Embrace a Little Longer

Irina had only enjoyed the moment briefly before she fell into deep thought—something about the situation just didn't feel simple.

Princess Jodi didn't continue with her riddles; instead, she spoke slowly, "Poor Irina, what I'm about to tell you—please brace yourself and try not to get too upset." As she spoke, she continued to hold Irina, even gently patting her back as if to offer comfort.

Taking a deep breath, Irina wrapped her arms around Jodi in return. After all, this was a great opportunity to earn some experience.

"Princess, please go on—I'm ready," Irina whispered into Jodi's ear.

Irina could detect a subtle, enchanting fragrance on the princess—a scent reminiscent of mallow blossoms that was utterly captivating.

Jodi inhaled deeply a few times, as if gathering her thoughts; the warm breath that she exhaled brushed Irina's neck and tickled her slightly. When she was ready, Jodi spoke slowly,

"Yesterday, word came from the Kingdom of Moonlight: your father, King Giroluno III, has officially declared war on our Kingdom of Night."

In an instant, Irina felt a chill crawl over her scalp; she couldn't even appreciate the soft, gentle aroma any longer. Instinctively, she pushed against Jodi with both hands, attempting to pull some distance between them.

If the Kingdom of Moonlight were to wage war with the Kingdom of Night, how could someone in her position—a mere hostage—expect any good outcome?

Irina couldn't push Jodi away; instead, Jodi held her even tighter, soothingly saying, "Don't worry, Irina—I'm not here to hurt you, and I would never hurt you."

Calming down, Irina realized that Jodi had no reason to harm her—if someone intended to do so, they wouldn't need to lure her into an embrace.

With that thought, Irina relaxed slightly, resting her head on Jodi's shoulder and wrapping her arms around the princess's waist.

"Poor Irina, I know you're worried and scared, but I know you're innocent. From the moment you arrived here two months ago, I understood you were nothing but a pawn—a casualty of politics," Jodi consoled her, gently patting her back.

"What will become of me?" Irina asked, voicing her most immediate fear.

"I will do my best to persuade His Majesty not to take action against you; that's all I can do," Jodi replied, with a trace of resignation.

Indeed, that was all she could do, for she wasn't confident she could sway King Dawn VII—after all, he appeared affable on the surface but was inwardly very proud and self-centered. Would a man like that ever heed anyone's advice?

But Jodi couldn't bear to see Irina, who was barely fifteen, come to harm. She had grown quite fond of the girl from their very first meeting, as Irina reminded her of herself when she was young.

In the days of the previous king's reign, when there were countless children and endless strife, I infiltrated the enemy ranks to gather intelligence for my then-brother King Dawn VII—even though I was surrounded by foes. Thinking of those times, Jodi sighed deeply, her heart filled with even more pity for the girl in her arms.

At that moment, Irina fell silent—what would her future hold? Perhaps death?

The thought made her purse her lips, a hint of reluctance glimmering in her eyes.

She couldn't simply resign herself to fate; she was capable of changing the outcome—after all, she possessed a "golden finger!"

Irina had come to understand what she must do amid this tide of events. The one who could help her might not be Jodi; the Kingdom of Moonlight had clearly abandoned her. Now, the only assistance she had was her Extraordinary Panel.

"Princess, will you be staying here tonight?" Irina asked softly.

"Yes—I'm here to accompany Becky. Staying for one night is perfectly fine," Jodi replied, releasing Irina's hold as she prepared to sit properly. Yet, Irina clung even tighter.

Poor Irina; she must feel terribly insecure, Jodi thought.

Jodi didn't struggle and allowed Irina to hold her.

Irina continued, "Princess, if you can stay with me tonight, may I sleep beside you? I feel so unsafe—and you give me a maternal kind of comfort…"

"Could we bring Becky along as well? If I don't sleep with my daughter, I'm sure Becky will be upset," Jodi hesitated, not expecting Irina to make such a request.

"Of course," Irina replied. "Tonight, we'll all sleep together."

In a moment hidden from Jodi's view, Irina's purple eyes sparkled with determination.

Then, while embracing Jodi, the two exchanged more words; the conversation shifted from sensitive political matters to everyday concerns.

During this exchange, Irina made a surprising discovery: there was a cap on the experience one could gain.

For instance, although she had hugged Jodi for at least seven or eight minutes, she only received five alert chimes in her mind—totaling 100 experience points. This must be the limit; though it remains unclear whether it's a per-target or daily cap, further investigation is needed.

When the hug ceased to yield experience, Irina grasped Jodi's hand and continued chatting.

After another ten or so minutes, Irina confirmed that even handshakes had reached their cap—each handshake granted 10 points, up to ten times, for a total of 100 points.

Sadly, Irina had only discovered that handshakes, hugs, playful teasing, and sleep-sharing could earn her experience; however, the time for sleep-sharing had not yet come, and teasing wasn't applicable with Jodi. So, those methods were temporarily put aside.

Since they no longer discussed any sensitive topics, Irina then asked Jodi to call Becky over so they could chat together. Jodi agreed without hesitation; even sweet little Becky came along.

Naturally, Irina took Becky's hand, which left Becky looking a bit puzzled.

"Little Becky, it seems you are very dear to Sister Irina," Jodi remarked as she gently patted Becky's head.

Becky's cheeks instantly flushed red—she appeared extremely shy about having her head patted—but this time, she didn't run off. She remained seated beside Irina.

A minute passed swiftly—yet no further experience was gained.

Irina released Becky's hand, feeling a twinge of regret; it appeared that the cap for experience from handshakes and hugs was calculated on a daily basis, and no matter who she partnered with today, the total couldn't be increased.

So, were there any other ways for her to gain experience that she hadn't yet discovered?

Irina continued to share close contact with the mother-daughter duo; and since she was also a girl, this did not arouse any suspicion. Jodi even thought that Irina was simply insecure, which made her feel somewhat apologetic.

But alas, as the day passed, Irina still hadn't uncovered a new method for earning experience.

As night fell, Irina remained behind.

What kind of night would it be?