Emma sighed as she scooped up a spoonful of cereal soaked in milk and held it to Nana’s lips.
The little girl happily munched on the crunchy bites while Emma quietly sorted through her thoughts.
Last night, she had been awake for a long ti thinking about what she heard from her father. Everything about those scripture and the illustration.
What bothered her the most was the sudden evidence Jeromy and maybe others must have found of that era. Who could have even recorded it? Was it even real? And if it was, would they actually make a connection once William’s secret would be revealed.
Because she knew, sooner or later it would co out.
’Haah...again I am...’
She had woken up late, yet surprisingly, she wasn’t the last to reach the table. Sherry was missing, and so was William.
She had run into William in the hallway earlier. He said he was returning after a run.
He didn’t look upset, even after she had clearly told him she couldn’t share what she had heard from her father.
That alone made her chest tighten. She felt guilty, but she had her reasons.
He ntioned he would join her after a quick bath, so she brought Nana along and sat down with her father and uncle for breakfast.
"You don’t look well-rested, Emma," Jeromy said with a gentle smile, noticing the faint dullness in her eyes.
Emma nodded lightly. "Yes... I was just thinking about the mid-term."
Vitori knew his daughter wasn’t particularly anxious about exams, but he played along to avoid drawing suspicion from his friend. "It’s happening next week, right?"
Emma nodded. "Yes."
Jeromy humd thoughtfully. "My daughter never attended an academy. Tell , how do they test students these days?"
Vitori chuckled. "Back in our ti, they sent us on a week-long hunt. We had to bring back specific materials to pass."
Emma gave a wry smile. "I wish they had kept things that simple."
Just then, Nana sneezed right before the spoon reached her mouth, spilling a bit of milk. Emma gently wiped her face and soothed her until she cald down.
As she resud feeding her, she answered the blue-haired man, "There are two stages now. One is academic assessnt, and the other is physical. The written tests are mostly the sa, but the second stage changes."
"Last year, it was monster hunting. The year before that, it was a one-on-one battle against a Devil."
When she glanced down again, Nana had stopped eating her cereal. Emma chuckled softly and turned to the maid.
"Could I get so pancakes? The little princess seems slightly offended."
The maid smiled fondly and slipped back into the kitchen to prepare sothing that might restore Nana’s mood.
"That’s rather strange, isn’t it? I an, how much can the variation really matter if, in the end, they all have to fight?" Jeromy asked.
Vitori humd. "Perhaps it’s ant to prepare students to face the unexpected. Though I admit, it doesn’t sound entirely logical."
The two n exchanged a look, then moved on to other topics.
Just then, a fifth person entered the room.
"Good morning, everyone," William said with an easy smile. He gently ruffled Nana’s hair, avoided looking at Emma, and offered a brief nod along with a polite smile to the two elders.
"You’re quite energetic this early. I saw you running laps around the forest," Jeromy remarked.
William blinked in mild surprise. "I didn’t sense you. Where were you?"
Jeromy shrugged casually. "Inside my room. I’m rather sensitive to magical presences, especially ones I’ve felt before."
William paused for a fraction of a second.
There was nothing overtly alarming about the man, yet it unsettled him. His own aether presence was nearly imperceptible, carefully restrained. And still, Jeromy had noticed him.
Emma kept glancing at William, but he avoided her gaze entirely. He stood by the table, calmly surveying the dishes as if nothing weighed on his mind.
Vitori broke the silence. "So, William, did you receive any compensation from the Great Hall for your services?"
William let out a light chuckle as he sat down. "Not a single stone."
Jeromy frowned imdiately. "That’s ridiculous. Setting aside the mission you participated in, they are obligated to pay you for every day you were part of their training program."
Vitori nodded in agreent. "The exchange students were compensated before they were even sent here. Though the program officially concludes today, so perhaps they’ll reach out to you soon."
William nodded. A monetary reward would certainly be welco.
Just then, the maid returned, carrying a tray stacked with freshly made pancakes.
Nana’s eyes lit up instantly, and she turned toward Emma with barely contained excitent.
Despite the faint ache in her chest from being ignored, the silver-haired girl smiled gently and nodded, understanding Nana’s silent plea.
As Emma placed two pancakes onto Nana’s plate and drizzled honey over them, William spoke up, "I’ll have so pancakes as well."
Vitori gave a faint smile. "Sweet food in the morning, hm? It’s good to be young."
Soon, the two n drifted into a discussion about politics and the empire.
anwhile, William placed three pancakes on his plate and began pouring honey over them with slow precision. He found the golden stream oddly tempting. Lifting the honeycomb slightly above his mouth, he let a thin ribbon fall directly onto his tongue.
Across the table, soone visibly flinched.
At last, his eyes t Emma’s.
He allowed a few more droplets to trail over his lips, then deliberately licked them away, slow and unhurried, making sure she noticed every deliberate movent.
William did not break eye contact.
Instead of reaching for a fork, he casually set the utensils aside.
He picked up one of the pancake slices with his hand.
The gesture was simple, almost careless, yet deliberate. His fingers pressed lightly into the soft surface, honey glistening over the golden layers. The syrup slowly slid down the edge, clinging to his knuckles before dripping lazily back onto the plate.
He lifted the pancake to his mouth and took a slow bite.
Not hurried and slightly ssy. Just the kind which made her breath shallow.
His teeth sank through the fluffy layers while a thin line of honey stretched briefly before snapping against his lower lip. He didn’t wipe it away imdiately. Instead, his tongue flicked out, slow and precise, tracing the sweetness from the corner of his mouth.
Emma’s fingers tightened around her spoon.
The way he chewed was unbothered, relaxed, as though he had all the ti in the world. His throat moved subtly as he swallowed, and then he drew his thumb along his bottom lip where a sar of honey still lingered.
He looked at her while doing it.
Not smiling or appeared to be teasing.
Just watching.
Then, without breaking that gaze, he brought his thumb to his mouth and slowly licked the honey clean.
Emma felt warmth crawl up her neck.
The room suddenly felt smaller. Louder. And yet distant at the sa ti. The clink of plates and the murmur of political discussion faded into a blur.
In that mont, she wanted to eat.
But not the pancakes.
Not at all.
°°°°°°°°°°
A/N:- Thanks for reading. The girl is thirsty and her man knows what she wants.
I had a fun ti writing this Chapter.
Thanks for reading. Drop a comnt.
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