A faint glow.
Selina’s figure was completely merged into the shadows of the workshop’s corner, her ash-gray hair blending seamlessly with the darkness of the night.
She held her breath slightly, her pale gray pupils flickering with a cold light in the dimness, motionless as she fixed her gaze on the silver-haired girl busily working ahead.
Helos was facing away from her, her slender fingers skillfully manipulating the potion bottles on the table.
The candlelight danced on her silver hair, illuminating a few playful strands that curled up.
Selina noticed a hint of impatience in her movements—the sharp clinks of bottles knocking against each other, and the mortar contents slightly scattered.
“Failed again…”
Helos murmured quietly, her voice laced with obvious frustration. “Ugh, so annoying.”
“Again!”
Helos took a deep breath and picked up the mortar once more.
At that moment, the candlelight illuminated the side of her face, and Selina clearly saw the stubborn spark flashing in her pale purple eyes.
Then, suddenly, Helos turned her head, her pale purple eyes staring straight into the shadow where Selina was hiding.
Selina froze completely, her breath caught deep in her chest.
Her ash-gray lashes trembled slightly, fingertips unconsciously squeezing into her palm.
Have I been discovered?
A cold sweat trickled slowly down her spine.
She could even feel Helos’s gaze sweeping over the corner where she hid as if it had a tangible presence, the stare carrying a strange penetrating force.
Impossible…. My Concealment Magic has never failed before…..
Selina’s pupils constricted into thin slits as her magical power surged to its limit.
The dark patterns on her Cloak silently glowed, compressing her Hidden Presence to near nothingness.
Helos tilted her head slightly, her silver hair swaying softly with the movement.
At this critical moment—
“Hey~ Miss Helos~ I’m back~”
The wooden door to the workshop creaked open gently, and Julius stepped inside carrying a steaming meal box.
His black uniform was speckled with night dew, and the tips of his hair still carried the outdoor chill.
Unaware, the boy passed right through the shadow where Selina was concealed, stirring a faint current of air that ruffled her ash-gray hair.
“Ah!”
Helos spun around abruptly, the silver strands drawing a shining arc in the air. “Why were you gone so long?”
She pouted, her fingers absentmindedly rubbing her hollow stomach. “I’m about to starve!”
Julius shrugged helplessly and set the meal box on the workbench.
“Couldn’t help it, it’s this late already.”
While untying the meal box strings, he lowered his voice, “Can’t very well drag Uncle Ron out of bed just to cook for me, right?”
“Then how did dinner get here?”
“In Miss Eleanor’s name, Uncle Ron was summoned back to the kitchen.”
“Won’t sister get mad?”
“…GROETE?”
The moment the meal box was opened, a rich aroma instantly filled the entire workshop.
Helos’s eyes lit up immediately, and she casually placed the freshly brewed potion bottle next to the meal box, the pale green liquid shimmering under the candlelight.
“Don’t be in such a rush!”
Julius waved away her eager hand reaching for the food and pulled a clean handkerchief from his pocket. “Look at your hands, they’re dirty!”
Helos curled her lips but obediently took the handkerchief.
She roughly wiped her hands, some juice from the Silver Dew Grass still staining her fingertips, but she no longer cared.
The two of them sat side by side at the workbench, the steaming dinner before them releasing an enticing fragrance.
Helos devoured the food greedily, occasionally sticking her tongue out from the heat.
Julius watched her like that, a slight smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
“Eat slower,”
he handed her a cup of water, “No one’s going to snatch it from you.”
Helos mumbled something indistinct, her silver hair falling over the edge of the meal box.
While chewing, she unconsciously toyed with the potion bottle beside her.
Julius’s gaze landed on that bottle:
“How’s this batch?”
“Much better than last time,”
Helos swallowed her food, eyes sparkling as she pushed the bottle toward Julius. “Want to try?”
The boy’s Adam’s apple bobbed involuntarily as he stared at the eerie green glow of the liquid.
“Uh….. better wait until after eating.”
Selina exhaled softly within the shadows, her tense shoulders finally relaxing.
She silently touched her chest, fingertips feeling the rapid heartbeat gradually steadying.
That was too close to being exposed…..
Her ash-gray lashes fluttered slightly, but her gaze remained locked on the potion bottle emitting that strange green light.
The liquid gave off an unnatural hue in the candlelight, tiny bubbles occasionally rising on the surface, writhing as if alive.
Something’s wrong…..
Selina narrowed her eyes, her pale gray pupils contracting into thin slits in the dark.
She bit her lower lip instinctively, her sharp canine teeth leaving a faint mark.
I have to get closer.
Her figure drifted forward silently like mist, her ash-gray hair fluttering lightly beneath the Cloak.
Each step carefully avoided any noisy debris on the floor; even her breathing was controlled to the lightest rhythm.
Three meters….
Two meters…
Just as Selina’s fingertips were about to touch the potion bottle, Helos suddenly sneezed, and the fork in her hand clattered loudly into the meal box.
“Ugh, feels like someone’s been nagging me again.”
The silver-haired girl rubbed her nose and picked up the fork again, muttering a small complaint.
Just as she bent her head to resume eating, a warm breath brushed past her ear.
Helos instinctively turned her head—
A face suddenly appeared so close it startled her vision.
Ash-gray hair, pale gray pupils, a delicate yet pale face… the two were so near they could almost count each other’s eyelashes.
Helos’s mind went blank instantly, and the fork slipped from her hand again into the meal box.
She opened her mouth but couldn’t utter a sound.
The entire workshop fell into an eerie silence, even the candle flames seemed frozen in this moment.
Julius suddenly stood up, the chair screeching against the floor.
His right hand was already on the sword hilt, muscles tensing beneath his black uniform:
“Who’s there?!”
Selina’s pupils contracted violently.
She stared in disbelief at her gradually manifesting body—ashen gray hair, dark purple Cloak, even her fingertips clearly visible in the candlelight.
Her Concealment Magic had completely failed!
This is impossible….
Three pairs of eyes met in the air, time stretched to its limit.
The scene suddenly became awkward.
“Uh? You’re Miss Selina?”
Helos blinked, a flash of realization crossing her pale purple eyes.
Following Selina’s stiff hand hanging in midair, her gaze slowly shifted to the meal box before her, her expression turning strange.
“Are you… hungry?”
The silver-haired girl’s voice carried a hint of disbelief.
“Didn’t Brother Kyle give you the reward you deserved, so you had to…”
She paused, the corner of her mouth twitching slightly, “Uh, sneak out to steal food?”