Kael held the "sleeping" Theresa in his arms, walking steadily towards her residence.
The girl in his arms was as light as a feather, her breathing even, and her warm breath occasionally brushed against his neck, bringing a slight tickle.
She seemed truly exhausted, not waking up the entire way, only unconsciously snuggling deeper into his embrace, searching for a warmer, more comfortable position.
Kael looked down at her peaceful sleeping face; long white eyelashes cast faint shadows beneath her eyes. The girl who was usually vibrant and even a bit boisterous now appeared exceptionally docile and harmless.
His heart softened, and his arms tightened slightly, holding her more securely.
Finally, reaching the door of Theresa's dormitory, Kael carefully used his access card to open the door, trying not to make a sound.
He gently placed Theresa on her bed, which was covered with a cute Haxxor Bunny patterned sheet, and pulled the blanket over her.
After doing all this, he stood by the bed, looking at Theresa, who was sound asleep. He hesitated for a moment, then bent down and very lightly brushed a stray strand of hair from her forehead with his finger.
"Good night, Theresa," he whispered, then turned to leave.
Just as he turned, his clothes were gently tugged by a small hand.
Kael paused, then looked back.
Theresa had opened her eyes at some point; there was no trace of sleepiness in her clear blue eyes, which reflected his figure and were filled with mischief and a triumphant smile.
"Kael…" Her voice was soft, like someone who had just woken up, but her tone was incredibly clear, "Are you just going to leave like that?"
Kael: "…You weren't asleep at all?"
"I was asleep for a little while…" Theresa mumbled, but her hand didn't let go of his clothes; instead, she pulled slightly, "And, you carried me back, aren't you going to give me a goodnight kiss?"
She blinked her big eyes, making an excessive request with an innocent expression.
Kael's brow twitched. He tried to pull his clothes back: "Theresa, stop fooling around, it's late."
"I'm not fooling around!" Theresa simply sat up, not caring that the blanket had slipped, and grabbed his wrist with both hands, not letting him go, "Look, I've been so good, I didn't disturb your work, and I even 'accompanied' you on such a boring mission. Just reward me a little! Just once! On the forehead! The forehead is fine!"
She started to act spoiled, shaking Kael's arm like a child asking for candy.
Kael looked at her like this, feeling both annoyed and amused.
She was an S-Rank Valkyrie, yet she pouted more skillfully than Kiana.
He sighed, trying to reason with her: "Theresa, we're not children anymore…"
"I don't care!"
Theresa interrupted him, her small mouth pouting, her eyes instantly reddening, on the verge of tears. "Kael, you're biased! You hug Kiana! And you feed her cake! But with me, you have to be reasonable! Wuwuwu…"
Kael: "…" This was the move he feared most from Theresa. He knew she was probably faking it, but he just couldn't bring himself to be firm.
He looked at Theresa, who was "aggrieved" to the point of almost shedding tears, and then remembered her full of jealousy expressions at the port and at the cake table today. The slight helplessness in his heart finally turned into indulgence.
Forget it, why argue with her.
He leaned down and quickly and gently pressed a kiss on Theresa's smooth forehead.
A touch and then gone.
"Alright, the reward is done. Go to sleep."
Kael straightened up, his tone carrying a subtle hint of embarrassment, his ears slightly flushed.
Theresa instantly froze, as if a pause button had been pressed.
She had only habitually thrown a tantrum, never expecting Kael would actually agree! But the soft, warm, fleeting touch on her forehead was undeniably real, like a pebble dropped into a lake, creating ripples that spread out in layers.
A huge, unbelievable joy instantly overwhelmed her, leaving her mind blank, her cheeks rapidly turning crimson at a visible speed, even the tips of her ears were flushed red.
"Re… Really…" She covered her forehead, staring blankly at Kael, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz. The earlier playful stubbornness had vanished without a trace, leaving only shyness and ecstasy.
Kael looked at her rare, truly maiden-like appearance, finding it somewhat novel and adorable. He couldn't help but chuckle softly and ruffled her hair: "Satisfied now? Lie down and sleep."
"Mm… Mm!"
Theresa, like a robot given a command, obediently lay back down, pulling the blanket up to cover half her face, revealing only a pair of watery, astonishingly bright big eyes. She stared unblinkingly at Kael, as if they held the entire starry sky.
Kael felt even more uncomfortable under her gaze and cleared his throat: "I'm leaving."
"Good night, Kael!" Theresa's voice came from under the blanket, muffled but full of cheer.
"Good night."
Kael quickly walked out of Theresa's room and gently closed the door.
Standing in the quiet corridor, he could still feel his slightly rapid heartbeat and burning ears. He shook his head, trying to shake off that subtle feeling.
Meanwhile, inside the room, after hearing the door close, Theresa suddenly sat up from the bed, hugging the blanket and excitedly rolling around, letting out uncontrollable silly giggles.
"Kael kissed me! He kissed me! Hehehe…" She buried her face in the blanket, which still carried Kael's scent, feeling so happy she thought she might faint. Although it was just her forehead, this was definitely a huge, historic step!
That night, Theresa hugged the blanket, savoring the brief goodnight kiss, sleeping incredibly soundly, her dreams filled with pink bubbles.
The next day, after finishing a batch of urgent documents, Kael had a rare period of free time. Just as he was about to make a cup of coffee to catch his breath, there was a knock on his office door.
"Come in."
The door opened, and Theresa poked her head in, carrying a tray, a bright yet slightly shy smile on her face: "Kael, are you done with work?"
Kael looked at the tray in her hands. On it was a pot of tea and two plates of… what looked like relatively normal pastries? At least they weren't bitter gourd series.
"What is this?"
"I'm bringing you afternoon tea!" Theresa walked in, placed the tray on the coffee table, and said proudly, "I learned how to make these from the cafeteria auntie! It's normal black tea and cookies! Hurry and try them!"
Kael raised an eyebrow in surprise and walked over to look. The black tea was rich in color and mellow in aroma.
The cookies were baked golden, and although their shape was a bit irregular, they looked quite appealing.
He picked up a cookie and took a bite; it was crispy and moderately sweet.
"How is it, how is it?" Theresa watched him nervously and expectantly, wringing her hands together.
"Hmm, I can't quite evaluate…" Kael felt like he was going to heaven… The taste was so beyond his expectations, "I didn't realize you could make this."
"Of course! I've been learning for a long time!" Theresa immediately became proud, her eyes sparkling, "From now on, I'll handle your afternoon tea! I guarantee it'll be better than the cafeteria's!"
She sat on the sofa next to Kael, poured him a cup of black tea, then picked up a cookie herself, eating it in small bites, secretly glancing at Kael from time to time, her heart feeling sweet. This was what she wanted! To be together quietly like this, sharing things she made herself, without Kiana, that little third wheel, and without Olivia, that annoying woman!
Sunlight streamed through the window, falling on the two of them. The air was filled with the aroma of black tea and a warm, tranquil atmosphere.
Kael drank his tea and ate the cookies, looking at Theresa, who was unusually quiet and well-behaved beside him. He felt that the fatigue of the past few days seemed to have been significantly soothed by this simple afternoon tea… A few days later, Theresa, under the pretext of "needing to maintain combat proficiency," dragged Kael to the training ground to accompany her.
Inside the spacious simulated training ground, Theresa held her massive golden Judah, her expression focused. Kael casually picked up a training lance.
"Kael! No holding back! Fight me seriously!" Theresa shouted, launching her attack first.
Kael smiled, his body moving, easily parrying her thrust: "As you wish."
Their figures intertwined, weapons clashing with crisp sounds. Theresa's attacks were swift and powerful, Judah swinging vigorously in her hands.
Kael, however, seemed at ease; his movements focused on efficiency and precision, often deflecting Theresa's offensives with minimal effort, and his occasional counterattacks were as fast as lightning, forcing Theresa to defend with all her might.
As they fought, they seemed to rediscover a certain unspoken understanding from their years of fighting side by side.
No words were needed; a glance, a subtle premonition of movement, was enough to guess the other's next intention.
"Left!" Kael suddenly called out a warning.
Theresa almost reflexively moved to the left, narrowly dodging an energy attack. (OS: Field interference)
"Thanks!" Theresa shouted, seizing the opportunity to swing her spear, shattering the simulated enemy.
After a high-intensity combat training session, both of them were a bit sweaty.
Theresa, panting, leaned on Judah for support, but her face wore a look of exhilarated satisfaction: "It's been so long since I had such a satisfying fight! Kael, you're still so amazing!"
Kael handed her a bottle of water, a smile playing on his lips: "You haven't regressed either. Your reactions are very fast."
"Of course!" Theresa took the water, took a large gulp, then looked at Kael, her eyes astonishingly bright, "So, you have to train with me often from now on! It's a promise!"
Looking at her expectant and vibrant face, Kael found it hard to refuse. He nodded: "Okay, I'll train with you when I have time."
"Yay! That's great!" Theresa jumped up happily, habitually wanting to pounce and hug his arm again.
This time, Kael instinctively reached out and gently pressed down on her head, stopping her airborne lunge, his tone carrying an indulgence he didn't even realize: "You're all sweaty, stop messing around."
Theresa, with his hand on her head, didn't struggle, just looked up at him and giggled.
In the sunlit training ground, the two, having just finished their battle, shared a harmonious and warm atmosphere.
Kael looked at Theresa's unclouded smile and suddenly wondered if having such a person making noise around him wasn't so bad after all?
No… why would he have such a thought?
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