In the royal capital Ikerite, in a loft at the far end of the second floor of the Cat Boss’s restaurant—
Late at night.
Moonlight stread in through the gap in the bedroom curtains, adding a hint of mystery and serenity to the warm space.
The faint glow played on the covers. Talia and Huperion each slept on one side of the bed, their breathing soft and delicate.
At first, Huperion had been tense sharing a bed with Talia, only gradually relaxing as the night deepened.
Her steady breathing continued for a long while, as though she had completely fallen asleep.
Only then did Talia slowly turn over, no longer facing away from Huperion.
Yet she noticed that Huperion had curled up under the covers, unguarded, actually facing her as she slept.
Talia gazed at Huperion’s cheek.
She curiously wanted to reach out a finger to touch this adorable creature.
But before her fingertip erged from the covers, she withdrew it, afraid of waking Huperion or making her feel strange.
So Talia quietly watched Huperion, her golden eyes seemingly lost in thought.
The curtains at the window swayed slightly, bringing in a breath of autumn air. The cool breeze brushed their cheeks like the gentle hand of a Mother Earth goddess.
Perhaps because the night had grown colder, or maybe because Talia had been staring for too long, Huperion stirred slightly, snuggling further into the blanket.
“Miss Talia…”
Huperion murmured, half-awake, half-dreaming.
She saw Talia apparently watching her.
Huperion felt no surprise—instead, she felt grateful that soone was carefully protecting her.
“Can’t sleep?”
Talia’s voice was soft.
“No…”
Huperion shook her head, her head rubbing the pillow, producing a faint rustling sound.
“Sleep well. You don’t have to go to school tomorrow. Rest here with for two weeks—I’ll protect you.”
Talia slid out of her covers to adjust Huperion’s blanket over her back, worried she might catch a chill, then returned silently to her own bed.
Lan Qi had promised to request a two-week leave for Huperion, using the unused “Shadow World Challenge Completion Leave.” During this ti, she wouldn’t need to return to school and had entrusted Talia to take care of her.
Lan Qi had also ntioned that the assassin might make a move in the next couple of days, and he would find a way to provoke them into acting quickly.
That way, the remaining days could be completely worry-free for both Talia and Huperion—they could just enjoy a proper rest.
“Miss Talia, you’re completely different from what Lan Qi said.”
Huperion murmured in her sleep.
Having grown up without a mother, she sensed a strange, comforting feeling in Talia, filling a void in her heart, making her feel incredibly warm.
Yet Talia was still young, and Huperion felt it might be disrespectful to think of her as a mother figure.
“What did Lan Qi say about …”
At the ntion of Lan Qi’s na, Talia’s tone cooled slightly, tinged with curiosity.
She had always suspected Lan Qi might speak ill of her behind her back.
“He… said you’re strong… trustworthy…”
Huperion imdiately realized she had spoken too freely. She tried to cover up but couldn’t think of what else to say, so she simply picked the positive part to ntion.
Being beside Talia, she felt too safe to think clearly and had babbled without realizing it.
“I’ll ask him myself next ti. Don’t worry, I won’t be angry.”
Talia spoke, sensing Huperion’s unease.
She knew Lan Qi had likely spoken poorly of her, but he had also said good things.
“Miss Talia, you’re truly the kindest.”
Huperion, snuggled under her blanket, leaned slightly closer to Talia, whispering softly.
“Alright, sleep now.”
Talia’s voice softened further.
Listening to her, Huperion soon drifted back to sleep. She hadn’t slept this well in a long ti.
She no longer had to fear nightmares or worry about villains coming to harm her in the night.
The protective barrier in the room, combined with Talia’s presence, gave her peace of mind.
Talia, however, remained awake, thinking about what the Cat Boss had said.
Through long travels, observation, and study in the human realm, Talia understood the feeling she had for Huperion. This was love—the kind of familial love she would give her own sister. She wanted to extend the sa affection and concern to Huperion, to compensate for the maternal love Huperion had been deprived of, if she could.
But Talia didn’t understand the type of love the Cat Boss had described.
Her sister Ifatia had fallen in love with Duke Migaya.
Thus, demons could also learn to love soone—but she had not yet managed it herself.
In the demon realm, an ancient legend said:
Only demons who fully understand human emotions are the greatest threat to humans.
Yet demons are fundantally similar to humans, yet completely different. So emotions are naturally difficult for them to comprehend.
Talia could not understand or even imagine what that feeling might be.
She couldn’t figure it out.
She only realized that her stomach felt hungrier and hungrier.
Forget it. Sleep. Stop thinking.
Talia turned over and fell asleep.
…
The next day.
Adams left the lodging of the Royal Academy of Yaloran early, heading alone to the Sage Institute.
Yesterday he had received Ikerite Academy’s response: Lan Qi was willing to have a friendly duel with him.
That morning, Lan Qi would be waiting for him in the main hall of the Sage Institute to discuss the details.
Since both were prominent figures, the duel had attracted the attention of many students, gaining support from the Student Council and the Magical Engineering Institute.
The only pity was that Dean Loren had gone on church business and could not personally oversee the eting.
Adams entered the core area of the Sage Institute, a towering educational edifice.
Majestic stone pillars, arched windows, intricate crystal carvings—every detail radiated the style of classic architecture.
In the spacious courtyard of the main hall, classical charm filled the air, and many students were chatting leisurely.
“Have you heard?”
“Heard what?”
“Gossip about Dean Loren and Knight Juliana.”
The more they talked, the more students stopped and gathered.
“What happened?”
“Actually, Dean Loren and Knight Juliana weren’t always on bad terms—they were rather… ambiguous. Knight Juliana wanted Loren’s undivided attention, but he couldn’t give up his ten or so fiancées… In the end, Loren loved but could not have her, and Knight Juliana’s love turned to hate. They broke off and beca enemies…”
As Adams walked, hearing the gossip of the Sage Institute students, he clenched his fists, the sound of leather and tal grinding echoing.
“Loren…”
Adams’s eyes were filled with rage.
Who would have thought that the seemingly dignified high priest was actually a playboy in matters of the heart, treating Knight Juliana like a fool?
The truth was undeniable—otherwise, which students would dare to gossip about their dean so freely? And Loren was one of the strongest figures of the age!
Reviews
All reviews (0)