Lance held the basket and stood where he was, smiling as he watched her leave.
Nia turned around and walked toward the guild with light and cheerful steps.
Only after passing a street corner and completely confirming that Lance absolutely could not see her anymore—
did her previously brisk footsteps instantly slow down.
The girl covered her burning cheeks with both hands and leaned against the brick wall, gasping for breath.
She now felt so embarrassed she was about to explode.
That final sentence earlier, “You’re not allowed to share it with anyone else,” had sounded far too deliberate.
It practically made her seem like she was guarding food.
Just as she was drowning in self-directed embarrassment—
Immediately afterward, Judith’s lazy, mature voice rang directly beside Nia’s mind, carrying obvious amusement and laughter.
“Oh my, you really should’ve looked in a mirror and seen how sour you looked just now.”
“The jealousy was so strong I could smell it from several streets away~”
“Not at all!”
Nia shouted back in humiliation inside her mind.
“Friends can be possessive too, okay?! I just didn’t want other people eating something I worked hard to make!”
A burst of unrestrained laughter immediately echoed through her mind.
“Alright, alright, possessiveness between friends.”
After laughing enough, Judith’s tone suddenly became somewhat mysterious.
“Though perhaps I still hadn’t fully recovered the past few days, so my senses were a bit dull.”
“But with how close I got to him this morning, I sensed it very clearly.”
“Your ‘good friend’ is an extremely rare Dragon-blooded individual~”
Nia froze instantly, her back leaving the brick wall.
“Dragon-blooded? What nonsense are you talking about?! I know Lance better than anyone. He’s obviously just an ordinary human.”
Another deeply amused chuckle rang through her mind.
“Well, who knows?”
“Things like bloodline awakenings aren’t exactly rare or unheard of on this continent.”
A trace of malicious amusement suddenly entered Judith’s voice.
“But little Nia, as your partner, I should kindly remind you of something.”
“Those people in the legends who possess Dragon bloodlines—no matter how gentle they usually appear—they’re famous for having incredibly intense and violent desires and possessiveness~”
Judith deliberately dragged out her tone.
“Just look at how delicate you are right now. If you don’t hurry and advance your class to become stronger—”
“then if his bloodline fully awakens someday and he decides to do something excessive to you—”
“your poor little body might end up completely falling apart from all the torment~”
Hearing such shameless teasing—
Nia’s face instantly turned red all the way down to her neck, and she was so embarrassed she could not even raise her head.
“What kind of ridiculous nonsense are you even talking about?!”
she screamed in mental collapse.
And the only response she received was Judith’s utterly unrestrained wild laughter echoing through her mind.
“Hahahahahahaha……”
……
Today, Cecilia truly felt that something was wrong with her.
Very wrong.
Graystone Town’s commercial marketplace was bustling noisily with people.
Lance stood in front of a stall, holding a coil of windproof rope while seriously bargaining with the merchant.
Meanwhile, Cecilia, who stood behind him, had not placed her attention on the dazzling variety of goods at all.
Her eyes were fixed directly on Senior’s large hand.
Although whenever Senior touched her skin now, she no longer experienced those exaggerated blushes—
her mind still seemed completely out of control, constantly producing all sorts of strange thoughts.
‘What would it feel like if that hand gently stroked the top of my head?’
‘Or if he gripped the back of my neck a little more forcefully… what exactly would that feel like?’
Only after Lance stuffed the change into his coin pouch, turned around, and called for her to head toward the next shop—
did Cecilia suddenly snap back to reality as though waking from a dream.
She violently shook her head.
She attempted to use this physical method to throw all those chaotic and shameful thoughts out of her mind.
Clearly, as one of the academy’s top students, her concentration during meditation had always been extremely focused.
Yet when she went adventuring in the forest with Senior yesterday, she discovered in horror that strange impulses to be touched roughly would occasionally arise inside her.
However, while in the forest, because she had to remain vigilant at all times, those thoughts surfaced less frequently.
But the moment she returned to the absolute safety of the town—
especially when she and Senior were alone together—
those embarrassing thoughts would spread like wild grass growing crazily in spring, impossible to suppress no matter what she did.
There were so many that she even felt as though countless tiny voices inside her head were fighting each other, making so much noise that she could barely think normally.
This commercial marketplace was the most prosperous area in the entire town, surrounded by passing mercenaries and merchants everywhere.
Cecilia swallowed nervously and courageously stepped slightly forward.
“Senior, there are a bit too many people here.”
The girl lowered her head, her voice as soft as a mosquito’s buzz.
“I’m afraid we’ll get separated. Can I hold onto your clothes while we walk?”
Hearing this, Lance stopped and turned around.
At a glance, he saw Cecilia’s slightly reddened cheek partially exposed beneath the shadow of her cloak.
Lance frowned slightly.
He felt that both girls he knew today seemed somewhat strange.
Nia had acted oddly this morning, and now Cecilia behind him was also behaving abnormally.
However, he did not voice the doubts in his heart at this moment.
He merely nodded.
“There are quite a lot of people indeed. Hold on tightly and be careful not to get pushed around.”
Hearing Lance agree, Cecilia happily stretched out both hands and tightly grabbed the cloth behind his back.
At the instant she grabbed Senior’s clothes through the fabric—
the thirsty craving in her heart that felt like ants crawling beneath her skin, desperately longing to be touched, finally eased ever so slightly.
Only then did the girl let out a long sigh of relief and redirect her somewhat scattered attention toward the surroundings again.
After walking only a short distance, they arrived before a shop with a giant bear skull hanging from its signboard.
This general store called “Old Hunter” was quite large, and the wooden shelves inside were packed with all kinds of wilderness survival tools that looked extremely durable.
The stubble-faced owner standing behind the counter carried the scent of gunpowder on him, looking exactly like the type of highly experienced retired adventurer.
“You can look around here for a bit. See if there’s anything small you like or need.”
Lance spoke to Cecilia behind him, who was sticking close like a little tail.
“I’m going over there to talk with the owner about camping equipment.”
“Mhm, okay.”
Cecilia obediently released her grip on his clothes and turned to browse the surrounding shelves.
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter