“Isabella?”
Lin Yue wiped his hair with a towel and slowly walked toward the campfire.
“Why are you here?”
Looking at this old rival, who seemed listless and whom he hadn’t seen for a while, Lin Yue couldn’t help but recall her appearance from a few days ago.
Could it be she still hasn’t adjusted her mindset?
“I wanted to come and thank you formally, so… wah!”
Hearing Lin Yue’s voice, Isabella turned her head, only to discover something that made her brain freeze.
“Y-you, why aren’t you wearing any clothes…”
Isabella covered her eyes, turning her head away slightly, but her index and middle fingers honestly parted, sneaking peeks at Lin Yue through fluttering eyelashes.
Though the original Lin Yue was a wastrel, at least his physique was outstanding, and after transmigrating, he had kept up physical training for nearly two months now.
His muscles were well-defined, and combined with the super recovery potions and magic during Lia’s devil training regimen, his body was exactly the type most girls would like.
Lin Yue looked at Isabella, who couldn’t decide whether to look or not, lifted his hair with his hand, and started drying his body with the towel.
“Why would I wear clothes in my own house?”
Even though camping couldn’t really be called home, he thought.
“B-but…”
Isabella had tried sleeping naked before, but strutting around in the wild was definitely beyond her experience.
Lin Yue smiled and draped the towel over his shoulder as he walked to the ingredients off to the side.
“Getting seen doesn’t cost me any flesh. Just take it as us being even.”
Isabella instantly remembered the time during the exam when he had accidentally barged in on her bathing.
Her face immediately flushed with embarrassment.
No, this won’t do!
Last time he was so shameless—this time, I absolutely can’t give in!
A strange competitiveness, from who knows where, made Isabella steel herself, forcing down her embarrassment and preparing to properly appreciate the half-naked Lin Yue in front of her.
“Ah…”
By the time she made up her mind, Lin Yue had already put on a white shirt and started cooking.
Isabella’s excitement instantly plummeted.
What! I didn’t get a good look yet… No, no! Why do I even want to look at that guy’s naked body…
Shameless!
This annoying guy has no noble bearing at all!
Isabella bit her red lips and patted her already red cheeks quickly, trying to clear her mind.
“Wait just a bit, dinner will be ready soon.”
It’s been a while since he cooked for so many people—tonight, he might as well go all out.
“Hmph…”
Isabella hadn’t had a good few days, either.
Because of the suspension of classes, she had to go look for work at the markets near the school, but found that quite a few people were pestering her, asking whether she and Lin Yue really had that kind of relationship.
And Isabella, with just a bit of thought, guessed that it was Bella who had let something slip, so she went to question her.
But Bella hadn’t expected that telling just two people would cause the rumors to spread like wildfire.
“You dummy, sigh…”
Though Bella was clever, she still didn’t seem to grasp the power of girls spreading gossip.
Now, the two sisters could only try to keep a low profile when going out.
Isabella had prepared herself mentally for a long time before daring to come look for Lin Yue.
She was a bit afraid to face Lin Yue, because she didn’t know what kind of attitude she should have toward him.
Several times, she almost rushed out the door to see him, only to be stopped by the sense that she still wasn’t ready.
She had tried on many outfits and even put on makeup, but felt that seeing Lin Yue like that would be strange and deliberate.
But going without any dressing up, just thanking him as casually as before, felt a bit disrespectful.
Worse yet, she didn’t want him to keep seeing her always so arrogant.
She had never felt this way before—a kind of sour feeling, like a lemon, always troubling her.
In the end, she only wore her school uniform, and came to the camp that Bella had mentioned.
Isabella didn’t expect that after all her inner struggle, when she finally came to see him, he would act so indifferent.
To think I even begged someone to make a potion to help him recover…
As Isabella took out the small, carefully wrapped iron box she had prepared, feeling a bit dejected, a petite figure suddenly stepped out of the tent.
“Wow… I slept for so long…”
It was Lia, still rubbing her eyes and looking half-awake.
That’s… Professor Lia?
Isabella was shocked beyond words.
And the next second, another pretty girl with brown hair and green eyes rushed out of the tent after Lia, saying, “Lia! Your hair isn’t braided yet!”
Airella hurriedly carried the braiding tools and, turning her head, met Isabella’s gaze.
Isabella felt dizzy—this world had gone mad.
She’d seen Airella before, but, why would a sixth-rank Magus…
At this moment, Isabella’s entire worldview collapsed.
Two women serving one man?
Airella, upon seeing Isabella, instantly became a bit embarrassed and stammered, “Um… Isabella, I just came to freeload a meal…”
…
Before dinner, after some explanation from the two girls, the misunderstanding was finally cleared up.
“Before Bella explained, I even thought Lin Yue was the one losing out! He was targeted by you from the start, totally deserved it! At the time I was even worried I might have accidentally messed up things between the two of you…”
Looking at the slightly guilty girl in front of her, Isabella couldn’t help but find her rather cute.
“It’s not your fault. After all, the engagement was suddenly annulled. It’s hard not to overthink it…”
She turned her head and looked at the busy Lin Yue, muttering in a low voice, “It’s all that guy’s fault…”
He keeps saying he wants both me and Bella, making both families lose face…
That reminded her of the hallucination she’d had during the exam—both she and Bella marrying him.
Strangely, she hadn’t rejected that feeling at the time; she only fell apart after seeing Bella’s suicide.
Isabella stared at Lin Yue and continued, “The only reason I’m polite to him now is because I owe him my life from the exam, and I’m grateful. I’ve never had any other feelings for him.”
But Airella, looking at Isabella’s complicated, slightly resentful eyes, still had her doubts: “Do you really not like him?”
In the end, she didn’t ask out loud.
“By the way, why is Professor Lia here?”
Isabella still had a lingering question.
To be fair, Lia was a very pretty girl, even if her figure and aura were on the youthful side.
But many boys liked that kind of delicate type.
Yet from her actions, she seemed more like Lin Yue’s little sister.
Isabella suddenly recalled—didn’t Lin Yue know spatial magic?
Back when she had lost control and unleashed the advanced spell ‘Dark Freya’s Flame’, it was the divine power of spatial magic that let him save everyone without killing her.
Their relationship wasn’t shallow, either…
Looking at these two beautiful girls, both so close to Lin Yue, Isabella didn’t know why, but a feeling called jealousy was quietly sprouting in her heart.
“Same as me, really. But she gets to eat such delicious food every day—so unfair!”
Airella pouted, sounding a bit unconvinced.
“But since she’s so cute, like a little toy, I’ll forgive her…”
A sixth-rank Magus is a toy?
Still can’t figure out their relationship…
Thinking of how often they saw each other, and recalling Lin Yue’s bare-chested appearance earlier, Isabella suddenly realized a big problem.
“Airella… I want to ask, since you come here for meals from time to time, have you also seen… that shameless look of his just now…”
Isabella didn’t know why, but she cared a lot.
“Now that you mention it…”
Airella thought for a moment, then said, slightly embarrassed, “But I never really cared about that—just focused on when the food would be ready.”
“Mmm…”
Seeing Isabella visibly relax, Airella felt secretly delighted.
Fooled you—actually, I enjoyed the show.
Getting to see a handsome muscle guy for free every day?
Of course I’m going to look.
As for pride?
Well, you’ll just miss out then.
“Hey, time to eat!”
Lin Yue suddenly appeared behind Isabella, startling her.
“You, you, you! Why do you walk without making a sound?”
Seeing Isabella’s overreaction, Lin Yue raised an eyebrow, set down all the food he’d prepared, and said, “You were chatting so happily—I didn’t want to interrupt.”
Looking at Lin Yue, who seemed no different from usual, as if the exam incident hadn’t affected him at all, Isabella didn’t know why, but she felt a little annoyed.
It’s like I’m the only one all nervous…
Seeing Lin Yue so relaxed and unconcerned, it was clear he hadn’t put any thought into how to meet her—he just ate when it was time to eat, and slept when it was time to sleep.
Isabella had originally wanted to act a little different this time, but unconsciously still fell into her usual bickering mode, which left her frustrated.
Why does he risk his life to protect me anyway…
Isabella was puzzled.
Whether it was during the exam when he refused to abandon her life, or when Allen lost control and he fought to protect her, or when he argued in the council, urging her not to give up—all of it was totally different from the dissolute young master she’d known, who made her sick with his gaze and whose behavior she hated.
Does he want the Valiana family’s reward?
Or an alliance?
Or does he like me—does he want my body?
But then again, if that were it, he would’ve gotten what he wanted back when I asked him to marry me.
She started to doubt her own feminine charm.
So many beauties around him, yet he’s never wavered or shown any ambiguous behavior—she really couldn’t figure out what he was thinking…
Isabella watched as the firelight shone on Lin Yue’s face, his black hair seeming to glow golden in the warm light.
Under his long eyelashes, those deep brown eyes stared at the campfire, with a faint, almost imperceptible trace of pink at the corners—visible only up close.
He looked as though he was deeply pondering something.
The light cast striking shadows on his handsome profile, making Isabella realize he truly was a handsome man.
Her cheeks flushed, as if she was seeing something she liked; her beautiful eyes opened wide.
Seeing this, Airella’s own eyes nearly narrowed into slits.
Right, right, I don’t like him!
I’m just grateful because I owe him my life, that’s all!
Dead tsundere… even your gaze is getting syrupy.
Airella watched Isabella, torn between wanting to claim him and being too proud to admit it, and could only feel speechless.
Can’t stand these people who say one thing and feel another.
Glancing over at Lin Yue, he seemed completely oblivious to Isabella’s look, just focused on controlling the heat.
Oh… I see.
It’s unrequited love, no wonder Lin Yue keeps denying any relationship with her.
My, Lin Yue really is popular.
With looks like that, he’s a top-tier handsome guy…
If I were Lin Yue, having some rude woman pester me because of an engagement would be truly annoying.
Hm… though, that’s kind of his own fault.
Lin Yue and I are comrades-in-arms, so of course I should advise him about this relationship. If Isabella and Lin Yue really got together, I’d have to beg for a wedding feast cooked by Lin Yue himself.
Looking at his blockhead expression, he probably hasn’t ever considered romance at all.
Whenever he keeps his distance from others, Airella could only feel speechless.
Not that it matters to me.
No matter how much he likes someone, he won’t like me…
Airella recalled every time she got close to Lin Yue, only to be coldly pushed away, and felt a little annoyed.
Suddenly, Airella felt her wrist grabbed by a big hand, and was yanked toward Lin Yue.
“Airella! I have something very important to tell you!”
Lin Yue suddenly grabbed her hand, urgency in his voice, as all three pairs of eyes turned toward him.
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.