Outside, the world was swallowed by a thick curtain of night. Cold winds whistled, sneaking through narrow cracks in the door to prowl through the house. Yet, that chill only heightened the allure of the steaming bowl of egg noodles placed before Lia.
The irresistible aroma of golden fried scallions and garlic, blended with the sharp bite of chili, made her swallow hard. Her eyes were glued to the bowl as if afraid it might vanish. Only when she saw Long pick up his chopsticks did she hurriedly scoop up a spoonful of the deep red, piping-hot broth. She blew on it gently before drinking it in one go. The savory sweetness of the egg, followed by a tingling heat on her tongue, sent a wave of pure bliss through her body.
Lia kicked her legs rhythmically, her hands fidgeting beneath the table like an excited child. Long looked up and caught her wriggling with anticipation like an overeager caterpillar. He couldn't help but chuckle. In a moment of unguarded honesty, he blurted out:
"You're really cute."
As if an antenna had locked onto a precise frequency, Lia's brain reacted instantly. She slammed her hand on the table and shot to her feet, shouting to mask her rising panic.
"Hey! What do you mean by that, brat?!"
But her aggressive front fooled no one. Her cheeks were flushed the color of ripe tomatoes, and her small shoulders trembled. Long understood immediately—this wasn't rejection; it was a total system overload. Instead of retracting his words, he calmly doubled down.
"I just think you're cute. Can't I pay you a compliment?"
Lia froze. Her lips moved, but the sound died in her throat. Her face burned—unclear if it was from anger or overwhelming shyness—as a fierce internal battle raged within her mind.
Ahhh, this little punk dares to mess with me! I should teach him a lesson. But hitting him would be weird, and anything else would just make it more awkward. Oh no, what do I do?
But… he actually is kind of cute. Thoughtful, gentle, and… okay, handsome. Wait, Lia, what are you thinking?! No, no, no. There's no way he means anything by it, and I definitely don't either. It's just a naive compliment. Yes, that must be it.
By the end of her mental tug-of-war, Lia was practically sweating bullets. She straightened up, pointed a trembling finger at Long, and donned the most "serious" expression she could muster.
"Listen carefully. Saying things like that to a girl can lead to… misunderstandings. So—"
"I do mean it," Long interrupted decisively. "Do you not like it?"
The answer hit like a delayed explosion, shattering Lia's worldview and flinging her psyche into the void of the universe. She collapsed back into her chair, her head spinning as if she'd taken a physical blow.
Uh… where am I? Who am I?
Before she could recover, the warmth of the noodles drifted back to her face, neatly held between the chopsticks Long was offering.
"Here…"
Lia startled, leaning back. "You… what are you doing now?"
Long offered a gentle, patient smile. "You don't know how to use chopsticks, right? Let me help. Eat quickly, before they get cold."
Lia's fingers twisted the hem of her shirt as she tried to avoid his gaze. But the seductive aroma of the meal made short work of her pride. With a look of reluctant surrender, she opened her mouth and accepted the noodles. Deep within her sparkling eyes, a small, blissful smile quietly bloomed.
A few minutes later, the bowl was polished clean. Lia sprawled on the sofa with a look of utter contentment. Long stood at the sink, the rhythmic sound of clinking dishes filling the silence.
"Was it good?"
"So good. Amazing, honestly. I usually never eat—who knew I'd been missing out on this?" Lia replied lazily.
"So your race doesn't need food?"
"Not exactly. We absorb mana from the environment to survive. Senses like taste and digestion never really evolved for us the way they did for humans."
Long recalled how she had barely reacted to the strawberry candy in the dungeon, a stark contrast to her vibrant expressions over the noodles. Curious, he asked, "Then what about your current form? Why do you look human?"
Lia's playfulness dimmed. "Probably because I ran out of mana. Back in the dungeon, I used mindless casting to push you away, then used the last of my strength to restrain that serpent."
She reached back, touching the spot where her magnificent wings should have been.
"Our wings are like mana cores," she sighed. "I had just awakened from hibernation and hadn't absorbed enough energy. Forcing that much magic caused them to shatter." She grew solemn. "And it's possible that the Demon King's Gate affected me while I was weakened, forcing me into this human state."
Long flinched, nearly dropping a plate. He spun around. "What? That was the Demon King's Gate?"
Lia nodded slowly. "The gods told my party that the Demon King possessed a gate capable of bridging any world. That's why Alex gave everything to defeat him. He just wanted to find a way home."
She looked toward the portrait on the altar, her smile tinged with sadness. "You finally found peace, didn't you, Alex?"
Long sat beside her, staring at the ceiling. The reality was more insane than he could have imagined. "So… will you lose your wings forever?"
"No. It's temporary. For my kind, absorbing enough environmental mana will restore them." She scanned the room. "But I can't sense a drop of mana here. So for now, I'm no different from an ordinary girl."
As she spoke, she gave Long a meaningful, unreadable look before quickly turning away. She let out a long yawn. "I'm sleepy. I'll tell you the rest tomorrow."
Realizing he hadn't prepared a room, Long launched into an emergency cleaning operation in the guest room. By the time he led her inside, the space was cozy and filled with the soothing scent of eucalyptus wood.
He fussed around her attentively. "I made honey tea for you. It'll help you sleep. My room is right next door—call me if you need anything. There's a lock on the door if you're worried about me... uh... sneaking in. Do you need an extra blanket? I—"
A soft kiss landed on his cheek.
Long's legs nearly gave out. His heart hammered like a war drum, his entire face flashing crimson. Lia placed a delicate finger over his lips and spoke with a sugary sweetness:
"Good boy. Sleep well."
She pushed him out and clicked the door shut. With his heart racing this violently, Long knew sleep would be a stranger tonight.
In truth, that night, two souls lay awake, staring into the dark.