That brat is just fooling around, Eva tell him to just date Saskia, we are already short on people, she can be of help...
Ash said to Eva in a teasing tone, his thoughts carrying a light amusement as he casually observed everything happening on the second floor of his shop, clearly enjoying the situation far more than he should have.
{He will be furious if he knew what you were thinking right now, and seriously, is that really your reason, just because we are short on people you are asking him to date her, at least try to sound a little sincere for once.}
Eva replied without holding back, her voice firm as she sent those thoughts directly to him, making sure he heard every bit of it.
Ash only let out a quiet chuckle in response, clearly not taking her words seriously as he leaned back slightly.
"Sigh... I miss those days when you were little, cute, adorable and obedient girl, but time has changed you, and now you just find excuses to nag me every time you get the chance," Ash said with a faint smile, his tone deliberately exaggerated as he continued, "you have become a woman now, huh, and it really shows."
As he spoke, he raised both his hands in an exaggerated manner before letting his body fall back onto the couch behind him, his posture completely relaxed as if nothing in the world could bother him at this moment.
The so called back room of the shop could hardly be called a room at all, as its size stretched far beyond what the name suggested, its actual size of that of a spacious hall that could easily accommodate hundreds of people without feeling crowded.
The small back room was expanded with the help of Space runes and became this big, its original limits long surpassed as the interior stretched far beyond what the outside suggested, with various sections carefully divided for different tasks so that everything remained organized and easy to access without confusion.
One section was where normal stylish clothes were stored, arranged neatly in rows that made selection simple, while another held various precious materials that could be used to make clothes, and then there was the section where he inscribed the runes onto the clothes.
Ash did not store these things within his Soul Space, in the fear of them getting eroded by the fast time flow inside, as even durable materials would not be able to endure such conditions without gradually losing their original nature.
And he was not proficient enough in the Rune inscribing to prevent such mishaps.
Then, there were personal rooms for Ash, Eric and even Eva, as no one wanted Eva to feel left out, so she had a room of her own, arranged no differently than the others, and then there were common areas like the living area, kitchen, washroom and other necessities that made the entire place feel complete and livable.
More rooms and sections could be added if the need arose for it, in fact, the place was almost like that of a small house, only far more adaptable in nature.
The only thing that was missing was that, it can’t move.
Suddenly, a projection of Eva appeared in front of Ash, her figure forming from the specks of light as she floated in the air with her hands crossed and an angry look on her face, her expression making it clear that she had heard everything.
She had truly grown up, and whether it was due to the continuous nourishment of Ash Soul or the influence of the Runes, she was aging just like how a normal person would, her presence now carrying a maturity that was not there before.
Although this was of concern, because the time flow inside was just too fast, even though through the ’Time-bridge’ they could link their consciousness with each other, it did not change the fact that her core was still experiencing that accelerated flow of time.
What if she runs out of her Soul Lifespan??
This was a question that had appeared various times inside Ash mind, though he did not let Eva read these thoughts, keeping them hidden beneath everything else.
...I guess I need to kick up a fuss in this new realm.....Eva might need to devour actual souls to improve her Soul Power more...
The thought passed through his mind unconsciously.
{Did you just make fun of me???}
Eva asked with her angry red face, her rainbow like multicolored hair falling loosely over her face while the three horns on her head added to her distinct presence, and with her delicate and pure body, she was beautiful without a doubt.
But seeing her like that only made Ash want to tease her more.
"Make a fun of you? Why would I even do that? After all you have grown up into a young mature ’Woman’," Ash said, his tone light and deliberately casual, though the faint curve of his lips made it clear that he was enjoying her reaction far more than he admitted.
Eva narrowed her eyes slightly, clearly not convinced, yet she did not immediately reply, as if she was choosing her words more carefully than before.
{You are definitely teasing me, and you are not even trying to hide it anymore, at least pretend a little if you want to act innocent.}
Ash only leaned back a little, his posture relaxed.
"I am just saying what I see, and if that makes you uncomfortable, then maybe the problem is not with what I said," he replied calmly, his gaze resting on her for a brief moment before shifting away.
Eva looked at him, then quickly looked away again, her expression tightening slightly as a faint blush deepened.
{You always say things like that so casually, and then act like it means nothing, do you even realize how it sounds from the other side.}
She paused, her voice lowering just a little.
{It is not... nothing.}
"What do you want it to mean then," he asked quietly, his tone still calm, though there was a subtle shift in it that was hard to place.
Eva hesitated, clearly not expecting that question, her gaze flickering back toward him before dropping again.
{No, Never mind...}
Ash let out a soft breath hearing that and a faint smile on his face returning, though it was much lighter now.
That only made Eva more aware of his gaze, and the faint blush on her face deepened slightly as she quickly looked away.
{I won’t talk to you now!! Hmph!!!}
She vanished right after, though this time it felt less like anger and more like an escape from the moment.
Ash smiled seeing her vanish but.....his smile vanished next second and his warm gaze turned cold, the shift so sudden that it left no trace of the earlier playfulness behind, it was as if the warmth had never been there in the first place.
From where should I start....? And what should I even do....??
Ash laid his head on the headrest of the couch and looked at the ceiling, his eyes unfocused as his thoughts began to drift without any clear direction.
It was very easy for him to control his facial expression however he wanted and even control his thoughts and emotions so that Eva could not sense any abnormality in them, something he had long grown used to doing without effort, as if it had become second nature to him.
He did not want to burden her with the knowledge he had, not when he himself had yet to fully understand the extent of it.
It is not the right time for them to know these things yet...
The thought settled quietly in his mind, without any hesitation behind it.
Ash remained still for a moment longer, his gaze fixed on the ceiling, before his thoughts slowly began to move back, retracing the path of everything that had happened over the past six months, each memory surfacing one after another as he started to reminisce about it.
****