Chapter 19: A Surprise for Him

Chapter 19: Chapter 19: A Surprise for Him

Victor froze.

"The only one." It was such a heavy phrase.

For Lilia to say those words without a second thought proved that Caius held an unparalleled place in her heart... a place no one else could ever hope to reach. For some inexplicable reason, Victor felt a sour pang in his chest.

He parted his lips, wanting to ask why. Was it because of his identity? The status of the Beaumont family? Or did Lilia believe that some things could only be accomplished with Caius’s help?

But... he could clearly help her too. Just like now, as he was teaching her Magic. A sudden urge welled up within him to tell Lilia, to prove to her that Caius wasn’t her only option.

Victor lowered his voice. "Lilia."

"Hmm?"

"Are you willing to trust me?"

Lilia looked at him and tilted her head, clearly a little confused.

Victor replied with a smile. Without saying a word, he extended his hand toward her, palm facing up. Lilia hesitated for a moment before placing her hand in his. The girl’s slender fingers rested against his palm, bringing a soft touch and warmth that felt entirely different from his own. Victor closed his hand, gripping hers tightly.

"Close your eyes and feel it carefully," Victor said, his voice hoarse. "Take the initiative to channel your Magic Power into me. Just... treat me like a Demon Crystal."

Lilia was amused by the bizarre yet incredibly vivid analogy. Her fingers trembled slightly with suppressed laughter, prompting Victor to hold her even tighter.

Thanks to her repeated practice, her output of Magic Power was very stable. Almost the instant Lilia extended her Magic Power into him, a completely unfamiliar strand of power tangled around hers. At first, it aggressively squeezed her Magic Power tight, but then it reluctantly let go, becoming as gentle and courteous as its master. It guided Lilia as she traveled through Victor’s body, letting her experience the flow and transformation of his Magic Power firsthand, revealing every detail to her without reservation.

Lilia calmed her mind. Just as Victor had instructed, she kept her eyes closed and sensed the energy carefully. Under Victor’s manipulation, the surrounding Elemental Particles were rapidly drawn over. They gathered in their clasped hands, growing more abundant and increasingly dense.

Suddenly, Lilia noticed something and opened her eyes. She slowly lifted her hand.

Accompanied by a barely audible crackle, a cluster of flames ignited, illuminating their loosely clasped hands. Lilia froze, instinctively looking at Victor beside her. Catching her off guard, her gaze met a pair of light-colored eyes.

Victor had been watching her the entire time. He watched her place her hand in his palm. He watched her calm her mind, focusing intently on the flow of his Magic Power under his guidance. He watched her slightly stunned expression as she successfully ignited the flame, and... he watched her eyes, which looked exceptionally bright in the firelight.

A wave of satisfaction rose and spread in Victor’s chest, gradually occupying his entire heart.

"...Look." Victor smiled. "That’s the trick."

Lilia relaxed now, completely stepping out of her previous disappointment. "So the trick you mentioned is just you guiding me through all of this?"

"For a beginner, this is certainly a viable shortcut."

He rarely said such opportunistic things. Lilia couldn’t help but laugh. "But this counts as cheating. You can’t help me forever."

"But I want to help you like this forever," he thought, swallowing the words that had almost slipped from his lips.

"...You’re very smart. As long as we do this a few more times, you’ll learn it very quickly."

"A few more times?" Lilia leaned a bit closer to him. "A few more times of what? Practice like this?"

The girl’s tone was pure and innocent. Pointedly, she tapped Victor’s palm with her fingertips, bringing a ticklish sensation that made his heart tremble. Victor unconsciously recalled the soft, slightly cool touch of their hands clasped together moments ago.

His breathing grew a little erratic. She was too close.

At this distance, he could even feel her breath, wrapped in her unique sweet fragrance, gently brushing against his skin and sending a tingling shiver down his spine. Victor’s Adam’s apple bobbed. His gaze uncontrollably trailed downward, moving from her beautiful eyes to the young woman’s moist lips. Pink and soft.

Forcing down those profane thoughts, Victor turned his head away and cleared his throat in a flimsy attempt to cover his reaction. Lilia also withdrew her hand, picking up the small cake specially prepared in the lunchbox. The breeze carried the rich aroma to Victor’s nose—cream, strawberries, and a hint of bitter chocolate.

He noted that she really loved eating cake, firmly etching this detail into his mind.

The next practical Magic class was scheduled for a week later.

During this week, Lilia did not slack off for a single moment and finally managed to grasp the technique of drawing in external elements. Although she was still a bit unpracticed, she had made tremendous progress compared to her previous element-insulating Constitution.

All of this was thanks to Victor’s teachings. He was a great teacher. Gentle and patient, he could always spot a problem at a glance and propose targeted solutions for improvement. Lilia felt it was necessary to thank him.

Sunday.

It was her only day off during the week. Lilia got out of bed before dawn, grabbed her spare change and the gift she had prepared, and left the Earl Mansion.

She had found out where Victor lived from her teacher yesterday. Lilia usually traveled by carriage with an escort, but this time, because she didn’t want Caius to find out, she hadn’t told anyone. She went to the public carriage station alone and asked several people before finally piecing together the complete route to her destination.

She transferred from carriage to carriage, and then traveled the rest of the way on foot.

Lilia walked through the somewhat dilapidated streets and alleys, her feet aching from the journey. This was the old district located in the westernmost part of Taronia, characterized by a mixed populace and chaotic management. It was a completely different world from the Noble district where Lien Academy and the Beaumont Earl Mansion were situated.

And here, she looked like a fairytale Princess who had crossed over into reality. Whether it was her exquisite face or the visibly expensive dress she wore, she was entirely out of place in this chaotic and run-down world.

"Hello, excuse me—" Lilia stopped a passerby. "Do you know how to get to Wendel Street?"

"Wendel Street?" The man stopped and audaciously looked her up and down.

Beautiful girls were rare, and it was even more impossible for a girl so beautiful and clean to appear in the West District. With his limited knowledge, he couldn’t tell the quality of the clothes she was wearing. He simply assumed it was a special tactic for soliciting customers, using seemingly valuable clothes and jewelry to inflate her price.

"The people living there are all destitute; they probably won’t be able to pay a price that satisfies you." The man took a step closer to her. "Little girl, why don’t you consider me instead?"