The afternoon sunlight had softened into a lazy warmth, lending an added touch of tenderness to the air beside the restaurant's window.
"Say ah..."
Lanqi cut off a morsel of pan-seared tender veal with his fork, dipped it in sauce, and held it to Talia's lips.
Blushing shyly, Talia parted her lips slightly, and soon the bite-sized piece was fed into her mouth with a spoon, while Lanqi's other hand hovered underneath to catch any stray drips. "Didn't we skip a whole bunch of steps and jump straight to the main event?"
Talia asked him between chewing and swallowing.
As dish after delicious dish was served, the two threw caution to the wind today, falling into a rhythm of feeding and being fed.
Only after eating like this did they realize that in the past, they would have bickered and resisted back and forth for half a day. Having transitioned so seamlessly into mutually willing feeding only left her with an unprecedented sense of embarrassment.
"Or should we go stroll around a bit more before coming back to eat?" Lanqi suggested.
"No, better to stick to business."
Talia shook her head and continued tasting the familiar fare of the Colonges Sunbridge Inn Restaurant.
After leaving Parkinson Palace, they had followed their planned route to the nearby restaurant.
Inside the main hall, brilliant lights illuminated the pristine white tablecloths and gleaming silverware. Looking out from their window booth, they had an unobstructed view of the Selena River, where dreamlike ripples on the azure waters put them completely at ease.
"You don't need me to hold you this time?" Lanqi asked with a slight note of provocation.
He had already learned how to handle Talia today.
Even though their overtly intimate behavior had already drawn envious or teasing glances from other patrons, Lanqi had no time to worry about that. This was a direct showdown between him and Talia.
Whoever showed weakness would be spun like a top.
"?!"
Talia paused her eating for a moment.
Although the two had slipped into feeding mode as soon as the meal began, Talia still found it difficult to loosen up right away, every muscle in her body wound tight. Lanqi had clearly seized upon this opportunity to mess with her and catch her off guard.
Lanqi took in her frozen expression completely. The more Talia thought about it, the more she felt this guy deserved to die.
"Do you want human form, cat form, or... I stay in human form and you treat me like a cat?" Talia cast all embarrassment aside, leaning close to Lanqi and whispering into his ear.
With that, she even let out a barely audible meow beside his ear.
The fork in Lanqi's hand tapped lightly against the porcelain plate.
He hadn't expected Professor Talia to be this uninhibited today.
If this kept up, they would end up reenacting their previous date all over again.
"If I accidentally read your weight, will you be mad at me?" Lanqi said, hoping Talia would be a bit more reasonable.
"...If you read it once or twice, I won't blame you. I already said you can mess with me however you want today."
Talia suppressed her temper and answered with a maintained smile.
"But my reading is real-time. By the way, how do you manage to keep eating non-stop while your weight barely changes?" Lanqi had been curious about this last time, but hadn't dared to ask then.
"..."
Talia truly clenched her fists this time.
She dearly wanted to curse him out, but feared that would only give him satisfaction. What kind of jerk does real-time readings? What, was he going to take derivatives and calculate the rate of change of her weight while she ate?
"Because I'm using magic to rapidly break down food into stamina and mana. It's my recovery magic," Talia exhaled, explaining with forced patience.
"Then how come that recovered mana doesn't get fed back to me?" Lanqi was astonished the moment he heard this.
Mana always flowed toward those who had no lack of it.
Talia had constantly consumed his mana, yet for her, mana itself was something that could run at a surplus.
"I can't help it. After using Demon Fusion, even though I'm the one holding the earring and remain in control of the consciousness, the physical traits lean toward the one being fused with. So, like Lanfu, I have no mana bar anymore. Even if I recover mana, I can't channel it back into you."
Talia explained the mechanics of the Epic equipment they had already thoroughly studied.
"Unless you become my familiar, in which case I could let you use my mana. Besides, your power consumption should be very low—there's no way you could burn through all my mana." Talia thought about it and felt that Lanqi serving as her familiar was actually a much more reasonable arrangement.
"Wouldn't that turn into Tamisha and Lankeluosi?"
In Lanqi's recollection of the story he dreamt about after the Blood Moon Ruined World, Lankeluosi was supposed to have become Tamisha's familiar after she found him.
"Exactly. That kind of pair would actually have real combat strength. Don't you think our mana supply and consumption are completely reversed right now?" Talia discussed it with Lanqi in all seriousness.
Though she knew the conversation had drifted off course, she tacitly continued with the new topic.
There would be plenty of chances to hold each other and spoon-feed later. They could do that at home; there was no need to torture each other in a restaurant.
"True enough."
Lanqi imagined it for a moment: if their roles were reversed, Talia might actually display the bearing of a true Demon King.
"Don't I have that now? Am I not the cutest Demon King in history?" Talia demanded.
"..."
Lanqi finally couldn't hold it in. With trembling hands, he picked up his fork and continued feeding Talia to cover his laughter.
"Answer me! Haven't you said I'm cute before? You've said it multiple times, and I remember every single one clearly." Talia swallowed the food Lanqi offered and pressed on.
Lanqi was so practiced at feeding her that even without him holding her this time, she felt completely figured out by him. The food choices suited her tastes so perfectly that she felt like she was melting.
"Tata, do you know? In the face of your talent, Lanfu's efforts are completely worthless."
As Lanqi fed her, he occasionally dabbed away crumbs from the corners of her mouth with a napkin, praising her with wholehearted sincerity.
"I think you just want to act in a play with me again, but your master has no rewards for you this time."
At first, Talia had sat upright and proper, but as time slipped by, she seemed genuinely worn out. Trying her best to empty her mind to dull the shame, she simply opened her mouth, chewed, and matched Lanqi's motions.
The hands of the clock crept forward, and the sun gradually slanted toward the west.
At this moment, he truly felt that Talia was like a warm, soft kitten—or perhaps more like a large feline. Even without leaping into his lap this time, she nestled right against his side.
"Tata, I still have a question."
Lanqi didn't know how much time had passed in the restaurant, only certain that wave after wave of guests had come and gone.
Only the two of them remained by the window, eating a lunch that was bordering on dinner.
"Ask."
Talia had already braced herself mentally.
"Since you have magic to rapidly break down food, why are you still gaining weight?"
When in doubt, Lanqi simply asked.
"?!"
Talia snapped out of her culinary bliss instantly, her face flushing crimson as she glared up at him.
"Th-that's because I was too thin before! When I was wandering, I never got to eat anything good. Didn't you notice?" she said to Lanqi.
"Seems that way."
Lanqi had assumed she ate so much that even her special magic couldn't completely curb the caloric surplus.
*It's not! It really isn't!*
Left speechless, Talia could only keep eating the food Lanqi brought to her lips.
She had heard what Lanqi was thinking.
After a moment's thought, she touched her lower abdomen.
There was clearly no belly fat, proving that the slight weight she had gained over the past two years was harmless—a natural balance.
"Pfft."
Lanqi noticed her subtle gesture and what was crossing her mind, very politely trying to stifle a laugh.
"You..."
Talia started to curse, then held back.
She had to endure it today, no matter what.
Taking the plunge, she grabbed Lanqi's wrist and pressed his hand against her flat stomach.
"Look, I don't have a paunch. Feel for yourself if you don't believe me."
She let go, leaving Lanqi to feel for himself.
Once again, Lanqi received erroneous parameters.
Not many people could cause Lanqi's brain to freeze up, but Talia was indisputably the supreme champion at it.
He could never predict what she would do next.
Far outside the restaurant, on a small boat by the riverbank.
Rosalinda rowed leisurely back and forth, the little black cat perched on top of her head.
"What are they talking about? Tata's face was so red just now."
Through the binoculars the cat occasionally handed down to her, Rosalinda could only see Talia chatting and interacting with Lanqi again.
Unfortunately, she was too far away on the Selena River, and using detection magic would certainly be noticed by Lanqi and Talia inside the restaurant. So even in disguise, she could only watch from afar with the little black cat.
"Meow..."
Boss Cat found it hard to put into words what Lanqi and Talia were doing at this moment, nor could it fathom what sort of contest they were having now. It could only telekinetically lower the binoculars and let Countess Rosalinda see for herself.
"Good heavens, what are they...?!" Rosalinda felt her face burning just from watching.
Although the last time she saw Lanqi and Tata they were already fond of little gestures like holding each other's waist, now they were completely uninhibited right in the restaurant—Lanqi had actually laid his hands on Talia's belly.
"I... even if I were drunk, I wouldn't dare imagine letting Mikhail do that to me!" Rosalinda covered her cheeks with both hands, squirming in place.
"Meow..."
Boss Cat figured there really was a reason Rosalinda had lost out.
The Duchess had been missing for over a decade. You could have run a dozen revival tournaments by now, and yet you still haven't landed Mikhail. Isn't that a skill issue on your part?
Shadows and light continued shifting across the Colonges Sunbridge Inn Restaurant, and the distant river surface was plated in gold and tangerine, yet Lanqi and Talia remained tirelessly engrossed in feeding each other.
The sun gradually sank below the horizon, bathing all of Palieu, the City of Flowers, in a magnificent orange-red glow.
The Colonges Sunbridge Inn Restaurant had begun welcoming its dinner patrons, and Lanqi and Talia's lunch was finally drawing to a close.
The waiter warmly served their desserts.
Normally, a manager would get a headache over customers hogging a table for so long on a weekend, but these two were different—they were genuine VIPs who had kept ordering all afternoon.
The dessert was another of the restaurant's signature offerings.
The chestnut cake was made from fresh chestnut purée from the Aquitaine Mountains of the Kingdom of Posen, melting in the mouth with pure, subtle sweetness. Lanqi cut it into small pieces, feeding it to Talia bite by bite.
The cake base was coated in a crisp layer of sliced almonds, its interior whipped repeatedly from freshly picked raspberry purée until soft and airy as a cloud. With every nibble, Talia savored the sweet and tart notes of the raspberries.
Watching the last of the lunch disappear, both felt that today's date had just about run its course.
"Dating really is simple, isn't it?"
Talia sipped her tea, feeling that she was now a seasoned pro at dating. Next time she had to advise Miss Zhuzhu, she would be even more adept.
She hadn't contacted Miss Zhuzhu in a long time. Once she returned to Ikerite, she definitely needed to arrange a meal with this dear friend she had never met face-to-face.
With after-dinner black coffee and herbal tea, Lanqi and Talia concluded their grand feast.
"We look forward to welcoming you both again."
Before they departed, the waiter presented them with a complimentary gift box of matcha and mango pastries. Talia took it with a crimson face and hurried out.
In truth, the more polite the restaurant staff were, the more embarrassed she felt.
The waiters had watched them intimately feeding and pampering each other the entire afternoon.
"Let's go find Iphatia and Mikhail and ask them where there is to go in the City of Flowers tonight, or maybe they can take us on a tour around the Posen Demon Realm."
The moment Lanqi and Talia stepped out of the restaurant's doors, Palieu at four or five o'clock on a winter afternoon was already draped in the glow of sunset.
Today wasn't a festival or holiday, so Mikhail and Iphatia, as frequent visitors to the City of Flowers, ought to know what fun spots there were better than they did.
"By the way, they should be in Posen District 6 today. The place where Aetio is hosting them is at the Sacred Silver Vine Arena. Their plan for today might be watching matches," Talia remembered Rosalinda mentioning this morning that Aetio had arranged to meet VIP guests at the Sacred Silver Vine Arena.
She and Lanqi had first met Aetio at the Sacred Silver Vine Arena. Aetio was already one of the arena's current directors, and now that Lord Perlman of District 10 in the Posen Demon Realm was dead, Aetio—as a representative lord of the Posen Demon Realm and a pro-human demon—wielded even greater influence here in Palieu.
That arena was also where Aetio had first met Mikhail and Iphatia. Originally just a contracted competitor, her talents were only later discovered by Mikhail and Iphatia.
"The Sacred Silver Vine Arena, huh? It's been a while since we were there."
Lanqi had vivid memories of the venue for the Platinum-rank card maker exam, as well as the arena where he and Talia had fought in underground matches together. The two strolled along the street, past rows of ancient buildings whose stone brick walls glowed warmly in the setting sun.
They no longer held hands, walking side by side more comfortably.
Gradually, they left the bustling downtown area and turned into a secluded path. The narrow winding trail snaked upward, lined on both sides with ivy cascading like waterfalls.
Even without speaking, they both knew where to go next.
They knew the route outside the Colonges Sunbridge Inn Restaurant all too well from their deep impressions of their last visit here. Montmartre Heights was the highest point in all of Palieu, the City of Flowers.
Climbing up to the heights along the path offered a panoramic view of the City of Flowers, complete with comfortable benches for resting and a breathtaking vantage point to watch the sunset.
Montmartre Heights in North Bank District 3 stood exceedingly high compared to Palieu's other districts, far beyond the reach of the Selena River flowing below. It had picturesque winding paths, lofty and sacred churches, the square where painters gathered, and cabarets alive with music and dance every night.
By circling past Montmartre Heights, they could reach a well-connected transport hub and take the city rail transit straight to the Sacred Silver Vine Arena in District 6. Within a few minutes, they reached the summit of Montmartre Heights.
Fallen leaves lay piled along the road. Children played and dashed along the path now and then, while in the distance, neatly dressed middle-aged men read newspapers.
Looking out across the expanse, the entire cityscape of Palieu lay spread beneath them. The sinking sun had begun slowly melting into the horizon, tinting the sky in shades of pink like a burning afterglow.
"Life is an open wilderness; galloping across it is what makes it wonderful."
Talia sighed in appreciation, soaking in the rare leisure.
A gentle evening breeze tousled their hair, carrying a faint, refreshing scent of roses. She had rarely felt such peace and wished it could last forever.
"How about we head back and have dinner?" Lanqi suddenly asked, glancing at a clock tower.
Even though they had just finished lunch, it was already dinner time by the clock.
"I'm stuffed. If we go back, it would have to be my turn to feed you."
Talia found Lanqi's motives behind the question extremely suspicious. She was so full right now, having rarely ever eaten this much.
It was all Lanqi's fault for feeding her so much. Whenever she was with him, it was as if she lost her off-switch entirely.
"No, no, that won't be necessary,"
Lanqi shook his head.
He was always worried Talia might go hungry, but he didn't need her to feed him.
Just imagining Talia feeding him made him feel she would look like a mother nursing a child.
"Are you shy, Lanqi? Are you imagining me nursing a baby by day and nursing you by night?"
Talia poked Lanqi's cheek, asking with a teasing, squinted smile.
"What kind of scandalous talk is that?"
Lanqi's eyes widened as he turned his head to look at her.
"I meant breakfast and dinner! Don't let your mind wander into the gutter!"
Talia immediately realized the double entendre in her words and quickly defended herself.
Realizing that the more she explained, the messier it got, she slowly turned her head away and stopped meeting his gaze.
Fortunately, their lunch today had been relatively normal. If they had spent an entire afternoon spoon-feeding while cuddling in Ikerite like last time and their friends saw it, the two of them might as well flee the world.
"..."
The setting sun draped a veil of light over Talia's exquisite features, the twilight of the City of Flowers reflected in her eyes as if memories were flowing by. Without realizing it, she had been in this beautiful city for so long. Every moment of recollection was remarkably vivid when looked back upon now.
"Could you take me to more places in the future?"
Perhaps tired out from all the fuss, or simply content from a full meal, Talia's tone returned to its usual placidity, no longer messing with Lanqi.
Lanqi didn't answer in words; he simply raised his hand and extended his pinky finger.
Talia looked at him, hesitating for a moment.
Then a smile curved her lips, and she reached out, hooking her little finger around his.
The clouds slowly faded, and the sun at last dipped fully below the horizon.
The sky above the City of Flowers transitioned from gorgeous orange-red to deep indigo. Beneath this near-nocturnal sky, the two took transit to the boundary of Palieu bordering the Posen Demon Realm.
District 6 of North Bank in Palieu, the capital of Posen: the Sacred Silver Vine Arena, roughly twenty-five kilometers from downtown Palieu, was easily accessible via the convenient public transportation system.
As the designated venue for the City of Flowers' Holy Grail Familiar Tournament and a multi-purpose arena, the Sacred Silver Vine Arena bustled with excitement year-round. Even people who were neither patrons nor competitors loved watching matches and placing bets here as a pastime—some would even take out small loans to gamble, thinking a win was a fortune and a loss was just a learning fee.
Its prime location allowed it not only to serve sporting and cultural events across Palieu, but also made it convenient for spectators from across the Kingdom of Posen and abroad to attend.
Yet just one kilometer further north lay a sparsely populated district—solely because the Sacred Silver Vine Arena bordered the entrance to the Posen Demon Realm.
Second floor of the Sacred Silver Vine Arena.
In the corridor outside the executive director's office.
"It really is close to the Posen Demon Realm, convenient for them to go back and forth."
Upon arriving at the arena, Talia had learned from the staff that Aetio had been inside all afternoon.
Passing through the northern gate guarded by an ancient spatial barrier led directly into the Posen Demon Realm, and Districts 7 through 10 in northern Palieu served as demon territory.
Ordinary residents of the City of Flowers would venture no further into the demon realm once reaching the arena's perimeter, as humans in the demon realm were no longer shielded by special legal provisions, nor were demons strictly forbidden from harming humans.
This Sacred Silver Vine Arena was truly a landmark standing on the very boundary.
"Since Miss Aetio didn't take Iphatia and Duke Mikhail to the spectator stands, they must be right here," Lanqi communicated mentally to Talia beside him as he looked toward the distant door of the executive director's office.
This was a central administrative area where loud noise was prohibited, requiring them to stay as quiet as possible.
"..."
Talia's closest friends in the City of Flowers were Countess Rosalinda and Demon Realm Lord Aetio. She couldn't wait to see Aetio.
As they approached, they gradually made out Aetio's animated voice, along with Iphatia's characteristically cheerful laughter. Yet for some reason, they also heard another woman laughing along with Iphatia.
*Do you guys have other friends?* Lanqi asked Talia telepathically.
He felt the voice didn't sound like Countess Rosalinda. It sounded more reserved and elegant; compared to the exuberant Countess Rosalinda, she sounded more like a noble lady who kept others at a polite distance.
"I have no idea. Probably a friend of Iphatia and Aetio,"
Talia reflected for a moment, certain that Aetio, Iphatia, and Mikhail had many acquaintances in the City of Flowers that she and Lanqi knew nothing about.
"What on earth are they laughing at, though? They sound so happy."
Lanqi found it slightly puzzling.
He guessed that Aetio and the others had watched the matches at the Sacred Silver Vine Arena in the afternoon and had just returned to the director's office around this time for dinner. But they sounded as if they were eating while watching entertaining videos, bursting with constant laughter.
Lanqi and Talia exchanged glances, neither having an answer. They could only move closer toward the office to investigate.
Gradually,
Iphatia's voice became even clearer.
"Hahahaha, Big Sis and Brother-in-law look like such an idiotic couple!"
The moment they heard those words, both of their steps froze.
"That day, Rosalinda, the little black cat, and I were rowing on the lake watching them. They actually spent the entire afternoon eating at the restaurant," Aetio's voice drifted through the door.
"So they'd already gone to the Colonges Sunbridge Inn Restaurant before! No wonder they both suddenly blushed this morning!" Iphatia laughed, slapping her thigh.
Little did she know that out in the hallway, two people were overheating red all over again.
Lanqi and Talia felt as though the sky had collapsed; they were on pins and needles.
Could it be that during their previous meal at the Colonges Sunbridge Inn Restaurant, the entire thing had been recorded by Aetio?! And now Aetio, Iphatia, and the others were watching it while eating?!
"Did they really hold hands and eat like that the entire afternoon? Wow, wow..." the mysterious woman's voice chimed in.
She seemed utterly stunned by what she was watching.
"Don't worry, the explosive stuff is coming up,"
Aetio said teasingly to the mysterious woman.
They had only finished watching the first half of the date; Talia's lap-sitting skills hadn't even made their debut yet.
"Still, Big Sis Ipha, your sister and your daughter are fighting over the same man—is that really okay?"
Aetio turned and asked Iphatia, who was laughing heedlessly.
At that moment, Lanqi and Talia instinctively bolted toward the director's office.
They had to stop Iphatia and the others from seeing the lap-cuddling spoon-feed scene at all costs!
"It's fine, she's actually an adopted sister! Big Sis is truly going to become my daughter now, tee-hee!"
Iphatia was still leaning back against the couch, laughing with her head tilted up.
Just then, the door to the director's office was flung open.
This spacious office of about a hundred square meters had two doors, front and back. The floor was crafted from century-old oak parquet laid in intricate Posen-style patterns. In the focal area to the right, an antique forged brass oil lamp rested upon a mahogany desk roughly two meters across; aside from kraft paper files awaiting signatures, the desk was vacant.
Beside a stained-glass reading floor lamp, three distinctly different women sat on the sofa.
At that moment, all three stared in stunned surprise toward the abruptly opened door.
Having thrown open the door, Lanqi and Talia stood equally stunned, staring at the three women inside.
Aetio's waist-length silver-white hair cascaded smoothly down her sides like a waterfall as always, her aqua-blue eyes clear and gentle.
Iphatia had just stopped slapping her thigh in laughter.
And besides them, sitting right beside Iphatia, was an extraordinary-looking woman.
Even in a non-combat state, she maintained a solemn, poised, and restrained demeanor. Her gaze held a glint of amusement and contemplation, yet as she relaxed on the sofa, her brows eased slightly, revealing a hint of gentle composure.
Her upright posture and straight figure spoke volumes of her impeccable upbringing and discipline.
Moonlight slanting through the display window fell across her, accentuating her fair complexion, chiseled features, and flowing black hair—perhaps she was truly the most breathtaking beauty in the room.
Yet upon seeing Lanqi and Tata burst through the door, her eyes gradually filled with an urge to flee.
At this moment, everyone in the room seemed to have ten thousand schemes racing through their minds.
Time felt as though it had frozen.
Lanqi and Talia stared at this unfamiliar, mysterious black-haired woman, desperately fearing that an outsider was seeing the entire footage of their last date.
"Ipha, what did you mean by calling me an adopted sister?"
But Talia was far more concerned with another issue.
The words she had accidentally overheard left her no time to worry about anything else.
"Well..."
Iphatia shifted her position on the sofa, trying to use her body to block Lanqi's line of sight toward the black-haired noblewoman, at a complete loss for how to explain to Talia right now that she was actually the orphan of another Nine-Seal New King, taken in by the Demon King.
By all rights, they were supposed to be sworn enemies, and had only become sisters by happenstance, after which Iphatia had inadvertently been tamed, turning into a slacker princess who had given up on revenge.
Iphatia grew increasingly guilty.
Yet she had no time to worry about herself right now; what mattered more was protecting the black-haired noblewoman behind her.
Aetio also tried to minimize her presence, avoiding drawing any of their attention as she seized this momentary pause to grope for the remote control and turn off the playing video.
Finally, Iphatia gritted her teeth, preparing to grab the black-haired woman and break out through the other door away from her sister and Lanqi.
Some things could just be explained later!
They couldn't afford to talk any further right now.
Just as Iphatia tensed her legs, ready to sprint—
"Surprise! Aetio, Tata, I'm here with the little black cat!" Countess Rosalinda's cheerful voice rang out from outside the room.
Holding up the little black cat, she opened the back door of the director's office and hopped inside.
After tailing them all day, she was dropping the act.
All she wanted was to reunite with Aetio, Lanqi, and Tata after their long time apart!
The next second.
*Thud.*
The cat dropped to the floor.
Rosalinda stared blankly at the two figures huddled together on the sofa.
This black-haired, dark-eyed woman had a completely different face, appeared over ten centimeters shorter, and had a far more slender frame, yet her aura was all too familiar—Rosalinda could never mistake it.
The moment she saw that black-haired figure, she felt only immense relief that that person was back.
And what she hadn't expected was that Iphatia, who had been missing for over a decade, had also appeared alongside her.
Whenever she saw Iphatia, Rosalinda wanted nothing more than to hold back her tears and flee for her life.
For her, after losing, witnessing them kiss without strings of saliva attached was already a victory.
"L-long time no see..."
She spoke, yet her voice trembled as though her heart had been stabbed viciously, tears rolling down her face against her will.
Rosalinda kept rubbing tears away with the back of her hand and turned her head, refusing to let the others see this embarrassing state.
Aetio didn't know what to do anymore, glancing back and forth at a total loss.
She had to comfort Rosalinda, turn off the video recording, and cover for Big Sis Iphatia all at the same time.
In the end, amid this utter chaos, Iphatia could only seize the black-haired noblewoman and flee by crashing through the window.
Leaving behind everyone in the office, watching the entire French window shatter and shower down in a resounding crash.
And after that, they vanished without a trace.
Chapter 871