The road became flat and open. The carriage speed increased significantly.
The convoy’s journey on the second day went much more smoothly.
As the terrain grew increasingly gentle, they only stopped briefly at noon to eat some food before continuing on their way.
When the evening glow dyed the horizon red, a city with majestic walls and an imposing grand gate appeared on the horizon.
From afar, one could already feel the prosperity and bustle of the royal capital. The heavy traffic at the city gate gradually came into view.
The royal convoy naturally did not need to queue. It entered the city directly through a dedicated passage.
Seraphina lifted the carriage curtain. Outside were wide stone-paved streets lined with merchant shops on both sides. With the new year approaching, it seemed as though the entire city was emptying out. This formed a stark contrast to the quiet small town from before.
The convoy stopped on a quiet, elegantly appointed street. The buildings here were all independent houses with small courtyards. They clearly were not places ordinary people could stay.
Dekalorin’s voice came through magic. “You two, Saint Eustacia and I are going to meet the king. You go to this address first.”
Immediately, a slip of paper with the house number written on it floated in through the carriage window gap and landed in Seraphina’s hand.
My colleague will be there to receive you. It’s very safe. Settle in first.
Soon the convoy split up. The knights followed the carriage ahead toward the palace, while the one carrying Seraphina and Movira followed the address and drove deeper into the street.
Not long after, the carriage stopped in front of a three-story house with a small garden.
Compared to the other ornate or ancient buildings around it, this house was quite low-key and refined. The plants in the courtyard were trimmed very neatly.
The moment the two of them got out of the carriage, the house door was pushed open.
A figure dressed in simple yet elegant attire walked out. She had pink-gold hair, sea-blue eyes, and most strikingly, a pair of long pointed ears.
It was obvious that this was an elf lady.
“Hello. We meet again, you two. Professor Seraphina and Miss Movira.”
The elf’s gaze shifted from Seraphina to Movira beside her, carrying a trace of hesitation.
This “assistant” who was always by her side had only been known within the academy as Professor Seraphina. As for her, there had been very little attention.
She still remembered that when the appointment letter was being presented to Seraphina, this elf had looked at her and Seraphina with a very strange gaze.
This also forced her to maintain a distant and vigilant attitude toward this strange elf.
“Alright, Miss Movira. Dekalorin has already informed me. You can stay here with peace of mind during this period. Oh, my name is Astreya.”
Astreya’s face always carried that gentle, warm smile. She did not change it in the slightest because of Movira’s cold response.
As she spoke, vines grew from her lowered hand. A staff surrounded by pale green starlight extended from within.
The staff was raised and gently tapped. Magical light enveloped the luggage on the carriage. Those boxes floated up lightly and flew into the house in front of her.
“Alright, come in quickly.” She stepped aside and guided the two inside.
Seraphina had not expected to meet this elf professor here again.
“Mm… Professor Astreya. I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“I didn’t expect it either! Because Miracle Forest is really too far from the academy, I usually stay here during holidays and only return once every other year.”
The interior decoration was full of natural charm. Almost all the furniture was made of raw wood, except for things that had to use other materials, such as the fireplace.
The air was filled with a faint grassy and woody fragrance that made one feel refreshed. It was as if a small forest had been moved into the city. This was completely different from the architectural style outside.
The first floor had a living room, kitchen, and study. The second floor had two bedrooms.
Astreya led them to the second floor and pushed open one of the doors. “Since there are only two bedrooms, I thought… you two wouldn’t mind sharing a room, right?”
As she spoke, her gaze swept over the two of them.
“Y-Yes…” Seraphina lowered her head in embarrassment. Her voice was very soft. No matter what, Astreya was still someone she was not very familiar with. She really found it difficult to speak up.
But Movira had no shame about this at all. She answered frankly, “Yes, no problem.”
Her words carried an implication that this was only natural.
The smile in Astreya’s eyes deepened a little. She had confirmed her guess, but she did not point it out. She simply nodded. “That’s good. The third floor is something I expanded myself. There’s a small observatory. When the sky is clear, you can go up to look at the stars. There’s also a small greenhouse where I grow some flowers.”
After briefly introducing the layout, she turned to leave. At the last moment, she looked back and reminded them, “You two rest first. I’ll go prepare dinner.”
She also kindly closed the door for them.
The moment the door shut and there were no outsiders watching, Seraphina immediately raised her head and glared at Movira in annoyance. She complained, “You… how could you just answer like that? And say it so… matter-of-factly!”
The other looked at her with an innocent expression. “Isn’t it true? Haven’t we always slept together? Is there a problem?”
As she spoke, Movira walked over to the window and examined the outside environment. She always did this. Her instincts told her that when entering a new environment, she had to thoroughly understand its layout.
Seraphina was choked by this reply. It was indeed true. From the academy to the manor and then in the carriage afterward, they had always slept together.
“Then… then you still shouldn’t have said it so directly…” Seraphina muttered softly. “No matter what, she’s an outsider. We’re not that familiar yet.”
“Not familiar? I thought you two seemed quite familiar?” This sentence sounded like a very ordinary inquiry, but when it came from Movira’s mouth, it always felt like it carried some other meaning.
Although Seraphina did not clearly detect the true meaning behind those words, she still felt somewhat uncomfortable.
So she quickly explained, “That’s not true. We didn’t even speak a single word at the academy. At most, we only met once.”
“Alright.”
Since Seraphina had answered this way, Movira relaxed a little.
After she finished checking and found nothing unusual, she walked back to Seraphina’s side and sat down. Looking at her still slightly red ear tips, she deliberately leaned closer.
“What? Sharing a room with me makes you very troubled? Or do you hope I go somewhere else?”
Faced with the smile so close at hand, Seraphina immediately lowered her head. Her voice also dropped. “I… I didn’t mean that…”
“Of course not!” Seraphina suddenly turned her head to retort, but upon meeting Movira’s smile so close by, she immediately lowered her head again. Her voice also dropped.