Chapter 358: Lap Pillow and the Same Question
Her long, loose hair had been divided into two strands and tied into a pair of neat twin tails at symmetrical positions on either side of her head. The ends of the golden hair ribbons hung down, swaying gently with her movements.
The change in hairstyle made her exquisite face look even smaller, losing a bit of its usual coldness and gaining a touch of liveliness and childishness.
It was the same hairstyle as Frieren's, but Kurtz had made some minor adjustments to suit Serie better.
Serie looked at herself in the mirror from left to right, tilting her head slightly, and curled her lips. "I feel like... it's a bit too childish. It doesn't suit my image."
Despite saying that, she showed no intention of reaching up to untie the ribbons. She only lightly toyed with the ends of her hair with her fingertips.
Kurtz set down the mirror, the corners of his mouth turning up.
He naturally knew she wouldn't change it, just as he knew that while she complained verbally, she didn't actually hate it in her heart.
Right then, Serie suddenly adjusted her posture, shifting from a sideways to an upright position facing Kurtz. Then, she reached out, patted her closed thighs, and looked at Kurtz with a serious face.
Kurtz was somewhat puzzled. "What is it?"
"Lie down," Serie said succinctly, patting her legs again.
"?" Kurtz's brow twitched slightly. This request was a bit sudden.
"If I tell you to lie down, then lie down. Don't ask so many questions!" Serie tilted her chin slightly and repeated herself once more, though a faint blush seemed to rise at the tips of her ears, making it hard to notice.
Kurtz looked at her and remained silent for two seconds.
Without asking further for the reason, he did as she said, walked up to her, and lay down, resting his head on Serie's closed thighs.
With his head pillowed on the elf girl's slender yet exceptionally soft thighs, his nose was immediately enveloped by a scent that mixed fresh soapnut with her own unique, faint fragrance.
This position wasn't actually very comfortable for him, but it provided a peculiar sense of peace.
Serie lowered her head, looking at the black-haired head resting on her lap. She reached out her small hand, her fingertips gently sliding into his hair, and began mimicking his previous actions, slowly and methodically combing through it.
"How does it feel?" she asked, her voice kept very low, sounding cautious.
Kurtz closed his eyes, feeling the gentle touch on his scalp and the warm breath close at hand, and evaluated bluntly. "Hmm... you should eat more."
"Hmm?" Serie's hand movements paused.
"Lying down like this might be more comfortable than."
Kurtz added lazily, even intentionally nuzzling his head against her legs as if that would make it more comfortable.
Serie was stunned for a moment, then immediately realized, this guy was complaining that her legs were too thin!
A flash of embarrassed annoyance instantly surged within her. Her fingers, which had been gently combing his hair, immediately changed direction, accurately pinching one of Kurtz's ears and giving it a slight tug.
"In your dreams!" she shouted crossly. "I don't want to get fat! Maintaining my figure is also very important!"
"Ow, ow, ow—" Kurtz cried out in pain symbolically, though the corners of his mouth carried a smile.
"I'm saying, it would be fine if your legs were a bit thicker. Fleshy legs are the ultimate enjoyment when used as a pillow!" His tone carried a sense of righteous regret.
"Fleshy legs—?" Serie was baffled by this strange preference, but the force in her hand increased a bit more. "I think you've broken your brain researching magic! You're always thinking about strange things!"
After "punishing" the insolent fellow a bit, Serie finally let go and returned to gentle stroking.
Only occasionally would her fingertips brush past his ear, as if as a show of force, or perhaps as a light massage to soothe the slight pain she had just caused.
Although she hadn't used much force, Serie didn't really want to hurt this man, not even slightly.
Silence flowed once more, but it was even more tender than before.
Suddenly, Serie stopped her movements.
She leaned down slightly, as only then could she fully see the man's face, and then her eyes stared straight into those black eyes. "Kurtz."
"Hmm?"
"Have you... been keeping something from me lately?"
"Why do you ask?"
Serie's gaze did not waver, as if she wanted to read the hidden things from his eyes. "Frieren—she has stopped coming to harass you every night lately. Given her personality, unless you said something special to her or reached some agreement, it would be impossible for her to give up so easily. What did you actually say to her?"
So it was because of this.
Kurtz understood in his heart, but his face remained calm, even carrying a bit of the laziness of finally being free after days of being pestered.
He shifted into a more relaxed position, turning his face toward Serie's lower abdomen and taking a deep breath. That pleasant scent made him let out a satisfied sigh.
"Nothing special," he said with his eyes closed, his voice a bit muffled. "I just told her the whole truth. The truth that only I can use immortality magic, and the truth that no matter how hard others try, it's all in vain. I made her give up completely. Once she knew there was no point in continuing to ask, she naturally stopped."
His explanation was reasonable. At least it didn't sound like there were any flaws.
Serie watched him quietly, her hand stroking his hair, never stopping, though the rhythm seemed to slow down slightly. She nodded and didn't ask further, as if she had accepted this explanation.
The room fell silent again, with only the sound of their intertwined breathing.
After a while, Serie suddenly spoke again, her voice even softer this time, almost as if she were talking to herself.
"That immortality of yours, is there really no way to use it on others? Even if it's just... to extend their time a bit?"
The same question, but the person asking was not the same.
Kurtz's body, pillowed on her lap, stiffened for an imperceptible moment.
He opened his eyes and lay back properly. Looking past the slight mounds, he could see Serie's eyes and the seriousness within them.
After a few seconds of silence, he asked back in a voice devoid of emotion. "Why ask this all of a sudden?"
Serie opened her mouth, seemingly wanting to say something. Her lips quivered a few times, but in the end, she just shook her head, swallowing the words that were on the tip of her tongue along with that inexplicable emotion.
"It's nothing," she looked away, refocusing on combing Kurtz's hair. "Just... asking casually."
Kurtz didn't press her further either.
He closed his eyes again, letting Serie's fingertips linger in his hair.
The warm, soft sensation of the elf girl's legs and the pleasant scent still enveloped him, but a subtle atmosphere had quietly begun to spread. Something unspoken lingered between them.
Serie didn't speak again, just combing Kurtz's hair over and over, as if this action could smooth out the indescribable thoughts in her heart.
And Kurtz, while seemingly lying there casually, had Serie's question and her hesitant expression echoing clearly in his mind.
What did she know? Or rather, what did she want?
An elf's perception, especially Serie's understanding of him, was sometimes terrifyingly sharp.
Kurtz didn't move, nor did he explain further. But he sincerely hoped that what Serie was thinking was the same thing as him.
[End of Chapter]