Seele couldn't sit still.
How could he possibly know about such a private place?
"More importantly than that, Seele wants to get out of the Sea of Quanta, right?"
"Um…"
Seele timidly raised her head, her pair of sea-blue eyes looking at Ye Feng.
"…Y-Yes. But Seele doesn't know what to do…"
"It's okay. I will help you, Seele."
"Eh…? …Why…"
Seele looked soft and pliant, like she would be easy to bully. Her personality was simple and kind, and she seemed to trust others easily. But Seele was actually quite intelligent, and she understood the principle that "pies don't fall from the sky, only knives do."
Ye Feng said, "What do you mean, why? You're my lover, Seele."
"Um…?"
"In my eyes, Seele is my lover, so I will treat you as such. Whether or not you see me as your lover is for you to decide. It depends entirely on your own heart. There's no need to be so conflicted."
No, no, no, that's the whole problem!
Seele understood now.
It seemed… he was the only one who thought so.
If Kiana were here, she would have made a disgusted face and called Ye Feng a creep.
Seele was left speechless by his words. She picked up the mug from the table and gently brought it to her lips, shielding her gaze. Her long, dark, glossy eyelashes fluttered.
After calming herself slightly, Seele held the cup. But she still didn't dare to meet Ye Feng's gaze. She put the cup down again, lowered her head, and pressed her legs together primly, hiding her small hands on her lap under the table, her two index fingers nervously fidgeting with each other.
Ding-a-ling~~
The bell on the white oak door chimed, and a girl with silver, drill-like twin ponytails floated in.
Seele caught sight of her out of the corner of her eye. She froze for a moment, then whipped her head around to look properly.
"Bronya-oneechan!?"
"That's right. Seele's favorite Bronya-oneechan, and in her adult form, no less. Speaking of which, you and I have great taste, Seele. We both like Bronya."
There was a slight difference, though. The Seele of now liked the younger Bronya, while Ye Feng preferred the adult version.
Seele stared blankly at Bronya.
She walked over. Seele excitedly stood up, but Bronya walked right past her without a glance.
"Bro…?"
The smile on Seele's face froze in place.
"This is what I was telling you about, Seele. They're NPCs. Although their bodies are identical to the real person, they don't possess consciousness."
"…"
Seele sat back down.
Even though she understood, watching Bronya-oneechan walk past and ignore her still felt like a hand squeezing her heart.
Seele watched as the Bronya-oneechan NPC went to a nearby seat, sat down, and ordered a borscht. Her expression grew distant.
Borscht…
On a certain cold night, in the orphanage kitchen, Seele and Bronya-oneechan had made borscht together. It was the most delicious thing she had ever tasted.
Seele finally managed to tear her gaze away from the Bronya next to her.
"If you're that concerned, you can go say hello to her."
"Um…"
Seele was tempted, but she held back.
Ye Feng said, "Let me ask, what kind of life does Seele want to live?"
"…Ah? Um, well… if everyone could be safe and happy… that would be nice."
"A life of leisure, yes. Living like a pet, eating when you want to eat, sleeping when you want to sleep, sunbathing when you want to sunbathe, mating when you want to mate… A life without a single care. It's a good life. That's what I want, too."
??
Seele paused.
Did something strange get mixed in there?
I must have misheard… right?
Seele nodded.
Ye Feng continued, "The prerequisite for all of that is leaving the bottom of the Sea of Quanta. At the very least, you need to find a bubble universe first. Being trapped in the crevice between worlds, like an endless purgatory, is just too painful."
"…A bubble universe?"
Seele tilted her head.
"If you compare the Sea of Quanta to an ocean, then bubble universes are like islands. They can provide a place to rest, so you don't have to struggle in the water. However, these islands don't last very long. They can sink at any time."
Seele's greatest pain was being imprisoned in the sunless "seawater." The feeling was no different from being sealed in a coffin and buried a thousand meters underground.
"Well, in about a year or so, someone called 'the Serpent' will probably come to fish you out and toss you into a three-layered maze. But I'm sure you don't want to wait that long, right, Seele?"
"…Mm."
She didn't understand.
But Seele definitely didn't want to stay at the "bottom of the dark sea" any longer.
"Alright, Seele, take off your clothes. I'll give you a buff. Even if it can't let you punch your way out of the Sea of Quanta, it'll be no problem to break through the water and find a bubble universe."
"??"
Seele was completely bewildered, her mind unable to process it.
She understood the meaning of each individual word, but when put together, they were utterly baffling.
Seele's brain truly short-circuited for a moment.
To be precise, it refused to understand.
"…Wh-What?"
"Take off your clothes. I'm going to give you a buff, Seele."
Ye Feng repeated himself with a perfectly straight face.
"Eh, eh?"
…Take off her clothes? Here?
"Why are you so surprised? If you're shy, Seele, I can do it for you."
Seele timidly shrank back, her eyes flickering. "…Ye Feng-gege? Th-that is… is something wrong…"
"The Sea of Quanta is very dangerous, and bubble universes are full of hidden perils. With your current strength, Seele, you can't protect yourself."
Seele blushed and stammered, "…Seele knows Ye Feng-gege means well… but why do I have to… have to… take off my clothes…?"
"I need to draw the Honeysuckle Pattern on you, Seele. It's a contract to gain power. Just like a magical girl."
"…"
Seele lowered her head. She could hear Bronya's voice nearby. Her borscht had arrived, and after saying thank you, Bronya began to eat.
Ye Feng's voice was loud. The person sitting next to them could definitely hear him.
But Bronya-oneechan showed no reaction at all.
This confirmed for Seele once again just what an "NPC" was.
But no matter how much of an NPC she was, she still looked exactly like Bronya-oneechan.
To… to take off her clothes in front of another man, with Bronya-oneechan right there?
"Um… Ye Feng-gege, n-no, it's okay. Seele… Seele doesn't want to trouble you…"
"How could helping my lover be a bother?"
Ye Feng stood up and walked over to Seele, placing a large hand on the girl's fragrant shoulder. "Relax. It will be quick. It won't hurt, and it won't be hot."