Power of Runes Chapter 423: Women

Ash teased Eva, his mind brimming with playful amusement as he leisurely watched the events on his shop's second floor, obviously savoring the chaos more than anyone ought to.

{He'd explode in rage if he knew your current thoughts, and honestly, is that truly your excuse? Just because we're understaffed, you're pushing him to date her? At least fake some sincerity this time.}

Eva fired back unreservedly, her mental tone resolute as she beamed those words straight into his head, ensuring he absorbed every word.

Ash responded with a soft chuckle, evidently dismissing her rebuke while reclining a bit more.

"Sigh... I long for the days when you were that tiny, cute, adorable, and obedient little girl, but time has transformed you, and now you seize every opportunity to nag me with excuses," Ash remarked with a subtle grin, his voice laced with over-the-top drama as he added, "you've turned into a woman now, huh, and it shows big time."

With those words, he dramatically lifted both arms before collapsing back onto the couch, his form utterly at ease, as though no worldly trouble could touch him right then.

The shop's so-called back room barely deserved the name, spanning far wider than implied, resembling a vast hall capable of hosting hundreds without a hint of squeeze.

Expanded via Space runes, this once-tiny back area had shattered its former boundaries, extending deep beyond the exterior's facade, with zones meticulously partitioned for diverse functions to keep all orderly and effortlessly reachable.

One area housed elegant everyday garments, lined up in tidy rows for easy picking, another stocked rare fabrics for crafting attire, and a dedicated spot existed for etching runes onto the clothing.

Ash avoided stashing these items in his Soul Space, wary of the rapid time flow eroding them, as even tough materials would slowly degrade and lose their essence over time.

His Rune inscribing skills weren't advanced enough yet to avert such issues.

Personal quarters existed for Ash, Eric, and even Eva—no one wished to exclude her—so hers matched the others precisely, alongside shared spaces like the lounge, kitchen, bathroom, and essentials that rendered the whole setup cozy and self-sufficient.

Extra chambers or zones could be added anytime needed; in truth, it mimicked a compact home, though infinitely more flexible.

The sole drawback? It stayed rooted in place.

Abruptly, Eva's hologram materialized before Ash, coalescing from light particles as she hovered mid-air, arms folded and face twisted in fury, her scowl proving she'd caught every word.

She had matured indeed, whether from Ash's Soul nourishment or Rune effects, developing like any human, her aura now radiating a newfound adult poise.

Yet this worried him, given the blistering time pace within; despite the ’Time-bridge’ connecting their minds, her core still endured that relentless temporal rush.

What if her Soul Lifespan depletes??

This nagging doubt had plagued Ash's thoughts repeatedly, though he shielded them from Eva, burying them deep.

The concern flickered through his mind unbidden.

{Did you just mock me???}

Eva demanded, her face flushed crimson with anger, rainbow-hued hair cascading messily over her features while her three horns accentuated her unique vibe, her slender, innocent frame undeniably stunning.

But her ire only fueled Ash's urge to poke fun further.

"Mock you? Whatever for? You've blossomed into a fully grown, mature ’Woman’ after all," Ash quipped lightly and offhandedly, though his smirking lips betrayed how much he relished her flustered state.

Eva's eyes narrowed, unconvinced, pausing as if weighing her retort more thoughtfully now.

{You're totally teasing me, and not bothering to conceal it anymore. At least feign innocence if you're playing that game.}

Ash simply eased back further, fully at ease.

"I'm merely stating the obvious, and if it bothers you, perhaps the issue lies elsewhere than my words," he responded evenly, his eyes lingering on her briefly before drifting off.

Eva glanced at him, then averted her gaze swiftly, her features sharpening as a soft blush intensified.

{You toss out lines like that so nonchalantly, then pretend they mean zilch. Do you grasp how they land on my end?}

She faltered briefly, her mental voice softening.

{It's not... nothing.}

"Then what would you have it mean?" he inquired softly, his tone steady yet tinged with an elusive nuance.

Eva faltered, caught off-guard by the query, her eyes darting to him then down.

{No, forget it...}

Ash exhaled gently at her words, a subtle smile reemerging, gentler this time.

That only heightened Eva's sensitivity to his stare, her blush deepening as she whipped her gaze away.

{I'm done talking to you!! Hmph!!!}

She dissolved instantly afterward, her departure feeling more like flight than fury this time.

Ash grinned at her fade-out, but... his smile evaporated the next instant, his affectionate eyes icing over abruptly, erasing all prior warmth as if it had never existed.

Ash rested his head against the couch's armrest, staring blankly at the ceiling, his mind wandering aimlessly.

Mastering his expressions, thoughts, and feelings to mask any oddity from Eva came effortlessly to him now, a habit ingrained like breathing.

He refused to weigh her down with his secrets, especially since he hadn't grasped their full scope himself.

The resolve lingered calmly in his thoughts, firm and unwavering.

Ash stayed motionless a beat longer, eyes locked upward, before his reflections gradually circled back, reviewing the six months' events in sequence, memories rising vividly as he reflected deeply.

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