Kiana stammered, her words stumbling out awkwardly.
In front of Elysia, if she let her guard down even for a moment, she turned into a bashful little girl, all shy and flustered.
But that was just it!
Elysia's eyes shone even brighter.
She was delighted.
You could practically see the joy radiating off her.
She smiled warmly.
"It's alright~ Just give it a few more tries, and you'll get used to it~"
"Oh, and would you like me to help you practice? It's no trouble at all—I'd be happy to!"
"..."
Well, damn.
Aren't you just the sweetest?
I'm not used to you teasing me like this, not used to handling you, and now you're offering to "help me practice"? What kind of sneaky little scheme is that? You're really playing both sides, huh?
Jerk!
Kiana shot Elysia an unamused glare.
Then she got out of bed, took Elysia by the hand, spun her around, and started pushing her firmly toward the door from behind.
"Hey, hey—wait, hold on…"
"Get out! I need to change!"
For the first time ever—
Whether it was Hua or Carole, or even those high-and-mighty leaders from various nations who came to see her, Kiana had never put in this much effort.
She'd always just lounged around in loungewear, casual and carefree.
But this time, she actually wanted to dress up properly, to put some real thought into her outfit. Wasn't that, in itself, a kind of statement?
At the very least, for this first meeting—
She wanted Elysia to see the best version of herself.
Just like Elysia, who had clearly put care into her appearance. Even without makeup, her clothes were carefully chosen—flattering, stylish, and highlighting her figure.
Truth be told—
This was only natural.
When you like someone, when you care about someone, you start unconsciously thinking about these things.
Even if you don't fully realize it yourself.
That's just how it is.
And though Elysia whined about not wanting to leave, about wanting to watch Kiana change—or even help her—
She didn't put up much resistance.
She didn't struggle at all.
She just let herself be led obediently right outside the door.
And then—
Thud!
The door slammed shut.
Elysia turned back, and the hanging nameplate swayed from the impact. She fell quiet for a moment, her smile softening as she seemed to recall something. She lifted her hand—
Gently, she touched her fingertips to her lips.
Then she giggled to herself, happy and unrestrained even though no one was there to see.
There was no particular reason.
She was just… happy.
But if she had to put it into words—
"Trust me, huh…" Just that alone was enough to make Elysia want to roll around giddily on the bed, hugging a pillow.
She loved it.
But what she loved even more was how openly and honestly Kiana had spoken to her. Sincere, adorable, no lies, no evasion—just speaking her mind plainly.
Even in a situation like that.
She'd still instinctively shared her thoughts so naturally.
That kind of thing… it genuinely took Elysia by surprise in the best way.
After all!
Even in Fire Moth, or among all the people she'd ever known, very few were ever truly like that.
Not because of her wish, not because they felt they had to be real with her—
But simply because they wanted to. They chose to. They willingly engaged with her in that way.
Every single one of them.
In Elysia's eyes…
They were all so incredibly precious!
Each like a treasured gift.
Something she couldn't help but adore!
Before coming here, she'd wondered countless times what it would be like to meet the Herrscher of Finality.
Surely the real one would be completely different from that stoic portrait projected across the sky, right?
And now she knew. Pleasant surprises always come when you least expect them.
After just that short time together—Elysia already understood.
Kiana didn't just meet her expectations—
She surpassed them, by miles and miles.
"Like her…?" Yes, she liked Kiana.
Because for Elysia, like was like, and dislike was dislike.
She might overthink things, she might worry, she might feel her heart flutter like any ordinary girl her age experiencing a crush.
But she would never lie to herself.
Sometimes you like someone from the first glance, and that never changes. Other times, no matter how long you know them, you just never click.
"Like" was a word Elysia used often.
But she knew—none of those other "likes" could compare to what she felt for Kiana in this moment.
She'd always been a good judge of character.
And precisely because of that, she could appreciate every part of Kiana—the flaws, the strengths, all of it so endearing, so capable of making her smile uncontrollably. That was something only Kiana could do.
Too fast?
Maybe it was~
But she didn't mind one bit.
"What can I say? When fate hands you a gift, who am I to refuse?" Elysia murmured to herself before breaking into another soft laugh.
Right then—
The door behind her opened.
Kiana stepped out.
She'd chosen a simple T-shirt and jeans, an outfit that radiated youthful energy.
After all, she was still a high school girl around sixteen or seventeen.
Wasn't this only natural?
But to Elysia, it was a breath of fresh air.
She gazed at Kiana openly, admiration and fondness growing with every second.
The plain T-shirt hugged her delicate curves, the light-wash jeans—though not skin-tight—still outlined her long, graceful legs. Her figure was toned, her posture natural, as if she were born to wear anything and look good.
Really, she was the kind of girl you could never tire of looking at.
"Stop staring. Let's go." Of course Kiana noticed Elysia's gaze.
It made her a little self-conscious.
But she put on a faux-proud front, gestured for Elysia to follow, and started heading downstairs.
In Elysia's eyes, though, this version of Kiana was like a tiny kitten trying to act tough—and it made her want to tease her even more.
But~
She also knew when to hold back.
There would be plenty of time later. Since they had all the time in the world, she couldn't afford to push too hard now.
Right?
Devouring everything all at once wasn't any good.
Savoring things slowly—that was the real delight!
One full meal versus a lifetime of feasts—Elysia knew the difference.
She understood well: the more precious something was, the more you had to take your time appreciating it. She didn't just want to win Kiana over; she wanted Kiana to like her back, genuinely.
Emotions could be intense or gentle.
But either way, whether it was stormy waves or calm waters, those were just little quirks of being together. What truly mattered was slowly learning to accept each other.
You could call Elysia playful.
But you could never call her frivolous.
On the contrary, she took every relationship seriously.
It was that sincerity that was her greatest weapon.
And to Kiana, that was exactly what made Elysia so tricky to deal with—and so utterly disarming.
"What are you standing there for?" She paused on the stairs, glanced back at Elysia—who was still grinning dreamily—and sighed inwardly before calling out to her again.
"Coming, coming~" Elysia skipped forward lightly, falling in step right behind Kiana, following her down the stairs as if hopping playfully from step to step.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.