Seraphina never thought there would come a day when her own cheeks would feel hot.
Movira was caught completely off guard by this sudden scene.
She had never expected it.
She forced herself to stay calm and tried hard to suppress the corners of her mouth that were rising uncontrollably.
She put down her utensils and stiffly pointed at several dishes on the table.
“This one… and the stewed meat, and the vegetable soup over there… I made all of them.”
Seraphina followed the direction of her finger, and the surprise on her face grew even stronger.
“These… are all foods I usually like to eat! It’s only been a few days, and you’ve already… become this good at cooking?!”
She looked at Movira and felt that the cold, stern aura around the other had faded quite a bit, replaced by a particularly gentle glow.
Just as the atmosphere here was turning warm and ambiguous, on the other side of the dining table, Dekalorin, who had been silently observing, nudged Saint Eustacia, who was still a little dazed, and lowered her voice.
“When are you going to learn how to cook and make a meal for your poor teacher to try?”
Saint Eustacia was jolted back to her senses by the question.
Looking at her teacher’s teasing gaze, a trace of embarrassment flashed across her face as she muttered, “You… don’t make things difficult for me. It’s not like I’ve never learned before…”
Lunch ended.
Seraphina felt a wave of drowsiness wash over her.
The winter afternoon sunlight poured through the window, adding to her sleepiness.
“I’m a little sleepy,” Seraphina said softly while rubbing her eyes.
“Alright.” Movira stood up and naturally took her hand.
Seraphina obediently placed her hand in hers.
After briefly greeting the others, the two of them returned together to the bedroom on the second floor.
The room was very quiet, with only the occasional sound of wind coming from outside the window.
Seraphina took off her outer clothes and lay down on the bed.
She turned her head to look at Movira, who was sitting by the bedside.
“Sister, I want to ask about Lina.”
New Year was only a few days away.
Once the new year passed, they would have to return, and matters concerning Lina would inevitably have to be faced.
Movira did not seem particularly surprised.
She also took off her coat and lay on her side so she could look at Seraphina more attentively.
“Alright. Ask away.”
“The first time you met Lina, where exactly was it?”
Seraphina gathered some energy and forced her eyes wide open, not wanting to miss any expression on Movira’s face.
“In the Demon Realm. In a canyon at the border. The human world strictly prohibits human trafficking, so those who take risks often ‘borrow’ the chaotic areas of the Demon Realm.”
“That day I happened to be nearby handling some riots. I ran into that group of people and brought Lina back.”
Seraphina did not have much trust in this explanation.
She frowned and continued pressing, “Really? You really just happened to run into her?”
Movira met her gaze without avoiding it.
Her tone even carried a hint of dissatisfaction at being distrusted, yet she still spoke with certainty. “Of course it was just a coincidence. You can go back and ask her yourself if you want.”
Seeing Movira’s firm and even slightly “wronged” expression, Seraphina thought carefully.
Indeed, Movira seemed to have no reason to lie to her about this matter.
Lina’s existence did not appear to have any clear benefit or harm to Movira, at least on the surface.
The doubt in her heart dissipated.
Seraphina nodded lightly and burrowed deeper into the blankets.
“Alright, I believe you… Maybe it was just arranged by fate.”
“If you’re tired, sleep.”
Movira’s voice softened.
“Your body feels a little cold. You need to be careful not to catch a chill recently.” There was a hint in her words, though she did not state it directly.
Seraphina definitely understood what Movira was referring to.
She also gave a soft “Mm” without the usual embarrassed rebuttal or avoidance.
Accepting the warmth coming from Movira’s hand against her lower abdomen, she soon sank into sleep…
In the afternoon, Saint Eustacia was once again forced by Dekalorin to come find Seraphina, only to be politely refused by Movira on the grounds that Seraphina was not feeling well.
As for exactly where she was uncomfortable…
Over the next few days, led by Astraea, they basically toured the entire royal capital before New Year arrived, with the exception of the royal palace.
Night had completely covered the royal capital.
From the direction of the distant square came waves of noisy voices and music, signaling that the celebration was about to begin.
However, Seraphina did not choose to join the excitement.
She was currently sitting on the recliner by the window in the bedroom, gazing at the night sky outside that had been decorated with magic, lost in thought.
“It’s a bit too lively outside… very noisy.” Movira brought over a cup of hot tea and handed it to Seraphina.
“Mm.” Seraphina accepted it. The warmth in her hands made her let out a comfortable sigh.
“It really is noisy.” Seraphina looked up at Movira. “Should we go?”
“If you don’t want to go, then we won’t. We’ve already experienced quite a bit of the festive atmosphere these past few days. One more time won’t make a difference.” Movira answered straightforwardly, perfectly matching Seraphina’s thoughts.
“Astraea has prepared some tea and snacks downstairs. Let’s go down and have some later. Dinner tonight will be very late.”
At that moment, the door was knocked on.
Dekalorin pushed the door open and peeked inside.
She had already changed into casual clothes and was wearing a relatively formal robe.
“Are you two going? We need to make an appearance at the square. It’s just for show.”
Her gaze fell on Seraphina.
After all, in front of the “main person,” Movira’s opinion counted for nothing.
However, when she saw the slightly tired look on Seraphina’s face, she understood.
“It looks like you don’t want to go. That’s fine. I won’t be able to last long either. I’ll find an excuse to slip back later. Saint Eustacia will be a bit later. She’s representing the Church.”
Seraphina nodded. “Alright. We’ll wait here for you to come back.”
The room became quiet again.
Seraphina sipped her hot tea in small mouthfuls.
She looked at Movira, who was sitting beside her and casually flipping through a book.
The sound of pages turning was very quiet.
Outside the window, dots of magical light rose and fell across the night sky, sometimes shooting diagonally, sometimes suddenly bursting open.
This reminded Seraphina of fireworks, but of course it wasn’t.
This world did not have fireworks.
These were simply ordinary magical decorations.
Would the Demon Realm be this lively too? Demon King’s Castle… Lina…
These little stars in the sky looked quite like shooting stars…
Shooting stars…
That…
“Mm? What’s wrong?” Movira lifted her eyes from the book.
“For New Year, can we make a wish?” Seraphina looked at Movira with a trace of expectation in her eyes.
Movira closed the book, stood up, and walked to the side of Seraphina’s chair.
She half-leaned against the armrest and looked down at her.
“Of course you can. However, instead of making a wish, it would be better to just say it out loud. Perhaps… I can help you fulfill your wish.”
The implication in these words made Seraphina’s heartbeat quicken a little.
She quickly lowered her head and stared at the tea water rippling inside the cup, not daring to meet Movira’s eyes.
“It’s not really anything…” she mumbled softly.