Volume 7, Chapter 59 – Branching Feelings

“Kiss…?”

Anastasia uttered a sound that did not belong to the elven language. Fia had long wanted to point out that the pronunciation of this word must have come from some Holy Son. But now, rather than caring about which Holy Son brought it, it was more important to figure out how to take back the word that had slipped out unintentionally.

Anastasia’s face flushed crimson at an alarming speed, yet she did not avert her gaze. Instead, she forced herself to stay calm, swallowing with difficulty.

“You mean… kissing the back of the hand?”

Pfft.

If not for her exquisitely precise muscle control, Fia would have burst out laughing. Even at a moment like this, Anastasia could only think of the common etiquette of kissing the back of the hand. A normal person would usually think of lip-to-lip contact, a fiery or elegant kiss.

Given Anastasia’s personality, she probably understood but was too embarrassed, or simply couldn’t believe it. Even Fia wasn’t entirely sure.

Maintaining her slightly leaning-back posture, Fia glanced at the floor, lowering her voice.

“It’s just kissing the back of the hand. Anastasia must have done that while serving as captain of the Royal Guard, right?”

“Then… is it kissing the cheek?”

There should be a limit to playing dumb.

The atmosphere had built up to this point, why did she have to be the one to take the initiative?

Complaining inwardly, Fia turned her face away and sat up straight, clearing her throat with an air of importance.

“Ahem! A kiss, of course, means mouth to mouth.”

“Ah…”

“Hey, the soup on your lap is about to spill.”

“Ah! Al-almost, sorry, Your Highness, I almost spilled your dinner.”

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Noticing the stew about to overflow from the bowl’s rim, Anastasia hurriedly straightened her posture. The sudden movement made Fia break into a cold sweat, fearing the steaming hot stew would slosh out from the momentum.

So oblivious…

Sighing inwardly, Fia waved her hand.

“If it spills, we can just make another portion. But be careful not to let Milu see.”

“Why can’t Euphimilu see?”

“Because a few days ago, I promised Milu I’d let her be in charge of my dinners. Otherwise, she’d cry for me to see. Although I’m quite curious about what Milu looks like when she cries, breaking a promise goes against my principles.”

“Even the right to cook for Your Highness is being divided up…”

Hearing this, the bitterness on Anastasia’s face deepened. Not only had her maid duties been split with another version of herself (actually, it was she who had split the duties from this Anastasia), but various other privileges were also being taken by girls she had just met. She couldn’t help but feel a sense of losing her own value.

It’s completely sentimental.

Fia, on the other hand, understood Anastasia’s heart but didn’t point it out. She took a bite of her sandwich. Just as the salty flavor of the smoked cutlet within spread on her tongue, making Fia want to take a second bite, Anastasia’s voice, full of grievance, suddenly rang out.

“Your Highness really is popular with girls. Whether it’s Miss Claire, or Euphimilu, or even those two Holy Sons and Queen of Cold Night whom I’ve never met… It hasn’t even been a year, yet you’re surrounded by girls.”

She sounds like a jealous girlfriend.

Fia secretly observed Anastasia sitting beside her. The latter wasn’t quite at the level of pouting in a huff, but she kept stabbing her fork into the bread on her silver plate.

“Can I take that as Anastasia being jealous?”

“Hmph, I am jealous. We’re already lovers, yet you always mention other women in front of me.”

So she still remembers the pretend-lovers game.

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But she’s probably using the guise of pretending to be lovers to sincerely invest her true feelings.

Putting down her sandwich, Fia adopted a lecturing tone.

“You heard me say ‘kiss’ just now, yet Anastasia didn’t think about taking it further. Isn’t that Anastasia’s problem? I placed the opportunity right before Anastasia’s eyes. Right there.”

“Eh? Just now… you were serious?”

“If Anastasia is serious, then I am serious. At this point, there’s no need to hide anymore, right? Just like Anastasia gets jealous when I get too close to other women, if Anastasia gets too close to others, I’d feel anxious too. So, if Anastasia wishes to do things we’ve never done before, I will sincerely respond to Anastasia’s feelings.”

Not just kissing, other aspects too.

These words were infinitely close to a confession.

It wasn’t a sudden realization of her own feelings, but a natural emotion that had reached its point.

Sweat beads formed on her palms from nervousness. Fia did not look at Anastasia’s face.

At some point, without realizing it, she had taken that step.

She had truly acknowledged her heart’s fondness for Anastasia, her desire to go further with Anastasia, to forge a closer, inseparable bond. This feeling wasn’t just for the Anastasia before her, but also for the Anastasia who originally belonged here. Ever since Anastasia took her hand and guided her through the tunnels of Aurora City, she had already developed an irreplaceable fondness for Anastasia. Now, it was merely that fondness continuously growing, branching out.

Once she acknowledged this feeling and looked back at her past self, Fia couldn’t help but feel that her past self had been too awkward.

Since Anastasia remained silent for a long while, Fia had no choice but to swallow hard and cautiously turn her head to peek at Anastasia.

She’d better not be crying.

Fortunately, Anastasia wasn’t crying. She just kept her fingers touching her lips, her clear blue eyes shimmering with an emotion hard to decipher—it definitely wasn’t lament, but something closer to joy.

Fia immediately felt relieved.

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The feelings must have been conveyed.

The vast testing ground was utterly silent, yet it seemed to resonate with the sound of a storm. Neither spoke, simply quietly enjoying this tranquility.

Until Fia’s stomach growled again. She awkwardly cleared her throat, tentatively moving her hand towards Anastasia’s side, leaning her body over as well.

“Anastasia?”

“Ah…”

Don’t just answer with an ambiguous ‘ah’!

I mustered the courage to confess, to say brave things like if Anastasia wished, I would respond to her kiss. You need to be more decisive.

As if hearing Fia’s inner thoughts, Anastasia looked back at her. Her right arm was tucked against her chest, those clear blue eyes filled with gentleness and warmth, the corners of her mouth curved into a lovely arc.

One could say it was the most genuine smile Fia had ever seen on Anastasia.

Unfortunately, Anastasia deliberately put a little distance between herself and Fia.

“Your Highness seems to have forgotten one thing. The ‘me’ right now isn’t me, but the other me. So even if I really were to ki… kiss Your Highness, that would be something the other me did.”

Shouldn’t such things be judged by intent, not form?

Not brave at all.

Anastasia scratched her cheek in distress.

“That’s Your Highness’s view. I care very much about whose body I’m using. Only by using my own body to form a bond with Your Highness would it be meaningful. Otherwise, it would just be another case of someone else getting ahead. If Your Highness were in my shoes, think about it: if Your Highness used Lady Erin Slate’s body to kiss me, wouldn’t you feel my purity was tainted? Even if the soul residing in Lady Erin Slate’s body at that time was Your Highness, it would feel the same.”

“This…”

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It does feel less like me kissing Anastasia, and more like Erin Slate kissing Anastasia.

So that’s it.

I almost thought Anastasia disliked me.

Fia finally understood Anastasia’s perspective.

The Anastasia before her was already completely another Anastasia.

She gave a wry smile.

“It seems I thought too simply.”

“Exactly. Such things must be done with one’s own body.”

Anastasia closed her eyes and straightened up, looking quite proud.

Thinking about how even that calm and composed Anastasia could show a jealous, petty side like a young girl, Fia couldn’t help but find it amusing.

She quickly stuffed the sandwich into her mouth, then took the stew and drank it down at a speed that made Anastasia gasp in surprise. Finally, as if fully revitalized, she stood up with great vigor.

“In that case, let’s create Anastasia’s body tonight, and then properly form our bond with dignity!”

It felt like she was saying something utterly shameless with a perfectly serious tone.

But anyway, it’s just the two of us here, no need to worry about that!

Ignoring Anastasia’s advice to “rest a bit more,” feeling full of energy, Fia unconsciously curled the corner of her mouth. Humming an unknown tune, she began pushing Anastasia out with her [Spatial Hand] while starting the construction of the torso.