Time rewound to a little while earlier. That day, Roxy was in class, diligently taking notes on what the teacher was lecturing.
Her small notebook was filled with neat, graceful handwriting.
The classroom at that moment was steeped in a studious atmosphere.
The teacher on the podium glanced at the students below who had finished their notes, then looked out the window. Turning back to the class, she said, "Alright, that's all for today's lesson. Class dismissed!"
With those words, the teacher stepped off the podium and headed out of the classroom. Her cheeks were flushed—most likely rushing off to a date.
Roxy began packing up her things, preparing to leave the classroom as well.
But just as she was about to go, the students in front of her started chatting.
"Ellen, wasn't that senior so handsome today? Did your heart skip a beat?" A girl with yellow hair said to her deskmate.
"Oh no, Yuli, was it that obvious on my face?" The girl named Ellen shyly pushed Yuli.
"Of course it was obvious! You looked exactly like a lovestruck maiden in the springtime!"
Their conversation quickly drew in a crowd of other girls, and soon a large group was excitedly sharing stories about their ideal types and imagined encounters.
…Most of them were very imaginative. For example, one girl described a prince riding a white horse, holding the most beautiful flowers in the world, kneeling on one knee in front of her to propose.
Another told of a hero in war shielding her with his own body from a cold blade, and the two falling in love amid a pool of blood.
Roxy listened to their words and found it all very amusing, so she quietly joined in, listening from the side.
Topics like romance were something Roxy genuinely enjoyed.
Soon, the circle of girls had finished sharing their ideal types and made-up stories. Their gazes turned toward Roxy, who had been secretly eavesdropping from the back row.
Feeling their eyes on her, Roxy grew a little embarrassed. After all, eavesdropping on others' conversations wasn't exactly polite.
Just as Roxy was about to apologize, Yuli spoke first.
"You're Roxy, right? What about you? We're just missing yours." Yuli asked with a smile. The others looked at Roxy with curious eyes as well. There was no hostility in their gazes, which finally put Roxy completely at ease.
"Me?" Roxy began to imagine, then combined it with the mate-selection criteria she had heard earlier to start weaving her own story.
"Someday, a tall, manly young man with a youthful face will coincidentally rescue me deep inside a labyrinth. Then, as we reasonably continue forward together, the two of us will gradually develop feelings for each other…"
Roxy spoke at length. She built her story on the premise of being an adventurer. Though it was just a story, in her heart she was always thinking of one person—whose appearance was quite similar to the one she described.
Hearing Roxy's words, the girls around her showed looks of longing.
"Wow! Falling in love deep inside a labyrinth—so romantic!"
...
Right after Dan Feng said those words, Roxy suddenly recalled what she herself had once said, for some reason.
"Deep inside a labyrinth…" Roxy murmured softly.
"Hm? So actually, I'm not really considered a member of the human race, but there are some similarities." Dan Feng was still explaining his current form, but Roxy clearly wasn't listening.
Seeing no reaction from Roxy, Dan Feng asked in confusion, "What's wrong? You zoned out."
Roxy swallowed hard, then gripped her staff tightly and shouted, "Dan Feng! I like you! Please marry me!"
"Huh?"
Then, as if a dam had burst, Roxy poured out all her feelings toward Dan Feng—this pure-hearted young man who had remained single for who-knows-how-many years.
Without holding anything back, she expressed her love and gratitude toward Dan Feng one by one.
Throughout the long journey from Millishion to Ranoa Magic University, Dan Feng had always quietly cared for and looked after Roxy.
Whether in daily life or in her studies, Dan Feng had always given her meticulous concern and help.
This filled Roxy's heart with deep emotion. She had never imagined someone would treat her with such attentiveness.
Ever since she had set out on her own as an adventurer, aside from the very first party members she traveled with, almost no one had been so kind and considerate toward her.
Especially during that Red Dragon incident—Dan Feng hadn't hesitated to tell her and the bard to leave first while he stayed behind to face the powerful Red Dragon alone.
In that moment, Roxy's heart had been filled with panic, just like the terror she felt back on the Demon Continent when Captain Dead End died and the party nearly fell apart.
As for exactly why she had fallen for Dan Feng, even Roxy herself couldn't fully explain it.
Perhaps it was because Dan Feng had repeatedly saved her in critical moments. Even though he lived in Millishion—a place not particularly friendly toward demons—he had always helped her, a member of the Migurd race, without reservation.
Or perhaps it was the time Dan Feng specially bought flowers for her—forget-me-nots, the symbol of eternal love!
Back then, Roxy had almost confessed to him on the spot, but Dan Feng cleverly shifted her attention and made her miss that perfect opportunity.
Right now, Roxy's eyes held an unprecedented seriousness—completely different from the fearful look she had worn earlier.
"You're serious?" Dan Feng asked in surprise, his tone full of disbelief.
Roxy was just about to nod when another group of skeletons rushed in from the distance.
Seeing this, Dan Feng said to Roxy, "Let's get out of here first!"
Immediately afterward, raging torrents of water once again crushed the skeletons to pieces.
After that, Dan Feng led Roxy and successfully located the transfer magic circle leading out. He took her hand and they left that space.
Then he casually killed a giant black centipede and guided Roxy upward.
Not long after, Dan Feng successfully brought Roxy out of this S-rank labyrinth.
Once outside, Roxy gathered her courage again and shouted, "Dan Feng! I'm serious."
"Okay, okay, I can tell you're serious." Dan Feng replied immediately, then seriously considered his own feelings toward Roxy.
It would be a lie to say he felt nothing at all. But if he hadn't come looking for her in time, he might never have realized his own emotions toward Roxy.
Still, marriage right now felt far too soon, didn't it?
That was what Dan Feng thought. Then he earnestly spoke his own feelings to Roxy.
"To be honest, I do have feelings for you too. After all, we've been together for so long. But marriage is still too early—we haven't even finished our studies yet." Dan Feng spoke calmly. For once, his tone no longer felt distant; it carried a genuine warmth.
Hearing this, Roxy's heart sank halfway. Wasn't this just Dan Feng politely rejecting her?
"However, we can start as lovers first. A few years from now, when the time is right, we can get married." Dan Feng said slowly. This was what he truly felt. Although he held good feelings toward her, a flash marriage was still too big a step for him.
After all, across two lifetimes, he had never even been in a romantic relationship. Even if they married, he wouldn't yet know how to fulfill the responsibilities of a husband.