As soon as Eric and I descended from the spirit carriage, the steward rushed over like a loyal spirit beast wagging its tail, opening the door with all the enthusiasm of a well-trained attendant.
“How was Lady Margaret’s gathering, my lady? You didn’t stir up any more chaos again, did you, Young—”
He trailed off mid-sentence as he caught sight of our grim expressions. Confusion settled on his features.
Eric stepped down with the swift grace of a seasoned cultivator and extended his hand toward me. Matching his solemn demeanor, I accepted it and stepped out.
Then I forced a smile toward the steward.
“I didn’t cause any trouble. Something big did happen, but… everyone in the capital will hear of it by tomorrow anyway. I’ll be heading to my chambers. That’s alright, yes?”
The steward glanced back and forth between our faces and coughed awkwardly before stepping aside.
“Of course, madam. Should you feel any fatigue or discomfort, I’ll summon the resident physician at once—”
“No need.”
I cut him off curtly, still holding Eric’s hand as we made our way into the manor.
Nina, too, noticed something was off but refrained from asking questions. She simply let us pass without a word… though she did add,
“The steward thought the young master’s cultivation and rest schedule might not align well with the young madam’s, so he had the guest room thoroughly prepared. If the young master needs to rise early for training, he may rest there.”
Eric turned toward Nina, his tone flat.
“...I see.”
So we wouldn’t be sharing chambers anymore.
I quietly slipped my hand from his. Eric stared down at the space where my fingers had just been.
With a faint smile, I said lightly,
“Well then, dear, it’s best if you rest in the guest room. Didn’t you mention you had morning drills?”
“...Ah, is that so?”
Nina quickly moved to prepare the room, eager to accommodate.
All that was left was for Eric to say yes.
That’s it.
A clean, quiet separation.
No more charades.
Let’s not pretend anymore.
If this well-mannered young master could finally stop trying to pity me—after lending money to my mother, rescuing me from Anthony’s schemes, playing the noble savior—maybe he’d stop letting that pointless kindness spill all over me too.
Because I don’t have the luxury to waste energy acting kind.
‘It’s not like we ever played together anyway.’
His words resurfaced in my mind.
‘You never played with me to begin with. Come on—let’s go home.’
That was the sum of our conversation.
We hadn’t shared anything to begin with. So let’s not start now.
Let’s keep our distance—
“I won’t be doing that.”
Of course. As always, Eric’s response shattered my expectations.
“…What?”
Nina furrowed her brows. I stared at him, wide-eyed.
Eric reached out and took my hand again, as if it hadn’t been slipping away.
Then he gave Nina a faint smile.
“After all… it’s hard for me to sleep apart from my beloved.”
“Oh my…!”
Nina covered her mouth with a giggle, cheeks reddening.
I glared at Eric, stunned, but he ignored us both and casually opened the door to our chamber.
What… the hell are you doing?!
✵
✵
✵
SLAM!
The door shut behind us with a thunderous noise. Immediately, Nina’s hurried footsteps echoed down the stairs. A moment later, I heard her excited voice floating through the halls:
“Steward! Steward! I don’t think the young master and madam are fighting after all!”
She was clearly running off to spread tales of our
heavenly harmony
.
I stared at Eric, incredulous.
“What are you doing?! This was finally our chance to cultivate in separate chambers!”
And he ruined it? Why?! After all that fuss about being wary I'd ambush him in the night,
why
?
“I just told you. I can’t fall into trance without you nearby.”
“Ha. More like the opposite, right? You can’t enter rest mode
because
of me! You flinch and pinch me the moment I cross your boundary!”
I stomped over to the bed, scowling, and began beating the blankets like I was disciplining a disobedient spirit beast.
“What are you doing, seriously? Why do you keep stirring my heart like this, again and again?!”
This isn’t right! I told him not to hang around me anymore!
If I leave things like this...
“You’ll start to feel the lightning qi in your chest. Maybe you already are.”
At this rate, things really will go just like Mother warned!
I steeled my heart and finally threw at him what I’d been holding in.
“You gave my mother money, didn’t you? Half a million gold! Do you honestly think my family and I will pay that back? Of course not—we’re going to run off with it! Do you even know who we are?! We’re a family of con artists! And you lent us money knowing that?! What, do you pity us? You think you can show compassion
with money
? Ugh, I really… I mean, I’m so grateful, but…”
Compassion through money?
The moment I said that aloud, my heart clenched with guilt.
I was angry, yes. But grateful too.
And the moment that thought hit me, my voice caught in my throat.
Eric, leaning against the wall, watching me with a calm gaze, let out a quiet chuckle.
“...Why do you keep laughing?!”
“It’s funny watching you trip over your own words.”
He ran a hand over his face, like someone shaking off fatigue after failed meditation.
“Why do you only smile around me? You ignore every other woman like they’re invisible, but then you go around calling me pretty and stuff!”
But Eric didn’t answer—he just kept rubbing his lips with those long fingers of his, studying me.
See?! He’s too dangerous! I’m losing spiritual essence just from standing near him! He’s like a seductive incubus cultivator draining my qi!
“No wonder I can’t get any sleep...”
I glared at him, muttering under my breath.
“You mean... you can’t sleep because of me?”
He actually smiled, just a little.
Ugh. So infuriating… completely…
I widened my eyes in warning. Eric finally flinched and dropped the smirk.
He glanced around, then carefully grabbed a nearby stool, dragging it beside the bed before sitting.
He stared straight at me and said,
“Let’s hang out.”
“W-What?”
“Let’s hang out.”
For someone so massive and stoic, he looked at me like a child begging for candy from his mother.
“We’ve never actually played together. Now that you said you don’t want to anymore, I find it all the more vexing.”
Haa...
If he’s coming at me like
this
, how am I supposed to hold onto any resolve…?
There goes all my serious internal cultivation vows from earlier...
“…What are we even going to do?”
If he thought I
wasn’t
going to ask that, he was sorely mistaken.
Ughhh!
I wanted to slam my mouth into the nearest wall. But Eric, still wearing that subtle grin, answered smoothly,
“How about a moving picture show?”
…A movie?
Is he
really
trying to spend casual time with me?
“They say it’s all the rage in the capital—moving paintings that tell a story. There’s a theater across from the spirit mall.”
From his robes, he pulled out two tickets.