The sound of footsteps grew closer, and now even Xiaolan and Laura could hear them.
They huddled together uneasily, both able to feel the other’s body trembling uncontrollably.
This was due to both the biting cold and the terror of the unknown.
Soon, however, their hands found each other and locked tight.
Perhaps this gesture gave them courage, or perhaps the mutual reliance simply made the cold less biting.
Regardless, the trembling of their bodies gradually ceased, replaced by a tense stare fixed on the door of the [Prison Cell].
An Ji Er had intended to comfort them, but upon seeing this, she paused for a moment and couldn’t help but reveal a gratified smile.
At that very moment, the growing sound of footsteps abruptly stopped, and An Ji Er’s smile froze.
Judging by the change in the sound, the person must have stopped right in front of the door!
Now, even An Ji Er stared tensely at the entrance.
It wasn’t that she was afraid in the same way as Laura and Xiaolan; though there was a fear of the unknown, within her was a tiny spark of hope.
She was hoping that the person opening the door might not be that [Male Demon], but someone coming to rescue them.
An Ji Er’s hope was not unfounded.
Laura and Xiaolan might not have known better, but An Ji Er did.
The footsteps of the [Male Demon] who had taken her mage companion away before didn’t sound like this; the owner of these footsteps was clearly acting nervous.
Furthermore, the owner of these footsteps had stayed at the door for far too long!
If it were the [Male Demon] from before, he wouldn’t have lingered for such a long time; he would have opened the door and taken someone away long ago.
As the footsteps remained stationary, the anticipation in An Ji Er’s heart grew more intense, eventually affecting Xiaolan and Laura beside her.
Compared to their initial tension, they were now watching the door with expectant eyes.
Though their hands remained tightly clasped—showing that their inner nervousness had not ended—the hope in their eyes did not dim.
Amidst the trio’s anticipation, a different sound finally echoed from outside the cell.
” …Excuse me, is anyone in there?”
When they heard this voice, the three expectant women finally cheered in excitement.
Xiaolan, in particular, immediately pulled her hand back from Laura’s and covered her mouth with both hands to prevent the person outside from hearing her uncontrollable sobs.
Tears began to stream down her face because she recognized the voice—it was Laine’s voice!
He was not only safe, but he had actually rushed over to save her!
Xiaolan’s fantasy had become a reality.
She desperately suppressed her inner ecstasy and stammered in a somewhat distorted voice.
” …Yes, someone… is in here… “
Hearing Xiaolan’s stammering voice, Laine, standing outside the door, suddenly grew anxious.
‘Why does Xiaolan’s voice sound so strange? Has she been mistreated?!’
‘No! I have to open this damn door immediately!’
“Xiaolan! Don’t be afraid! I’m right outside, and I’m coming in to save you now! Damn it! Why is this door so hard?! Just wait a little longer!”
Laine looked at the cell door—which was reinforced with magic he didn’t understand—with a headache.
He had already tried conventional methods, and none of them worked.
At this point, his only option was to use brute force to break in.
Thinking this, Laine pulled several [Magic Scroll] items from his clothes.
These had been given to him by Lord Kolin previously; they contained not only [Transference] magic for escaping but also high-level magic with strong offensive and defensive capabilities.
Laine hurriedly searched through these scrolls, trying to find a spell that could break the door.
But soon, Laine’s searching stopped as he seemed to realize something.
Laine first looked up at the magically reinforced door, and then at the rough rock wall beside it.
Upon seeing that the rock wall had no magic applied to it, the frown on Laine’s face instantly vanished.
Meanwhile, on the other side, An Ji Er asked Xiaolan curiously.
“Is that man outside someone you know? What is the relationship between you two?”
From the moment she first heard the man’s voice, An Ji Er was certain he wasn’t the previous [Male Demon].
However, what surprised her was that the man outside actually knew this Xiaolan—who was quite ordinary aside from her looks—and their relationship seemed rather unusual.
“Uh, this, that… what, what do you think our relationship is?”
Xiaolan asked back shyly after hearing An Ji Er’s question.
“Huh?”
This response left An Ji Er completely bewildered.
‘No, what your relationship is… how would I, an outsider, know? Why are you asking me?’
Though confused, An Ji Er still answered based on the behavior she had seen from the two.
” …Uh, probably a couple? Or maybe you’re actually husband and wife? Siblings is also possible? In any case, you seem to be very close.”
The moment An Ji Er finished speaking, Xiaolan suddenly covered her face and crouched down, as if trying to hide everything about herself.
This move left An Ji Er even more lost.
She had no idea what was going on, so she turned an inquisitive gaze toward Laura.
But Laura didn’t clear up her confusion; instead, she let out a sigh and said something nonsensical.
“As expected, summer isn’t over yet! No, for Xiaolan, it should be just beginning, shouldn’t it?”
An Ji Er became more confused as she listened and couldn’t help but ask out loud.
“What? What summer? What do you mean? And what’s wrong with Xiaolan?”
Faced with An Ji Er’s question, Laura appeared even more puzzled than she was.
“Has Miss An Ji Er never experienced or seen a similar situation before? If that’s the case… then I’m truly sorry!”
After speaking, Laura even gave An Ji Er a bow, appearing genuinely apologetic.
This left An Ji Er even more unable to understand.
Just as An Ji Er was about to ask why she was apologizing, a loud crash came from the cell entrance, successfully interrupting their conversation and drawing their attention.
Looking toward the massive sound, the problem wasn’t at the door, but at the rock wall beside it.
A large hole, just big enough for a person to pass through, had been blasted into the rock.
As the dust cleared, a man crawled in through the opening.
Xiaolan recognized him instantly.
Before anyone else could speak, she lunged at him.
Laine, who had just entered the cell, hadn’t had time to assess the situation before he felt someone suddenly dive into his arms.
Laine froze for a moment and was about to push the person away when they reached out and hugged him with a death grip, as if he would disappear if they didn’t.
Laine stood there helplessly, not knowing what to do.
But as the person in his arms began to speak with a sobbing tone, he recognized exactly who it was.
” …Thank goodness. Although you’ve lost a lot of weight, you’re okay! I’ve been so worried about you! Not only that, you actually… actually! You came here to save me! Truly… thank you!”
Xiaolan spoke slurringly while tears fell from time to time, making Laine feel a pang of heartache.
However, Laine soon became aware of this strange feeling, and his expression quickly shifted to one of inner conflict.
But this conflict didn’t last long before Laine returned to his usual self.
Feeling Xiaolan’s hands tightly embracing his body, Laine reached out as well.
After a moment of hesitation, Laine gently hugged Xiaolan back with both arms.
This action seemed to startle Xiaolan, causing her body to tremble.
But quickly, Xiaolan joyfully tightened her embrace on Laine even more, burying her entire face in his chest to prevent him from seeing her currently unsightly expression.