After entering the restaurant, Liyami chose a seat that was neither too close nor too far from Colin and Elinor, then sat down.
After casually ordering a few dishes, Liyami began to observe Colin and the others.
From Liyami’s perspective, Colin and Elinor both behaved very normally, as if they really were just here for lunch.
It wasn’t until after they finished ordering that the atmosphere changed slightly.
Elinor began chatting with Colin.
At first, Colin would try to reply, but by the end, he had become completely passive, only occasionally responding, looking entirely uninterested in what Elinor was saying.
Due to the distance, Liyami couldn’t hear their conversation very clearly.
But she didn’t care anyway—she didn’t really want to listen to what they were saying; she was really just here to eat!
At that moment, Liyami noticed the exquisite box beside Colin.
The packaging of that box was almost identical to the gift wrapping Liyami had chosen for Lavinia.
She even started to suspect they might have bought it from the same shop.
But that was unlikely.
First of all, while this packaging was exquisite, it was also very generic—shops in the area would default to this style unless otherwise requested.
Second, Liyami hadn’t seen Colin and the others while she was choosing gifts, so Colin’s group must have shopped elsewhere, not at her store.
But then, why are they buying a gift too?
I’m buying a gift for Lavinia—who are they buying one for?
Liyami carefully observed the expressions on Colin and Elinor’s faces.
It didn’t look like the gift was meant for each other, but rather for someone else who wasn’t present.
Who could it be? Was it someone she knew?
After thinking about it for a bit, Liyami decided not to dwell on the issue.
Since the gift wasn’t for Elinor from Colin, or for Colin from Elinor, there was no need for her to care.
Compared to this mysterious gift, Liyami was more curious about why Colin and Elinor were out together.
If they were just picking a gift, was it really necessary for the two of them to go out together?
Even if you want advice, you don’t have to choose the other person, right?
Liyami knew this thought was a bit selfish—just as she’d been thinking before.
It’s true you don’t have to choose Elinor for advice, but it’s not necessary to choose someone else, either.
In the end, it’s just about picking someone you trust.
Liyami realized her earlier thoughts were rather unreasonable.
She wasn’t thinking clearly; she was just sulking because Colin had chosen Elinor over her.
She understood this, but couldn’t change it.
She still puffed out her cheeks, shooting a somewhat resentful look at Colin and Elinor.
Meanwhile, sitting at another table, Colin somehow sensed a strange gaze, its intensity so strong he couldn’t ignore it.
He looked at Elinor in front of him, asking her to confirm when the dishes would arrive, then discreetly glanced around the room.
But to his confusion, he didn’t spot anything out of the ordinary, and the intense gaze that had been fixed on him vanished without a trace.
Although he was puzzled, now wasn’t the time to get caught up in it.
Colin returned to normal, smiling at Elinor, occasionally responding to her, as if nothing had happened.
At the same time, Liyami, hidden from Colin’s line of sight, let out a soft sigh of relief, finally putting her anxious heart at ease.
Luckily, she’d cast “Presence Reduction” on herself before entering and had chosen a spot where Colin could barely see her.
That was the only reason Colin hadn’t noticed her during his brief scan of the restaurant.
Still, Liyami broke out in a cold sweat.
She hadn’t expected that just a slightly intense gaze would alert Colin—it seemed he was still getting stronger.
With a sigh, Liyami began eating her lunch.
After that close call, she behaved herself much more, not sneaking glances at Colin and Elinor anymore.
So, until she was halfway through her meal and figured enough time had passed for Colin to have forgotten the earlier incident, Liyami didn’t look in their direction again.
But the moment she did, her eyes widened as if she’d witnessed something unbelievable.
At Colin’s table, Elinor was holding up a forkful of meat to his mouth.
It was exactly like what had happened that morning—Liyami even wondered if time had gone backward.
Seeing this, the corners of Liyami’s mouth twitched.
She couldn’t help but roar inwardly: What is this?! Elinor, do you just love feeding other people that much? You already did it this morning, and now you’re doing it again? Is this how a Saintess should act?!
But even though she was a little annoyed, Liyami didn’t think much of it.
After all, Colin had already refused Elinor’s feeding this morning, so even if Elinor tried again, it would just end in another rejection.
With that thought, Liyami’s lips curled up ever so slightly.
But soon, her smile faded.
Because she saw Colin actually accept the piece of meat Elinor offered him! And not just once!
Elinor continued to feed Colin several more times, and each time he silently accepted, the scene growing ever more intimate.
Watching from her spot, Liyami’s jaw nearly hit the floor.
What?! Why?! Colin, what are you doing! What kind of Holy Knight accepts being fed like that?! You should just give up on being a Holy Knight and become a Baby Knight instead! 😡 You food-fetish pervert!
Though Liyami’s thoughts were wild, outwardly she kept her composure and didn’t make any noticeable moves.
She just shifted her gaze back to her meal and stopped looking over at Colin and Elinor.
And so, Liyami finished her lunch in silence.
It wasn’t until Colin and Elinor had paid and left the restaurant some time later that she settled her own bill and walked out.
Standing at the restaurant’s entrance, watching the bustling, unchanged street, Liyami showed no expression, just walked silently toward the mansion.
After what had just happened, Liyami gave up any thought of following Colin and Elinor any further.
Naturally, there was the risk of being discovered if she kept tailing them, but more importantly, she didn’t want to witness any more scenes like the one before.
Just thinking about it made her angry, but what made her angrier was not knowing why she felt that way.
Even if Colin acted out of character, she shouldn’t be mad—after all, she and Colin were just friends, weren’t they?
If that was the case, then why did she feel as if something deep inside her was blocked?
What was wrong with her?