Movira repeatedly warned herself not to do it, but her heartbeat thundered in her ears, and her blood surged to her brain as if in a frenzy.
This time, the intensity was greater than ever before, especially since Seraphina had taken the initiative to wrap her arm around her.
She lowered her head, gazing at Seraphina’s peaceful sleeping face in her arms, the corners of her mouth seemingly curved in contentment.
During those feverish days, those unconscious acts of clinging had actually formed such a habit in her… it was simply an unbelievable gift!
Amid this ecstasy, a clear and icy worry quietly seeped into her heart.
Seraphina was so close to her, so dependent on her, even actively seeking her out—all because of that one escapist word, “sister,” which was the foundation.
But Movira didn’t want this foundation to remain forever; she wanted to take it further.
She had already secured the “guest room,” but the “master bedroom”… she still hadn’t set foot in it at all.
Surprise intertwined with worry, satisfaction crossed with unease.
But at least in this moment, this embrace was hers. As for the future… let the future Movira worry about that!
The sunlight gradually slanted westward, and consciousness receded like the tide, slowly returning.
Seraphina first felt the comfort of being enveloped in warm breath all around her, like floating in the clouds.
This pleasant sensation made her instinctively burrow deeper into the heat source, her cheek pressing against a soft, resilient patch of skin.
But this comfort didn’t last long. As her awareness gradually sharpened, fragments of memories from before sleep pieced together in her mind.
How she had actively asked Movira to lie down, how she had… burrowed into her embrace, and even… pulled her arm to wrap around herself.
With a “buzz,” Seraphina’s cheeks, ears, and even her neck began to burn. She snapped her eyes open.
The first thing that met her gaze was Movira’s chest right in front of her… and the elegant line of her jaw.
What shamed her most was her current position, almost completely curled up in the other’s arms.
Heavens! What had she done?!
If she could, she wished she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into, or pull the blanket over her head or something.
How old was she, anyway? Still acting like a child who needed to be held to sleep—and actively, at that… sleeping so deeply, so embarrassingly!
But she didn’t dare move, afraid of waking the person in front of her. That scene would definitely be awkward beyond repair!
However, her subtle movements and the sudden change in her breathing had long since alerted Movira, whose sleep was light to begin with, and who was already restless because of the girl in her arms.
Movira had actually woken up long ago—or rather, she had barely slept at all.
Seraphina’s unconscious approaches, one after another, were like a drug, eroding her reason.
Warm, fragrant softness in her embrace, her nostrils filled entirely with Seraphina’s unique scent, her arm encircling her slender, soft waist.
Any one of these was enough to make her heart race, and that long-suppressed desire was nearly breaking free.
She had even resorted to magic and all her self-control to restrain herself from tightening her arm, from lowering her head to kiss those lips that occasionally pursed slightly in sleep.
This continuous sensation kept her body in a state of tension, her heartbeat erratic for a long time.
Thus, the moment Seraphina woke, Movira immediately noticed.
In her heart, she feared Seraphina would feel repulsed by the intimate act before her.
So, while the other was still engaged in an intense internal struggle, Movira reacted first.
Her throat felt a bit dry, and she let out a deliberately suppressed groan, as if enduring some discomfort.
This sound diverted Seraphina’s attention. She lifted her head, no longer minding her own shame, and looked worriedly at Movira’s slightly tense profile and her ear tips tinged with pink.
“Sister?” Seraphina’s voice was hoarse but filled with concern, a bit anxious and at a loss.
“What’s wrong? Are you uncomfortable? Or… did I crush you?”
Hearing words so full of care for her, Movira felt a mix of emotions. She knew she had to leave now—Seraphina was truly too innocent, even reaching a point of obliviousness in this regard.
She wasn’t sure if she could hold herself back.
“It’s… nothing.” Movira’s voice lacked its usual steadiness, and she hastily withdrew the arm wrapped around Seraphina’s waist.
“Just a bit… hot. Maybe I slept too deeply.”
This lame excuse wasn’t a perfect explanation, but it was all Movira could think of.
With that, Movira quickly got up, her back to Seraphina, and dressed in a somewhat hurried manner.
“You… you rest a bit more.”
Movira didn’t turn around, her speech a little faster. “I’m going out for some fresh air.”
The words had barely fallen when she already reached the door handle.
She left Seraphina sitting dazed on the bed, staring at the closed door and the suddenly vanished figure beside her, where the other’s body heat and scent still lingered.
Hot?
She blinked in confusion and touched the blanket covering her. Compared to the room’s air, it seemed… the same as usual.
Though she found Movira’s series of actions just now very strange, she still accepted the explanation.
Maybe her body was special?
“Mm… she really was too hot.” Seraphina muttered to herself, convincing herself.
She slid back under the covers again. The blanket still carried Movira’s scent, but deep in her heart, an indescribable sense of loss arose.
Outside the door, Movira leaned her back against the cold wall, tilted her head up, and took several deep breaths of the icy air outside, trying to calm the heat within her.
She raised a hand to rub her brow, a deeply helpless bitter smile appearing on her face.
This couldn’t go on like this; the more she suppressed it, the stronger the rebound.
“Sigh…”
Movira paced back and forth in the icy corridor for a long time, until the restless turmoil in her heart was somewhat subdued by the chill, before she pushed the door open again.
“I’m going to buy… lunch.”
Without waiting for the person on the bed to respond, Movira immediately closed the door and turned toward the academy cafeteria.
She needed to do something to distract herself, or she wasn’t sure if she could maintain this surface calm.
As she neared the cafeteria, she ran right into Saint Eustacia coming out from there. The other seemed to have just finished eating, her steps unhurried, her face still wearing that paralyzed icy expression.
Seeing Movira, Saint Eustacia’s steps and gaze didn’t change at all, as if she’d encountered nothing more than a statue.
Just as they brushed past each other, an absurd idea suddenly crashed into Movira’s mind. Perhaps… this could quickly burn off the energy scorching her reason inside.
“Saint Eustacia, how about… a fight?”