Five Years Later

I had never felt my heart leap like this before. How could Miroku possibly let go just like that? And how could she bring herself to?

This was the first—and only—time Miroku had ever fallen for someone. It didn't matter who her rival was, or who Uchiha Chen liked.

Liking someone didn't mean you had to be together forever. Plenty of people in this world had successfully stolen someone else's partner. Why couldn't Miroku be one of them?

Once she'd made up her mind, Miroku no longer felt sad. Stealing someone's partner was perfectly normal, wasn't it?

They weren't married, after all. And even if they were, they could always get divorced. If Uchiha Chen refused to leave the person he loved, then what was so bad about Miroku settling for being his second wife?

The strong were always given special privileges in this world. As long as you had enough power, having two wives wasn't a problem.

"All right, I should get going," Uchiha Chen finally said after a long silence.

"Huh? You're leaving already?" Miroku, lost in her own thoughts, had been giggling to herself. The little curve at the corner of her mouth made Uchiha Chen twitch.

He could sense that Miroku meant him no harm, but for some reason, her sly grin gave him the creeps.

It wasn't safe to stay here. The thought flashed through Uchiha Chen's mind.

"It's getting late. You should go get some rest." Uchiha Chen let out a long breath and turned to Miroku. "It's very late, and you haven't fully recovered yet. Get some sleep."

"Are you worried about me?" Miroku asked with a flirtatious smile. Now that her outlook had changed, she was no longer as reserved as before.

"Uh..." Uchiha Chen was at a loss for words. He