"March, where are Stelle and Little Swarm?" Lumina asked.
"Oh, them..." March 7th scratched her head, thought for a moment, and replied, "When I left the room, Stelle, Little Swarm, and Dan Heng's doors were all tightly shut. They must still be sleeping inside."
"March, I'm right here."
Just as March 7th finished speaking, Dan Heng's voice came from behind her.
"Wah! Teacher Dan Heng, how do you always sneak up on people like that?" March 7th's hair stood on end, clearly startled.
"You just weren't paying attention," Dan Heng said coldly, as laconic as ever.
"How could I possibly notice you creeping up on me?" March 7th retorted, crossing her arms and giving Dan Heng a playful glare. She immediately turned to Lumina, her expression transforming into a wide, cheerful smile. "Sister Lumina, did you see where Dan Heng suddenly appeared from?"
"March, try to recall what I said earlier," Lumina said, not immediately answering March 7th's question but instead prompting her to remember.
"What you said earlier?" March 7th pouted, recalling a bit. "You mean, '[Where are Stelle and Little Swarm?]' That?"
"Exactly! Can you guess why I didn't include Dan Heng?" Lumina smiled, reaching out to gently pat March 7th's head, smoothing down the hair that had bristled in alarm.
"Ugh... Sister Lumina," March 7th grumbled, though she had initially intended to give Lumina a wordless glare. But feeling the soft touch on her head, she abandoned the idea.
She narrowed her eyes, savoring the breakfast Sister Lumina had "personally" brought her, all while enjoying her gentle touch. Was this the pinnacle of life? The most blissful moment one could ever experience?
-
"Stelle, Little Swarm, you're here!"
Before long, Stelle and Little Swarm emerged groggily from the inn.
Perhaps because she had spent so much time with Stelle, Little Swarm's habits were gradually aligning with hers.
Hmm... is this a good sign?
Lumina glanced at Little Swarm, then at Stelle, and after a moment's contemplation, decided not to interfere.
A faint smile curved her lips as she took out two of the five breakfasts she held and handed them to Stelle and Little Swarm.
"You haven't had breakfast yet, have you? Have some. The steamed buns and soy milk from the Luofu are delicious."
Lumina had bought seven breakfasts in total: one for herself, four for the Astral Express Crew, and one each for Yanqing and Yunli.
Dan Heng had already eaten and declined his share, leaving three breakfasts after giving two to Stelle and Little Swarm.
Yunli had likely eaten as well, and unlike Yanqing, she wouldn't insist on eating more despite being full.
That left three breakfasts—eighteen steamed buns and three cups of soy milk—which Lumina intended to enjoy without reservation.
Hmm... come to think of it, did I forget someone?
Oh, right!
Taking advantage of a lull in the conversation, Lumina summoned the Phantylia Kitten.
"Here, Little Phantylia, eat up," Lumina said. "I specially prepared this for you."
Using her wrist as a support, she held the breakfast bag while cradling the Phantylia Kitten in one arm. With her free hand, she took out a steamed bun and offered it to the kitten's mouth.
"Meow~ (I'm not a cat! Stop treating me like one!)" the Phantylia Kitten protested.
Having been abruptly pulled from sleep, the kitten found itself thrust into reality with no warning, only to have some unknown object shoved in its face.
At first, the Phantylia Kitten thought it was cat food, meowing indignantly and swatting it away with its paws.
"Since when do cats eat steamed buns?" Lumina tapped the kitten's head with the bun, her tone exasperated.
"Meow~" The Phantylia Kitten yearned to rebel, but the thought of the consequences kept it in check.
It extended a paw, cradling the bun in its claws. Opening its tiny feline mouth, it began nibbling at it bit by bit.
Hmm... compared to cat food, this isn't so bad.
Actually, it's pretty tasty.
The Phantylia Kitten chewed on the bun, these thoughts swirling through its mind.
"Wow! Sister Lumina, this kitten is so magical!" March 7th, who had been chatting with Stelle, Little Swarm, and Yanqing, caught a glimpse of the Phantylia Kitten cradled in Sister Lumina's arms, daintily nibbling on a steamed bun. Her eyes immediately lit up with starry sparks.
"Meow~"
"Uh..."
But just as March 7th stepped forward to get a closer look at the Phantylia Kitten, the kitten suddenly looked up, its gaze locking with hers. The moment their eyes met, it was as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped over March 7th, freezing her in place.
"March, what's wrong?" Lumina tightened her grip on the Phantylia Kitten, sending it a silent, stern warning.
Phantylia Kitten: Huh? What did I even do? I just looked at her!
Feeling unfairly reprimanded, the Phantylia Kitten felt unjustly accused. I've lost all my power, and the Lord Ravager's authority is gone. What harm could I possibly do to her? If she suddenly froze in place, that has absolutely nothing to do with me!
The Phantylia Kitten grumbled silently to itself before lowering its head again, paws still cradling the bun, and continued nibbling on it, bite by bite.
With filling. Quite tasty...
"Um... Sister Lumina, have I seen this cat somewhere before...?" The cat's gaze earlier had triggered a phantom memory of someone familiar in March 7th's mind. She couldn't place the face, but the feeling of familiarity was undeniable.
Phantylia Kitten: ?
Hearing this, the Phantylia Kitten immediately froze mid-bite.
Wait, you recognize me even like this?!
The Phantylia Kitten stared at March 7th with growing alarm.
"Familiar? I don't think so," Lumina replied, a hint of puzzlement in her voice. She playfully nudged the Phantylia Kitten in her arms, implying March 7th must be mistaken. At the same time, she glanced at the Phantylia Kitten, signaling it to behave.
Miss Phantylia, you wouldn't want your cat form exposed, would you?
"Meow~ Meow~ Meow~" More than anyone, the Phantylia Kitten dreaded having her true identity revealed. She promptly obeyed Lumina's unspoken command, meowing obediently several times.
"Erm... maybe I was just imagining things?" Seeing the kitten's docile demeanor and Sister Lumina's genuinely puzzled expression, March 7th finally nodded in agreement.
Even Jing Yuan, Huaiyan, and Feixiao couldn't recognize me, yet March 7th almost did... Lumina mused inwardly, silently marveling at March 7th's intuition.
"So this is the legendary Great Ellio?"