The Tour Around The Room

"Woahhh… what's that, Mikhailis?" Elowen's voice was filled with surprise as her golden eyes widened in awe. "And even more… look at that!"

She sat on the edge of her seat, completely engrossed in the moving pictures on the large screen in front of them. The bright flashes of light from the battle between giant mechanical beings illuminated the dark room, casting strange shadows on the walls. With the speaker is high spec as well, the bass gives a very cinematic experience as the room is set to be quite dim as well.

An anotherworld cinema-watching, huh... I want to say 'something' and chill but I guess let's not do so since I might got sued for mentioning it since Ruslania don't have a collaboration with them. Copyright is such a troublesome thing, after all.

Elowen's expression was one of pure wonder as she watched the towering machines clash on screen, their metallic bodies transforming and shifting into vehicles, then back into robots again. It was a spectacle unlike anything she had ever seen in Silvarion.

"So that one's called a truck?" she gasped, pointing at the red-and-blue figure that had just transformed.

"Yes, right, that's a truck. In other stories, they are known as a vehicle that brings people to another world as well,"

"Wow! That's amazing! And it can fight like that? Incredible!"

Mikhailis grinned beside her, his eyes gleaming with amusement.

"Yep, it's called… let's say, the Shapeshifter Battalion. They're not just robots. They're warriors from another world."

Elowen's eyes were glued to the screen, fascinated by every explosion, every fight scene.

Well, if I show her Raven Rings instead, fantasy things would be something they often saw here so she won't be that interested I thought. But hm... Perhaps royal political movie might be interesting for her.

"This is amazing, Mikhailis! Your world has such incredible stories!"

Mikhailis chuckled softly, leaning back into the couch.

"Yeah, I figured you'd like this. I mean, who wouldn't enjoy watching giant robots beat the crap out of each other?"

Elowen turned to him with a playful smile.

"I thought tonight would be disappointing because... I return late. I was disappointed as I want the same intimate night like last night when I imagined you're asleep. But it turns out that you're awake, and even show me such an interesting thing, this... Is great as well,"

Mikhailis could feel the geniune happiness on her face. Of course, he's very glad that she's happy with their time spent together.

Seriously this girl.

Mikhailis observes her, the beautiful smile that compliments her beautiful brown skin, enhanced with her gorgeous silver hair.

This doll and model-like queen that always carved herself to be the perfect ruler, to serve the people with such a great effort.

Just how cuter this girl could get.

Mikhailis laughed.

"Hey, don't worry, we'll have plenty of time for that. Tonight, though, I wanted to show you something different. Actually, there's a reason I set all this up." His voice softened, becoming more serious.

"I didn't have time to show you before, but this… this is part of my world. And tonight, I think it's time I told you everything."

Elowen's smile faltered for a moment, Mikhailis could see her cheeks growing warm. Perhaps because it could mean different things.

"Everything? About you?"

Mikhailis nodded, reaching for the remote and pausing the movie. The room fell into a soft silence, illuminated only by the faint glow of the paused screen. He turned toward her, his expression calm yet determined.

"Yeah. There's a lot I haven't shown you yet. So, let me start with this." He gestured toward the sleek PC setup in the corner of the room. The triple monitors glowed faintly, casting a bluish hue across the dark wood of the furniture.

"That's my personal computer, the most powerful machine I could bring here. It can handle anything—from games, to designing, to research."

Elowen stood up, walking over to the desk where the setup was neatly arranged. Her eyes were filled with curiosity as she took in the various devices and screens.

"This is… part of your world's technology?"

Mikhailis nodded, following behind her.

"Yeah. It's my connection to everything. You can think of it as a tool for learning, for creating. I can control almost anything from here—build simulations, explore worlds, even communicate with people from anywhere. Well if it was connected properly,"

Elowen's fingers hovered over the keyboard, but she didn't touch it. Instead, her gaze shifted to the corner of the room, where Mikhailis had set up something else. Rows of glass cases filled with… bugs?

"What are these?" she asked, stepping closer to the cases, her brow furrowing in confusion.

Mikhailis smiled proudly.

"Ah, those are my insect friends. I'm an entomologist, remember? I study insects. These little guys are my pride and joy." He motioned to one case in particular, where a large, glistening chimera ant was crawling across the glass surface.

"That's my chimera ant. Pretty cool, right?"

Elowen leaned in, studying the ant with great detail. She observed the intricate design of its body, the shimmer of its wings, the way it moved with precision and grace.

"It's… fascinating," she murmured, her voice filled with genuine interest.

"I never thought I'd be this close to something like this. This is a very interesting occupation,"

Mikhailis chuckled.

"Most people don't appreciate bugs, but they're more amazing than you'd think. They're strong, resilient, and they can adapt to almost anything."

Elowen gave him a sidelong glance, smiling.

"Just like you, I suppose."

Wow, hearing that from her supposed to be a compliment, but as a person from earth, getting called as a bug would definitely considered as a mockery, isn't it.

Mikhailis grinned at the compliment but quickly shook his head.

"Nah, I'm not nearly as adaptable as they are. But thanks, wifey." He winked at her, earning a soft laugh in return.

After a few more minutes of exploring the insect collection, Mikhailis turned toward the wall, where a sleek, metallic device hummed quietly.

"And this… this is an air conditioner. It keeps the room cool and comfortable."

Elowen's eyes widened.

"So that's why the room always feels so… refreshing compared to the rest of the palace. I thought it was just magic."

Mikhailis laughed.

"Nope. Just technology. It's nothing special, but it makes a big difference, right?"

Elowen nodded, clearly impressed.

"It's wonderful."

Mikhailis smiled, feeling a sense of pride as he led her back to the couch. But then, he grew more serious, his tone softening.

"There's one last thing I need to show you."

He reached up and tapped the side of his glasses. Instantly, the familiar voice of Rodion echoed through the room.

<Good evening, Mikhailis. And Queen Elowen.>

Elowen's eyes widened in shock as she looked around, trying to locate the source of the voice. "Who… what is that?"

Mikhailis chuckled. "That's Rodion, my AI. He's… well, let's just say he's always with me. I'ts like a brain of a person in a computer. An artificial person. But don't worry, you're the only other person who knows about him."

Elowen blinked in disbelief. "AI…?"

<Artificial Intelligence,>

Rodion explained, his tone calm yet slightly sarcastic.

<I assist Mikhailis with various tasks. Consider me a more efficient, less demanding secretary.>

Elowen glanced at Mikhailis, her golden eyes wide with surprise.

"And you've had this… this Rodion with you all this time?"

Mikhailis nodded.

"Yeah. And now, I want him to help you too." He turned to Rodion.

"Rodion, register Queen Elowen as a master as well."

<Understood, Mikhailis. Queen Elowen is now registered as my secondary master. Greetings, Your Majesty. I look forward to assisting you.>

Elowen blinked, still processing everything.

"This is… incredible," she whispered.

"I never thought… Mikhailis, who are you really?"

Mikhailis hesitated for a moment, his expression softening. He opened his mouth to answer but then stopped, his gaze drifting to the floor. A brief pause followed, then he smiled, his eyes filled with a quiet determination.

"I'm just an eccentric entomologist. Nothing less, nothing more."

Elowen studied him, but she didn't pursue. Instead, her expression gentle yet knowing. She could sense the hesitation in his voice, the way he avoided giving her a full answer. But she smiled and placed a hand on his arm.

"That's more than enough for me, Mikhailis. You, yourself… you're more than enough."

Mikhailis looked at her, feeling the warmth of her words settle over him. He smiled, pulling her close.

"Thank you, Elowen."

As the night wore on, they continued talking, sharing stories and exploring Mikhailis's world. But soon, the hours grew late, and Elowen could feel the weight of exhaustion settling in.

"It's already so late…" she murmured, glancing at the clock.

"We should sleep, but I want to talk more…"

Mikhailis chuckled, brushing a strand of her silver hair behind her ear.

"You need rest, wifey. You've had a long day."

Rodion's voice chimed in again.

<Indeed, Your Majesty. Sleep is essential for maintaining optimal performance. Based on your current activity level and stress factors, I would recommend at least seven hours of uninterrupted rest.>

Elowen blinked in surprise.

"Rodion even gives sleeping advice?"

<Of course, Your Majesty. I also recommend adjusting your sleeping posture for better spinal alignment. It will enhance recovery and reduce fatigue.>

Elowen's eyes widened as she turned to Mikhailis.

"Wait… does that mean Rodion has been observing… everything?"

Mikhailis didn't hesitate for a moment.

"Yep! He observes and analyzes everything. In fact, we scored pretty high on… well, you know." He winked.

Elowen's face flushed bright red, and before she could stop herself, she let out a small, high-pitched squeal—a sound so unlike her usual calm demeanor. But without thinking, her reflexes took over, and she delivered a swift punch to Mikhailis's gut.

"Oof!" Mikhailis doubled over, groaning as the air was knocked out of him.

Such a powerful punch...

"Okay, that's new…"

Elowen gasped, her hands flying to her mouth.

"I-I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to—!"

Mikhailis straightened up slowly, wincing but chuckling all the same.

"It's fine… really. Not something I experience every day, but hey, a punch from my wife… I'll take it."

But it's sure damn hurt, though. If I'm not trained enough, I would pass out... Probably...

Elowen blushed even harder, her hand gently touching his arm.

"I'm sorry…"

Mikhailis grinned, shaking his head.

"No need to apologize. I kinda deserved it, didn't I?"

Elowen gave him a sheepish smile, still feeling embarrassed by her reaction.

"Maybe… just a little."

Mikhailis laughed, the tension between them easing as he reached for her hand.

"Come on, let's call it a night before you throw any more punches my way."

Elowen smiled softly, her eyes still filled with warmth despite her earlier embarrassment.

"Alright… but only if you promise not to let Rodion 'analyze' anything else."

Mikhailis raised his hands in mock surrender.

"Promise. Rodion, no more analysis on… well, you know."

<Understood, Mikhailis. All personal interactions between you and the Queen will be kept private. No further analysis required.>

Elowen sighed in relief, her cheeks still slightly pink as she leaned into Mikhailis's embrace.

"Good… because that was a little too much for me."

Mikhailis wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer as they stood together in the dimly lit room. He could feel the warmth of her body against his, the steady rise and fall of her breathing as she slowly relaxed.

"You've had a long day, Elowen. You need to rest. No more council meetings, no more politics. Just us."

Elowen closed her eyes, resting her head against his chest.

"You're right… as usual. But I still feel like I could stay up talking to you all night."

Mikhailis pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, his voice soft and reassuring.

"There's always tomorrow, wifey. Right now, you need to sleep. And I promise, I'll be here when you wake up."

Elowen smiled, feeling the comfort of his words wash over her.

"Alright… I'll trust you."

With that, Mikhailis led her toward the bed, the soft sheets cool and inviting. Elowen settled in, her body sinking into the mattress as the exhaustion of the day finally caught up with her. Mikhailis slid in beside her, pulling her close under the covers. His hand rested on her waist, gentle and protective, as he leaned in to press a deep, lingering kiss on her lips.

It wasn't the passionate, heated kiss they had shared before, but something softer, more intimate. It was a promise, a reassurance that he was here, that they were in this together.

As their lips parted, Mikhailis smiled down at her, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Goodnight, Elowen."

Elowen looked up at him, her golden eyes half-lidded with sleep.

"Goodnight, Mikhailis… and thank you."

Mikhailis chuckled softly. "For what?"

"For everything."

With that, Elowen's eyes fluttered closed, her breathing evening out as she drifted off to sleep. Mikhailis watched her for a moment, his heart swelling with a warmth he hadn't felt in a long time. He brushed a strand of her silver hair away from her face, his fingers lingering for a moment before he finally closed his eyes, letting sleep take him as well.

The night was quiet, the only sound the faint hum of Rodion's systems in the background. And as Mikhailis lay there, holding Elowen close, he felt at peace.

Tomorrow would bring new challenges, new questions, but for now, this moment—this quiet, peaceful night—was all that mattered.