Chapter 17

Roya Greyrat tilted his head, his voice tinged with curiosity. "Master Roxy, aren't you afraid?"

Roxy's striking eyes narrowed slightly, her expression growing distant as she replied, "Afraid of what? If you wanted to, Roya, you could've planted it in me long ago, couldn't you?"

She had a point. For two years, they'd lived and slept side by side, and Roxy had seldom bothered with defenses. If Roya had any sinister plans, he'd have acted by now.

Roya scratched his head, a puzzled frown creasing his brow. "But what if I only figured out this technique recently? It's a spell that can control people, you know."

Roxy fell silent. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, then flared with irritation. She raised her hand and aimed a sharp, forceful knock at Roya's head.

Roya dodged the strike, but her momentum sent her hand brushing against his chest. Quick to react, he caught her slender wrist. His brilliant golden eyes locked onto hers, holding her gaze steady.

Her reflection danced in his shimmering pupils.

Roya's teasing tone softened into something more serious. "There are side effects, like I said. But since you're my master, I've canceled them out. That does mean its power will be weaker, though. Think of it as a gift from me."

Roxy studied him, her face a mix of emotions. She couldn't quite grasp that someone could devise such a spell. If it ever got out, it'd stir up a storm of trouble, no question.

Roya gently placed the magic seed in her hand. The moment it touched her wrist, it dissolved into threads, swiftly winding around her.

The dark tendrils raced up her delicate arm in an instant, and within a heartbeat, her entire body was encased in shadowy strands.

Roya blinked, caught off guard by the speed.

Roxy felt a strange power surge through her—wild, ravenous, and untamed. It devoured her mana hungrily, flowing through every part of her body. Her veins throbbed, and a sharp, searing pain shot through her nerves all at once.

Her brows knitted together instinctively. Her face paled, and a stifled cry slipped past her lips.

Seeing Roxy in such anguish, Roya's expression darkened with worry.

Tears glistened on her cheeks. Her fragile, pained figure stirred a pang of guilt in him. This was his fault—he hadn't thought it through. Tampering with someone's magical source wasn't as simple as he'd assumed.

Without a guide, the unleashed energy had no direction and was tearing through her unchecked.

This was the opposite of what Roya had intended.

He'd meant to enhance Roxy's mana source gently, not cause her torment.

"Roya, it hurts so much," Roxy whimpered, gripping his hand tightly. Seeing her in such distress, a sudden solution flashed through his mind.

Mana could be directed through physical contact—blood or otherwise. A close connection might let him stabilize her quickly.

Without hesitation—or much thought to propriety—Roya clenched his jaw and pressed his lips to Roxy's soft, cherry-red ones.

Her lips were warm and tender, but he couldn't linger on the feeling. The chaotic, dark mana began to settle, channeling through him as a conduit.

The once-rampant energy calmed swiftly. With Roya as its anchor, it grew manageable. He touched her gently, guiding the mana to its proper focus.

As its original master, he steered it to refine Roxy's body smoothly.

Roya let out a relieved breath.

He'd seen plenty of clichés in stories—mana replenishment through intimate means was a recurring idea. There's an old saying: "If it exists, there's a reason for it." Maybe different worlds shared some common threads, right?

To be clear, this wasn't about taking advantage of her.

Well, maybe he was a little curious about her.

Ahem.

What's wrong with a boy being curious about a girl?

As he maintained contact, the mana flowed steadily. Soon, the sharp pain ebbed away, replaced by warm currents spreading from her right arm through her entire body.

The soothing heat coursed through her veins, and Roxy's pale face flushed red in an instant.

The sensation was so comforting that she couldn't help but let out a soft moan.

Her voice carried a dangerous allure. Roya instinctively glanced at the wooden door, a twinge of guilt prickling at him.

Even though he'd already cast a spell to muffle the room's sounds, the unease lingered.

After guiding Roxy through the worst of it, Roya pulled back from her lips.

Yes, they'd felt incredible, but he wasn't at a place with Roxy where kissing was okay.

Her eyes shimmered with moisture as she panted heavily, looking utterly exhausted. At some point, her white shirt had soaked through with sweat, her body radiating warmth.

Roya frowned at the sight. She was too captivating like this—almost dangerously so. Unable to resist, he gave her cheek a light pat.

Her skin was soft, flawless to the touch, and oddly satisfying to pat.

Patting someone's face might come off as rude, but with no reaction from Roxy, he stopped reluctantly. A closer look showed her flushed face and trembling frame.

Young and easily flustered, Roya fell silent and looked away.

He might've crossed a line.

After a moment's pause, he avoided meeting her gaze. Acting as if nothing had happened, he settled into a chair, pretending to focus while subtly tracking her mana flow.

He noticed his mana was nearly identical to hers now, and the small differences were steadily aligning.

Good. The magic seed had taken hold successfully.

It took over ten minutes for Roxy to come back to herself. She blinked dazedly at the room around her.

Who am I? Where am I? What's happening?

Feeling the mana coursing through her—easily twice what she'd had before—her lips twitched. It was like a weary traveler stumbling onto a treasure trove. That was her state of mind now.

Her apprentice's gift was staggering. She looked at Roya, lost in thought in his chair, a swirl of emotions in her chest.

Snapping out of it, she realized she was drenched in sweat, her body sticky and uncomfortable.

Recalling Roya's bold move, her face heated up again.

She didn't know how to face him now.

Was that a kiss?

It probably counted. She pressed her lips together, still feeling a faint trace of warmth.

With a sigh, she glanced at Roya, sitting stiffly upright.

"I'm going to take a bath," she said, her tone resigned.

With that, she opened the door and hurried downstairs.

Once she'd left, Roya set his book aside and let out a long breath.

He'd been dreading her bringing it up. This was undeniably his fault—his gift to his master had gone terribly wrong.

While she was gone, he checked in on that other world.

One look, and his eyes widened in disbelief.

In another world.

A blond-haired man smiled warmly, holding the hand of a little blonde girl. She was adorable, her hair tied in a neat braid. It wasn't him, of course. Her expression reminded him of a ten-year-old version of someone he knew.

The man was striking—handsome, with sharp brows, flawless features, and a chiseled jaw. His golden-red eyes sparkled, and a gentle smile curved his lips. He exuded the charm of a bright, dashing young man.

He was unfairly good-looking. Roya gritted his teeth. Why was he stuck as a kid while this guy got to be a heartthrob?

"Is it good?" the blond asked with a warm smile, holding the girl's hand.

She clutched a candied fruit skewer in her right hand, savoring it with obvious delight.

Never mind how he'd gotten so close to her.

Was this really okay?