After the farce ended, the five finally sat down at the dining table.
A little cake remained on the table, cream smeared everywhere—on the tablecloth, the chairs, and even a few traces of white on Xuan Xi’s collar.
SigrdrÃfa went to the back to wash her hands and was still smiling when she returned, but her laughter was restrained, silent.
Elsa cut up the remaining cake, divided it again, and set a piece in front of each person.
Veralis buried her head in her own portion, as if nothing had happened at all.
Xuan Xi sat back in her seat, the cream stain on her face already wiped off with a tissue.
She touched it with her fingertip to confirm nothing was left.
Only then did she pick up her cup and take a sip of water, trying to act as if nothing had happened, but her cheeks, red enough to drip blood, betrayed everything.
Probably seeing how embarrassed she was, Elsa cleared her throat, “Um… as long as you had a good time today.”
Xuan Xi nodded in agreement. (Internal thought: ‘Sige nearly annoyed me to death. Where’s the fun in that, dear? →_→’)
SigrdrÃfa returned to her seat, a bit of cream still on the hem of her clothes, which she casually wiped off with her hand.
Xuan Xi saw Sige and wanted to say something, but just as the words reached her lips, a better idea came to mind, so her mouth closed again. Instead, she shot Sige a wicked smile, leaving Sige utterly confused, thinking Xuan Xi had already forgiven her—unaware that the best part was still to come.
After finishing her superficial act, Xuan Xi looked down at the half-eaten cake on her plate and dug in with gusto.
The time that followed was a bit quieter than before, at least with everyone sitting quietly in their seats, eating their cake.
Elsa finished dividing the leftovers, while Reggie opened the paper bag Xuan Xi had brought, taking out the bread and ham and placing them in the middle of the table.
“Your birthday gift. I didn’t have time to give it to you earlier.” Veralis handed a book to Xuan Xi. “Here, Xuan Xi.”
Xuan Xi glanced at the gilded letters on the cover and said some words of thanks, but Veralis had already lowered her head and continued eating her cake.
After lunch, the five parted ways at the restaurant entrance. Elsa and Reggie headed toward Market Street, saying they wanted to browse a bit more, while Veralis went the opposite direction, turning a corner at the alley’s end and disappearing from sight. Xuan Xi and Sige walked back along the same path they had come, the tree shadows on both sides of the stone-paved road shorter than they had been in the morning. Xuan Xi held the book in her arms, its gilded letters gleaming under the sun as the two walked side by side back to the Academy.
After returning to the Dormitory, Xuan Xi placed the book on her desk and sat down to flip through a few pages. It was a record of the geography and racial distribution of the Central and Eastern Continent, split into two volumes, with illustrated outlines and annotations of different races’ appearances. Some passages were a bit awkwardly worded, likely translated from another language, but fortunately, Xuan Xi was a top student and could understand it.
Sige sat beside her, reading the other volume. The two each read their own book, occasionally exchanging opinions, chatting in fragments about the tournament.
Outside the window, the sky gradually darkened, and lights came on at the distant Training Ground, warm yellow glows scattered like fallen stars.
Xuan Xi closed her book and stretched, her spine letting out a series of soft clicks. She stood up, raised both arms high above her head, and a faint, lazy hum slipped from her throat—”Mm—” with a long, drawn-out tail, full of comfort and ease. She placed the book back on the shelf but noticed that Sige had already gone ahead to wash up in the bathroom.
By the time Xuan Xi finished washing and came out, Sige had already changed into her nightgown and was lying in bed, still carrying the faint scent of body wash. The two each settled into their own beds.
With a click, the lights went out. It was time for their nightly chat.
“What kind of opponents do you think we’ll face at the tournament?” Xuan Xi asked.
“No idea. Why? Scared you can’t win?”
“It’s not fear. It’s just that not knowing what opponents we’ll face—isn’t it better to be as prepared as possible?” Xuan Xi’s concern wasn’t unfounded. In this world, when it came to combat, the Dragon Race didn’t hold an absolute advantage.
“Then what do you think Beast Tribe people are like?”
“The books say they’re tall and sturdy, and not skilled in magic, but their melee burst is incredibly strong. We can’t let them get too close.” Xuan Xi paused for a moment. “The Elf Race is the opposite—their archery range exceeds our spells, so they might be trickier to deal with.”
“And humans?”
“Humans are the most unpredictable. Their melee and magic systems differ from ours, so they’re hard to anticipate.”
“Then do you think our odds are good?” SigrdrÃfa asked.
Xuan Xi was silent for a few seconds. “I don’t know. Maybe we can win.” Her voice was quieter than before, as if lacking confidence.
“Then let me tell you—if all five of us fight together, we’ll definitely win.” Sige’s words were resolute, filled with confidence.
The two chatted on and off for a while longer, about the tournament terrain, possible tactics, and amusing anecdotes about the races they’d each read about. Gradually, the topic drifted far from the tournament, wandering without a fixed direction, going wherever their thoughts led. Xuan Xi’s voice slowly lowered, tinged with drowsiness.
She said something—maybe goodnight or something like that—SigrdrÃfa didn’t catch it. She was about to ask when she suddenly felt the edge of the bed sink slightly. Then her blanket was lifted, and a wave of warm air crossed over from the opposite side.
SigrdrÃfa’s upper body was pinned—Xuan Xi’s hands pressed down on her shoulders, palms separated from her collarbones by the thin nightgown, cool fingertips sinking into the fabric. Sige’s eyes took a moment to adjust to the darkness before she could make out Xuan Xi’s face. Her ink-teal hair cascaded from her shoulders, brushing against Sige’s cheek.
SigrdrÃfa tried to push Xuan Xi’s shoulders away, but the moment her fingers touched them, they were intercepted. Xuan Xi slid down her wrists, lacing their fingers together, and pressed her back into the pillow again.
Those familiar amber-gold eyes looked at her in the darkness, faintly glowing, like a lioness on the plains staring at her prey. SigrdrÃfa finally “resisted,” raising her arm to push, but Xuan Xi easily pressed it back down.
The mattress let out a soft creak as their fingers intertwined.
“This is payback for what you did during the day.” Xuan Xi’s voice was low, whispered close to Sige’s ear, her breath brushing past her earlobe with a hint of damp warmth.
SigrdrÃfa turned her head, but before she could say anything, Xuan Xi’s lips were already there, taking Sige’s earlobe into her mouth. The moment that warm, soft touch covered her, SigrdrÃfa’s breath caught entirely. She could feel Xuan Xi’s teeth gently graze her earlobe, then it was enveloped by something warm and wet. Xuan Xi’s tongue slowly swept across her earlobe with deliberate intent.
SigrdrÃfa’s shoulders tensed. She stared at the ceiling, her breathing uneven.
Xuan Xi let go, pulling back just a little, her lips still glistening with moisture. She licked her lips and paused for a moment. “Mm—tastes like cream.”