Seles stepped out of the bathroom, still carrying the dampness of steam and the faint fragrance of shower gel on her skin.
She took several deep breaths, struggling to suppress the chaotic emotions swirling within her.
Her face gradually returned to its usual calmness—or at least, that was how it appeared on the surface.
The main reason was that Seles didn’t know how to face Aiden at this moment.
The feelings that had surged inside the bathroom left her feeling a bit lost.
So, she finally decided that perhaps the best way was to greet him with the most ordinary expression, face him calmly, and follow the guidance of her heart.
Seles first went back to her bedroom and changed into comfortable loungewear—a simple pure cotton T-shirt and knee-length shorts—before heading to the living room.
She loosely pinned up her signature icy blue long hair at the back of her head, letting a few strands casually fall around her neck.
Compared to wearing it down as usual, this look added a touch of effortless and intellectual beauty.
The plain T-shirt and shorts outlined the slender figure of the young girl, and her long, fair legs looked especially captivating under the light.
“Aiden, sorry to keep you waiting.”
Seles walked to the living room and gently sat down on the sofa opposite Aiden, placing her hands neatly on her knees.
“N-no, it’s nothing.”
Aiden seemed a little embarrassed, his gaze awkwardly drifting elsewhere.
This was his first time at a girl’s home.
Because of this special circumstance, the air between them was tinged with a subtle, ambiguous atmosphere, making him uneasy and restless.
But it wasn’t only Aiden who felt awkward.
After calming down, Seles recalled how she had invited Aiden to stay, and belatedly felt quite embarrassed.
Her cheeks flushed slightly.
She realized how bold and abrupt it was to have a male guest stay over.
Would Aiden think she was immodest?
To ease the awkward atmosphere, she stood up, trying to keep her voice steady.
“Uh… it’s getting late. I’ll go prepare dinner.”
“I… I can help.”
Aiden stood up almost instinctively, blurting out.
He felt bad just sitting there waiting to eat.
If he didn’t find something to do, his mind would run wild with all kinds of thoughts.
“No need. Aiden, you’re my guest. And… you’ve helped me so much before, but I never had a chance to properly thank you.”
Seles gently shook her head and refused in a warm tone.
She paused briefly, trying to relax herself.
“Tonight… please just taste my cooking, though it might not be particularly delicious.”
“Then… thank you.”
Seeing Seles so determined, Aiden had no choice but to sit back down and nod.
His gaze followed Seles as she took a plain apron from a nearby shelf, skillfully tied it around her waist, then turned and walked into the kitchen.
[Master, why are you so tense?! Relax! This is clearly the perfect chance to be alone with Seles and deepen your relationship! As a guy, you need to take the initiative! If you take the initiative, you’ll have a story.]
Ruby flapped her tiny wings and hovered by Aiden’s ear, whispering in a scolding tone.
[Enough nagging. Check Seles’s current affection level.]
Aiden rolled his eyes at Ruby in annoyance.
What does this fairy know anyway?
[Here, look.]
Ruby had no choice but to swipe in the air, bringing up the semi-transparent system menu.
On the screen was a clear number—Seles’s affection level: -123.
Aiden frowned, puzzled as he stared at the number.
Why was it still so negative?
Didn’t it increase at all?
Was the system bugged?
[Ruby, do you have any idea what this number means?]
[Ruby doesn’t know~ Affection is automatically calculated by the system.]
Ruby blinked her big eyes innocently and shrugged like a little bear.
[Useless as always.]
Aiden sighed helplessly.
Deciding not to dwell on the frustrating number any longer, he shifted his attention to reviewing the previous quest records while Seles busied herself in the kitchen.
The system notified him that he had successfully helped Seles through this crisis, earning another ten consecutive draws as a reward.
This time, Aiden decided to do the card draws right here in Seles’s home.
He wondered if changing the environment—especially being close to the girl he was pursuing—would bring some mysterious luck bonus or supernatural buff.
He took a deep breath, as if that might bring good fortune, then reached out and pressed the enticingly glowing ten-draw button on the card-drawing interface.
A dazzling golden light suddenly flashed, illuminating a corner of the living room.
[No way! A gold card just dropped!]
Aiden’s heart jumped, stunned.
Changing the draw location really worked?
He hadn’t expected a gold card!
Could there really be a hidden luck bonus around Seles?
Suppressing the flood of excitement and anticipation, his fingers trembled slightly as he flipped over each drawn Skill Card one by one.
He deliberately saved the most precious golden card for last.
But after reading the effects of the drawn cards, Aiden’s expression turned very strange.
The first card was Deadly Rhythm: increases attack speed to theoretical maximum within five seconds.
The second was Wild Growth: significantly raises maximum stamina and recovery speed, greatly extending endurance in combat.
The following cards only fueled his imagination further—Phase Rush, Gathering Storm, Wither, Transcendence, Breath Regulation…
Together, these Skill Cards seemed to point toward some indescribable, wild direction.
Aiden blinked, double-checking the descriptions.
Something felt off, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.
[Ruby actually thinks… Master might be able to use these “practical” skills very soon~]
Ruby flew before Aiden’s eyes, covering her mouth with a tiny hand as she giggled.
Then, she playfully winked at Aiden, implying something obvious.
[What exactly are you implying…]
Aiden’s cheeks twitched uncontrollably, a strand of black stress line seemingly sliding down his temple.
“Huff~”
He took a deep breath, trying not to think about those weird implications.
Clinging to a final thread of hope, he opened the golden Skill Card that shimmered enticingly.
Tranquil Mind.
Instantly resets all basic statuses and refreshes the cooldown of all skills (excluding this skill).
Cooldown: two hours.
He had to admit, this skill was powerful.
But combined with the others, Aiden felt this setup had a strong, indescribable targeting aspect, as if the system was playing a much bigger game.
For a moment, Aiden felt extremely awkward, his cheeks burning red.
This system definitely had ill intentions!
He began to feel relieved that he was alone in the living room.
If Seles had been nearby and saw these Skill Card descriptions, he’d probably socially die on the spot and claw out a three-bedroom apartment with his toes.
“Good thing… good thing Seles isn’t here…”
Aiden wiped the nonexistent cold sweat off his forehead, exhaled deeply, and couldn’t help but mutter quietly to himself.
At that moment, a gentle voice filled with a hint of curiosity sounded right next to his ear.
“Am I… bothering you?”
Seles’s voice was soft, but to Aiden it was like thunder crashing in a clear sky, deafening.
He jumped up from the sofa, a rare expression of panic and helplessness on his face, looking at Seles who had quietly come over and was now slightly leaning toward him.
“N-no, it’s nothing. Really nothing. I was just… thinking about the next… strategy.”
Seeing his overreaction, Seles tilted her head in confusion.
She didn’t understand why Aiden reacted so strongly, but softly said,
“Dinner… is almost ready.”
“Ah! Great! I’ll bring the dishes!”
Aiden seized the opportunity like a reprieve, hurriedly changing the subject to divert her attention.
Then, he followed closely as Seles headed into the kitchen.
[Master is really innocent… Ruby’s support is so obvious and yet…]
Hovering in the air, Ruby sighed in exasperation, looking at Aiden’s slightly flustered retreating figure and letting out a heavy sigh.
[There was clearly a golden chance to quickly and thoroughly win over Seles, but you’re just no good at it.]
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