In Xia De’s story, Leia was a pen pal he occasionally met, and he only recognized her identity after the “Coldwater Port Holiday.” Iluna, on the other hand, was more concerned about the flesh Xia De had eaten. Even that evening, when the three of them and the cat went to a restaurant on Silver Cross Avenue for dinner, Iluna, while cutting her steak, murmured,
“You ate the flesh of an angel-level relic and can still chat and laugh with us. Sometimes, I even wonder if you’re human at all.”
She joked, winking playfully at Xia De. The dress and hair accessories prepared for the high-end restaurant gave her a charm she didn’t usually possess. The purple-eyed Diviner smiled, looking at Xia De, who was feeding the cat.
This time, to celebrate the successful conclusion of the Coldwater Port incident, Darkness escaped with injuries as expected. Thus, they chose a high-end restaurant. The ladies wore evening gowns, and Xia De was in formal wear.
“The gifts of fate always come with a corresponding price, but this time, the price was paid for him by someone else.”
Luvia was referring to the person who died writing the puppeteer's notes.
“But can you truly control your desire?”
Iluna asked Xia De with concern, and Xia De confidently replied,
“Of course, from this afternoon until now, have you noticed anything unusual about me?”
“That’s because your mindset is peaceful, and you haven’t been provoked.”
Luvia said, and Iluna nodded in agreement.
The seventeen-year-old girl suddenly winked at Xia De, then looked around:
“How about we test it out?”
“What do you want to do?”
Xia De asked warily. Iluna smiled playfully at him again. A few seconds later, Xia De felt something rubbing against his leg. He looked up at Iluna, who quietly asked,
“How do you feel now?”
“Are you reading something inappropriate?”
Xia De asked hesitantly. Iluna’s face turned bright red, while Luvia beside them looked at them helplessly:
“This is a public place.”
“I know.”
Xia De said, then gestured for Iluna, who was sitting across from him, to put on her shoes:
“Besides, what kind of provocation is that?”
“But that’s how it’s written in the books.”
Iluna quietly defended herself.
“What exactly are you reading?”
Xia De asked curiously again, but Iluna, blushing, refused to reveal the book’s title. According to Xia De’s guess, it should be the kind of low-quality novel not publicly distributed, poorly printed, and produced from underground workshops.
“Xia De, you shouldn’t ask girls such questions casually.”
Luvia helped Iluna, then scrutinized Xia De:
“But you can’t do such risky things in the future. After all, that was a relic, and an Angel-level one at that. I’ve only seen one once with a Priest.”
“Hmm?”
Xia De wanted to ask more, but the waiter brought new dishes, so he had to temporarily stop the topic.
Although Darkness was still on his way, the trio couldn’t relax; they had to prepare countermeasures for his arrival in advance. Luvia didn’t assign Xia De any tasks; he had already done well enough in Coldwater Port.
The subsequent preparatory work would be completed by Iluna and Luvia. Whether it was methods to combat demons, the situation of the out-of-control angel-level relic of Darkness outside the City, or strategies to decipher that bizarre dark power, the two ladies would find ways to prepare everything.
And what Xia De needed to do during this time was simply to handle his own affairs. Once Darkness arrived, they would probably be busy again. Therefore, completing the tasks at hand before the end of Flourishing Flower Month was necessary to fully concentrate on facing the second Chosen One.
Luvia and Iluna both agreed to let Xia De rest a bit. They were companions, and Xia De shouldn't have to do everything. They couldn't interfere with the Coldwater Port matter, but when it came to handling affairs in Tobesk, the girls, with the Prophet Association and Sun Church as their backgrounds, had far more advantages than Xia De.
“Also, sometimes, instead of controlling desire, it’s better to choose an appropriate method to vent it.”
This was what the purple-eyed Diviner suddenly told Xia De when he and Luvia said goodbye at Saint Delan Square and he left Iluna in a carriage.
“What do you mean?”
Xia De asked with his hands in his pockets, looking up at the starry sky. The night was already quite deep.
“If you feel you can’t control your rising desire, you can choose some means to vent it, instead of holding it in, which is more likely to cause problems. For example, you can choose…”
Her purple eyes looked at Xia De, her gaze lingering on his face:
“Playing cards.”
“I feel like I can control it.”
“That’s hard to say.”
Standing under the gas lamp in Saint Delan Square, Luvia shook her head:
“I suggest you do some limited enjoyment before the influence of that flesh ends, instead of just burying yourself in work. Xia De, your life is actually quite monotonous.”
“I know.”
“Then why not relax a bit?”
“Because I don’t have time. I’m still studying the first-year books in depth, and I’ve only read the second-year books once. Besides, I don’t have much desire.”
Luvia thought for a moment, then looked around. She found that besides the cat looking out from the second-floor window, there were no other gazes in Saint Delan Square at night.
“No desire?”
She reached out, wrapped her arm around Xia De’s neck, and then stood on her tiptoes to kiss him.
“How about now?”
After they separated, Luvia asked again. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, but she was smiling happily:
“Do you still dare to say that you have no desire at all?”
Xia De touched his lips and looked at her very seriously:
“Why do you always like to force kisses?”
“Who else has forced a kiss on you?”
The short-haired brown-haired girl asked, but she didn’t seem to care much about the question:
“Xia De, you must protect yourself and stop doing those dangerous things. After listening to your experience in Coldwater Port today, I’m really worried.”
Under the gas lamp, she touched her lips, her purple eyes looking very bright.
“I have some reasons that require me to take risks.”
Xia De said, pressing his lips together.
“I know, I know you’re looking for something we don’t know.”
The purple-eyed girl said softly, the smile on her face disappearing, becoming a little downcast:
“But at least promise me to pay attention to safety. Look, this sounds like dialogue from a knight novel.”
The smile on her face at this moment was not sincere at all.
“I’m not the kind of person who actively seeks death.”
Xia De nodded. Luvia looked up at the moon above:
“Before I met you, Xia De, I always thought I would never find like-minded people.”
“Isn’t Iluna?”
“She’s still too young, a bit idealistic, and a bit too optimistic.”
In the City’s night wind, there was also the acrid smell of pollutants. The wind carried warmth, blowing Luvia’s short, draped hair. Xia De looked at her profile, unsure what to say for a moment.
“You promised that you would walk with me and witness the thirteen Chosen Ones.”
Luvia said.
“Yes.”
“So, don’t leave before me.”
She was still looking at the moon above Saint Delan Square, not at Xia De. Xia De didn’t understand why the conversation became so heavy after a kiss, but he still nodded:
“I will stay with you until the end, just like the silver moon above, I will always be there.”
“Xia De, I actually am…”
The purple-eyed girl suddenly turned to Xia De again. The Outsider blinked:
“Actually what?”
“It’s nothing.”
She shook her head, then looked up with Xia De at the three moons above.
The silver moon was a half-circle, the red moon was a crescent, and the yellow moon was gradually becoming full. Judging from the moon phases, autumn was getting closer.
“The Moonlight is beautiful tonight.”
Xia De commented.
“Yes.”
She had a faint smile on her face.
“Then Luvia, may I kiss you? Always being forced to kiss by girls, it’s really annoying. I also want to test how much I’ve been affected by desire.”
He asked, looking at the moon, surprised that these were his own words.
“Of course, and I hope even more that you ask this question because you truly want to do it.”
She also said, looking at the moon.
“Also, there’s something I need to admit, I actually feel for others…”
“Just like there’s a lady’s shirt drying on your balcony, does that matter?”
She asked softly.
“Probably not important.”
Xia De said, then gently put his arm around Luvia’s shoulder. Seeing that she didn’t object, the two kissed again.
The star sea was vast, and three moons hung together. The moon at this moment seemed brighter than ever. The clear Moonlight shone on them, as if draping them in a three-colored veil.
A quiet night, a quiet corner, only the cat in the window saw this scene.
“Meow~”
It meowed discontentedly, wanting Xia De to go home quickly.
【Tsk tsk~】
She clicked her tongue in his ear, but Xia De held Luvia, sniffing the faint perfume scent on Luvia, and ignored her.
【Outsider, when you truly step into this world and create your own story, have you ever thought that you also step into others’ stories, intruding into others’ epics?】
Xia De still ignored her.
【So close, I felt a strange power from Luvia Annett.】
Xia De still ignored her.
【Her other self is extraordinarily powerful, stronger than any Ring術士 you’ve encountered.】
Xia De still ignored her.
【She also possesses the power of Time.】
Xia De still didn’t… He suddenly opened his eyes and saw that Luvia’s eyes were closed.
“The power of Time?”
【Yes, the power of Time. But unlike you, who are blessed by Time, she is rejected and cursed by Time. She cannot use any power related to Time. Any injury caused by Time’s power will become more severe for her.】
Smelling the scent of the purple-eyed girl and feeling her soft lips, Xia De, following the prompt from the voice in his ear, used his soul to sense her soul power.
“Oh!”
Luvia suddenly pushed him away, her face very red:
“It’s already so late. Well, goodbye, Xia De. The test is over. You are indeed still affected. I had a very pleasant night. Also, remember not to tell Iluna about tonight. If you really can, you can look for the books Iluna mentioned tonight. Good night.”
Saying that, she stood on her tiptoes, kissed Xia De’s cheek, and then hurried away as if escaping.
Xia De stood under the gas lamp, watching her retreating figure. Clouds drifted across, obscuring the moon in the sky, but the clouds quickly moved away, and light and shadow alternated on Xia De, who stood still.
【Do you know what she thinks of you?】
She still whispered in his ear. Xia De frowned in thought, not answering.
【Then, did you feel it?】
“Yes, rejected by Time, very clear.”
【Outsider, perhaps she holds secrets that could be useful to you.】
“But I’m not in a hurry to know them. One day, Luvia will tell me herself, just as she doesn’t inquire about my secrets. This is mutual respect. And one more thing.”
【What?】
“Did you really have to tell me something at that moment?”
He asked with great dissatisfaction, touching his lips. He waved to Luvia, who was getting into a carriage at the intersection and leaning out of the window, then turned to go home and rest. Tomorrow, he still had to buy furniture and move to the first floor.
【Absolutely.】
He had thought she would just laugh and not answer, but he unexpectedly heard an answer.
Xia De stopped at the door, lowered his head, and reached into his pocket for his keys, asking absentmindedly:
“Why?”
【Because I am always with you.】
Looking at the shadow on the ground, for an instant, Xia De truly felt he saw it, saw the woman, her arms wrapped around his neck, leaning in to whisper softly in his ear.
“You’re always like this, and I’m quite willing for you to be.”
Complaining softly, Xia De realized he seemed to have forgotten his keys, so he simply touched the doorknob and opened the door directly.
She was chuckling.
Before stepping inside, he glanced at the golden house number “Saint Delan Square Six” on the door, straightened it, then entered the house and closed the door.
Strange Moonlight shone obliquely on the door and steps of Saint Delan Square Six, just like every night.
Tonight, perhaps many people would not be able to sleep.
