Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 283: Emerald Green Gift

Lately, Mr. Demon King had been enjoying growing some strange plants. For example, kiwis that produced fruit every day, calendar flowers that changed color based on the date, and versatile potted plants that grew four types of herbs.

Their characteristics were very common—they were the only ones in the world, they were very practical, and they were extremely easy to maintain. They would never get sick or be riddled with pests—you could even consider them to be “super plants”.

He could make the best vanilla in Oliver’s dream come true, and he could also create the perfect flowers that would only appear in fairy tales. The plants he created had lush and perfect leaves that complimented Oliver’s eyes. Nemo would pick out the ones he particularly liked and give them to his lover as a surprise.

Every time Oliver received a gift, he would happily thank him. However, as time went by, Nemo felt something was missing.

Nemo wanted to grow something different.

One day, he sneaked out of the house and went to the gardening store. When he was about to leave, he held a pot of pitiful seedlings. It looked so fragile it could be blown away by a gust of wind.

“Hey, are you planning to transform plants again?”

Bagelmaurus said pickily, “Well, I hope it’s a tree that can infinitely grow nuts—”

Nemo patted the gray parrot’s feathery head. The latter gave a loud squawk and shrank its neck.

“Don’t worry about it,” Nemo said solemnly, throwing several spells into the potted plant.

Strangely, none of them had anything to do with plant growth; they were all concealment spells. The gray parrot circled the hidden potted plant several times but couldn’t find anything suspicious.

What the hell is he hiding in this broken thing?

……

“Oh, you actually came to ask for my advice.”

Jesse threw two pieces of sugar cubes into his tea and said, “Mr. Ramon, have you encounter some kind of technical probl…?”

Under Oliver’s deep gaze, Jesse took the initiative to swallow back his words.

“It seems to be an emotional problem.” Lord Zenni pretended he didn’t say anything previously.

This time Oliver didn’t deny it. “Nemo always gives me gifts.”

Jesse’s mouth twitch. “So you came to show off?”

“No. The things he gives me are always magical and green plants, but I can only give him ordinary flowers.”

Oliver looked at his hands. “I can’t create life as easily as he can. I know Nemo won’t care, but I want to give him something special.”

“Hm, I can probably imagine how ‘magical’ it is.” Jesse stopped his teasing and took a sip of his sweet tea.

“The Pillar of the World is the closet thing to a God of Creation in this world—I mean, in this entire universe. If such a god falls in love with you, theoretically, you can make any wish.”

“As expected of you, Mr. Ramon, you’re actually bothered by such a good thing.”

Oliver lowered his head, stirring his milk tea with a spoon. He considered his words for a moment. “I’m not looking for advice about this matter… I just want to ask, what do gods of your age find ‘special’?”

“For example, what kind of gifts does Mr. Cross give you do you like best…”

“I would be happy if my darling Adri gifted me a button.”

Jesse snorted. “Of course, my darling Adri wouldn’t give me just a button. He’d give me a sapphire brooch of exquisite taste.”

Oliver began to think he had asked the wrong person.

He wasn’t sure what Nemo liked, but he was sure that his Demon King wouldn’t like “an elegant sapphire brooch”.

Facing Oliver’s disapproving look, Jesse casually picked up a cookie and said, “Generally speaking, you don’t have to worry too much about it. Our Pillar of the World might just be interested in tinkering with plants. He gave it to you, so just keep it.”

“If you must give something special in return…as long as you feel its special, I think Mr. Light will feel the same way.”

Oliver certainly knew this.

But when it came to preparing gifts for his almost omnipotent lover, he always felt he hadn’t done enough.

…So he asked Adrian Cross the same question.

“As long as you think it’s special, I think Mr. Light will think so too.” Adrian actually gave an answer that was almost identical to Jesse Dylan’s.

“Next time, what gift are you going to prepare for Jesse?” Oliver tried to find some reference.

“Well, I bought a beautiful sapphire a while ago, and I plan to use it to make a silk headband.” Adrian said without hesitation, “He always liked this kind of thing.”

Handmade gifts were indeed nice. Unfortunately, Nemo didn’t have a strong desire for material things, and he had very little interest in dressing up.

This time Oliver had nothing to say.

……

“Those ‘relationship skills’ my dad taught me are so useless.”

In the museum, Oliver murmured to the portrait of the Blood Queen—no, Ann Savage. “If I ran to Nemo’s bedside to play the piano in the middle of the night, he would think I have a fever.”

“If I suddenly started writing hymns for him, well, he’d probably start to really worry about me.”

“…How do I choose a gift for someone who has everything?”

Ann in the portrait maintained a smile that wasn’t very “Ann-like” and didn’t give an answer.

“Your advice might be more useful than Jesse and the others.” Oliver sighed softly. “Ann, Nemo and I have always been…”

Before he finished speaking, Oliver suddenly froze.

How do you choose a gift for someone who has everything?”

……No, no. Nemo isn’t someone “who has everything”.

“Thank you.” Oliver nodded to Ann’s portrait and left the museum.

That day, he went on countless flea markets and moved four boxes to the workplace.

Time passed, and soon it was the festival when lovers would exchange gifts.

Not to mention Nemo and Oliver, a family with endless surprises, even a couple, no matter how strained their relationship was, wouldn’t miss this opportunity.

The night before, Nemo and Oliver didn’t sleep in each other’s arms, but slept back-to-back, which seemed to indicate they were plotting something.

As the sun barely broke the horizon, the two men jumped out of bed as if their butts had been set ablaze and pulled out their respective gifts from under the bed. The scene was like a duel. Nemo didn’t even have enough time to tie up his long hair.

The Demon King confidently picked up a rectangular gift box wrapped in pleasing green stripes.

Mr. Knight, not to be outdone, pulled out a square box of similar size. It was beautifully wrapped in warm gray paper with a pearly sheen.

“Exchange?” Nemo looked at the gift box expectantly.

“Exchange!” Oliver nodded confidently.

He was the first to open Nemo’s gift. As a result, he heard a rustling sound when he opened it.

It seemed that Nemo’s fascination with plants hadn’t ended yet. It was a magical plant, but it was unclear what it could do…

After unwrapping the box, Oliver was shocked.

In the warm brown flowerpot, there was only a beautiful small olive tree.

Its branches and leaves showed signs of withering and insect bites, not as “perfect” as they once were. At the base of the trunk, the initials of “O&N” were faintly engraved, slightly deformed by the outstretched branches.

It was growing well, and its branches and leaves exuded a refreshing vitality that eased the heart.

Oliver gently stroked the branches and magic flower through the roots of the olive tree. Without a doubt, this was an extremely normal plant, untouched by magic.

“I raised it myself, with no magic!” Nemo said. “I did all the fertilizing, watering, pest control myself. It grew slower than I thought. I thought I wouldn’t be able to present it in time for the exchange.”

Oliver looked at Nemo silently.

Seeing Oliver remained silent, Nemo became a little nervous. “I, I just thought that creating a new species is too easy. I don’t want to keep giving you gifts that can be made with just a flick of a finger.”

His voice grew quieter.

“I know you won’t hate my gift, so I want to put more effort into it…I didn’t create it—it just happened to me, just like you.”

“I love you so much,” Oliver said solemnly. “Let’s keep it in the bedroom. We can raise it together and give it a name.”

Nemo smiled and said, “This is your gift. Come here.”

Oliver held the potted plant, the joy on his face didn’t seem fake. Compared to the joy of receiving gifts before, there was something else in his smile this time, something that Nemo really liked—a more intense happiness.

Nemo hummed triumphantly and began to unwrap Oliver’s gift.

Oliver had always been a natural handmade person, so he wondered what Oliver prepared this time. Maybe it was a wreath of preserved flowers, or maybe…

Clatter.

The paper lid of the gift box fell to the floor.

Oliver also gave him a green plant, which was very like Oliver. It was just that the green plant this time was a little…too special.

A variety of miniature green plants formed a landscape within a ground glass container. A few incredibly realistic houses dotted the moss-filled lawn, reminiscent of the edge of Roadside Town.

Among the dense greenery, there were several enchanted model figures.

He saw Old Light taking a rest under a tree with an armful of wheat; he saw Ann Savage, wearing the soldier’s uniform he had first met her in, sitting on a rock, taking a leisurely drink; he saw Godwin and Debbie taking the children on a picnic, relaxing on the grass.

Oliver did it with great care, as if the real people themselves were shrunk by magic. Just looking at it, Nemo could almost feel the heartbeat of the model.

It was the tranquility and satisfaction of that moment completely frozen in time.

It was a scene he had never seen before, Oliver recalled.

“It’s probably better than a magical portrait,” Oliver said. “That looks… ngh!”

Nemo hugged him tightly. Through the thin fabric, Oliver could feel the other’s accelerated heartbeat.

Nemo hugged him for a long time. He said nothing, but it seemed like he had said everything.

The next day, a small corner appeared in their room.

The “towering” olive tree obscured the village in glass, like the incredible giant tree in the backyard of the Ramon Inn.

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Kinky Thoughts:

Oh, I got teary-eyed reading this. It’s been a while since I read Stray but this brings back all the memories and feelings.

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