"Because it really is hilarious." Felix pressed her lips together, her eyes crinkling with amusement. "To swear off lust, they had to swear off you... Pfft, hahahaha! In all the storybooks I've read, it's always men who have to practice abstinence when they encounter a veela. Those stories are meant to urge men not to indulge in female charms and to learn restraint. But you've actually driven four female sorcerers to swear off lust! Even an actual male veela wouldn't amount to more than this, would he?"
"That's not it at all! They just want to focus better on their training, so they're temporarily avoiding any contact with me!" Yaxiu protested defensively. "This is nothing like a veela!"
"Isn't it the same? Don't veelas wear down people's willpower through enchantment just as well?"
Yaxiu shook his head. "You've never seen a veela, so you think of a veela's charm as some kind of mental glamour. But a real veela can enchant you right down to the marrow, making endless demands without ever stopping. You just feel like you're drowning in an ocean of pleasure..."
Watching Yaxiu's nostalgic expression, Felix raised an eyebrow. "Well, I don't get it, but why do you know so much about it?"
Yaxiu blinked, looking down to keep scrubbing the clothes. "In short, I fully support their decision to focus on their sorcery. Since they feel that 'with no man in mind, the drawn blade cuts divine,' I naturally shouldn't disrupt their state of mind."
"And the truth?"
"I haven't recharged my Sword Princess energy in so long..." Yaxiu hung his head dejectedly. "I really want to hug and kiss her..."
"I can tell," Felix said. "Starting on the third day, you gradually turned into an unloved puppy starved for affection. These past few nights, I was wondering if you'd launch a midnight raid on their tents."
"You could tell?" Yaxiu paused. "Then does that mean they...?"
"They definitely noticed," Felix shrugged. "But that's precisely the point of swearing off lust."
"Compared to momentary pleasure, only possessing strength allows one to pursue true, lasting happiness. Besides, they aren't just honing themselves—they're doing it for the team's future."
"Only by cutting off your influence entirely can they let go of their mutual grudges and coordinate seamlessly. You know, these past few days have had the best atmosphere between them that I've ever seen since meeting you all."
"Even six months ago, when Sword Princess and the Witch were running the Four Pillar Cult on your behalf while you were trapped in the cult with nothing left but an unfeeling shell, they still bickered endlessly over you."
"And after you woke up, it got even more complicated." Felix adjusted the flow of water to wash the clothes, the stream splashing noisily. "On the surface, everyone maintained the flimsiest peace, but underneath, the war of words and mutual scheming never ceased for a single day. There were several moments where conflict almost erupted, and it was only thanks to you stepping in to defuse the tension in time."
"I used to think their relationship would never improve," Felix glanced at Yaxiu. "After all, they have irreconcilable conflicts of interest, yet each believes she has a shot at being the sole victor. They simply couldn't escape a zero-sum competition."
Yaxiu kept his head lowered, silently scrubbing the garments.
"Yet over the past few days, they've shown me what true genius female sorcerers look like," Felix said. "Earnest, focused, brilliantly inspired, and drawing connections across disciplines. That battle in the Star Bridge Hall thoroughly triggered their sense of crisis. To grow stronger, they unleashed their talents without reservation. Even Sister Vichy held nothing back. They're drawing sustenance from each other as much as possible, leaving their previous day's selves far behind almost every single day."
"Yaxiu," Felix wrung out a slate-blue undergarment and sighed in admiration, "they are truly shining."
Yaxiu stared at the clothes he was washing. "What are you really trying to say?"
"I'm just voicing what's in your heart," Felix said. "Your face is practically screaming self-doubt: 'They're improving so fast after cutting me off—am I holding them back?' You even volunteered to help with laundry the moment you got back. I did it alone for eight days before, and you didn't say a peep... You really are surprisingly easy to read."
"...From now on, I'll wash my own clothes," Yaxiu mumbled, feeling embarrassed.
"No need. Everyone on the team has their own duties. A mere Sanctuary sorcerer like me handles the chores, while your duty is to be their proper 'contraband.'" Felix cut him a sideways glance and pulled the unfinished tunic over to her side. "Besides, you're washing so slowly and inefficiently. Without being able to channel sorcery power, you've really become a bottom feeder."
"Hey now, you're taking it a bit too far!"
"If you don't like it, fight me! Think you can beat me?" Felix taunted. "I dare you to take a beating without running to your girlfriends."
"Just wait until my sorcery power recovers—I'll spank your butt," Yaxiu shot back with a threat before scurrying away in a hurry, as if he were genuinely afraid she might hit him. Once he was out of earshot, Felix looked at his unwashed shirt, brought it to her face, took a deep breath, and subconsciously tightened her buttocks.
When Felix finished the laundry, she found Yaxiu hand-grinding coffee. He added milk and sugar to his own cup, then handed the black coffee to Felix. "Only the pure aroma of the beans, right? My technique is pretty average, though, so bear with it."
The blonde girl looked at him with an odd expression. After taking a sip, she said, "I can't be their substitute, and they won't let me touch you either."
In truth, whether Sword Princess and the others were abstaining from lust or not, Felix and Daidalos were never permitted to lay a finger on Yaxiu. But taking advantage of this abstinence phase, the women had established a code of conduct for Felix and Daidalos, setting clear boundaries between them and the "contraband," Yaxiu.
"It's just a reward for finishing the chores," Yaxiu said in mild annoyance. "I might not always notice your contributions, but when I do, I ought to show some appreciation."
"Dismissing me with just a cup of coffee..." Felix mumbled. "You really are stingy toward women who aren't yours..."
"You said earlier that you were just voicing what's in my heart." Yaxiu held his coffee cup. "Then what about what's in yours? Do you also think I'm holding back their growth?"
Felix pondered for a moment, then asked, "Let me ask you a question first: If you have children with them, will you treat their children well?"
"Of course," Yaxiu answered without hesitation.
"Right now, your favorite is Sword Princess. Does that mean you'll favor Sword Princess's child in the future?"
"I'll treat them all equally," Yaxiu replied. "I don't have any parenting experience, but I'll do my best to treat our children fairly."
"Then let's assume you truly can treat them equally and fairly," Felix said. "Wouldn't your child still be pitiful? From the moment she's born, she'll know she isn't her parents' most beloved child, and that many half-siblings will dilute the love she can receive.
"What's more, if even the mothers are locked in a cutthroat rivalry, do you think the children will grow up loving and united? Or do you have the confidence to make them let go of their obsessions completely and serve you together wholeheartedly?"
Yaxiu opened his mouth to retort, but hearing those words, he abruptly fell silent.
Felix rested her chest on the table, leaning toward Yaxiu. The usually timid and fragile blonde girl suddenly exuded an aggressive, commanding aura.
"That's what is truly in my heart," the Second Miss of the Vosloda family said. "It isn't their development you're holding back—it's their lives."
Chapter 1111