissed my forehead and casually tossed his own shirt aside.

The moment his bare chest was exposed, my hands went to his shoulders.

I really liked touching this part of him.

Our lips met again, and we kissed for a long time.

At some point, I realized—I was already out of my underwear.

So, naturally, I decided to get revenge.

I reached for his waistband—

"Oh... this is just like a romance fantasy novel."

"What?"

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"I mean, you’re acting kinda crazy today..."

"Don’t I always?"

"No, you’re definitely bolder today."

"That’s because you’re being too damn sexy."

He bit my nose lightly as he spoke.

I instinctively frowned and pulled back, but his arms wrapped around my waist, holding me in place.

I knew exactly how much he loved my waist.

A sudden urge to tease him struck me, so I lifted my foot and tapped him lightly.

"Aquila."

"Yeah?"

"You’re completely losing it right now."

"So are you."

I flicked my gaze to the side.

...Yeah. I guess this was where my all-ages-friendly life had to end.

Everything after that?

Well, let’s just say—it happened.

Aquila and I would be happy together.

After all, he had given me everything I needed.

...Though, of course, my revolution wasn’t quite over yet.