I'm in Mota, and they all want me to confess my feelings!

At this moment, she was no longer the gun of her family, and she had shed her strong facade, facing her own heart honestly as an ordinary girl.

Koleta didn't want to wait any longer.

She already has many "enemies" so far. If this continues to drag on, who knows if the future will become even more unpredictable?

In any case, her identity as Duanmu Yan's lover is something that can never be changed.

Since you're lovers, you should act like lovers!

If we're not decisive, what if someone else manages to steal it?

Koleta absolutely cannot accept such a future!

Whether what Floro said is true or false is no longer important.

The important thing is the present moment!

"Well then, it's up to you now. Cat's Eye Stone."

She whispered to him.

......................................................

Volume 1: Chapter 137 Phoebe's Coming to Keep Me Company Tonight! [4K Long Chapter]

Laguna.

It appeared exceptionally peaceful and serene in the afternoon sunlight.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled shadows and casting a golden veil over Liberty Square.

Duanmu Yan sat alone on a bench in Liberty Square, his gaze somewhat unfocused, lost in his own thoughts.

Everything around seemed so peaceful, with a few pigeons occasionally flying overhead, making soft cooing sounds, but quickly disappearing into the distant sky.

"I suddenly feel like I need to find something to do..."

A somewhat abrupt thought suddenly popped into Duanmu Yan's mind.

Perhaps it's because the days have been too uneventful lately, with nothing to do but kill time each day and nothing else worth worrying about.

Humans are such contradictory creatures. When we're busy, we wish we could immediately drop everything and find a quiet place to rest.

But once I have free time, I feel empty inside and always want to find something to do.

So……

What should I do to keep myself occupied?

Should we go find the second young lady?

Duanmu Yan thought of it, but quickly shook his head.

just forget it.

The second young lady said that the work on the family side is nearing completion, so she will be very busy during this period. It's best not to disturb her.

Of course, Duanmu Yan's desire to find Koleta was not due to sexual repression.

The main reason is because of Katishia and the Sonora world.

With Koleta's permission, Duanmu Yan now carries the stone tablet engraved with the true face of the Lord of the Year with him at all times.

During this time, he had been trying his best to resonate with the stone slab, but the result was exactly the same as before.

— Just as the resonance is about to be completed, it will be suddenly disturbed by an abnormal frequency, causing the resonance to fail.

Perhaps it's because Leviathan has now merged with Imperado, causing their frequencies to merge to some extent, so when it tries to respond to Imperado, it is rejected by Leviathan's power.

In short, it seems unlikely that we will be able to enter Sonora's world anytime soon.

Let's wait for the bard that the wise man Mortari invited to see what's going on.

"Eh, Mr. Duanmu?"

A light and sweet voice rang in his ears, abruptly pulling Duanmu Yan's wandering thoughts back to reality.

He turned his head slightly, his gaze falling on the blonde girl who had appeared in front of him without him noticing.

“Phoebe?” Duanmu Yan looked at the girl in front of him, a gentle smile naturally appearing on his lips. “You seem quite relaxed today. Don’t you have any work scheduled?”

“Well, nothing particularly important today…” Phoebe smiled faintly and sat down next to him. “So, I have plenty of time right now.”

Do I have plenty of time right now?

Duanmu Yan seemed to be deep in thought, then a slightly teasing smile appeared on his lips as he deliberately dragged out his words: "Could it be that, Phoebe, you're intentionally reminding me to spend more time with you during this period?"

The blonde girl was slightly taken aback, a hint of confusion flashing in her violet eyes as she didn't quite catch up with Duanmu Yan's sudden teasing.

But soon, that doubt was quickly replaced by a shy blush, and her fair face instantly flushed with a lovely crimson.

She waved her hands frantically, as if trying to dispel some awkward atmosphere, and even her speech became stammering: "No... that's not it. I... I just wanted to say that I... I really don't have anything to do today."

Duanmu Yan took in the girl's adorable reaction—indeed, teasing little Phoebe was more interesting than the elegant second young lady and the domineering Cantrella.

After all, those two wouldn't become so incoherent just because of a casual joke.

Especially Cantrella, she's someone he's not at all capable of dealing with.

As for the second young lady?

Well, she's not usually shy about being teased.

unless……

I've gone too far.

Yes, it is like that.

"So that means Phoebe doesn't need my company?"

"me……"

Phoebe looked like a frightened fawn, her head bowed low, as if that would help her avoid Duanmu Yan's slightly teasing gaze.

Her hands, resting on her lap, unconsciously tightened their grip on the folds of her skirt, her knuckles turning slightly white from the force.

Her delicate, rosy face was filled with worry and vulnerability. Her lips moved slightly, as if she wanted to speak several times, but it was as if something invisible was stuck in her throat, and she hesitated to speak.

"Okay, I won't joke with you anymore."

Unlike the other girls Duanmu Yan knew, Phoebe's personality was like a soft, fluffy marshmallow, gentle and innocent.

Although she can muster the courage to step forward when faced with danger, she is mostly passive in her daily interactions with others, like a docile and shy little rabbit.

Jokes should be taken in moderation.

Phoebe trusts him so much, he doesn't want to make her cry.

Of course, in some situations, he would actually like to see her cry.

—It's just making her cry in a different way.

“Perfect timing, take me to visit the Mercury Cathedral,” Duanmu Yan said.

"A church? Of course."

Phoebe gently raised her head, her face still showing lingering shyness, which was accompanied by a smile that was bathed in sunlight.

……

……

Mercury Cathedral.

As always, it was solemn and serious.

Perhaps because it was a weekday, there weren't many people in the church today. A few believers were either praying devoutly in front of the statue or sitting quietly on the benches in deep thought.

Duanmu Yan came here, of course, not for sightseeing.

Although he hadn't been to this place many times, he was already quite familiar with every corner of the church, so there wasn't really anything worth exploring further.

He came to the church to see if he could resonate with the stone slab inside.

This is a holy site for many believers in Imbrahim. Even though the true God has long been corrupted, that kind of pure faith might still bring about some kind of miracle.

After all, such a miracle had happened to Duanmu Yan before.

But unfortunately...

Duanmu Yan failed.

Even inside the church, he couldn't resonate with that stone slab again.

So, Duanmu Yan gave up.

Perhaps, that previous time was just some kind of coincidence.

Phoebe, of course, was unaware of Duanmu Yan's ulterior motives, and enthusiastically recounted to him all sorts of interesting things that happened in the religious order.

Those trivial yet heartwarming little stories, told from her lips, seemed to gain an extra touch of charm.

Therefore, in order not to disappoint the girl, Duanmu Yan pretended to be quite interested in these things, looking intently at Phoebe and nodding in response from time to time.

The two strolled leisurely through the church, and time seemed to slow down.

When the girl finally felt a little tired, she gently tugged at Duanmu Yan's sleeve and led him to a quiet corner of the church.

Few people come here; it's so quiet you can hear each other breathing.

The girl gently sat down on the bench, patted the seat next to her, and gestured for Duanmu Yan to sit down as well.

"I'm a little tired after walking around for so long," the girl said softly, taking an apple from her small handbag and handing it to the young man beside her. "Mr. Duanmu must be tired too, right? This is the apple I had left over from breakfast today. Would you like to have one to replenish your energy if you don't mind?"

The apple seemed to still retain the warmth of the girl's palm, and faintly exuded a delicate fragrance.

Faced with such an invitation, would anyone really have the heart to refuse?

At least Duanmu Yan wouldn't.

With a slight smile, he took the apple from Phoebe's hand, and with a gentle squeeze, the apple snapped in half. He handed one half back to Phoebe, saying, "Let's eat it together."

"Ah."

Duanmu Yan took a small bite of the apple, the crisp sound echoing in the quiet corner, and the sweet juice filling his mouth.

"So today's breakfast is another laurel salad?" Duanmu Yan tilted his head slightly, looking at Phoebe, who was taking small bites of an apple beside him, with a hint of teasing in his eyes.

The girl tilted her head back and shook it gently, her hair swaying softly in the breeze: "No, that's today's dinner."

"Dinner? Will that be enough to fill you up?" Duanmu Yan couldn't help but sigh softly. "How about... you come out to eat with me today? I know a place that's really good."

“Really—” Phoebe was about to blurt it out, but then, as if suddenly remembering something, she swallowed the rest of her words back.

She gently bit her lip, a conflicted look appearing on her fair cheeks, her brows furrowing slightly, as if a fierce tug-of-war was raging within her.

Finally, she slowly lowered her head, like a child who had done something wrong, and her voice became much lower: "Never mind, as a priest, one should restrain oneself and not indulge in the desires of the palate."

Duanmu Yan: "..."

Why are there so many inexplicable rules?

Eating when you're hungry is just as normal as drinking when you're thirsty.

How did eating a meal become an addiction to food?

Unlike Abu, who has a huge appetite and spends all his time either eating or on his way to eat.

“Actually, Phoebe,” Duanmu Yan said, leaning forward slightly and whispering in the girl’s ear with a hint of seduction, “as long as no one finds out, it doesn’t count as breaking the rules.”

The sudden warmth brushed against Phoebe's ear, making it tickle and stirring a ripple in her heart.

Although a hint of shyness welled up inside her, she didn't dislike such close contact with Duanmu Yan; in fact...

There was still a faint longing.

"Isn't this just deceiving yourself?" Phoebe's pretty face flushed slightly. She carefully turned her head to the side, not daring to meet Duanmu Yan's gaze.

Duanmu Yan shrugged helplessly: "Hasn't Phoebe been doing this kind of thing all along? Is it only now that she's realized it?"

"How could that be!" Phoebe seemed to have been hit where it hurt, turning her head angrily to meet his gaze. "I have been strictly following the rules!"

"Is that so?" Duanmu Yan crossed his arms, his expression calm, and said slowly, "What about Benny and the others? I remember very clearly that the priests of the order are not allowed to have too much contact with the spirit bones."

"I……"

The girl hesitated for a moment, her lips moved but no sound came out, and she quickly lowered her head in guilt, her hair falling down to cover her flushed cheeks.