Chen Mian reached out to catch her flailing wrists and said with a laugh, “Suit yourself. The floor is clean anyway.”
He then looked down at Loviki's pouting face, his lips curving up slightly as he released her wrists and withdrew his hands.
Loviki's eyes followed his hand for a brief moment before she quickly looked away, staring back up at the ceiling, though her ears grew a bit redder.
“What are you laughing at?”
“I'm not laughing.”
She turned her head, her gaze lingering on his face for a brief moment before she stood up from the floor with a flushed face. Brushing off her clothes as if nothing had happened, she said in a hurried voice, “I-I'm going to take a shower.”
Without waiting for Chen Mian's reply, she quickly ran upstairs.
“Loviki! Where are you going?” Velyan looked up toward the stairs and asked.
“I'm taking a shower!”
“Oh! Luolin, let's keep playing.” Velyan turned back with a smile and pressed start again.
Loviki ran into her room, pushed open the bathroom door, and shut it behind her. Only then did she lean against the door and slowly let out a breath.
The bathroom was very quiet, with only the faint chirping of insects from the distant forest drifting in through the window.
Standing in place, she touched her cheek, then stared blankly at her wrist.
“...It was just a pat on the head,” she muttered softly, her voice sounding exceptionally clear in the confined space. “Why did I run away...?”
She raised her hand to her eyes, staring at her wrist for a moment. “...He even grabbed my wrist.”
After saying this, she seemed to think of something and froze. Then, her ears turned red at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Turning around, she turned on the faucet and splashed water on her face.
When she looked up again, her usually cool and elegant face in the mirror still carried a prominent blush. “Calm down.”
Loviki took a deep breath, averted her eyes from the mirror, and began to take off her coat, though her movements were much slower than usual.
After a moment, she turned on the shower. Hot water cascaded down from above, and steam quickly filled the entire bathroom, blurring the surroundings.
Loviki stood beneath the stream, letting the hot water flow down her body as she closed her eyes and remained quiet for a while.
Suddenly, several scenes flashed through her mind: the moment Chen Mian had held her hand under the covers; the time when she was targeted by the Shadow Cult in the Royal Capital, and Chen Mian arrived just in time to save her, carrying her on his back through the crowd; the moments they sat and chatted in the classroom at the Royal Magic Academy, and even when the two of them squeezed into a cabinet together; and finally, the scene of him holding her in his arms at the top of the tower.
“...What exactly is my relationship with him now?” Loviki's voice was so soft it was almost drowned out by the sound of the running water. “I didn't think much of it back then...”
At this thought, her heart raced even faster. She tilted her head up and closed her eyes, letting the hot water wash over her cheeks.
After a long while, the sound of the water stopped.
Loviki wrapped her hair in a towel, walked to the mirror, and wiped away the condensation.
Her wet hair clung to the sides of her face, and her cheeks still bore a rosy post-bath glow.
She stared at her reflection for a long time before slowly lowering her gaze. “...Will he think I'm weird?”
“...Maybe he just wanted to comfort me, but I ran away like that. Will he think I don't like him?” She froze, startled by her own words, and her entire face flushed red again, even her skin taking on a faint pink hue. “...Oh no, oh no. He definitely just wanted to comfort me, and I just ran off.”
She stared at herself in the mirror, a hint of frustration in her voice. “...Will he stop patting my head in the future?”
“...What on earth am I thinking?” She quickly averted her gaze and patted her cheeks. Walking over to the wardrobe, she remaged through her clean clothes, her eyes eventually landing on the wool coat Chen Mian had given her.
She picked up the wool coat, slipped it on, and gently buttoned it up. The coat was quite long, reaching down to the middle of her thighs.
Loviki sat quietly in front of the vanity, slowly drying her hair with a towel, though she seemed somewhat distracted.
After a moment, she snapped out of it and looked down at the light gray wool coat she was wearing.
“...It actually fits quite well.” She reached out to touch the edge of the cuff, whispering, “Even the sleeve length is perfect.”
She lowered her hand, stared at her reflection in the gray wool coat for a few seconds, then placed her hands on the table and gently buried her face in them. Her voice sounded flustered. “...Oh no... I think I really like him.”
After saying this, she remained still for a long while before finally raising her head again. “What if he really stops patting my head?”
Loviki took a deep breath, picked up the hair tie on the vanity to tie her hair into a low ponytail, and then rummaged through the wardrobe for a pair of pajama pants. After making sure she was fully dressed and looking like her usual self, she walked to the door.
But she stopped right before the door, staring at the wooden panel for a moment. “...Stop overthinking,” she whispered to herself.
With that, she lowered her eyes slightly, turned the doorknob, and stepped out.
“Loviki!” As soon as she reached the corner of the stairs, Velyan looked up at her. “Luolin is sleepy. Can you play with me for a bit longer?”
“Luolin is sleepy?” Loviki walked over and looked down at Luolin.
Sure enough, the little catgirl was currently rubbing her tired eyes, her ears drooping. She looked as if she might fall asleep at any moment.
Hearing Loviki's voice, she looked up somewhat dazed and said apologetically, “Yes, I woke up a bit early today.”
“Then you should go to bed quickly,” Loviki said softly.
Luolin nodded, stood up, and walked upstairs. After a few steps, she turned back to look at them. “Miss Loviki, Miss Velyan, good night~”
“Good night~”
Luolin's figure disappeared at the top of the stairs, leaving only the sound effects of the game console and Velyan tapping the buttons in the living room.
Loviki held the joystick in her hand, her eyes fixed on the screen. Her character was already selected, but her hand didn't move, leaving her character standing in place and taking hits.
“Loviki,” Velyan turned her head and asked in confusion, “why aren't you moving?”
“Ah? I'm thinking of a strategy,” Loviki snapped out of it and said with a serious face.
“Have you thought of one?”
“Yes.” Loviki pressed the buttons to start counterattacking, asking casually as she played, “Where are the others?”
“Louise and Irena went back to their rooms, and Chen Mian seems to have gone to Flora's room to blow-dry her hair,” Velyan said nonchalantly.
“Oh... I see.”
“Why did you stop moving again?”
“...I'm thinking.”
Rate on N.U.
