Flora took a small sip. A moment later, her body began to emit a faint light-attribute mana. “The fruit wine is slowly turning into absorbable mana, and the flow of my mana is indeed much smoother.”
“Yes, practicing in your current state will yield much better absorption results. After all, your mana has already begun to overflow,” Chen Mian said with a smile as he looked at them. “The three barrels of fruit wine enhanced with Crimson Heart in the workshop should be more than enough for your training.”
According to the system, the effects of this wine had a limit and would likely weaken over time. However, now that he had the Crimson Heart-Enhanced Wine, other fruit wines with special effects would surely exist. It was just that among the items he had collected, almost all the edible ones had already been used...
Loviki suddenly stood up. “I'm going to practice my swordplay and try it out.”
“Loviki, let me spar with you today,” Flora said earnestly, turning her head.
“Really?” Loviki looked at her in surprise.
Flora rarely took the initiative to train.
In the apartment, she spent most of her time indoors, occasionally visiting the garden or the hot spring. Her only training-related activity was usually meditating on the giant boulder at the side of the building.
Although a mage's training method differed from a fencer's, Flora rarely fought. Ever since they returned from the dungeon, she had barely been seen using any combat magic.
“Yes.” Flora stood up, still holding the cup of fruit wine. “I also want to see what it's like to circulate mana in this state. Besides, if I don't train, the effects of this cup of wine probably won't be maximized.”
As she spoke, she finished the remaining half-cup of juice-diluted wine. A tiny speck of extremely faint light-attribute mana condensed at her fingertips, the halo hovering over her palm for a brief moment before quietly dispersing.
“And...” She tilted her head, glancing in Chen Mian's direction with a very faint smile playing at the corners of her lips. “I can't keep making him worry about me all the time.”
Loviki followed her gaze to glance at Chen Mian. Her lips curled up involuntarily, though she quickly suppressed it. “Then let's go. I've been wanting to see how strong you are anyway.”
“I want to go too!” Velyan downed her drink in one gulp as well, her golden tail swaying gently. “I want to watch Flora fight!”
“I'm not going to fight...” Flora chuckled. “It's just sparring.”
“It's the same thing!” Velyan had already run to the door, waving back at them. “Hurry, hurry!”
Loviki quickly followed. At the door, she turned back to wave at Chen Mian before stepping outside.
Flora was the last to leave.
She bent down to change her shoes, and as she stood up, she gave Chen Mian a gentle hug.
“Louise hasn't come down yet,” she whispered, her voice so soft that only the two of them could hear. “Go check on her.”
After saying that, she turned and took a couple of steps, then tilted her head back to add one more thing, her tone carrying a hint of jealousy that even she didn't fully realize: “But once you're done coaxing her, remember to come back to me.”
Without waiting for Chen Mian's response, she quickly caught up with Loviki.
Chen Mian stood in place, watching Flora's departing figure. With his lips curving upward slightly, he turned and walked up the stairs.
The hallway was quiet. Louise's door remained shut, with no sound coming from inside.
Chen Mian walked over and gave the door a gentle knock.
There was no response.
After a moment, he knocked again.
Still, there was no reply.
Finding this rather amusing, Chen Mian took out the key, unlocked the door, and pushed it open gently.
Inside the room, Louise was lying on her side in bed, facing the door. The blanket was pulled up to her shoulders, and her silver-gray hair was scattered across the pillow.
Chen Mian walked to the bedside, his gaze sweeping over the nightstand.
On it sat a cup of tea that had already gone completely cold. The cup was still full; Louise hadn't drunk any of it. Retracting his gaze, he sat down on the edge of the bed.
“Louise.”
Louise didn't respond, her breathing so even and steady that she truly seemed to be asleep.
However, near the corner of the blanket, her fingers involuntarily clenched the fabric.
Chen Mian didn't call out to her again. He just watched her quietly from the side. Louise's delicate face looked very soft in the morning light, and a few strands of hair clung to the curve of her neck, rising and falling gently with the rhythm of her breathing.
After watching her for a moment, Chen Mian reached out and gently pinched her cheek, but there was still no reaction.
With her eyes closed, Louise naturally rolled over to face away from him.
Chen Mian withdrew his hand, lay down on his side on the edge of the bed, and rested his hand on her arm over the blanket.
The figure under the blanket stiffened for a fraction of a second, then relaxed at an incredibly slow pace.
After a long silence, a sigh filled with obvious frustration came from beneath the blanket. “...When did you learn to do this?”
“Just now, because someone's skill at pretending to sleep is actually quite mediocre.”
Louise paused, then rolled from her side onto her back. Turning her head, her purple-gold eyes stared at him seriously. “Then tell me, why am I pretending to sleep?”
“Because you're jealous.”
“Why would I be jealous?”
“Because I spent a lot of time with Loviki last night.”
Louise's eyelashes fluttered slightly. She shifted her gaze to the ceiling, her voice sounding a bit more casual than before. “...You're overthinking it.”
“Then tell me, why didn't you come downstairs?”
“Sleepy.”
“You're not even eating breakfast?”
“I'm not hungry.” Having said that, she turned her back to him again, pulling the blanket up to her chin and falling silent.
Chen Mian looked at her back, waiting a moment before speaking. “Alright, then go back to sleep. I'm a bit sleepy too.”
As he spoke, he actually adjusted his posture and closed his eyes.
The room remained quiet for a long time.
Louise stirred under the blanket. Seeing that he didn't react, she moved again, this time with a slightly larger motion.
“Don't wiggle, I'm trying to sleep.”
“...Hey.” Louise's voice finally emerged from beneath the blanket, carrying an obviously choked-up tone. “...Are you serious?”
“Yeah, I'm sleepy.”
“Weren't you quite energetic just now?”
“Hearing you talk about it made me feel sleepy too.”
Louise fell silent for a few seconds. Then, she suddenly rolled over, pulling the blanket down a significant distance to reveal her flushed face. Her eyes didn't dodge his as she looked at him earnestly. “Chen Mian.”
“Yeah.”
“Do you know why I was pretending to sleep just now?”
“Because you were jealous.”
Louise stared at him for a moment. Looking somewhat defeated, she reached out and poked his shoulder. “Yes, I was jealous! And not just about last night. Even when we were in the Royal Capital, the three of you got along so well day and night. I felt like an outsider.”
“I wasn't actually angry.” After saying this, she lowered her eyes, her fingers mindlessly tugging at the corner of the blanket. “It's just... I don't like being an outsider, whether in reality or in memories.”
The room fell quiet for a few seconds.
Chen Mian looked at her reddened earlobes and her hand clenching the corner of the blanket. After a moment, he spoke up, “So you've been jealous since our time in the Royal Capital?”
“...What else?”
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