How to survive in the Romance Fantasy Game

Chapter 395: Managing Realms in different ways~~

Technically, it couldʼve been a far smoother job if Alice had been there to assist him.

Her authority as queen, her immense mana, her command over the remnants of the White Realm—it all wouldʼve lightened his burden significantly.

But ever since the war ended, sheʼd remained largely to herself, still recovering.

Her strength wasnʼt fully restored yet, and more than that… her heart and mind were clearly still occupied.

Occupied by Riley.

Cheshire wasnʼt blind to that.

Heʼd left her alone on purpose, choosing not to prod or poke.

She needed time.

And besides, heʼd always been able to handle things solo—no matter how dramatic he made it seem.

Still, he couldnʼt help but mumble under his breath as he floated toward the shimmering red-and-white horizon, ”Itʼs been a few days since Riley woke up, hasnʼt it?”

His voice carried a tinge of uncharacteristic softness, thoughtful and genuine.

”…Maybe I should check on them. Especially him.”

He closed his glowing eyes for a moment, ears twitching.

”After all… that fool risked his entire existence for me and my master,” he murmured, almost annoyed at the thought, though the faint curl of a smile tugged at his whiskers.

Cheshire was already well aware that the two lovebirds were probably spending their time somewhere cozy—reminiscing, healing, and growing closer to each other in the way only those who had danced at the edge of death could.

And as much as he wanted to give them just a few more days of uninterrupted peace, the mounting complications within the realm would soon demand the attention of its proper ruler.

The merging of two realms wasnʼt exactly a small matter.

Even with his efforts smoothing the way, there were bureaucratic decrees to be written, residual anomalies to manage, and territories that needed Aliceʼs signature mana to fully stabilize.

Cheshire could only do so much before her presence became necessary—not just as a queen, but as the heart of this emerging world.

He figured it would probably take a few more weeks before both Alice and Riley were fully recovered—physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

But checking in on them?

That wasnʼt crossing any lines.

He told himself that as he floated through the air on a streak of red mist.

Word had already reached him that the two had gone on a date almost immediately after Riley woke up.

That alone was proof enough they were doing well—or at least, on the right path.

A path that had been hastened by Rileyʼs absurdly reckless, utterly selfless act of saving Alice… again.

Cheshire let out a snort, half amused, half annoyed.

”No doubt my dear master is now hopelessly, irrevocably in love with him,” he muttered, rolling his eyes skyward in mock exasperation. ”Though knowing her personality… I highly doubt that much progress has been made.”

He crossed his forepaws behind his head as he floated lazily on a drifting cloud of crimson mist. His ears twitched thoughtfully.

”Maybe I should… set something up for those two?” he mused aloud, reaching into his personal dimensional pocket and pulling out a small, shimmering vial filled with rosy liquid that sparkled mischievously. ”Just a little magical push. A nudge. A charming love-acceleration draft, perhaps—something classic.”

But after a beat, he sighed and gave the vial a playful toss before slipping it back into the void of his storage.

”Nah. Wouldnʼt want to ruin their delicate progress now~ Theyʼve earned this pace… even if itʼs a slow crawl.”

He stretched, his body puffing up like smoke before contracting again into a more feline silhouette.

His eyes glowed faintly as he scanned the horizon, pinpointing Aliceʼs presence.

With a final flick of his tail, Cheshire leapt gracefully from his perch in the sky.

His smoky form shimmered, then vanished, riding the wind toward her.

Even for a being as whimsical and chaotic as himself, there was something grounding in seeing the two of them together—two souls who had defied fate, survived a war, and still found something real between all the ruins.

Cheshire would never say it aloud, of course.

But somewhere beneath that smug grin of his… he was proud of them.

Now he just hoped theyʼd hurry up and kiss again already.

...

Manifesting in a swirling cloud of gray smoke tinged with red, Cheshire elegantly descended from the sky like a wisp of royalty in motion—until something rather unceremonious stopped his momentum with a dull, resounding bonk.

”Ow~?” he muttered in surprise, his ethereal form puffing out slightly from the bump.

He floated backward and rubbed his now very slightly dented head with a paw.

”What in the fractured realms…”

His glowing eyes focused forward—and then widened slightly.

Before him stood not just any door, but a heavily fortified, reinforced, and magic-saturated barrier: the entrance to his masterʼs private chamber.

Aliceʼs room.

The door, once simple and unassuming in design, now shimmered faintly with multiple protective layers—runes etched in both red and white, glyphs of shielding, silence, distortion, and even perception denial.

To the untrained eye, the door would seem perfectly normal, but to Cheshireʼs arcane senses… it was a fortress.

”Hmm?” He floated around it with narrowed eyes, inspecting every seal and enchantment. ”Well now~ no teleportation… no clairvoyance either? Thatʼs a bit excessive even for her…”

He hovered closer, nose nearly pressing against the shimmering glyphs.

”Did something… happen?”

Cheshire tilted his head, tail flicking with unease.

It wasnʼt like Alice to lock herself away without good reason, and even then, she usually let him pass through barriers like this—he was, after all, her familiar, her closest companion, her advisor, and part-time emotional support feline.

And yet… even as he tried to phase through the threshold, it sparked, repelling him with a soft static buzz.

”No entry really?” he whispered in disbelief, voice softening. ”Even Iʼm not allowed in?”

His ears lowered slightly.

He couldnʼt hear anything inside—no movement, no sound, no words—but his connection to Alice allowed him to feel something.

Her presence was there… and not just hers.

Rileyʼs.

The realization hit him with a quiet hum.

His expression shifted into something unreadable, thoughtful and sharp.

”Sheʼs with him…”

Was something happening?

A private conversation, a ritual, a fusion of magic?

Or—his mind offered with a mischievous curl—something a bit more intimate?

But no—if that were the case, would she really go so far as to cut off even him?

His curiosity finally outmatched his hesitation.

He floated toward the door, materializing fully this time, tail curling behind him in gentle spirals.

Then....

—knock knock!

”Master~ are you in there?” he called sweetly, eyes gleaming like a cat pretending it wasnʼt curious to the point of exploding. ”I came to visit~ maybe deliver snacks~ or judgment~ depending on your mood~”

Silence.

Only silence.

”...”

No voice. No response. Not even a magical pulse.

Cheshire stood still for a moment, ears twitching, smile fading just a hair.

He became slightly worried.

For the first time in a while, Cheshire didnʼt know what was going on. And that was not a feeling he liked.

Curious and more than a little suspicious, Cheshire raised his paw, about to knock again—perhaps a little louder this time, maybe even a bit more forceful—but just before his paw touched the door, it clicked softly and began to creak open on its own.

”Cheshire…?” came a familiar voice—soft, slightly breathless, and tinged with something... off.

Alice peeked out from behind the door, revealing only half of her face and a sliver of her body.

Her cheeks were flushed with a vivid red, a stark contrast against her pale skin.

Wisps of her smooth pink hair clung to her forehead with light perspiration, and there was a strange haziness in her golden eyes—no… they were turning pink?

A low glow shimmered in their depths.

”Did… something happen?” she asked, voice laced with an uncharacteristic urgency, almost like she was trying very hard to stay composed.

Cheshire blinked, taken aback by her appearance. ”No~ not really,” he replied slowly, eyes narrowing with amused suspicion. ”I simply came by to update you on the realmʼs status and… check in on Rileyʼs recovery. But—whatʼs going on with you?”

”I-Itʼs nothing,”

Alice replied a bit too quickly, her tone wavering as she shifted behind the door, obscuring herself even more.

”Anyways, you wouldnʼt mind coming back later, would you? Riley and I are… Hnng~… are a b-bit busy right now.”

”Busy?” Cheshire tilted his head, floating up slightly to peek over her shoulder.

The room beyond was dim, with only faint magical light sources glowing from the edges, and though Riley was nowhere in sight… his presence was undeniable.

His life force was inside.

Close.

Very close.

”Y-Yes, very b-busy~” Alice stammered, her voice squeaking at the end.

Her fingers tightened on the doorframe as if bracing herself.

Her eyes—now unmistakably pink—darted to the side nervously.

”Huh…”

”S-See you later then, okay? A-Angh~!”

-BANGG!

Before Cheshire could even press another question, the door slammed shut with magical urgency, seals instantly reactivating with an audible hum.

The sheer suddenness of the motion sent a small breeze brushing against his smoky fur.

And in that gust… a scent. Faint. Delicate. But unmistakable.

His eyes widened.

A scent of warmth. Of emotion. Of sweat and skin and soul.

The scent of intimacy—of two individuals tied by a moment of emotional, physical, and spiritual vulnerability.

A sacred connection.

The scent of love, raw and honest.

”Oh my~?” Cheshire whispered, a paw rising to his cheek as his eyes gleamed in pure, unfiltered mischief. ”It seems I have wandered in at the worst—or perhaps the best—possible time.”