A faint blush spread across Noelle's fair cheeks as she pressed down on the hand that had slid from her waist to her chest, lowering her head to whisper softly:
"P-Please… don't do this here. Everyone will see."
His fingers stroked her smooth, pale skin while his nose brushed aside her silver-gray hair to press a kiss against her earlobe.
"Mmh…!"
Noelle let out a soft moan as a tingling shiver ran from her ear through her body, making her part her lips and weakening her stocking-clad legs.
She would have collapsed had Nolan not supported her, smiling as he said:
"Don't worry. If anyone sees, I'll just pull her over to keep you company."
With that, he continued kissing her ear.
Breathless, the sensation left Noelle feeling as though she'd been struck by lightning—she didn't even have the strength to answer him, her flushed cheeks deepening in color.
Soon, her legs gave out entirely, and she hung limply against the arm wrapped around her waist.
Seeing this, Nolan gently eased her down to the floor.
She sat formally on her knees, the white high-heeled armored boots clinking softly, her rose-colored skirt draping over her legs.
After a short rest, seeing she'd regained a bit of strength, he patted her hip, signaling her to raise herself slightly.
"Honorary Knight… l-let's stop here. We should finish preparing lunch or we'll delay everyone's meal. After we eat, we can—"
Noelle shook her head, still holding her skirt down.
Every time she trained with Nolan, she needed quite some time to recover, and it wasn't short practice either. If they delayed too long, someone would inevitably come check on them.
"It's fine. I'll watch the time," Nolan said, stroking the back of her hand to reassure her. "If we start now, it'll only take a little while—no real delay."
"Mmh…" Noelle looked torn.
It was clear he wasn't planning to give up this training opportunity. If she kept resisting, they'd only waste more time—starting now would end it sooner.
With no choice, and wanting to avoid anyone seeing them, she nodded. Kneeling, she leaned forward, hands braced on the kitchen counter, lifting her hips slightly.
The rose skirt covered her legs as she glanced back, parting her lips to murmur:
"…Please be quick."
"Mm." Nolan nodded, grasping the white lace trim of her skirt to lift it, revealing thighs and hips encased in sheer black pantyhose.
Letting the skirt rest against her lower back, he slid both hands over her hips—the smooth softness of the tights felt exquisite.
Through the fabric, the outline of black panties was visible, the touch firm yet yielding.
He didn't waste time. Finding the waistband at her waist, he carefully rolled the tights down to mid-thigh, baring the black panties completely.
He kneaded the snowy skin of her thighs, letting his palm wander along the inner sides for a while before pulling the panties to one side.
After a dozen minutes of "training," Nolan pulled her tights back up and held her close, exchanging a lingering kiss.
Flushed and dazed, Noelle pressed lightly against his shoulder to push him away.
"…Alright, let's cook."
Since the session had been short, she wasn't completely drained this time and still had energy to work—though she felt a lingering, restless warmth.
"Heh, how about we continue this afternoon?" Nolan murmured into her ear with a grin.
"Mhm." She nodded, then shook her head, standing to refuse. "No, I have to help Captain Jean this afternoon."
"Alright then," he agreed, rising to help with the cooking.
If she was busy later, he wouldn't disturb her. After lunch, he could always go train with Ei instead—she was usually meditating in the space anyway.
---
By the time everyone had returned from work for lunch, Nolan and Noelle had quickly finished the dishes and brought them out.
Soon, the table was full of food.
As they sat down, Fischl—seated next to Noelle—leaned in and asked, "Noelle, did that scoundrel bully you in the kitchen just now?"
With the kitchen so close to the living room, the girls had naturally noticed what they'd been up to.
Noelle knew this, but she hadn't expected Fischl to bring it up directly. She blushed and gave the faintest "Mm."
"Hmph, such insolence! Do not fear, for this princess shall avenge you immediately!"
Fischl's golden hair gleamed as she declared righteously, sliding her chair aside to move toward Nolan on Noelle's right.
"It's nothing—we were just taking a short break," Nolan said, waving a hand to insist he hadn't bullied her.
"Don't try to wriggle out of it!"
Clad in her mismatched black garter stockings, Fischl straddled his lap without hesitation, leaning in to press her lips to his.
…
So this was her idea of "punishment"? Well, in that case, he wasn't about to refuse—even if it meant skipping lunch. Nolan's hands stroked her bare white back, tracing the elegant lines of her shoulder blades, matching her movements.
Since it was all "training" anyway, there was no harm in playing along for once.
"Sigh~"
Across the table, Amber let out a resigned sigh. She'd expected this and focused on her meal, not daring to watch too long for fear she'd get flustered herself.
"Hehe…"
Lisa's green eyes glimmered with a teasing light as she looked at Fischl and Nolan, chuckling softly—perhaps tempted to join in herself.
Enjoying Fischl's kiss, Nolan's hands roamed her back for a moment before tugging down the zipper of her black bodysuit.
Without the constraint of the zipper, Fischl's bodysuit loosened on its own and slid down to her pale abdomen, revealing her small, delicate navel.
"Mmh!" Fischl wrapped her arms around Nolan's neck, leaning forward against his chest, her skirt—black on the outside, violet on the inside—lifting slightly over her hips.
By the time lunch was over, Fischl was still sitting in Nolan's lap, pressed close against him, though he could feel she seemed a bit fatigued.
Not long after, she slumped completely onto his shoulder, as if all her strength had left her.
It was then that Lisa, having already finished lunch, smiled at Nolan and said, "My, my… little adventurer, you can't just bully little Fischl, you know."
She swung her long legs encased in black over-the-knee socks and stepped over to stand in front of Nolan and Fischl.
When Fischl, half out of her black bodysuit, stood up to leave, Lisa removed her black shorts from beneath her violet robe and took a seat on Nolan's lap herself.
Naturally, Nolan wouldn't surrender so easily.
The entire afternoon passed with him enduring "punishment" from Fischl and Lisa, and later Amber was pulled in to join the "training" as well.
That evening, when Jean, Eula, Ningguang, and Shenhe returned to the Wonderland space after work, they too weren't to be outdone—pressing close and "training" with him for quite some time.
It wasn't until deep into the night that the girls finally drifted off to sleep.
---
The Next Morning – Around 7:00 a.m.
After a night spent in the girls' warm, soft beds, Nolan naturally felt well-rested and full of energy.
Today was the day he had arranged for Mona to be "accidentally" encountered by Layla at the Akademiya—a matter he took seriously, since it was an opportunity to increase a girl's affection.
He quickly pulled the somewhat tired Mona out of bed, and together they went to the hot spring bathhouse. While bathing, he used "harmonic energy" on her to help restore her stamina.
After breakfast, he teleported with her to the Akademiya.
He had Mona head to the lower-level library of the House of Daena to search for astrology materials, while he waited near the entrance.
After about ten minutes, he saw a figure in a backless short dress walk in.
Her hair was a bluish-gray, a hood shaped like a sleeping cap resting on her head. Her fair face still showed a trace of fatigue, but she was clearly much better than before.
"Layla!" Nolan waved to her.
"Eh? Adventurer?"
Layla, in her backless dress, looked at him in surprise.
"Why are you here? I was just going to wait here for a bit and catch a glimpse of Teacher Mona from a distance."
She thought he had come specifically to accompany her.
Normally, she might feel a little guilty about someone going out of their way to join her for something so small, but with Nolan—a friend she was already comfortable with—she didn't feel that way.
"You hadn't arrived yet, so I stayed here to see what was going on. My friend Mona is already here—she's been in the astrology section for a while now. You should go; if you want to see her, now's the time."
Nolan stood and smiled as he explained.
"Huh? Teacher Mona came early? I thought I'd gotten up much earlier than usual today."
Layla's golden eyes widened slightly.
Perhaps because he had used "harmonic energy" to ease her fatigue, the dark circles under her eyes had faded, and her condition was leagues better than before—a complete transformation.
"Yeah. Normally Mona comes around eight or nine, but occasionally she arrives early.
"I just didn't want you to miss her if she came and left quickly, so I stayed to check. Luckily, she hasn't left yet."
Nolan nodded, noting that this was entirely possible.
"I see… Phew, thank you, Adventurer." Layla visibly relaxed, one hand pressed lightly to her half-exposed chest.
> [Layla Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 360 Affection Points. Current Affection Level: Lv.7 (260/700)]
Seeing the notification on his panel, Nolan smiled.
"Well, since I'm already here, and I've got nothing else to do, I'll go with you to see Mona."
"Mhm… but just from a distance. No need to introduce me—otherwise we'd take up her time."
Layla thought for a moment and then nodded.
Since he'd already been here helping her track Mona's movements, she had no reason to refuse. Having someone by her side also gave her a little more confidence.
Her white tights, patterned with gray lines along the sides and front, were tucked into golden-heeled sandals, and the black skirt with gold trim swayed lightly as she walked.
Side by side, she and Nolan made their way toward the astrology materials section.
After a few minutes, they could see from a distance a girl in a pointed witch's hat, flipping through a book by the shelves.
"Ah—it really is Teacher Mona!" Layla stopped, her face full of delight as she whispered.
She'd seen Mona's picture in The Steambird's astrology column, so she recognized her immediately.
"How about it—want to go over and meet her?"
Noticing her interest, Nolan asked again.
"Mmh…" Layla's fair face showed hesitation, but in the end she shook her head. "Better not. She's busy—we shouldn't disturb her."
Her shyness and social anxiety still outweighed her desire to meet the famed astrologer.
Nolan didn't press her, instead suggesting they sit at a closer table to watch from a better vantage point.
Layla had no objection and agreed.
They took seats at a wooden chair by a table about twenty meters from Mona.
Layla watched Mona with a hint of admiration, and Nolan smirked inwardly. If Layla wouldn't approach, then he'd just have Mona come to her instead.
He was sure Layla wanted to meet her, but her introverted nature and lack of social ease kept her from saying so.
After all, meeting Mona wouldn't be troublesome, nor would it disturb her—surely the great astrologer wouldn't mind advising a junior.
Through the "waymark," he signaled Mona to notice them and come over casually.
"Hmph… if this blows up later, you're taking all the blame!"
From Mona's point of view, once this girl named Layla fell for that flirt Nolan, she'd probably end up living in the wonderland space too.
And even the slowest person, remembering today's "coincidental" meeting, would realize it had been planned.
She hadn't actually been reading—she'd been using her spiritual sense to observe Layla.
When Layla eventually found out the encounter was staged, she'd probably cry. Mona had no intention of taking the blame for that.
(End of Chapter)
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