“Come on. Ah...”

“...”

“Miss Muse, don’t be shy. Come on. Ah...”

“Ah...”

“Good girl. One more bite.”

One bite, one bite, and another.

Watching the spoon in her hand be sent, again and again, between Miss Muse’s tender lips—Ariel was clearly still holding back her hunger, not having eaten a single bite herself, yet her heart felt indescribably satisfied.

Hand-feeding a beautiful girl—according to all those emotional treatises—was a fantastic way to raise affection!

And it was also a way to test the other person’s feelings for you. Look at Miss Muse right now: half refusing, half yielding; wanting to speak but holding back; wanting to... whatever—anyway, she was a mix of shyness, worry, and tension. If you said she didn’t feel anything for Ariel at all, who would believe it?

Just imagine: if you were seriously ill in a hospital and some hired old-aunt caregiver fed you—would a normal person’s heart stir even a little? Would their expression shift at all?

Of course not.

Miss Muse’s shy, adorable, wanting-to-refuse-but-too-embarrassed posture was proof that her heart was churning with waves just like Ariel’s!!

Judging by Ariel’s rich romantic experience, there was absolutely no way she was wrong!

“Come on. Keep going...”

“Um... that’s enough. I’m full,” Miss Muse suddenly said.

“Huh? That fast?”

Ariel blinked, feeling a little wistful.

Such wonderful feeding time—already over? She hadn’t even enjoyed it enough yet.

“You’re full already? Miss Muse, is your appetite a little small?” Ariel asked suspiciously, and she couldn’t help worrying it was the special kind of restraint beautiful girls had.

Like Liya—she’d be drooling over little cakes, but then grit her teeth and give them up because of her gradually filling-out figure.

But Miss Muse’s figure obviously didn’t need dieting. So her restraint...

Could it be she didn’t want to leave Ariel with the impression that she had too big an appetite?

“Miss Muse, please don’t worry,” Ariel said at once, deadly serious. “Even if you could eat a whole cow, I wouldn’t dislike you! And I’ve always thought being able to eat is also a cute trait for a beautiful girl!”

“No... this is already the third bowl. That’s not small, is it? And eating a whole cow is way too scary.”

Miss Muse kept smiling—awkward, yet polite.

What she’d just shown was clearly an adult man’s appetite. After all, what was stewing in the pot wasn’t ordinary meat. This was magical beast meat from the bitter northern cold; its mana went without saying, and it was packed with calories and fat—one of those things where an ordinary person would gain three jin from a single small piece.

But by Ariel’s standards...

This really was small.

If she opened up her appetite, she could probably actually eat a whole cow.

“Ariel, you haven’t eaten yet. Here.”

“Ah, thanks.”

Ariel straightened her back.

The joy that had dissipated because she couldn’t continue the feeding play rippled back through her again—

Because she suddenly realized something very important.

What was about to go into her mouth... ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) was food Miss Muse had made with her own hands!

“Thank you so much! I’ll eat every last drop with the deepest gratitude!”

She didn’t even bother with a bowl. Ariel directly took the small pot that still had more than half left.

The rich aroma teased her taste buds. Before she even began to taste it, saliva was already flooding her mouth.

Ariel felt deeply moved. As expected of Miss Muse—her cooking was this excellent, too!

“I’m digging in!”

“Wait!”

Miss Muse suddenly called out to Ariel, and there was a faint trace of fear in her expression.

But in Ariel’s eyes, that was a worry that came straight from the heart.

“Is something wrong?” Ariel asked, confused.

“Wrong... it’s not a big problem, but...”

Miss Muse’s gaze fell on Ariel’s hand, and the corner of her mouth twitched imperceptibly.

“That spoon... that was the one you used to feed me just now, right...?”

“Yes.”

“Um... switch to a different one. That’s not very hygienic.”

“What are you saying!”

Ariel suddenly clenched her fist, her expression solemn.

“Do you think I’m the kind of person who would dislike a spoon you’ve used, Miss Muse?”

“N-no... that’s not what I mean... I’m just afraid you’ll regret it later...”

“Why would I regret it? Being able to share one spoon with Miss Muse isn’t that proof that our relationship has gotten closer?”

So Miss Muse really was still that shy, huh?

But that was fine. As a master of romance, at times like this she had to use real actions to prove her sincerity!

Indirect kissing or anything like that—she absolutely did not have any disgusting thoughts like that in her head!

Not giving Miss Muse a chance to react, Ariel quickly gripped the spoon Miss Muse had personally used and rapidly tasted the food Miss Muse had personally made.

“So good...”

With double Miss Muse buffs, this simple meat soup was actually on par with her favorite panini cake in deliciousness!

She really hoped she could eat Miss Muse’s cooking often in the future.

“...Sin. Sin. May the goddess—”

“Huh? What is Miss Muse saying?”

“Nothing. I’m just praying to the goddess... for my future.”

For some reason, Miss Muse pressed her hands together, looking like a devout worshiper of the goddess.

“Miss Muse, are you a believer of the Life Goddess?” Ariel asked curiously. She hadn’t found even the slightest trace of the Life Church on Miss Muse, so she hadn’t expected she might be a believer.

“Strictly speaking, half of one.”

“Half?”

“I don’t really believe in the goddess myself, but someone I’m very close to believes in her, so sometimes I’ll ask the goddess for help.”

“I see... haha, that’s kind of like me too.”

Ariel smiled, and she couldn’t help feeling again how astonishingly similar fate was in this moment.

She was the same—because of Liya, she would occasionally pray to the Life Goddess too.

It didn’t cost anything. Might as well believe a little.

Even this could match—was this the compatibility between Miss Muse and her?

She was in love. Totally in love.

“Then what were you praying for just now, Miss Muse?”

“...”

“Is it not convenient to say?”

“No... it’s nothing.”

Miss Muse paused, then suddenly lifted her chin slightly and gazed up at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle, speaking in a melancholy tone.

“I was just hoping that when the time comes... I can at least leave behind a whole corpse...”

“A whole corpse? What do you mean?”

Ariel instantly tensed. “Miss Muse, are you worried about our current situation? Don’t worry—I’ll protect you properly. I absolutely won’t let anyone hurt you!”

Not good—she’d been so immersed in matters of love that she’d forgotten their situation.

Miss Muse must feel so insecure right now!

What should she do here? Be brave and hug her directly? Or...

“Ariel.”

At that moment, Miss Muse’s suddenly grave tone cut off Ariel’s wild thoughts.

Ariel lifted her eyes and found that Miss Muse’s expression had become extremely solemn.

“Miss Muse, what is it?”

Sensing the shift in atmosphere, Ariel also entered a serious mode in an instant.

“Are your injuries a little better?”

“My injuries...”

Ariel looked down and moved the ten fingers still wrapped in bandages.

After waking up and being hit by a string of pink events, only now did she have time to actually feel her physical condition.

“I’ve recovered... a little. But I’m still very far from being completely healed.”

After all, they were such serious injuries. Even she couldn’t possibly recover all of it overnight.

“Then can you walk?” Miss Muse asked.

“Walk... of course I can.”

Ariel hopped a few times. She tugged a wound by accident, and her expression turned slightly unnatural, but she did look like she could move freely.

“Good.”

Miss Muse let out a quiet breath and continued.

“What I’m about to say next—listen carefully.”

“What is it?”

“About... what comes next.”

Miss Muse poked at the campfire a few times, making the fire that was about to go out struggle to burn its last remaining embers.

“First: if my guess is correct, the lead dog of the pack of hunting hounds that’s been tracking us from behind should be the First Demon General, Zagu.”

“Zagu?”

Ariel’s gaze sharpened.

She had fought Zagu herself. She’d been knocked off the high tower by him—and there was also the grievance of her crushed chest—so she understood better than anyone how terrifying an opponent the First Demon General was.

“So it really was him? Then it’s not strange we were chased this badly.”

“Zagu looks like he wants to have his hunting dogs bleed us first, then deal with us personally, to make sure nothing can go wrong. In a sense, among a demon race full of idiots with screws loose, his intelligence is outstanding. But a few hours ago, I used a little method to temporarily slow Zagu down, and I cut off the locating thing on my body. After this, he shouldn’t be able to lock onto our position so easily.”

“Really?”

Ariel’s eyes widened in shock.

So while she was unconscious, Miss Muse not only got them out of danger for now—she did so much?

So amazing...

“But...”

Miss Muse’s tone shifted.

“According to my instincts, that guy won’t give up so easily. Next, he’ll definitely catch up again.”

“True. At this point, Zagu has no reason to give up.”

Ariel stroked her chin thoughtfully. “And besides, Miss Muse, you even played him. Back on the tower, after I played him, he looked furious. There’s no way he’ll swallow that so easily.”

“No. There should be another reason. The one who wants to kill me probably isn’t Zagu, but...”

Miss Muse paused, and still didn’t say that name.

Ariel clearly wasn’t going to leave on her own, so saying that name would only add to her psychological burden.

“In short, our crisis still isn’t over, so...”

“So?”

“Run that way.”

Miss Muse suddenly lifted her hand, pointing in a direction.

The campfire flickered, but it couldn’t fully light up the surroundings. When Ariel followed the direction Miss Muse pointed, she still saw only deep darkness.

“That way is...?”

“I’m not very sure either. My instincts tell me it’s dangerous. Even from this far away, I feel a chill down my spine.”

“Is that so?”

Ariel frowned and carefully sensed it too.

She felt nothing.

It was as if there was nothing at all beyond the darkness and fog.

But just as Miss Muse said—behind this emptiness, she faintly sensed a bone-chilling creepiness.

That direction... really did seem dangerous.

“But if it’s that dangerous, why are we going that way?” Ariel was even more confused.

Even someone as headstrong as her wouldn’t charge into a place that was obviously dangerous when both of them were badly injured.

“Because for some reason I have to go there. Of course, I only noticed the sense of danger after coming down beneath the cliff... Ariel, are you willing to believe me?”

Miss Muse suddenly looked straight into Ariel’s eyes.

“Believe me. Go that way.”

“...”

This time, it was Ariel’s turn to fall silent.

Believe—between lovers, it might be one of the most frequently used words.

Believe I won’t look at other women.

Believe there’s only you in my eyes.

Believe I’ll always love you... things like that.

But between life and death, it was also the most powerless and flimsy word.

Because even between lovers, in the face of death, the word “believe” became fragile.

And yet...

“What are you saying?”

Ariel’s silence was unbelievably short.

She put her hands on her hips and tried hard to puff out her open, honest chest.

“Didn’t I say it a long time ago? I’ll always believe in Miss Muse! If I didn’t believe you, I wouldn’t have saved you, and I wouldn’t have fought those guys for you either. Back then, wouldn’t it have been better for me to run away alone?

“So at this point, why would Miss Muse say something that makes people sad?”

Yeah.

They’d already come this far. Why did she need to say something like that—ask a question like that?

“Right. After all, you’re Ariel.”

Miss Muse smiled. Her expression was still complex—so complex that Ariel couldn’t quite read the meaning within it.

Maybe one day, if she could understand what was hidden inside that smile... she’d be able to truly step into this beautiful girl’s heart.

At least, Ariel thought so.

“Then next... I’ll have to hand things over to you for a while.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

Before Ariel could even react, she saw Miss Muse suddenly go limp and collapse to the ground.

“Miss Muse!”

Ariel’s heart lurched. She stepped forward, grabbed Miss Muse’s wrist, and pressed her other hand to the side of her neck.

Good—her pulse was still there, her heartbeat was still there, and her breathing was normal too.

No danger to her life.

Ariel let out a breath for the time being.

But...

“Her face is so pale.”

Miss Muse’s profile had been lit by the firelight all along, so only now, as the firelight gradually dimmed, did Ariel suddenly realize—Miss Muse’s face had gone so pale there wasn’t even a trace of blood color left.

Even someone who never saw sunlight wouldn’t be this pale. Rather than weak, she looked like a living corpse that had just been dug out of a grave.

“Why is she this pale? Her qi and blood aren’t depleted... which means what’s depleted is... her spirit?”

Ariel’s lips moved as she stared, disbelief on her face.

Her teachers often trained her in mental power, and she’d fought enemies in consecutive battles until her mental strength was nearly exhausted.

She knew better than anyone how painful mental exhaustion was.

But even she had never let herself be drained to this extent. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Like a clear spring—Miss Muse hadn’t just scooped all the water out. She’d even wrung out every last trace of moisture, until it was completely dried up.

That could not only damage the spring’s source and affect what came after, but the pain of being completely dried out—the willpower to endure it up to now—was something even Ariel found hard to imagine.

“Why did you force yourself this far...?”

“Once we shook off the enemy, you could’ve rested. Why would you risk your life and keep forcing it?”

“Could it be...”

Ariel pressed a hand to her chest. Her eyes flickered as she murmured,

“For me?”