Time rewound to a dozen seconds earlier.
Not far away, Movira had just picked up the plate of pastries and was about to return when she witnessed the entire scene.
With her strength, she only needed to pay slight attention to hear every word the man said clearly.
The last trace of gentleness on her face instantly tightened. The camouflage she had worn to blend into the festival completely vanished.
The square’s noise, music, and laughter were abruptly pulled far away. In her world, only the back of the man who dared covet her “treasure” remained.
Her gaze was like a poisoned dagger, locked onto its target, calculating the perfect distance for a fatal strike.
Below the fingertips of her naturally hanging left hand, space was silently torn open, forming a tiny rift.
Thick darkness seeped out, and the hilt of a jet-black sword wrapped in ominous aura slowly emerged like a venomous snake.
Yet her remaining rationality reminded her that she must stay hidden. The plate of pastries floating beside her remained steadily supported by gentle magic, without the slightest tremor.
The sword had already been gripped tightly.
“Movira, you’ve truly gone mad!” An extremely low voice sounded beside her ear, followed by a slender hand that precisely pressed down on Movira’s right hand—the one about to draw the sword.
At the same time, the spatial rift was rapidly sealed shut.
It was Dekalorin.
She had appeared at Movira’s side at some point. The usual smile on her face was gone, replaced by near-indifferent severity.
“Open your eyes and look where you are! This is not the Demon Realm where you can do whatever you want!”
Movira tried to break free from Dekalorin’s suppression. Her eyes, sunk into an endless abyss, stared fixedly at the man who was still inviting Seraphina.
Dekalorin applied more force. After “self-sealing” her power, Movira was no longer Dekalorin’s match, but her strength was still far beyond any ordinary expert.
Powerful magic pressed down like a thousand-pound shackle, firmly locking Movira’s arm.
“Do you want to repeat the same mistake? I’m warning you—it’s impossible! Right now, go bring Seraphina back immediately, then come find me.”
The dark rift struggled a few more times but ultimately lost to Dekalorin’s holy light. It was forcibly closed, and the sword vanished without a trace.
Sensing this pressure, the raging inferno in Movira that nearly burned everything down was finally suppressed.
“…Understood.”
She no longer tried to draw the sword and strode quickly toward Seraphina. Though most of her killing intent had been forced down, the bone-chilling cold that could freeze the air had not receded one bit.
She crossed the short distance in an instant, arriving at Seraphina’s side. Without sparing the man a single glance, she directly reached out and seized Seraphina’s slightly cool wrist.
The action was far from gentle, startling Seraphina—it was as if the old Movira had suddenly returned.
Then, without explanation, she pulled Seraphina away.
Only then did Movira lift her eyes. Her gaze swept over the stunned young man like a blade.
“Sorry.” Movira’s voice was as calm as a frozen winter lake, yet piercingly cold. “She already has plans.”
With that, the brief pause ended. She gave the man no chance to respond and dragged Seraphina away.
Once they left the noisy central square, Seraphina had no idea where Movira was taking her. She only sensed that Movira was deliberately putting distance between them and that place.
The wrist held in Movira’s grip still carried the lingering chill from the person beside her.
“That… I—I was going to refuse him…” Seraphina’s voice trembled slightly as she explained. “I just… didn’t know how to say it at the moment.”
Movira’s footsteps paused. She didn’t turn back, but the grip on Seraphina’s wrist loosened a little. After several seconds of silence, she said:
“Mm.”
No further words. No questioning. No probing. Just a simple acknowledgment, filled with unquestioning trust.
This response was within Seraphina’s expectations, yet it still surprised her a little.
There was no excessive doubt. This groundless trust rushed into her heart like a sudden warm current.
Being trusted so completely felt strange… and not unpleasant.
I know.
Especially when she recalled how Movira had shielded her earlier, speaking those cold and domineering words… Although it was no different from the old Movira’s dominance, deep in her heart, claiming she completely rejected it would be a lie.
In fact, there was even a trace of… subconscious security.
It turned out that Movira’s occasional dominance… wasn’t that讨厌 after all.
This thought made Seraphina’s cheeks grow hot. Her gaze lingered on Movira’s profile for a long moment before she finally squeezed out two words in a voice so soft only the two of them could hear.
“Thank you.”
It was barely louder than a mosquito, slightly awkward, but in the quiet corridor, it was crystal clear.
This thanks caught Movira off guard. She had expected her unrestrained dominance earlier to disgust Seraphina. Instead… it went surprisingly well.
The anxiety in her heart was completely shattered by those two words.
A strange silence fell between them—neither awkward nor comfortable—only the sound of their footsteps echoing gently in the empty corridor.
Just as they were about to round a corner,
“Movira.” Dekalorin was leaning against a stone pillar with her arms crossed. Her voice had returned to its usual gentleness, but a trace of residual chill could still be detected.
“The Gratitude Festival is an important day for the academy. It is a time to display harmony and joy. You should be more mindful of your words and actions.”
Her words were subtle. Seraphina didn’t understand and could only look up at Movira in confusion. “Did you… cause trouble?”
“Tonight, come find me.” Since Seraphina was present, Dekalorin gave Movira some face. After throwing down those words, she turned and left.
In her retreating figure, Seraphina saw something she had never seen before… faint anger.
This time, Movira did not refute her. She simply gave a small nod.
She understood Dekalorin’s meaning and knew how dangerous her actions had been.
But she did not regret it.
“Mm…” Movira met Seraphina’s worried eyes. “It’s fine. Just a small incident. Don’t let it ruin your mood today. Do you… still want to go back?”
“No, let’s not. It’s too crowded over there. It doesn’t suit me.” Seraphina shook her head, firmly rejecting the idea.
This also made Movira quietly breathe a sigh of relief. It confirmed that Seraphina genuinely didn’t want to interact with those people.