Ever since Dan Heng had also been 'recommended' for employment last time, the Astral Express had returned to its classic two-person world once again.
Himeko, however, felt that something about herself seemed a little... off.
Among everything else, the most obvious sign was that whenever she could not see Lucian, even for a short while, her heart felt strangely empty, as if she had returned to the days when she studied the star rail alone, accompanied by nothing but cold instruments and endless records, when an indescribable sense of loneliness would quietly creep over her and gradually fill the silence around her.
Strangely, although the feeling made her a little flustered and even somewhat puzzled, it also brought her an inexplicable sense of joy that she could neither understand nor bring herself to reject.
Today, she had specially ground some coffee beans, the very ones she and Lucian had carefully selected together during their last outing.
*Bzzzz—*
In her hand, the monomolecular saw hummed softly, its precise vibrations causing every single coffee bean to be ground down to a molecular state with astonishing accuracy.
As a result, the coffee grounds were no longer even powder but looked more like a smooth, dark liquid, giving off an unusually rich aroma before the brewing had even begun.
As she brewed the coffee, Himeko could not help but glance in the direction of Lucian's room from time to time, her thoughts gradually drifting elsewhere until, before she realized it, she had become completely lost in her own thoughts.
'What is he doing right now? Reading a book? Or using one of those mysterious abilities of his to tinker with something again?'
As those thoughts lingered in her mind, a faint smile unknowingly appeared on Himeko's face.
Before long, once the coffee had finished brewing, its rich bitterness spread through the air, accompanied by an equally rich aroma that slowly filled the quiet cabin.
Himeko picked up a cup of coffee and planned to bring it to Lucian so he could try her newly learned coffee-brewing technique. At the same time, it would give her an excuse to see him again and ease the longing that had quietly built up in her heart.
It had already been an hour since she had last seen Lucian, yet to her, that hour had somehow felt much longer than it actually was.
As a result, she wanted to smell that comforting scent he always carried as soon as possible, hear his familiar voice once again, and see the way he smiled whenever he teased her.
Holding two warm cups of coffee, Himeko walked briskly toward Lucian's room with light, eager steps, the corners of her lips unconsciously curving upward into a gentle smile that she did not even notice herself wearing.
===
At this moment, Lucian was comfortably curled up on the sofa in his room, leisurely flipping through a thick book that had been salvaged from the ruins of a civilization long since consumed by destruction.
It recorded all kinds of anecdotes, legends, and scattered records regarding the Path of Remembrance, and he found every page surprisingly interesting.
According to the book, Fuli enjoyed collecting memories from every corner of the cosmos and bringing them back to the Garden of Recollection, where they would be carefully nurtured once more as seeds, allowing memories that had already faded away to be reborn with new life.
Just as he was becoming completely absorbed in his reading—
*BANG!*
A dull crash suddenly rang out as something slammed solidly into his room's window before a large chunk of ice burst straight through it and rolled across the floor, finally coming to a stop in the center of the room.
Lucian frowned slightly and set down the book in his hand before turning his gaze toward the unexpected intruder.
What lay before him was a crystal-clear block of ice radiating an extremely frigid aura, and within it, something appeared to be sealed.
Judging from the energy contained within the ice, its level was remarkably high, even surpassing the energy density of an Emanator. Ordinary people would never be able to sense such subtle fluctuations, but Lucian was particularly sensitive to this kind of energy.
More importantly, for it to affect even him to this extent, it was probably connected to an Aeon.
'Ice... Astral Express... something appearing inside...'
As Lucian silently gazed at the ice block, those three keywords naturally surfaced in his mind, immediately reminding him of March 7th, who had once been sealed within eternal ice before eventually being discovered and rescued by the Astral Express crew.
'Is this thing actually March?'
Unfortunately, the contents of the ice were impossible to see clearly.
Even Lucian's perception could not penetrate its crystalline surface in the slightest, as though some invisible power was deliberately concealing everything within.
'Hm, you think being the Aeon of Remembrance makes you that impressive?'
Lucian thought quietly to himself before activating Omnisteal on the ice.
If he could not break the ice itself, then he would simply steal whatever was sealed inside.
In the very next moment, a sphere of light appeared in his hand, and attached to it was a label that read 'Beautiful Girl'.
'Figures... if there's a beautiful girl sealed in ice, it's gotta be March, right?'
Ten seconds later, the conceptual ability finally completed its effect as the sphere of light quietly dissolved into countless tiny particles before disappearing completely, replaced by a delicate figure that gradually materialized out of thin air.
Lucian instinctively reached out and caught her before she could fall, gently holding her in his arms.
Her skin felt cool and smooth against his touch, carrying an almost unreal sensation, as though he were holding a finely crafted sculpture carved from flawless jade rather than a living person.
He lowered his head and looked at the still-unconscious girl in his embrace, seeing that not a single thread covered her body. Even though her figure was still youthful, all the proper curves were already present.
As expected, the girl in his arms was indeed March 7th.
Just like in reality, she had short pink hair, though her skin was now so pale that it seemed almost translucent. Frost still clung delicately to her long eyelashes, while her exquisite features made her appear less like a real person and more like a sleeping fairy who had remained frozen in time for countless years, peacefully waiting for someone to awaken her.
"And a beautiful girl just broke into my room on her own... I wonder if Himeko's gonna believe that..."
Lucian muttered helplessly before shaking his head with a self-deprecating smile.
Turning around, he carefully carried the unconscious girl over to his bed.
Needless to say, he could not exactly keep carrying her around like this. At the very least, he needed to lay her down somewhere comfortable and find something to cover her with. Only then could he call Himeko over and ask her to help the girl get dressed.
Just as Lucian was about to lay March down on the bed—
"Lucian, I made some coff—"
Suddenly, accompanied by Himeko's cheerful voice, the door to the room slid open.
Holding two cups of freshly brewed coffee, she stepped inside with a warm smile on her face, but before she could finish speaking, her smile instantly froze, her eyes widened, and she nearly dropped the two coffee cups in shock.
'What... am I looking at?'
From Himeko's perspective, Lucian was carrying an unfamiliar girl who was completely unclothed and appeared rather young. Her eyes were tightly closed as she lay limply in his arms without the slightest resistance.
For a brief instant, an absurd thought flashed through Himeko's mind.
'Is it because I had never done that with him that he had no choice but to find another woman instead?'
Just as that thought surfaced, Himeko immediately dismissed it.
No.
She knew Lucian better than anyone, so she knew he was not the kind of man who would ever do something so vile or so beastly.
If he was doing that, then there had to be a reason.
"What... happened?"
Concern immediately appeared on Himeko's face as she asked the question, without even the slightest trace of suspicion or jealousy in her eyes.
Seeing her reaction, Lucian blinked briefly before secretly letting out a quiet sigh of relief.
He honestly felt quite pleased that Himeko had gradually become more mature and trusting. Rather than jumping to conclusions or allowing unnecessary emotions to cloud her judgment, she chose to trust him first, something he truly appreciated.
And so, without hiding anything, Lucian immediately explained the entire situation to Himeko while gently laying March on his bed and carefully covering her with a blanket to ensure she remained comfortable.
From the moment he encountered March to everything that had happened afterward, he recounted the events one by one without leaving anything out.
In short, the entire incident had simply been an unexpected coincidence.
"What a pitiful child... I wonder who sealed her inside that block of ice..."
Himeko suddenly found herself feeling sentimental, and her heart filled with sympathy for March.
Seeing that, Lucian could not help chuckling.
"Heh, is this what the glow of a mother's love looks like?"
"A mother's love...? I haven't even become a mother yet."
Himeko picked up her coffee and took a small sip, using the warm cup to hide the embarrassment gradually spreading across her face.
Lucian walked over, casually picked up another cup, and took a sip as well.
"Do you wanna be a mom? I wouldn't mind helping with that."
At Lucian's sudden offer, Himeko's face immediately turned bright red.
Honestly, she really could not get used to him saying such shamelessly teasing things as naturally as breathing, as though he did not even realize how easily they could throw her heart into chaos.
"Hmph, the way you say 'help' doesn't sound proper at all."
Himeko complained while turning her head away, deliberately avoiding his gaze as she tried to hide the embarrassment spreading across her face.
"Well, the proper help can't make you a mom after all."
Lucian spoke teasingly with a casual shrug, the playful grin on his face making it clear he had no intention of letting her off the hook.
"You let another woman sleep in your bed... and I've never even slept in it before..." Himeko continued complaining in a quiet voice, her cheeks growing even warmer as she pouted slightly. "...Honestly, I don't think you're being very sincere..."
Hearing that, Lucian chuckled softly before immediately stepping closer. He then reached out and gently lifted Himeko's chin with his fingers, guiding her gaze back to meet his when she instinctively tried to avoid his eyes once again.
"Do I really gotta prove how sincere my feelings are?"
Lucian's simple question instantly left Himeko speechless.
For all these years, he had remained by her side without ever leaving.
He had always been considerate.
He had always been caring.
He had always been protective.
He had always been affectionate.
As those countless memories quietly surfaced one after another, Himeko suddenly realized that what she had just said had been somewhat inconsiderate. After everything Lucian had done for her, questioning his sincerity truly seemed unfair.
"I was just joking. I remember everything you've done for me..."
Himeko shifted her gaze toward Lucian, looking at him with a slightly guilty expression as a faint trace of embarrassment appeared on her face.
"I don't like that joke. Apologize."
"I'm sorry."
Hearing Himeko apologize so obediently, Lucian merely shook his head.
"Nope, not sincere enough. Give me something more practical."
Before Himeko could even ask what he meant, Lucian had already leaned forward and kissed her deeply.
Himeko's beautiful eyes widened slightly in surprise, but she offered no resistance. Instead, she instinctively responded to him, her fingers unconsciously tightening around the fabric of her clothes.
Only when her eyes became dazed and her breathing turned slightly uneven did Lucian finally pull away.
In truth, this kind of flirting and playful banter had long since become perfectly normal for them, so both of them could be said to be completely accustomed to it.
However, today, Lucian was not willing to let the matter go so easily as he usually did.
"Hmm... I'm still not happy. What should we do?" Lucian said calmly, looking Himeko straight in the eyes. "Actually, there's one way to make me happy. Are you willing?"
Hearing that, her face immediately flushed an even deeper shade of red. Judging by his expression alone, Himeko already had a vague idea of what he was referring to.
"But what about her...?"
Himeko glanced at the sleeping girl lying on the bed before asking softly, unable to completely hide the embarrassment in her voice.
"No worries, she won't be waking up anytime soon."
Lucian sat casually at the edge of the bed, leisurely sipping his coffee while humming a quiet tune under his breath, looking completely unconcerned.
He had to admit that his current life was truly wonderful.
Days like these were peaceful, comfortable, and free of the constant dangers and chaos that had once surrounded him—especially now, when Himeko was 'servicing' him with her alluring mouth.
However, just a few seconds later, the girl lying on the bed suddenly let out a faint murmur. Her long eyelashes trembled ever so slightly before fluttering once or twice, showing unmistakable signs that she was waking up.
Right afterward, she slowly opened her eyes, revealing a pair of clear yet somewhat confused pink and blue pupils that were still clouded with the haze of someone who had only just awakened.
Her gaze lacked focus for a brief moment as she quietly adjusted to the light and gradually regained her awareness.
At first, she stared blankly at the unfamiliar ceiling overhead, her expression filled with confusion as she tried to remember where she was, before her gaze slowly shifted toward the figure sitting beside the bed, and her eyes finally settled on Lucian.
Because of her angle, she could only see Lucian's back and did not notice Himeko kneeling in front of his crotch.
"Who... are you? Where is this place...?"
Blinking her large eyes, March asked with innocent curiosity, her voice soft and sweet, carrying no trace of vigilance.
Lucian: "..."
Himeko: "!!!"
===
[A bonus chapter for every 300 Power Stones]
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