My front door leads to a comic strip

Chapter 224, Section 223: Teasing Celia

Snapped.

A crisp, light sound, accompanied by a slight pain on her forehead, abruptly pulled Frillie's wandering thoughts back.

"Waaah."

She covered the spot where she had been hit with her hand, looking at Celia, who was holding a folding fan, with a wronged expression.

"Focus".

Celia closed her folding fan, her tone calm yet full of unquestionable authority.

Her gaze lingered briefly on Frilian's face before being drawn away by a commotion in another corner of the room—Gu Yuan was feeding Sera, creating a warm atmosphere.

Her eyes held a complex and unfathomable expression.

The Celestial Dragon—it actually hatched in his hands—

I thought he would never have the chance to see it in his limited lifespan—

Frillie rubbed her reddened forehead, glanced up and secretly observed Celia's tense profile, muttering softly, "Teacher, could you be a little gentler?"

"Learning magic is so boring. I wish I could be taught like my mother does—I haven't even been able to sleep in lately because of early morning classes."

Seria snapped out of her reverie and gave a soft hum: "That's just my style. Only by undergoing the most rigorous training can a mage survive on the ever-changing battlefield."

"Although you are not my formal disciple, since I am personally instructing you, you cannot slack off in the slightest."

"battlefield?"

Frillie blinked her clear, large eyes, her face full of innocent naiveté. "But, wasn't the Demon King defeated? Wasn't the war over?"

This seemingly obvious question left Celia speechless for a moment.

Her fingers tightened subtly around the folding fan as she stared at Frilian's face, her chest heaving slightly, as if she were about to reprimand her harshly at any moment.

"alright."

A gentle voice intervened. Gu Yuan had appeared unnoticed and naturally stood between Frillie and Seria, smiling at the latter, "She's still a child, her mind is still developing, don't be too harsh on her."

Celia glanced at Gu Yuan, let out a soft "tsk" from her nose, and turned her face away, but the tense atmosphere around her eased a little.

After a few seconds of silence, she suddenly turned back, her gaze sharp as she looked at Gu Yuan, her tone inquisitive: "Is this all I need?"

"Hmm?" Gu Yuan raised an eyebrow, seemingly not understanding her meaning.

"So—this comfortable life is all you're after?"

Seria spoke a little quickly, recounting the scenes she had witnessed in the capital recently.

With the demonic threat eliminated, the entire nation erupted in celebration, trade flourished like never before, and the economy prospered.

"In the short term, this is certainly a good thing, but what about in the long run?"

"Will neighboring countries covet this fertile land now free from the threat of demons? And will the unified empire itself, with its expanding power, harbor even greater ambitions?"

"The flames of war will reignite sooner or later in another form."

At that time, you, as a "hero" and revered as a spiritual symbol, will inevitably be thrust into the limelight.

"You, Gu Yuan, are you truly prepared to disobey orders if necessary?"

Celia stared intently into Gu Yuan's eyes, trying to find a trace of hesitation or anxiety within them.

Upon hearing this, Gu Yuan simply smiled calmly: "I thought it was something else—"

He paused, as if considering his words, and met Celia's gaze frankly: "I am neither a god nor a saint, and I cannot sever the greed that grows in people's hearts."

"All I've ever asked for is to protect this little corner of the world around me and solve the problems that I can see and touch."

"Hatching Sera and eradicating the demon race are all for this purpose."

Celia's eyes flickered slightly, and she immediately caught the deeper meaning in his words.

She wanted to ask further, but Gu Yuan suddenly reached out and pressed his finger against her slightly parted lips.

"!"

The warm touch felt like a weak electric current, instantly coursing through my limbs and sending shivers down my spine.

Don't overthink it.

Gu Yuan interrupted her, his words laced with a hint of teasing, "I know your 'interest' in war is roughly equivalent to Miliade's obsession with fine wine."

"But Celia, there are other things in this world worth investing your energy in besides this one."

The touch on her lips and the blunt words made Celia's heart pound.

She recoiled as if burned, covering her mouth tightly with her hand, her voice muffled through her fingers: "What...what else could it be? Don't tell me it's magic!"

Seeing her unusual flustered state, Gu Yuan's smile deepened. He pretended to be deep in thought before slowly saying, "For example—'love'? You see, Milield is a living example."

"you--!"

Celia instantly understood his teasing, and her shame and anger erupted like a volcano.

Enraged, she snatched the spellbook from in front of Frillie and threw it at Gu Yuan without a second thought: "Don't even think about it! You're simply—!"

Whoosh—

The book flew in with a whoosh, and Gu Yuan easily caught it.

Celia wanted to say something even harsher, but out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of Frilian with her clear, bright eyes, and she swallowed back the rebuke that was on the tip of her tongue.

She glared fiercely at Gu Yuan, stomped her foot, and turned to leave the restaurant almost running.

Gu Yuan picked up the book and casually tidied his hair, which had become a little messy during his earlier movements.

"Teacher, what's wrong with her?" Frillie asked softly, her face full of confusion.

"It's nothing." Gu Yuan placed the book back on the table in front of Frillie, his tone relaxed. "It's just that adults sometimes throw tantrums, it's normal."

Even so, Gu Yuan gazed at Celia's retreating figure, his mind clear.

Ever since that "kidnapping" farce, a subtle possessiveness has taken root in his heart. He cannot accept the future where Celia might be involved with others after his life ends.

I had intended to take advantage of the atmosphere just now to subtly test her attitude, but her reaction was quite intense.

The road ahead is long and arduous—he sighed inwardly, then felt relieved.

Compared to when we first met, this is already a huge improvement.

Gu Yuan gently ruffled Frillie's soft hair and encouraged her, "Keep trying. Learning magic may be tedious, but the world will be wonderful once you master it."

After saying that, he took Sera, who was perched on his shoulder, and turned to leave the room.

Frilian watched him leave, then glanced in the direction Celia had gone, her small hands rubbing the pages of the book, her eyes thoughtful.

On the other side, Celia practically fled back to her room, locking the door with a "click".

With her back against the wooden door, she could clearly hear her heart pounding wildly in her chest.

Gu Yuan's teasing smile and the strange feeling of his fingers touching his lips played uncontrollably in his mind.

Intertwined with this was the faint sound she overheard that night coming from Milield's room.

And even earlier, in that absurd dream, a blurry image of myself wearing a pure white wedding dress—

"Ugh————"

She let out a trembling breath, covered her still burning face with her hands, slowly slid down to the ground, and buried her face deeply in her knees.

Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains, casting a thin strip of light across the floor and enveloping her huddled figure in a dim, half-lit atmosphere.