"Get used to it, Olarion. The world's going to see a lot more of soon."
Valeria watched Lucavion turn, his figure retreating down the corridor with that sa easy confidence he always carried. Without hesitation, she stepped forward, falling into stride beside him.
Lucavion glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, his smirk softening into sothing closer to curiosity. "Following now, are you?" he teased. "What's the matter, Olarion? Second thoughts about the semifinals already?"
She rolled her eyes lightly. "Hardly. But speaking of preparation, are yours ready?" His tone was casual, but the subtle edge in his question betrayed genuine concern.
Valeria nodded, her expression calm but purposeful. "They are. While you were fighting and soaking in the Marquis's attention," she added with a faint smirk, "I was taking care of what I needed. I've been to the Awakened Market and the guild, gathering supplies."
Lucavion's brow lifted slightly. "Supplies?"
"For the breakthrough," she clarified. Her voice was steady, but there was a quiet resolve beneath it. "Soone like you might walk into advancent like it's just another sparring match, but for the rest of us, it takes more."
He chuckled, but the amusent in his tone was muted. "You're not wrong. What did you pick up, then? Let guess—a few mana stones, so herbs?"
"More than that," Valeria said, her gaze focused ahead as they walked. "Mana stones are a given, yes, but there are specific herbs that help refine the flow of mana during a breakthrough. Stabilizing the energy is key." She glanced at him briefly. "And I've been working on forming an array."
"An array, huh?" Lucavion's tone carried a faint note of approval. "Soone's been busy."
"I've been stuck at this level for a long ti," she admitted, her steps steady as they neared the exit of the preparation area. "I've had plenty of ti to research and plan. I know exactly what I need to make sure my foundation as a 4-star is stable."
"Heh….Not bad."
Lucavion nodded at her words, his tone carrying a rare, thoughtful weight. "That makes sense," he said. "If I were in your place, stuck at a bottleneck for as long as you've been… I'd probably go all out too. Spend every waking mont trying to figure out the key, testing every lead." He smirked, his tone shifting back to his usual lightheartedness. "Too bad I've never had the pleasure of being stuck."
Valeria's eyes rolled reflexively, the gesture exasperated but tinged with the familiarity of their exchanges. "Of course, you haven't," she said dryly. "Must be nice to be Lucavion, the ever-so-perfect prodigy who never struggles."
Lucavion chuckled, leaning slightly toward her, his voice dropping just enough to make her lean in, curious. "Oh, don't worry, Olarion," he said, a teasing lilt in his voice. "While you're sleeping peacefully tonight, dreaming of arrays and mana stones, I'll be busy making sure nothing disturbs you."
Valeria's pace faltered for a split second before she stopped entirely, her sharp glare locking onto Lucavion. "Why do you keep calling that?" she snapped, her voice sharper than intended. "Olarion. Not Valeria. Olarion. What's the deal?"
Lucavion paused mid-step, his smirk deepening with delight at her sudden burst of irritation. "Why?" he echoed, feigning innocence. "Oh, you an
Lady Olarion
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The Pink Knight!
" He mimicked the tournant announcer's dramatic inflection, raising his arms grandly as if addressing a massive crowd. "The unstoppable noble, shining beacon of knightly honor, and—my personal favorite—slayer of scowls!"
Valeria's jaw tightened, her irritation only growing as he continued. "You think you're funny?" she muttered, her arms crossed.
"Absolutely," Lucavion said, his grin widening. He leaned closer, lowering his voice conspiratorially. "But really, you seed to like it. I saw you smile when you heard the announcer the first ti, even if you tried to hide it. So, I thought, why not keep it going? I an, Lady Olarion—has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"
Valeria's glare intensified, her eyes narrowing into slits. "I did
not
smile," she retorted, her tone cutting.
Lucavion tilted his head, his expression daring. "Oh, but you did. A little. Right there." He tapped the corner of his mouth, his gesture teasing but precise.
"You're imagining things," she snapped, her face flushing faintly.
Lucavion chuckled, clearly enjoying himself as he straightened up. "Maybe I am. Or maybe you're just annoyed because I caught on to sothing you didn't even realize about yourself."
Valeria exhaled slowly, resisting the urge to throttle him. "Call Valeria," she demanded, her voice firm and uncompromising. "Or don't call anything at all."
"All right, Valeria, since you asked so nicely."
Lucavion's smirk softened into sothing almost polite as he spoke, his voice laced with faux sincerity. "How could I refuse? A lady's wish to be called by her na? That would be utterly rude of ." His words carried just enough charm to make Valeria bristle.
Before she could retort, he leaned in closer, his presence brushing just inside her personal space. The world around them seed to be still as his voice dropped to a low, intimate whisper. "But," he murmured, his tone almost playful, "make sure you don't go around asking anyone else to call you by your na. People might… misunderstand."
Then, with deliberate subtlety, he let out a warm breath near her ear.
The sensation sent a shiver down Valeria's spine before she could stop it. Her eyes widened, betraying her surprise as she instinctively turned to glare at him.
Lucavion straightened slightly, and there it was—that infuriating smirk that said he knew exactly what he'd done. His gaze t hers, steady and unyielding, his next words wrapped in mischief. "And I might get a little jealous if that were to happen."
Valeria blinked, her expression shifting from shock to annoyance, her fists clenching tightly at her sides. "You are insufferable," she hissed, her tone deadly.
Lucavion chuckled, taking a casual step back as if to admire his handiwork. "Maybe. But you haven't walked away yet, Valeria," he teased, her na rolling off his tongue with practiced ease.
Her jaw tightened, and her glare sharpened. "That's because I don't want you thinking you've won."
"Oh, but I always win," he said, his smirk as irrepressible as ever. He gestured ahead with an exaggerated flourish. "Shall we continue,
Valeria
? Or would you prefer I go back to 'Lady Olarion'?"
She stord past him, her cheeks faintly pink as she muttered under her breath. "Just walk."
'This guy….'
Valeria strode ahead, her steps brisk and purposeful, trying desperately to focus on anything but the rapid thudding in her chest. The faint heat still lingering at her ear, the smug look on his face, his infuriating words—everything replayed in her mind like an unwanted echo.
'This guy… what is wrong with him?'
she thought, her fists clenched tightly at her sides as she pushed through the city streets. Her jaw tightened further as she tried to shake the feeling away.
'He's just teasing . Again. That's all it is.'
But the loud, persistent thumping in her chest refused to quiet, a rhythm so intrusive it drowned out the sounds of the bustling crowd around them.
'No. This is ridiculous.'
She scowled, her focus shifting to the uneven cobblestones beneath her feet.
'I am not letting him get under my skin. He's Lucavion, for stars' sake. The most insufferable, egotistical, smug—'
"Careful, Valeria," Lucavion's voice cut through her thoughts, rich with amusent. "You might burn a hole in the ground with that glare."
She snapped her head toward him, startled that he'd noticed her distraction. Her heart gave a treacherous leap, and she quickly turned away again, schooling her features into an unbothered mask. "I wasn't glaring," she retorted sharply, though her voice betrayed a slight edge of defensiveness.
"Oh?" His tone was light, teasing, and he was clearly enjoying himself. "You had the look of soone plotting an elaborate assassination attempt."
'He's so full of himself.'
Valeria shot him a sideways glance, her expression a mixture of annoyance and resolve.
'If he knew what he just did, he'd never let hear the end of it. I refuse to give him the satisfaction.'
Lucavion, still smirking, stepped into pace beside her, his hands casually tucked into his pockets. "You know," he began, his voice almost conversational, "if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were avoiding looking at ."
Her steps faltered for a split second, and she clenched her teeth in frustration. "Don't flatter yourself," she snapped, quickening her stride again.
'Just ignore him, Valeria. Ignore him and keep walking.'
But her heart betrayed her again, thumping harder at the mory of his breath so close to her ear, the low timbre of his voice.
'Ugh, why is this happening now?'
Lucavion humd thoughtfully beside her, as if pondering sothing profound. "You're right. You'd never avoid ." He glanced at her sidelong, his smirk softening just enough to look playful instead of taunting. "After all, where's the fun in running away?"
Valeria's eyes darted to him despite herself, her cheeks still faintly pink. "Run away?" she repeated incredulously. "From
you
? Don't be ridiculous."
His grin widened. "Ah, so I'm not imagining things—you
do
like my company."
'He's doing it on purpose. He's baiting .'
Valeria let out a sharp breath, focusing on the path ahead.
'If I say anything, he wins. If I stay silent, he still wins. There's no winning with this guy!'
But for all her irritation, she couldn't stop the faint fluttering in her chest that followed his words.
'Focus, Valeria. Just focus. You have bigger things to worry about. Like the breakthrough.'
She straightened her shoulders, forcing her voice to remain steady. "If I'm walking with you, it's because we're heading to the sa place. Don't read into it."
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