The afternoon slipped away quietly. Erza, looking like a little wife, cooked dinner for Lucas. After eating and drinking their fill, Lucas faced a somewhat awkward problem.
Sleeping arrangements.
When he built this house, he had just started working and didn't have much money. It was mainly for convenience in training, so he only bought one bed.
He planned to make do on the couch in the living room for the night.
But before he could say anything, he saw Erza, who had showered and changed into pajamas, lying on the bed and patting the space beside her. "What are you doing? Aren't you going to sleep? We have to continue training tomorrow."
He hadn't expected Erza to care so little about the distinction between men and women. Maybe she just didn't have that awareness yet.
But if Erza didn't care, why should a man be shy? He had already decided that Erza was the woman for him.
Lucas lay down beside Erza.
Perhaps due to exhaustion from the day's training, Erza quickly fell asleep. Lucas, however, began to use his Meditation Law to meditate.
Now that his mana was full, the Meditation Law didn't absorb much from the outside; it mostly worked subtly to expand the capacity of his Magic Origin.
Deep night fell silently. Lucas heard a sound.
He opened his eyes and saw Erza covered in sweat, her expression one of utter terror. She was clearly having a nightmare.
"Erza! Erza!"
Lucas shook her gently.
Erza's eyes snapped open, lingering panic in her gaze. Only after seeing that this wasn't the slave tower did she realize where she was.
"No... I'm sorry, I just..."
Lucas reached out and hugged Erza tightly, whispering, "Don't be afraid. I'm here."
Hearing Lucas's words, Erza's tense nerves relaxed. Lucas's embrace was warm and safe.
The painful memories of her childhood tormented her constantly. Usually, she felt no sense of security unless she was wearing her armor.
Unknowingly, Erza fell asleep in Lucas's arms.
Lucas's gaze changed. He knew why Erza was having nightmares. Abandoned by her mother Irene at birth, captured by the Cult of Zeref at a young age, and enslaved to build the Tower of Heaven.
Then betrayed by Jellal, whom she trusted most. Blow after blow, all landing on this poor girl.
Yet Erza wasn't broken by this; she still strove to live. How could such a girl not evoke pity?
Jellal... he was also a tragic figure deceived by others, but many things couldn't be forgiven with just a "I was deceived."
The original author liked to redeem characters, but Lucas didn't. Some things were done, and the price had to be paid.
Early the next morning, Erza slowly opened her eyes. She didn't know how long it had been since she slept so peacefully. The first thing she saw was Lucas's face, inches from hers.
She found herself lying on Lucas's arm, completely embraced by him. She could even feel his breath.
Erza's face instantly turned red.
She was nearly 14, an age where romantic feelings begin to bud.
She might be brash, but she wasn't completely ignorant. A boy and a girl hugging this intimately was definitely not right.
But she really liked this feeling of being protected.
"Mmm..."
Lucas stirred, and Erza quickly squeezed her eyes shut in fright.
Lucas opened his eyes and found Erza's feigned sleep amusing. Where was the girl who had so generously invited him to bed last night?
Since she was pretending to sleep, don't blame him.
Lucas lightly pecked Erza's lips. Erza froze completely, her breathing stopping.
She... she was kissed by him.
Fortunately, Lucas only touched lightly and separated, stopping there. He gently placed Erza's head on the pillow, then pushed open the bedroom door and walked out.
Only after Lucas left did Erza dare to open her eyes, gasping for air. Her face was beet red, and her heart was pounding like a fawn. That was her first kiss.
After a long while, Erza calmed down, changed into her usual clothes, and walked out of the bedroom.
As soon as she stepped out, she smelled the aroma of food.
"It smells so good!"
This scent even made her forget the awkwardness from earlier.
"You're awake?"
Lucas asked, knowing full well she was.
Erza recalled what happened earlier and nodded, blushing.
Lucas beckoned Erza over. "Breakfast is ready. Let's eat."
Erza sat down and tasted the food Lucas made.
Her eyes lit up instantly. "This is delicious! Lucas, you cook so well?!"
"It's okay. I only know a little, not proficient."
Almost all Chinese men were taught to cook from a young age, and Lucas was no exception.
However, the main reason Lucas cooked was that he couldn't afford takeout. Cooking at home saved money for rent.
"Not proficient? Your cooking is better than many restaurants! You don't just have high magic talent; your cooking talent is incredible too."
"Uh... those two don't seem comparable!"
"Delicious! So delicious!"
Erza ate as if she were tasting such delicious food for the first time, wolfing it down.
After eating and drinking their fill, the two began another day of training.
Erza's frantic training mode startled Lucas. It was as if she were the one taking the S-Class exam.
That evening, Erza went to sleep. The next morning, somehow, she ended up in Lucas's arms again.
Every morning, Lucas would give Erza a kiss, making her both shy and expectant. She only dared to open her eyes after Lucas got out of bed.
Unknowingly, a week passed, and the day of the S-Class Mage Promotion Exam officially arrived.