Cynthia’s bedroom was rather secluded, and only a corner of it was touched by the sunset’s afterglow. While it was still somewhat bright outside, the light inside the room had already dimmed. Olivia glanced at the several empty nectar bottles on the table, belatedly realizing just how long she and Cynthia had been chatting.

Setting aside the budding feelings between her and Cynthia, she had always admired this member of the God Race. Even though the casual impression Cynthia had left on her during their first conversation had displeased her somewhat, the talent she later displayed had thoroughly piqued her interest.

She began to pay attention to this God Race member, and Cynthia had indeed brought her many surprises. She just didn’t know when this “attention” had suddenly changed in nature. She found herself caring more and more about Cynthia, a feeling that had surpassed mere admiration.

She had developed a sense of possessiveness over someone of another race, a strange and wondrous feeling. Since birth, the heavy burden of protecting the Elf Race had rested on her shoulders. Olivia knew how to guard her territory, how to fight the Vampires, and how to care for the Tree of Life, but she had no idea how to process these sudden, unfamiliar emotions.

She had once thought her relationship with Cynthia would be like her relationship with Helen, or perhaps even better—Cynthia could become her first friend.

But no one feels possessive of a friend, growing displeased whenever they see someone else approach or get close to them. And when Cynthia got close to her, she didn’t feel repulsed; instead, she felt a subtle happiness. This feeling was more akin to how one would treat a partner…

This was Olivia’s first time dealing with such emotions, and she couldn’t handle them with complete composure. Expressing her feelings with the Twin Flower was probably the biggest hint she could give.

The Twin Flower by the bed emitted a faint floral scent. Olivia glanced at it, the corners of her red lips curving into a subtle arc. Unfortunately, it seemed Cynthia was still unaware of her “hint.”

Olivia suddenly fell silent as if lost in thought. The sunset’s afterglow fell upon her, making her look serene and beautiful. Cynthia stared at her without blinking. When Olivia turned to look at the bedside, she followed her gaze, her eyes circling the basket of Twin Flowers before moving to the soft, comfortable-looking bed. A glint of amusement flashed in her golden eyes as she smiled and invited, “The forest outside the city has been destroyed by the Vampires, so there’s nowhere for Her Majesty the Queen to rest. However, my bed is very large. Would Her Majesty the Queen consider staying the night? That way, I can also protect you.”

Her invitation seemed considerate, but her tone was entirely teasing. Her gaze, which had been gentle at first, now grew somewhat fiery as she watched Olivia.

“…I don’t need to sleep.” Olivia met Cynthia’s gaze for a moment before she couldn’t help but look away. She raised a hand to tidy the hair at her neck, wondering if the accumulated locks were making her feel a little hot.

For an elf who could naturally control the power of nature, feeling hot from an external source was an incredible thing.

Her long, pale green hair was swept back by her slender fingers, exposing her fair neck to Cynthia’s view. Cynthia, who had only meant to tease Olivia, felt the smile on her lips fade slightly as her eyes darkened. She suddenly stood up, reached out to grab Olivia’s wrist, and said in a low voice, “I don’t need to sleep either.”

She caressed Olivia’s wrist ambiguously.

The force with which Cynthia gripped her wrist wasn’t too strong; Olivia could have easily broken free, but she didn’t. She allowed her wrist to be held, only verbally refuting Cynthia’s words. “That’s not what I meant.”

Elves naturally didn’t require sleep, but Cynthia was clearly twisting her words.

Cynthia stared at Olivia for a moment, then suddenly laughed teasingly, “I thought Her Majesty the Queen was trying to say she has good energy, good stamina…”

A hand suddenly covered her mouth. Olivia glared at Cynthia. Perhaps it was the last rays of the sunset that cast a faint blush on her fair face. She lowered her voice and chided, “What nonsense are you talking about?”

Though it was a reprimand, her voice was rather soft, holding none of the coldness she showed to outsiders.

Her palm was suddenly kissed lightly. Olivia froze for a second, subconsciously trying to pull her hand back, but Cynthia stopped her. Cynthia held Olivia’s hand, bowing her head to kiss her fingers, her voice as gentle as water. “Alright, I was talking nonsense. Her Majesty the Queen’s stamina is not good at all.”

After speaking, she gave Olivia no chance to retort. She leaned in directly, her fingertips lifting Olivia’s chin, and kissed her slightly parted lips, swallowing all the unspoken rebuttals.

Although Cynthia enjoyed the fun of “bickering” with Olivia, right now she just wanted to seal her lips. Who could blame her, when this person was always unconsciously tempting her?

Olivia was a beauty, especially when lost in passion. Her beauty was clean and wonderful, and her cool temperament added a touch of otherworldly charm. Even with her lips kissed moist and crimson, she showed not a trace of seductive coquettishness.

But this pure form of temptation was all the more attractive to Cynthia.

The bedroom’s bed was indeed soft, something Olivia felt the moment Cynthia pulled her down onto it. Pale green and silver hair tangled together, spreading across the bed. Cynthia held Olivia’s wrist with one hand while her other hand gently caressed her lips. Her melodious voice was no longer so clear. “They look a little more colorful now.”

“When you were unconscious, your lips had no color at all.” Cynthia’s fingers moved to Olivia’s chin, and she leaned down to place a kiss on the corner of her mouth, saying softly, “I wanted to do this back then.”

Cynthia’s weight was nothing to Olivia, but they were pressed too close. She could even feel the heat of the other’s body through their thin clothes. Cynthia’s scent enveloped her, making her feel a sense of pressure. She pursed her lips, which were tingling from the kisses, and her pale green eyes looked directly at the silver-haired God Race member so close to her. With a slight exertion of the hand on the other’s waist, she flipped their positions, pressing Cynthia beneath her.

Cynthia raised an eyebrow, her eyes curving slightly. “Did I make you uncomfortable just now?”

Olivia’s clothes were a bit wrinkled but hadn’t come undone much. Cynthia had only held her down and kissed her, without crossing any boundaries.

“No.” Olivia looked down at Cynthia from above. The prolonged kissing had made the silver-haired God Race member’s face flush as well. She reached out to brush the long hair from Cynthia’s cheek, then looked up at the flower basket by the bed.

A sudden gust of wind knocked over the flower basket, scattering the petals over Olivia and Cynthia. Cynthia stared at a petal that had landed on Olivia’s shoulder, stunned for a moment, then grew thoughtful.

“This is the Twin Flower.” Olivia suddenly spoke, interrupting Cynthia’s thoughts. She picked up a petal and placed it in Cynthia’s hand, saying with forced composure and seriousness, “It’s a gift for you.”

Although Cynthia had her suspicions, hearing it directly from Olivia’s lips was still a wonderful surprise. She glanced at the faint blush on Olivia’s ear tips and suddenly let out a low laugh. “Her Majesty the Queen’s confession isn’t subtle at all. It was I who was too slow.”

She reached out, grabbed a handful of petals, and, remembering something, asked, “Last time, you said the Twin Flower could make people disoriented. What did you mean by that?”

Olivia’s eyes flickered, and she looked away, covering up, “It’s nothing.”

She paused after speaking, and fearing Cynthia would press the issue, she simply leaned down and sealed her lips with a kiss.

It was rare for Olivia to take the initiative. Cynthia froze for a second, then wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer and responding with passionate gentleness. As for the secret of the Twin Flower, she was suddenly in no hurry to find out… If every inquiry could earn her such initiative from Olivia, she wouldn’t mind asking a few more times in the days to come.

After her falling out with Avira in the Elf Territory, Hanni had returned to her own lands with Joanna. Clan Leader Helen had ordered everyone in their clan to remain in the territory and not to leave, which made even the slow-witted Hanni feel that something was wrong.

She tried to ask Joanna for the reason, but Joanna only told her that nothing was wrong. And Joanna truly acted as if nothing had happened, patrolling the territory and teaching the young wolves every day, no different from usual.

But Hanni still felt something was off. If things were really as usual, with Clan Leader Helen out fighting the Vampires, her mother would have surely gone to her side to protect her long ago.

Something must have happened between her mother and Clan Leader Helen, but she didn’t know what it was, which left Hanni feeling uneasy and anxious.

The Wolf Race lived on the ice plains, their houses simple igloos. Hanni lay alone on the hard, icy ground, her sky-blue eyes gazing at the gray sky, dull and lifeless.

Hanni lay on the ground in a daze. By the time she came to her senses, the sky had already darkened. She got up and stretched. Just as she was about to go for a walk, her peripheral vision caught a dark figure. She subconsciously looked over. The red-haired vampire was leaning against a tree trunk, staring at her without blinking. There was no telling how long she had been watching, her beautiful face devoid of any smile.

It was Avira… Hanni’s eyes widened slightly, and she immediately became alert, demanding, “What are you doing here?”

Hanni’s guarded attitude made Avira tilt her head. She shrugged and replied lazily, “I came to find you.”

“What for?”

“I missed you, so I came to find you.” Avira started walking toward Hanni, saying nonchalantly, “Didn’t you miss me?”

Watching her approach, Hanni subconsciously retreated, her entire body tensing as she took an attack stance. “What are you really here for?”

She paused, her brow furrowed. “After attacking the Elf Race, are you Vampires now coming to attack the Wolf Race?”

Hanni’s serious expression made Avira stop in her tracks. Her expression shifted several times before she finally put on an innocent look and sighed, “I really did miss you.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“I came alone.” Avira ignored Hanni’s wary gaze and strode toward her, stopping just a step away. “If I wanted to attack the Wolf Race, I wouldn’t have come looking for you.”

Although what Avira said made sense, Hanni still felt she had ill intentions. She retreated a few more steps. Just as she was about to warn Avira not to come any closer, the beautiful and bewitching vampire suddenly put on a wronged expression. “Why are you hiding from me?”

Hanni: “…”

“Y-You, stop pretending.” Hanni saw through Avira’s disguise. “Tell me what your real purpose is.”

When they first met, Avira had pretended to be a simple and kind human girl and had her wrapped around her finger. She wouldn’t be fooled again.

Seeing that Hanni had no intention of showing her any tenderness, Avira snorted, then lunged forward and pinned Hanni to the ground. Her sharp fangs were faintly visible by her lips as she said viciously, “I’m hungry. I’m here to feed.”

Her purpose? She wanted to know her purpose, too. Ever since leaving the Elf Territory, she had been inexplicably following this wolf. She found it strange herself.