1 A blue rose that bloomed under the moonlight...

The curtains were as red as ever, the wooden chairs and tables were still as clean and sturdy, the bed of Rangen's mother didn't have a single stain, and not even a single crack on a wall was to be spot.

But it didn't change his overwhelming curiosity to step outside that door that could lead him to his death.

He slowly walked, on his way to the door as he stuck himself in the realms of thought, thinking about his mother… what could've happened to her? Sure, time did pass abnormally… And yet, his grief and weariness didn't move on from her.

In the past… Rangen's parents fought about something. Unfortunately, in the end… nothing was solved. Their relationship worsened every single day. They even reached the point where they were both suggested to decide on a divorce! As the 7-year-old Rangen, he did not understand about those things they fought about, or what would they both do to their lives from now on, and for them; Rangen and his older siblings.

Rangen knew that there was still a bit of love hiding within her mother. Her anxiety just locked it somewhere where it could never be found… it slowly changed her… She would often tie a rope from up a high ceiling, not even thinking twice, she'd just hang herself. She would also try to sneak off somewhere and go to a place where there were no people around then jump off from a high balcony. But somehow, Rangen and his siblings were always there to stop her many times from doing those desperate suicides. Thinking about that, sometimes… she would even try, and kill her own sons and daughters! Just like what she did to Rangen from before.

She thought that they were the reason why she just… couldn't die. Imagine a mother, who was always positive and supportive towards everyone… but she then decides to kill her loved ones and die.

The whole family was slowly being terrified by her… but the father didn't even care. His routine was to just lock her up every day in her room and sets foot to his office and work. Because of the mother's negative intentions and worsening conditions, Rangen's siblings were beginning to take their distances from her. And from that day forth, they were too scared to prevent her from committing suicides. They would all just gather in a room and talk about plans on how to get her back to normal.

But days and weeks passed… They haven't done any progress. But all those times, right from the start, Rangen knew that their secret meetings were pointless. So he set off on his own. He'd just try to do his best up until the day from a few minutes ago.

Rangen knew his strengths… He thought that he was the one that could bring her back.

Determined, Rangen thought that, wasting his time, hesitating, and walking slowly towards something that he was unsure about… was just pointless. So he ran, having, preparing his mother's knife beside him.

"Ok… Here… I go!-"

As Rangen confidently reaches out his hand to the doorknob, a disturbance prevented him to continue. He heard that her mother's antique vase was pushed by someone, causing it to make a non-satisfying noise.

"W-What!? Who's there!?" shouted Rangen, startled, as he took out his mother's knife with full haste within his right hand, to the end of his fingertips.

Rangen looked at the balcony, where the startling presence came from.

But there, he saw a lady, as she was blushingly gazing at him. And as she walked towards him, a gentle wind blew and it swayed her soft, dazzling, pinkish-blue hair.

As Rangen glared at her, he also observed. She wore a blue dress… a dress so beautiful, that it could catch any man, or even a woman's eye! A dress… that could even attract a deity! Its true design was beautifully shown off by the reflection of the shining moon…

Her eyes… they were as blue as a deep ocean that's like reflecting the stars, in the midnight, shining from east to west… a horrendous example of exoticism.

Her body… truly, you could say that her feminine beauty was much alluring than any other womanly charm in the world. Much perfect, more than Cleopatra's, nor the mother of all people who was mentioned in some religious bible whose name is Eve.

"Darling, you're awake! Heehee~" said this mysterious lady, saying it with a soft, tempting voice.

And her fragrance… It was like… you could smell some new, but fully-grown, sweet lavenders from the hidden, yet unexplored gardens, found in the middle but below the depths of the heavenly Eden. A scent… if a man had such scent, he could suddenly have a man and woman harem, fighting over an offspring. A glamorous scent… that could even deceive an angel.

As the lady approaches him, Rangen was starting to blush... But he didn't agree to fall for her, just because of her fragrance and appearances! And in any way, he still thinks of himself as a pre-matured 7-year-old child. Thoughts came rushing into his mind and realized that it could be that she was deceiving him, just by her looks or could be that something was making him trick his own eye!

"(I didn't meet such a person in life. Why would she say "Darling" anyway? This… could only mean a few things…)

(Yep, she's an imposter and it could be that she confuses me by saying that I'm his boyfriend or something... and that we met from the past… but it could be possible… if I DID meet her in life. I skipped a few years before this timeline, to think that I've missed some of the moments of how we met… But I don't know… I'm not sure… Time is confusing… But I think I have a way to find out.)"

But before Rangen would agree to his decision, the lady ambushed him by kissing him lightly and softly on the lips.

Rangen was shocked! He felt like there was boiling lava… going up from his stomach to the tips of his hair—his body, and most of all, his face which were being flowered up!

(I-I can't… LOSE TO SOMETHING THIS!)

Quickly, Rangen grabbed both of the Lady's shoulders and pushed her away and said, "W-What are you doing!? M-Me… I'm too young to kiss a woman!"

The Lady's kiss made Rangen bring up his childish, yet his cute attitude.

"Hahaha! *sigh* Okay settle down, I need to show you something~"

"W-What is it?? It better not be dangerous! I have a knife, and I'm not afraid to use it!-

"W-Whoa! Relax, calm down, put that knife down… Okay?"

"N-No! I won't!".

"*sigh* fine… *grin* Here, look at this."

The lady showed Rangen a complicated 300-paged math book, full of questions. Rangen began to calm down and he puts away the knife. He then looks at the cover of the book. Just looking at it, he got confused, and he thought that he was unfamiliar about it.

"W-What's this?"

The lady opened the book by randomly turning it to page 197, and shows it to Rangen.

"What is it… what do you want me to do?" he confusingly asked.

"I want you to answer the rest of the pages on your own, 197 to 300… okay? Heehee~. I'm going to check on something, sorry babyy! I won't get to see you for a while… I'll be back before you know it! Just answer the rest of the pages of that book, okay?"

"W-Wait, what? But I can't even-

The lady confidently jumps off the balcony, leaving Rangen behind, mindless, and alone in his mother's room. He was shocked when he saw the lady jump off the balcony. Quickly, he went there and looked whether if she's still alive or not.

"Huff* Huff* M-Miss!? Are you okay??"

Rangen looked down from the top of the balcony and saw, but the lady wasn't there. He looked around, but he only saw the shining moon, trees, and the grass that were swaying from below.

"…Looks like she literally just left. *sigh* Anyways, this book…"

Rangen opened the book and turned it to the page where the lady turned it, it was on page 197. On that page, indeed, there were 100 algebraic questions with mixed topics. A seven-year-old kid would only see it as art, literally.

"(baby… huh?)"

"U-Uhmm… Okay, let me see the problem here…"

Rangen then looks at one of the questions. He was planning to start from the top of the page, going to the bottom.

"Strange… somehow… I could solve these weird things. But how?? Wait… I don't have anything to write on this… Okay! uhh…"

Rangen looks around then try to look for any item that could be used for writing. He looked under the bed, the carpet, under the curtains, drawers, and cabinets… He even looked at the chandeliers on the ceiling!—but in the end, he couldn't find any. He wouldn't try to go outside the room either, the house was big. He obviously thought… "(why would there be a pen lying around somewhere in this big, old house.)"

"Great… but, that doesn't mean that I won't continue answering this book right? Hmm… Okay, at least I need to answer… I'll try to memorize my answers. F-Forgive me miss if I think I can only answer a few of them."

Rangen reached to the point where he could somehow "can" answer the questions.

But as time passed, he didn't realize as he was answering and answering the book, he reached page 295! Rangen didn't even care to check the time, nor his surroundings, or even think about this mysterious lady. He just focused on answering every question, calculating everything in his mind.

As the sun rose up from the north, the lady came back. She enters the room by going through the window balcony. She was surprised as she saw Rangen fell asleep on the floor as the bed supported his back. And there, the open book was on his lap.

The lady picked up the book and noticed, Rangen didn't answer the book at all. But the lady was surprised! She noticed that the book was open, and it was on page 300! She knew, that Rangen solved those questions.

"(Awwe… I'm sorry Rangen~ I shouldn't be doing this to you!)"

She lays her hand over Rangen's shoulder and gently shakes him to wake him up.

"Rangen~, wake up! It's morning honey!"

Rangen gained consciousness. There, he covered his mouth as he yawned and started wiping

his eyes as he said; "Unnggh… it's… morning..?"

"Yes, sweetiee… Good morning! Heehee~"

"…M-Mom..? Ow… My head hurts. Huh? Oh, miss! I-I'm so sorry I fell asleep! I tried to answer the questions, but I didn't have anything to write in that book… but don't worry! Surely I remembered some of my answers to some of the questions!" said Rangen, as he stood up firmly like a soldier.

The lady noticed that she gained Rangen's trust and loyalty. Somehow.

"Oh? I thought you said that you couldn't answer any of them? Heehee~"

"W-Well that's..!"

"Okay, okay, I get it… Now, will you recite your answers for me?"

"Well, miss... I couldn't recite it… if at least, will you let me look at the questions?"

"Of course! We may look at it together~."

"W-Wait… Uhmm..! No, never mind."

The lady sits beside Rangen, looking at the book. She leaned her head near, over Rangen's shoulder, so that she could also see the questions. Then she locks her left arm over Rangen's right arm as the lady uses her right arm to turn the book to page 197 then she waited for his response.

Then the lady moved her head closer to Rangen's face as she said; "Now, go!~"

"(T-This is… Too close! Just… who is this girl? Why is she just so…)"

"U-Uhmm okay… Question 19,700..."

A few minutes later…

As Rangen was still reciting his answers towards every question, the lady was slowly losing her patience. She knew Rangen had a talent… such talent, no other person had in the whole universe. You could even call it one of the skills of a God; an ability to quickly calculate and memorize anything! But it seems that… Rangen didn't know that, and yet, he didn't realize. But the lady had thoughts… she remembered some of the untold hardships Rangen had from the past… that he suffered from something…

"(Rangen… I'd expect nothing less, but…)"

"Question 20, 021: The birch and Swinerton-dyer conjecture…-"

But before Rangen was about to say his next lines, the lady suddenly puts her hand over Rangen's left cheek and she leaned her head towards, then erotically smooched his lips. Surprised, Rangen couldn't move for he was too flustered that he couldn't even decide whether if he'll push her away or accept her sudden loving "reward"? But what's right… is what's right."

Rangen turned his head away from the lady whom he didn't know of much yet... He didn't want to kiss someone… whom he doesn't know... He felt that it was just wrong.

"w-why would you always kiss me..?" asked Rangen, with a light blush on his cheeks, turning his head away from her.

"O-Oh… I'm sorry~ I just…" the lady blushed heavily… while gazing at Rangen's fiery hair.

"W-Well anyways! As you can see, you have fully matured! Look at you~! You're a total grown-up! Can't you realize??"

"Well… it's because... all I remember is that I was 7 years old, and I was here with my mom… But somehow, I think time passed by. And I could tell because, yeah… I've grown. How did I even answer these questions though?? I… didn't have such knowledge."

"I see… well, I'll explain later, now that you realize… for now, let's get out of here~! I'm going to show you something more. heehee~"

"What!? Oh please, I beg you! No more math!!"

"Hahaha! Oh, don't worry~ it's not that, really!"

They both stood up for Rangen also agreed to leave the room. There was an awkward atmosphere as they slowly walk towards the door.

"By the way uhmm… haven't you introduced yourself to me yet..?" asked Rangen.

"O-Oh right! I'm so sorry! You… must've been so uncomfortable with me all this time!"

"Well… I'm not sure about uncomfortable… but I guess you could say that?"

"I'm sorry…(NOOO I BLEW IT!! …how could I forget!? Huhuhu)" replied the lady.

"*grins* welp… State your name! Then I shall forgive you." said Rangen, as he said the line in a manly tone.

"O-Oh? Okay! Heehee~"

Again, Rangen reaches his hand to the door's doorknob. He opened it as the lady introduces herself to him.

"My name's Rose… And I'm going to be your future wife!"

…

"W-What!? I-I'm sorry but… what did you say?"

"..? Hmph~! I saaaiid that I am going to be your futuuree WIFE. Do you understand??" said Rose, as she crosses her arms, saying it so close to Rangen's face.

"(huh... of all people. "me"? her "future husband"? Yeah right… like I'm worthy of being one for her.)"

"Just… how�� How did you become my "future wife"!?" asked Rangen.

"Well… it's because… We became lovers! Yes, that's it… LOVERS!"

"But that was obvious wasn't it?" said Rangen.

What Rangen meant that it was obvious that you have to be lovers first before you get married. Rangen was amazed at his own words for that knowledge came running randomly, into his mind.

"W-Whoa… S-So… uhmm~ you do… like me..?~"

"Well… t-that's not what I mean..! B-But uhh-

Suddenly, a small quake interrupted their conversation. It made the chandeliers fall from the ceiling, it also broke many antique vases. Because of the floor and the wall's vibration, the glass pane-windows break and it shattered to pieces near both of them, and explosions from the upper floors were being heard, thinking that the whole place will soon collapse.

"…Rangen, take out that knife of yours... Hold it while I carry you downstairs!"

"O-Okay! Wait… what do you mean that you'll carry-

Rose suddenly runs with tremendous speed, while carrying Rangen on her back. As she ran, she dodges some of the debris which was falling from the high ceilings.

"W-WHOAA!!!" shouted Rangen.

Rose was running so fast, Rangen had to hold on tighter! Or else he could fall off!

"(T-This is definitely the opposite of..! I should be the one who's carrying her!)"

Suddenly, Rangen accidentally grabs Rose's left boob.

"Kyaaah!~ U-Uhmm~ Rangen..? C-Can we do that later..? Sweetie… I can't focus running here~"

"..! How am I supposed to hold on tight!? AAHHH!!"

More debris fell from the ceiling. Rose ran faster as she swiftly dodges through the falling debris and explosions coming from everywhere!

"Rangen! Use your knife to cut those falling objects! They're way too many! I can't dodge them all!"

"But..! This is only a knife! I can't slice through using this!?"

Rose quickly snaps her finger and then suddenly, the knife that Rangen was holding began to grow longer. It was slowly turning into a sword!

"H-How!?-

"No time to explain sweetie~ now quickly, cover me!"

Rangen quickly sliced and diced the falling debris that were falling before them. Rangen's sword swing was so strong and quick that he could also blow away the flaming objects that were also standing on their way!

"(Strange… somehow I'm good at using this. Well, I know that the knife was lighter though, but this sword… this is much better…)"

"Aaanndd we'reee out of hereee!!"

Right after Rose said that line, the giant, the luxurious house had met its end.

"KABOOM!" There goes the mansion, turned into little bits of pieces. Because of the impact, rocks began to fall down from the sky, some big ones directly headed towards both Rangen and Rose.

Quickly, Rangen draws the sword then swiftly sliced and cuts the rocks and debris. As he was doing it continuously, there, rose stood behind him, gazing at him with total amazement in her eyes. She didn't experience a "knight protecting a princess" scene in a long time… though she knew she was strong, and that she can defend herself alone, she was still thankful… Her "future husband" was protecting her after all!

"I-It's finished… Huff* Huff*"

"Rangen! You did great!~" said Rose, as she hugs Rangen tightly from the back, also rubbing her face to his shirt.

"W-Whoa… I actually did that?? But how… I don't even know how to use a sword…"

Rangen suddenly felt Rose fell from his back. Then, Rangen turned around.

"R-Rose! Are you okay??" asked Rangen, as he knelt down.

"Huh..? Y-Yeah I'm fine… just a bit… tired."

"Hmm… I see…"

Rangen lifts Rose up. He stood up and puts Rose behind his back. He lets Rose grab around his neck, as he slowly walks away from the scene. As he walked, he looked back at the destroyed house then happily sobbed while having thoughts, saying something like "(Why did the house even collapse..? And those explosions… what were they?)."

"Okay, Rose… what place did you want me to show? Where should I go?"

"nngh~ just head towards to that direction. By the way, Rangen, I'm sorry… I think I'm too heavy..?"

"Oh this? No… this is nothing… In fact, …I wanted to let you see me as a strong man! If… you know what I mean. A man should protect a woman!"

"…I see. Okayyy~ Heehee~"

...

"By the way, it slipped your mind huh?" asked Rangen.

"…What do you mean?~"

"I mean, you could just jump from the top of that balcony from earlier… It would've been easier to get out of here."

"…But if I did go through there, you wouldn't be able to practice your swordsmanship!~"

"I-I see… you do have a point."

"Heehee~ silly Rangeyyy!~." said Rose, as she licked Rangen's ear.

"H-Hey!"

"Heehee~ I'm sowweeyy!"

...

"Rangen …will you let me sleep?~"

"Well okay… but forgive me if I wake you up though, I need to ask directions from you."

"Okayyy!~ nightyy~"

"Goodnight (but It's morning... welp, she did stay awake for the whole night though... wonder what she was up to)."

"(And I love you! Heehee~)" whispered Rose.

"What?? Sorry, I… didn't hear you."

"Oh, it was nothing, heehee~".