#common realm

—‐—‐—‐—‐—‐—‐—‐—

The world, as Julius Novachrono has seen it to be, was a cruel and unfair place. Not everyone would be born lucky enough to be able to provide for themselves, to be blessed with mana, or to be born with natural talent. The world is evil. As a nobleman, the superiority complex that nobles and royals had against commoners was something he wanted to change by earning the rank of the Magic Emperor. With that, he had only set his eyes on making a name for himself in the Clover Kingdom whilst searching for new magic every now and then, to find anyone who can possibly have the potential to be a Magic Knight, and of course, simply because he very much enjoys it. A romantic relationship was the last thing he had in mind at the moment. When Julius was asked by his fellow squad members why their captain was always away, they actually thought he was busy with a special person who had caught his heart. Julius, being the dense man he is, simply laughed at their statements and brushed it off. He was never the relationship guy, he had more matters in his hands, and a woman had never caught his eye. Or a man. He had gone to explore in the Common Realm, sun shining bright, trees dancing to the breeze, and children running around the village. It was a peaceful day with everyone living their life with full serenity. The day was beautiful that he almost forgot what he was there for. Magic. As he passed by the village, he then felt someone in this village cast a magic spell. It was neither weak nor strong, but clearly enough to be acknowledged by the captain of Grey Deer and to excite him thinking of what to expect from the magician. He had then peered into the place where the magic was being casted: a cropland. The sight was magical; a large blob of water had exploded into the smallest pieces. The drizzling water appeared to look like crystals magically falling from the sky, shining like the brightest stars as it refracted the sunlight. The water was abundant enough to water a whole huge land of crops. Must be a huge feat for the magician. The magician. Hair and dress swaying with the wind, hands and arms raised upwards, as if calling for the gods for blessings. With the simple yet breathtaking magic you casted, Julius knew there was more to expect from this woman. "That was amazing, (Y/N)!" "Thank you for helping us once again." You smiled at the farmers, happy to help with your magic. Water magic was very common, so it always made you insecure to think that a commoner like you with such magic would only live to water plants, as what the nobles would always say in an attempt to provoke and mock you. You, an orphan from the common realm, think you don't deserve such a thick grimoire that could've been claimed by someone who is more loved by mana. "That water magic is amazing! Can I see more of it?" You turned around to see a man not too far away from your distance. Blond hair, purple eyes, and a Magic Knight's robe. And that was where it all basically began. Julius Novachrono had asked you to become a Magic Knight and you said yes. You took your first step as a Magic Knight that would protect the kingdom with all of your power. Julius was more than happy to help you discover more about your thick grimoire, as you both journey into becoming stronger. Julius made you happy, and so did you to him. Your smiles brighten each other's days like the dawn arriving from a endless night. You and Julius would accidentally graze your hands together, which would leave a lingering feel that neither of you understood, yet craved. Love was unfamiliar for the both of you, so you both had only thought that the happiness they gave each other was nothing more than a platonic thing. But when you shared their first kiss, it was an unknown territory you were entering, althought it felt right. It made you hold on to each other. As Julius would hug you from behind and give you the most romantic and warm kisses on your skin, and as you would hold him in tight heartwarming embraces and return his kisses passionately, it felt

as if you both had coloured the gray world with bright colors and astonishing hues. And now, years after you and Julius first met, Julius is now the Magic Emperor, and you could have never been prouder of the weird magic-obsessed Captain who has now reached his goal, but as he would say, "This is just the beginning of what I want to achieve." Your love grew more as years went by, but Julius' duties as the Magic Emperor kept him away from you for long, but you could never complain. It was what he wanted and it was only right for you to support him in his path. But that doesn't stop you from seeing how other women would look at Julius. Observing how the noble women would dote at your dense lover that would obnoxiously smile towards them... it made you insecure with youself and feel that you are not doing enough as his lover. If he finds a beautiful noble woman who's a whole lot better, would he regret being with me..? Twilight had come when you were on your chambers that you shared with Julius, trying to sleep your thoughts away when you heard the door open and felt the bed sink with the weight of a person sitting down on the corner of the bed. You felt Julius hold your hair in between his fingers, twirling them into curls. "Are you awake, darling?", he asked, voice low and husky in case you were asleep. You turned around to face your lover directly for the first time in a long while, looking onto his purple eyes shining under the lamp's warm light. Julius didn't dare miss the sullen look you had on your face, which made him worried. "Darling, what's wrong?" he asked as he reached his hand to caress your face, but you abruptly turned around and hugged the sheets tigher to yourself. You heard a sigh come from Julius as he went into the blanket with you and hugged you from behind, knowing that you love it when he hugs you like that. You were too frustrated to even contemplate the fact that his bare chest was pressing against your back. "Talk to me, (Y/N)," he whispered against your ear, his hot breath sending shivers down your spine. You ignored him, not saying a word. He kissed your ear, his cold hands now going under your shirt to touch your skin, wild thoughts now running in both of your minds. "Talk or I'll make you talk, darling." Silence. Maybe it was because the both of you have been touch-deprived for quite a while, but you could feel the tension in the air, now that you've fanned the fire. You felt warm lips on your neck, leaving butterfly kisses and occasionally sucking on your skin. You squeeze your eyes shut, a small whimper leaving your lips, worries long forgotten for wanting more of his warm touch all over your body, when Julius removed the blanket that was on top of both of you, your clothed body exposed to his half-naked one. "What—" Your words were cut off when Julius went on top with his forearms pressed on the space on both sides of your head and smashed his lips against you, tongues passionately entangled with each other, sending a hot feeling to your core. It was a hot fiery kiss that held unspoken words. Your arms went to hug his neck, going deeper into the kiss with his blond hair in between your fingers. He pulled himself from the kiss and then started nibbling on your collarbones, making you arch your back in both pain and pleasure. That was his cue to stop. Your eyes opened at the lack of contact and you saw Julius directly on top of you looking deep into your eyes. "Tell me what's wrong or we stop." He muttered lowly, but loud enough for you to hear. "It's nothing.." You replied, looking away from him. "...okay." If there's one thing about Julius that you know, it's that he always keeps his word. He then stood up from the bed to get a shirt and was on his way to the door, but you were quick enough to stop him from leaving. Your hands held his wrist which made him turn towards his back. "I just..." You said, not really sure of what to say and how he would react to it. He went closer to you to cup your face, his left thumb brushing against your right