Felyn felt that the beautiful girl beside him seemed to be in an unusually good mood tonight.
She would occasionally skip a step, her long hair swaying side to side behind her.
Felyn had thought he could get away without the daily confession today, but ended up having to do it in the office anyway.
Looks like Adelina still has a strong attachment to Viloti.
Maybe Adelina should stop coming to his school so often. At this rate, the rumors about him here might eventually reach her ears.
St. Andros Academy was huge.
The lake they had seen from the student council was a twenty-minute walk away for him and Adelina.
The water shimmered with a faint blue glow, imbued with divine power—this was a place blessed by the water goddess, Eryth.
Rumor had it that if you made a wish here, the water goddess would respond.
But that was all a lie.
Felyn remembered when he had first arrived in this world and couldn’t even afford food—he had come here and prayed to the goddess for days.
And still couldn’t afford food.
But maybe the water goddess only blessed lovers with lasting romance. Food wasn’t in her domain.
“Want to sit over there for a bit?”
Felyn turned to see Adelina staring at him.
Had she noticed the look in his eyes just now?
“Might not be a good idea. There are still people around.”
It was already 9:30 PM. Why were couples still out here, clinging to each other by the lake?
Aren’t they all nobles? Go back to your estates and cuddle all you want!
“It’s fine. Even if they notice, it doesn’t matter.”
Based on his past understanding of Adelina, there was no way she would normally say something so willful.
As they walked, Felyn couldn’t help but wonder if something had rattled Adelina tonight.
Could it be that Linda said something to her… and she planned to drown him in the lake?
Felyn and Adelina reached a quiet, secluded corner by the lake, where only the sound of the breeze brushing the water remained.
The kissing noises from the couples they had just passed were ridiculously loud. If someone didn’t know better, they’d think the sewers were being unclogged.
Adelina clearly heard them too. She tugged gently at her black stockings and covered her blushing cheeks with her hand.
The two of them sat by the lake, basking in the moonlight.
Adelina didn’t quite know what to say. Though she usually led the conversation, it always circled back to Viloti.
But tonight, in this kind of setting, she really didn’t want to mention another woman’s name.
Did that mean she and Felyn had no other common topics?
Felyn noticed her awkwardness. As a professional, it was his duty to ease his client’s troubles.
“Lady Adelina, do you know about this lake?”
“Mm, I’ve heard of it too. It’s said to be blessed by the goddess, right?”
Adelina seemed intrigued. “Legend says the water goddess Eryth once bathed here, and the lake has been filled with divine power ever since. As long as lovers hold hands and sincerely make a wish here, Goddess Eryth will grant it.”
“So the left hand holding the right hand doesn’t count? No wonder it didn’t work.”
Felyn had no idea about the specifics. He thought it was just a regular wishing lake.
“Of course that doesn’t count.” Adelina laughed at him—who would do that?
But then her expression changed.
Felyn must’ve prayed here before.
Eryth wasn’t just a water goddess; she was also the embodiment of love—essential and fluid like water itself.
He must’ve prayed for a girl… Was it for me?
It had to be me.
Adelina could almost picture Felyn standing here alone, passing by the couples on the benches, silently wishing for her.
The self-conscious boy who only dared to give quietly from behind.
Her lashes drooped slightly, and her hand subconsciously grazed her black stockings.
“Felyn, do you want to make a wish?”
“Hm? Let me think… actually, yeah, I do.”
Well, since Felyn said that, there was no helping it. She was his boss, after all—she had to fulfill his reasonable requests.
Adelina extended her hand toward Felyn.
“Lady Adelina… what’s this?”
“You said you wanted to make a wish. The water goddess Eryth requires two people holding hands for the wish to be granted. So I’m… I’m letting you borrow my hand just this once, okay?”
Her words sped up as she spoke, and by the end she turned her head away to avoid looking at him.
Felyn paused, thinking this must be some new act from this noble young lady.
Under the moonlight, her hand appeared nearly translucent in its fairness.
Her slender fingers trembled slightly, like petals drifting down onto the surface of the water.
The sound of the fountain behind them played softly, as though composing a background melody for the moment.
It wasn’t gentlemanly to keep a lady waiting.
Felyn didn’t hesitate long—he reached out, interlocking their fingers.
Adelina’s body gave a slight shiver, her gray-blue eyes widening instantly.
She could feel the warmth of his palm—gentle and reassuring.
Her breathing turned soft, as if afraid to disturb the moment.
“Id… idiot, you don’t have to hold so tightly…”
She muttered in a whisper, yet didn’t pull her hand away.
Tilting her head slightly, her gaze drifted to the shimmering blue lake—not that she could stop sneaking glances at their joined hands from the corner of her eye.
“Come… come on, make your wish.”
Adelina suddenly stood, still holding Felyn’s hand, and led him closer to the water’s edge.
Just like the countless couples who had made wishes here over the past hundred years, they closed their eyes.
Felyn honestly had no idea what to wish for.
Then maybe… he’d wish for good health for himself and those around him. That the noble girls he served wouldn’t torment him so much. That one day he could get into the Royal Capital Academy.
Felyn chuckled bitterly to himself—who knew he had so many wishes.
He stole a glance at Adelina beside him, who was making a wish as well.
The lake’s soft blue glow reflected on her face, casting a holy halo on her delicate profile.
She was completely focused, her expression unusually serious, lips moving slightly as if voicing a silent prayer.
The breeze caught a few strands of her long hair, making them dance lightly in the air.
Her grip tightened, as if trying to convey some unspoken emotion.
Looks like this noble lady had even more wishes than he did.
Suddenly, a faint blue glow began to emanate from between their linked fingers, rippling outward like waves on the water.
The night breeze carried the shimmer of the goddess’s blessing through the air.
A blue halo enveloped their joined hands, glowing gently and mysteriously, flowing slowly along their fingertips.
The lake surface shimmered in response, as if the water goddess Eryth herself had descended.
Felyn could feel the warmth at his fingertips, but he couldn’t tell if it was divine power, or simply the warmth of the girl’s hand.
Adelina felt it too—the divine light reflecting in her slightly misty eyes.
“Our wish came true, huh?”
Felyn stared in disbelief at their interlocked hands. So… the rumors were real?
“Looks like we were both really determined to have our wishes granted. Otherwise, Goddess Eryth wouldn’t have responded.”
Adelina didn’t let go of Felyn’s hand. She simply gazed quietly at the lake returning to stillness.
“Felyn, what did you wish for?”
“Can I say it? Isn’t it ineffective if I tell?”
“Really? I didn’t know that.”
Adelina looked at their hands and couldn’t help but smile sweetly.
Then I won’t say it either—because I really want my wish to come true.
The school bell rang out, its deep tone echoing through every corner of the campus.
Ten o’clock. The contract was over.
Adelina gently released his hand, but didn’t move her feet.
In the moonlight, her fingertips still held onto that lingering warmth.
“Felyn, yours is really small.”
Felyn suddenly felt a bit attacked. He wasn’t small! And wait—how could she tell that from just holding hands?
“My what is small?”
“Your hand. It’s really small.”
Say the whole thing next time! Don’t start sentences that sound like they could be something else!
Adelina looked at Felyn’s slender, fair fingers—hands almost like a girl’s, and couldn’t hold back her smile.
“Let’s head back. Don’t want you catching a cold.”
Felyn took off his coat and draped it over Adelina’s shoulders.
Adelina couldn’t resist taking a few sniffs.
Suddenly, she felt like she was standing by the summer seaside—sunshine, sand, and the salty breeze surrounding her.
It was the scent of Felyn—clean, gentle, with a touch of unexplainable sweetness.
He’ll probably love me forever… won’t he?
(End of Chapter)