l tapped her chin, recalling information about the .
Even though Pride never resummoned the Tortoise from its realm in the apocalypse tiline, the Embervale that had once been its domain still remained.
Mysteriously, despite their destructive tendencies, all Witches treated this zone as taboo and avoided battling there.
[ For now, Partner, please avoid overthinking. ]
As l blinked, watching the braid-haired elf stroll over to a stall and barter for four skewers, the System panel popped up eagerly before she could respond.
[ In the tiline you’re aware of, the Tortoise, or rather Embervale, was an enemy everyone found troubleso to face. ]
[ No, with and Wrath here, even with Nyrel’s resurrection, Embervale wouldn’t be much trouble, especially with Envy’s . ]
’Then,’ l smiled as the smiling elf spun around, handing l two skewers. ’I just need to focus on Lila again, right?’
[ Exactly. ]
l examined the frog at skewers, thickly coated in a drippy black sauce, her nose twitching at the spicy aroma rising from the at.
After spotting Rosana, l turned back to the stalls, picked out so food for herself, then held out the skewer to Lila.
"Co on, Lila." l grinned. "Say ah~"
Lila’s expression wavered, a blush creeping up her cheeks as she grumbled softly. "It feels a little weird eating soone else’s treat other than yours, l..."
"Oh... are you still feeling grumpy after I invited Rosana with us?"
Under l’s cheerful teasing, Lila’s blush deepened, her hand tightening on l’s in a silent complaint.
l chuckled at Lila’s puppy-like glare before she pulled back the skewer.
As black sauce dripped from the at onto the ground, l’s tongue flicked out to taste it, then slid over the skewer.
She raised the skewer to Lila again, now coated in the sauce and the saliva. "Want it?"
Lila’s erald gaze quivered on the at, her thumb fidgeting inside l’s grasp, betraying a flicker of arousal she tried to suppress.
Then, timidly, she parted her lips, like a fledgling bird waiting to be fed.
"Good girl." l’s voice grew doting as she fed Lila, watching her teeth sink into the frog at.
As Lila chewed out the leg at, l noticed her lips were sared in the black sauce, shimring like forbidden fruit under the sunlight.
A glint of mischievousness crossed her eyes as she leaned in, teasingly running her tongue along the edge of Lila’s lips.
Lila froze under l’s lick, barely gulping as the tongue slithered to her mouth, before burrowing her way through.
"l..."
Tasting l’s kiss that mixed with the strange black sauce, Lila lted into its sweetness.
With a huff, l pulled back, her tongue twirling the saliva string that was tinted with a hint of black. "Yep."
She bit into her own skewer. "Maybe having company isn’t so bad after all?"
A hiccup caught Lila’s throat as she darted her glance away. "Don’t-don’t try playing this as a good thing for our private ti ruined."
"Of course, of course!"
l giggled at the timid Lila, her golden eyes shining with affection.
[ Lila favourability: 89 -> 96 ]
As Lila squird in l’s touch, l raised a brow at the panel’s notification.
’No comntary about Lila’s thoughts?’
Sneaking a to her Partner, l glanced at the Elf before them, her eyes hidden behind the round glasses’ glow.
She watched the elf tilt her head, as if she had asked the most trigger-inducing question.
[ I rely felt a little pent-up, that’s all. ]
The Witch of Lust shuddered, her thighs instinctively clasping together as she felt the elf’s ’mysterious gaze’ turned into a ’heated glare’.
’Do-do your job right... or I won’t visit you tonight...’
As the poor Witch attempted to whine in her mind, a panel rely blinked in her view.
[ Oh. Feeling rebellious now? ]
l’s gaze lowered as the elf’s smile widened beneath her view.
[ How disobedient of you. ]
"Hya-"
A yelp almost escaped l’s lips, her finger loosening on her skewers.
"l? What’s wrong?"
Even hearing Lila’s concerned voice, l could only feel a ’hand’ slithering up her waist.
With a flushed look, she eyed the smiling elf at a distance, then at the invisible ’sothing’ now touching her.
[ This is a warning, l. With Pride’s mastery, I can freely enjoy you as much as I want. ]
’Don’t-don’t use Pride’s power for sothing so petty.’
[ You’re right. I am quite a petty person. After all, I’m lending the actual first ti to Envy, not myself. ]
The ’hand’ sensation disappeared on her waist before the elf strode forward. "Alright, everyone! Let’s go to a tavern I know for breakfast!"
[ Sorry. I don’t feel like myself today. ]
l watched the elf’s retreating back with a heavy heart, worry knotting tighter as she sensed the weight of the hidden confession.
Despite her partner’s all-powerful talent, the Saintess must have been stressed with all duties surrounding her: Protecting l, monitoring the spies, playing ’chess-like’ sches with Nyrel, all that and more.
She pressed her lips slightly before they curled into a slight smile.
’Sorry, Partner.’
The elf’s steps grew heavier as they strode, as l continued narrating her thoughts.
’You must have been too worried about , even if I haven’t quite thanked you for it.’
[ l... you never need to feel obligated to for such chores. ]
’But even if it is chores, you do feel troubled by it, right?’
l’s thumb twirled idly on Lila’s hand as she muttered in her .
’So if it’s not too much, I’d like to ease your burden, just a little bit.’
She smiled to herself, unsure whether her sincerity was conveyed through re thoughts.
As the elf’s steps halted, a paper-thin tension settled over the air between them.
l frowned at the sudden gesture, just as a gray veil seed to descend over the world.
The crowd’s chatter faded into silence. The breeze stilled. Even Lila, beside her, froze, completely unable to move.
Except for l and the Saintess, everyone else remained frozen as the elf slowly spun around, removing her glasses.
’Part...ner?’
Samantha’s ? Why had her Partner frozen ti now?
But all her confusion vanished the mont she t the burning eyes of her Partner.
Strangely, even in this greyed-out world, she could see a faint blush beneath those golden eyes, as her Partner’s hair gradually turned white.
"You should’ve never, ever said that, l."
Her Partner’s voice sliced through the tension, accompanied by a lustful smile.
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