Chapter 357 - Immune

"Do you think I'll get better?"

At this question, even Alinea choked on her food. Ryuu gently rubbed his wife's back to help her, but his ice-blue eyes never left his father-in-law and their guest as they exchanged words.

Interesting…

In the entire time he'd known Perun, the King of Heaven had never been this talkative. His wife's father was basically like himself who hated conversing, most especially with women. Like him, his father-in-law only ever talked a lot with Alinea.  For the woman to be able to make him speak several full sentences and even made him explain things when he didn't have to was amazing.

Also…

Ryuu's eyes narrowed on Yuuka's face. It didn't escape him that this woman was totally strange in a way that made her stand out among all the mortals he'd ever come across.

Maki Yuuka was immune to divine manipulation!

The fact that Dolya's power didn't work on her was incomprehensible.  Even if the Goddess of Fates' other powers were not reliable, her ability to erase and manipulate memories was, and it's actually potent even to other deities.

So why didn't it work on the woman?

Ryuu wanted to know, just as he wanted to know why Perun was entertaining her. His father-in-law seemed to know something that they did not, and his curiosity was strong, but his patience was stronger, and so he'd wait for an explanation later if the king would give one.

"Er… I… How would I know? I mean, I'm a businesswoman, not a doctor," Yuuka answered shakily before continuing. "But I do hope you will."

She appeared as someone who would not take any responsibility lightly. Yuuka wasn't one to give careless opinions just to make people feel good it seemed. Also, the fact that she did not say anything akin to flattery or lied just to get on Perun's good side when she had the perfect chance impressed the others more, solidifying the fact that her character was genuinely good.

"I see. Thank you then," Perun murmured as he returned his attention back to the food and all of them continued eating in silence for the rest of the meal.

"Yuuka," Gin called out to her after they'd eaten, and the woman looked at him with quizzing eyes. "About what we talked to you earlier…"

Yuuka's eyes widened. "Do you already have news?"

She was very anxious and it showed. Chiaki reached out and took one of her hands and gave her a squeeze to calm her down. As a fellow human, the latter empathized with her situation. It was not easy for them to get mixed up with supernatural things so suddenly.

"Thanks," Yuuka told Chiaki with a grateful smile.

She didn't have friends and what little family she had was involved in the incident and didn't have any idea what their fates would be.

"You can relax, it's actually good news," Gin said with a smile. "We will bring your parents here soon."

He was about to tell her in detail but remembered that his brother was still there, and so he gave her something vague instead. He just wanted to make her feel better. With the lives of her loved ones hanging on the line, it was best to tell her the good news immediately so she didn't have to be so anxious and depressed about it.

"Really?"Yuuka smiled, her nose turning red as she looked like she was going to cry.

Gin was nervous. If she cried then Perun would press him about what's going on, and he'd be scolded. But it was fortunately not the case as Yuuka fought hard to rein in her tears and nodded instead.

"Thank you. Thank you so much."

"May I go back to my room now?"Yuuka asked and Gin didn't keep her any longer.

As soon as she left, Gin turned to his brother. Perun refrained from speaking but his eyes bored into his brother's, making him explain immediately.

"They have some family trouble and we decided to help her," Gin informed Perun matter-of-factly.

"Oh?"Perun shifted on his seat as he lazily watched his brother. "A family trouble?"

"Yeah," Gin answered. "Like what I told you earlier, she has issues with her parents so we invited her here."

"Does this involve dark elementals?" Perun pressed out of the blue in a relaxed tone, catching Gin unawares, and everyone closed their eyes as he answered automatically.  

"Yes, Ozomene's here and became a parasitic elemen…tal…"

The last part of his words trailed off as Gin finally realized he answered and revealed the truth to his brother. He blinked several times as if trying to absorb what happened before turning to the others to ask them if he just messed up with his eyes.

He did. They all looked at him as if he was a big idiot.

"Brother, let me explain." He quickly went to his brother's side with a pacifying smile.

"You don't have to tell me what you don't want to," Perun answered. "Do your job and tell me about it when you're ready. I will not meddle in the affairs of the guardians in this world. You can take care of them. I'm only here for my daughter's affairs."

Gin looked at Perun in amazement. His twin just told him that he trusted him to settle the matters that needed to be settled. He was touched, and he grinned and then stopped as he remembered something.

"Brother! What's up with the woman?"

Just like Ryuu and everyone else, he'd been dying to know why Yuuka was unaffected by Dolya's memory manipulation.

"Which woman?" Perun played innocent, not at all interested in answering his question.

"Who else? I'm talking about Yuuka!" Gin was a bit excited. "Why isn't she affected by the memory alteration? I was so dumbstruck when she announced that she didn't know you existed before."

"What dumbstruck? Aren't you just dumb?"Perun now looked at Gin unhappily.

"Oi, I'm not that dumb, okay? It's a legitimate question – ask them!" Gin pointed at the others, and Perun realized that the rest also had no idea why, and he sighed.

"Aren't you dealing with a parasitic dark elemental related to her?" Perun prompted, and they all nodded. "If it's like that then why did you bring her here?"

Alinea frowned. "It's because she's not affected by it, father, but her family is. It's dangerous for her to stay there."

Perun sighed again. "Yes – but the point here is that she's not affected at all, no?"

Everyone exchanged looks.

That's right. Maki Yuuka was strangely unaffected by Ozomene's miasma. They wanted to ask why, but Perun gave them the answer.

"The reason why memory manipulation and the miasma didn't work on her is because she's immune."Perun's eyes shifted, a ripple flashed in his amethyst gaze as if he was trying to fend off something from his memories. "She's a blank soul…"