Without sparing Mike a glance, she retreated to the corner of the prison and sat cross-legged, her palms resting upward on her lap, her middle fingers curved as if trying to beckon something. She shut her eyes; no thoughts filled her mind as she first checked her core.
However, it remained the same, as if the mana from earlier hadn't entered her. Still shattered into six different pieces.
But on closer inspection, she realized two of the pieces had moved closer. Though they hadn't mended yet, there was progress.
She bit her lip to stop herself from crying out.
This...
This was simply good news.
With that, she closed her mind off from any intrusive thoughts, trying to continue drawing in mana. But to her confusion and disappointment, Elvida realized she couldn't draw in even a single strand.
The mana lingered at the tips of her fingers, but no matter how hard she tried, it wouldn't enter her body, just like usual.
After several moments of trying, she finally gave up.
At the same time, she thought to herself that if she practiced every night, perhaps—like today—she'd be able to feel it again.
Opening her eyes, they burned with hope and excitement.
There was a chance for her, to fight for herself and come clean.
She clenched her hand with determination.
"I can do this."
Meanwhile, Mike had returned to his post after Elvida retreated.
Rafael had found his voice again, and his gossipy side instantly returned.
He wouldn't stop bugging Mike.
"Hey, when did you two get that close? She kissed you on the lips! She kissed you!" Honestly, Rafael didn't know whether to be happy for his friend or jealous.
Well, he felt a mix of both. But at the end of the day, he was just genuinely curious.
"Is it true? Did you lose consciousness 'cause you were hard for too long?"
Mike frowned. "Stop talking."
Right now, he was trying to come up with ways to get close to Elvida. Occasional pecks on the lips would be enough.
That healing energy that could extend his lifespan—he wanted it.
Unfortunately, with Rafael's constant chattering, he couldn't focus one bit.
"Just tell me... Once you do, I won't say anything to anyone," Rafael promised.
Mike sighed, exasperated. "What do you want me to say?"
"I asked how you two got so close. And since when?" The way Elvida talked to Mike made it clear she hadn't just developed an interest out of the blue.
Mike rubbed his chin. "Well, we're not exactly close—"
Rafael interrupted. "She kissed you."
"Yeah, we still aren't close."
"But she kissed you!"
"Ahhh... Just because she kissed me doesn't mean we're close. She was just bored and asked me to come up."
"So why didn't she call me instead? Also, your conversation didn't sound like two strangers. Tell me the truth."
Mike sighed. "Can we talk about this later?"
"Mmm, later? But I wanna know now."
Mike looked up at the bleak ceiling, frustrated, and massaged his neck.
"I can't think right now. I'm shocked too, okay? Just give me a goddamn moment. I promise I'll tell you everything later..."
Seeing that Mike wasn't going to say anything more, Rafael finally sighed and backed off.
Anyway, they'd sleep in the same room later, so there wasn't much of a problem waiting until their shift ended, except for his restless heart, which was still ridiculously curious and refused to calm down.
Once the noisy mosquito was gone, Mike finally had some privacy.
Thinking about it, the only things he truly knew about Elvida were what the system had gathered about her...
Apart from that, nothing else.
Should he try chatting with her to get closer?
That didn't seem feasible… She seemed more interested in teasing him than talking about anything other than his hard-on or his attraction towards her.
Unable to come up with a solution, Mike decided to leave it be, for now.
There would naturally come a moment when he could get closer to her. He hoped.
Well, that moment came faster than Mike expected.
Someone had come to visit Elvida.
Tall and powerful, the mere presence of this individual made Mike's knees tremble, as if compelled to kneel. The aura this man exuded was overwhelming.
Moreover, he had a soft smile and the feminine face that resembled Elvida's, if not for the attire and Adam's apple, Mike might have mistaken him for a woman.
Rafael kneeled, and Mike, unable to resist the pressure, did the same.
"Rise." Even the man's voice was soft and gentle, an opposite of his presence.
At this point, Mike couldn't help but wonder whether Elvida took after her mother instead, because both her father and sister looked and sounded like angels.
"My daughter..." He stood in front of Elvida's cell, where she had already stood up, her face expressionless.
"Your Majesty." She curtsied. No pleasant smile. No warmth in those cat-like eyes. Just plain coldness.
It was rare to see her like this.
Mike couldn't help but note it. It was... interesting.
Viands Siich waved his hand casually, and though Mike could still see their lips move, he realized he couldn't hear a word.
A few minutes passed before Viands Siich turned around and left, leaving almost the same message Elvida's sister had given:
"Take care of my princess."
Elvida's expression was dazed. The conversation with her father had left her confused.
In fact, everything felt wrong and right. So right it seemed suspicious which was so wrong. It was all just confusing that she didn't want to think about it anymore.
Her eyes lifted subconsciously, and her gaze locked with Mike's.
Neither moved. They simply held each other's gaze.
Suddenly, Elvida's lips curled up with a smile, her eyes flashing.
"Come here."