"Hmm? Strange. Could changing clothes really take Lumina and March 7th this long?"
In the rear garden of the Palace of Astrum on the Xianzhou Luofu, Yanqing, Yunli, the Phantylia Kitten, and a Cloud Knight waited.
As the minutes ticked by, Yunli, who hadn't seen Lumina and March 7th emerge after changing clothes for an extended period, couldn't help but voice her confusion.
"Meow! Meow! Meow-meow-meow! (Hurry! Hurry! Go catch them! I want to see that wretched woman humiliated!)"
Hearing this, the Phantylia Kitten, who had been lounging lazily under Yunli's control, suddenly sprang up, mewing incessantly to urge Yanqing and Yunli to seize Lumina.
Having spent some time with Lumina, the Phantylia Kitten understood exactly what kind of person she was.
Given her current company with March 7th, it was easy to imagine what mischief they were up to.
This was the perfect opportunity for Yunli to catch them red-handed and finally humiliate Lumina!
"Does the little kitten miss its master?" Though Phantylia's true intention was to urge Yunli to capture Lumina quickly, Yunli, who didn't understand cat language, mistakenly believed the Phantylia Kitten was simply longing for its master when she heard Lumina's name.
Yunli crouched down further and began teasing the kitten.
"Meow! Meow! (You little brat, do you think I won't kill you?!)" Hearing the word "master" from Yunli's mouth, the Phantylia Kitten instantly became agitated.
Though the Phantylia Kitten knew its current situation wasn't much different from what Yunli described, as a Lord Ravager, its dignity could never be compromised!
"Meow meow meow~" Yunli, unable to understand cat language, assumed she had guessed correctly. A smile curled at the corners of her lips as she mimicked the Phantylia Kitten's meows.
Then she reached out and stroked the kitten's head, saying with a smile, "Good girl. Your master will be back soon. Don't worry.
"She hasn't abandoned you. She's just temporarily entrusting you to our care."
"Meow! Meow! Meow! (You *******!)"
Yunli's intentions were good—she wanted to comfort the Phantylia Kitten. But in its eyes, her words were nothing but mockery, and it couldn't help but erupt into a furious tirade.
Gone was the image of the formidable Lord Ravager. In its place stood a shrewish figure, yelling like a fishwife in the marketplace.
Hmm... not even a shrew screaming in the streets, Yunli thought. After all, as an adorable little kitten, even when the Phantylia Kitten wore what she thought was an utterly ferocious expression, to others it could only be described as adorably "feisty."
"Yanqing, Yunli, sorry for the wait. We're back."
As the Phantylia Kitten's curses subsided, a voice it loathed came from behind.
The kitten froze instantly, a warm yet stern gaze settling upon it.
"Meow~"
And so, the Phantylia Kitten let out a docile meow.
"Your master's here."
The Phantylia Kitten's docile meow further reinforced Yunli's earlier thoughts. She patted its little head one last time, withdrew her hand, stood up, and turned her gaze to March 7th.
Yunli sized March 7th up and down, a flicker of satisfaction in her eyes.
"As expected of the outfit I meticulously selected—perfect for beautiful girl swordswomen like us!"
Yunli nodded, sparing no praise for March 7th.
And while complimenting March 7th, she subtly patted herself on the back as well.
"Hmm? March 7th... why is your face so red? Is the outfit too tight and making you hot?" After her effusive praise, Yunli noticed something amiss on March 7th's face.
Her delicate, adorable face was now flushed crimson, as if she had just experienced something utterly embarrassing.
"N-no, it's not the outfit being too tight," March 7th stammered.
"It's just... just..."
Yunli's puzzled voice only deepened the blush on March 7th's cheeks.
March 7th tried to explain, but her frantic stammering prevented her from forming a coherent sentence.
"March is just a little shy in her new clothes," Lumina interjected smoothly. "Don't worry about it."
Lumina naturally knew better than anyone else what had caused March 7th's flushed cheeks. It was just a bit of shyness, nothing to worry about.
"Is that so?" Yunli glanced at March 7th with lingering doubt. "Alright then, as long as there's nothing wrong with your health."
After giving March 7th another once-over, Yunli nodded and dropped the subject. If both March 7th and Lumina insisted everything was fine, there was no need to press further.
"Miss March, would you like to rest for a while?" Yanqing had also noticed the flush on March 7th's face. Though Miss March and Lady Lumina insisted there was nothing wrong, Yanqing remained slightly concerned. After all, if anything were to happen to Miss March, Yanqing, as her Junior Master, would blame himself for a long time.
"N-no... I'm fine. Shall we start training now?" March 7th took a deep breath, the blush on her cheeks fading slowly. She shook her head, insisting she was perfectly fine.
Nothing particularly noteworthy had happened while changing clothes. Sister Lumina had been earnestly teaching her how to wear Xianzhou Attire.
But... but anyone who understands would know that some physical contact is inevitable during such instruction.
Though the contact had been perfectly normal, it still sent a little thrill through March 7th...
Ugh...
If not for Sister Lumina's unchanging expression throughout the entire process, March 7th would have almost suspected she was doing it on purpose.
March 7th, March 7th, what are you even thinking? How could you possibly doubt Sister Lumina?
Sister Lumina had been so dedicated to teaching her how to wear Xianzhou Attire, and yet March 7th had actually suspected her... suspected her of deliberately making physical contact.
How could that be possible?!
As she replayed the entire tutorial in her mind, March 7th silently berated herself.
Leaving aside whether Sister Lumina's actions were intentional, her perfectly normal physical contact and earnest expression were completely devoid of any hint of "deliberateness" or "taking advantage."
In other words, Sister Lumina had no ulterior motives whatsoever. She was genuinely focused on teaching March 7th how to properly wear Xianzhou Attire.
And here I am, seeing my own Sister Lumina through the eyes of a stranger...
March 7th, you deserve to die!
March 7th cursed herself viciously in her heart.
Sister Lumina, I'm sorry...
She silently apologized to Lumina.
Why didn't she just say it out loud, apologizing face-to-face?
Because March 7th simply didn't dare. How could she possibly voice something so rude, something that might make Sister Lumina dislike her? Never.
Huff...
Shaking her head, March 7th took another deep breath. Her agitated heart finally calmed, and the blush on her cheeks began to fade visibly.
Daring not to look at Sister Lumina, March 7th's gaze settled on Master Yanqing.
"Master Yanqing, are we starting training now?"
"Mm-hmm." Yanqing nodded, turning to give a brief nod to the Cloud Knight standing nearby.
As the Cloud Knight approached, Yanqing introduced him: "This is the Cloud Knight Instructor I've hired. For today's first lesson, Miss March, you'll spar with him."
"Ah? Practical combat already for the first lesson?"
"Isn't that a bit too aggressive?"
Hearing this, March 7th sized up the elite-looking Cloud Knight before her. She held her hands up defensively and shrank back slightly, clearly intimidated.
"Little March, though bows and swords are different weapons, they share a fundamental principle," Lumina explained with a smile after briefly sensing the Cloud Knight's combat prowess and confirming he posed no threat to March.
"You already have a foundation, so we can't start from the very beginning. Instead, we need to understand exactly what that foundation is before we can create a proper training plan."
Lumina's gaze fell on March 7th, and as she stared, the image from earlier flashed through her mind. Her fingers trembled slightly, as if she were itching to do something.
"Mm, March 7th, Lumina's right. We need to understand your current level before we can proceed with training."
"So, next, attack using the sword technique that feels most natural to you," Yunli nodded, taking a few steps back to clear the training area for March 7th. She gestured for March to begin whenever she was ready.
"Miss March, good luck!" Yanqing offered a brief word of encouragement before mirroring Yunli's actions, stepping back a few paces.
Notably, Yanqing retreated exactly one step further than Yunli—whether by accident or design remained unclear.
"Go get 'em, March," Lumina winked at March 7th, offering a small boost of encouragement, then beckoned the Phantylia Kitten over.
After cradling the Phantylia Kitten in her arms again, Lumina retreated a few more steps, stroking its belly as she left the training area to March 7th and the Cloud Knight.
[ Did you get off just now? ]
A message flashed across the screen as Lumina was petting the Phantylia Kitten to relieve her urges, causing her to abruptly stop.
But the pause lasted only a moment. The next second, her hands resumed their movements, stroking the Kitten's belly, continuously relishing the soft, yielding texture.
"I don't know what you're talking about. I was simply teaching March how to wear Xianzhou Attire."
[ Aren't you admitting it yourself? I never specified which "just now" I was referring to. (Laughing) ]
Lumina: ...
"A corrupt heart sees only corruption everywhere." Lumina paused at this, then regained her composure. Her pale, flawless face remained unchanged.
"If such a perfectly normal scene seems abnormal to you,"
"I suggest you consult some relevant literature."
"For example, Mother and Daughter, A Daughter's Growth: Inextricably Linked to Her Mother, or How a Mother Guides Her Daughter in Dressing, among others."
"That way, you might stop entertaining these wild thoughts."
Lumina gently rubbed the Phantylia Kitten's belly as she spoke, her voice even and detached.
[nice]
The System remained silent, relentlessly spamming "nice."
[You know whether you truly enjoyed it. Just fool me and others if you must, but never fool yourself.]
After this final message, the System fell silent.
"Hmph, I never lie to myself," Lumina scoffed at the System's warning.
Paying it no further attention, she continued to pet the Phantylia Kitten in her arms, satisfying her petting urge.
Still, to be fair, the System was right...
-
"Ah... I didn't expect the first lesson to be this intense..." March 7th couldn't help but sigh after finishing her duel with the Cloud Knight.
"You look like you haven't even broken a sweat!" Yunli remarked, crossing her arms and nodding in satisfaction as she watched March 7th's fight. "Your performance against the Cloud Knight was excellent. At least your fundamentals are solid, which will save us a lot of time."
March 7th lifted the necklace around her neck, gesturing briefly. "Sister Lumina's pendant is the one helping me. It has nothing to do with my own ability."
Thanks to the pendant Sister Lumina had given her, March 7th could appear completely unfazed.
But the pendant only provided healing; it didn't lessen the pain or fatigue she endured—in fact, the added stamina meant she suffered even more.
"The pendant isn't as powerful as you think. The main reason you persevered was your own determination." After thoroughly petting the cat's belly for a long time, Lumina's fidgety hands finally calmed down.
Lumina smiled and explained March 7th's words.
Then, she recalled March 7th's earlier battle against the Cloud Knights and Yunli's evaluation of March 7th in the Script.
After a moment's thought, Lumina said, "Your forehand lacks precision, your backhand is weak, and your sword swings are too sloppy."
"March, you have plenty of room for improvement!"
"Isn't that just saying I'm terrible...?" March 7th's usual cheerfulness momentarily vanished.
But the next moment, seeing Sister Lumina's warm smile and feeling her gentle gaze, March 7th perked up again.
"Mm, Lumina's right," Yunli agreed, crossing her arms and nodding with her eyes closed.
Yunli opened her eyes, glancing at Lumina with a hint of surprise, as if genuinely astonished that Lumina could wield a sword.
After all, Lumina's appearance and aura seemed utterly unrelated to anything "sword-like."
"Then, for the next lesson, March 7th will start with power generation training."
"Then, for the next lesson, Miss March will start with footwork training."
"Huh?"
As the identical pronouncements echoed, Yunli and Yanqing instantly reverted to their previous tense, confrontational postures.
"Let's just combine them."
"Power generation training while using agile footwork."
The atmosphere in the training hall gradually froze, but before the two could erupt into another argument, Lumina intervened with a suggestion.
March 7th: ?
"Sister Lumina, I..."
"Don't worry, it's nothing serious—just a minor adjustment."
March 7th started to protest, but Lumina quickly covered her mouth with a hand.
"With the pendant's boost, you'll make incredible progress in no time, March!" Lumina declared with earnest conviction.