Shadow Slave

To hide her embarrassment, Nephis left to wash off her sweat and change clothes. When she regained her composure and returned, her hair still glistening with moisture, Master Sunless gave her a peculiar glance and looked away.

She would have thought that he was uncomfortable because of being hurt by her just now… if not for the fact that she could feel his desire burning hotly deep within his soul.

The gentle enchanter was not uncomfortable. He was just trying to hide being moved by her appearance… his yearning was usually vague and subdued, as if something was obscuring it from her senses. But she knew that it was there.

Being aware of something like that would make most people feel uneasy, or at least make them act as if they were uneasy. However, Nephis did not mind too much either way.

As her ability to sense longing developed, she had come to know that humans were creatures led by their desires, and that this kind of yearning was both the most common and the one they hid most thoroughly. It had been a bit of a shock for her to learn how many men secretly felt it in her presence, but she quickly came to peace with it.

It was simply human nature. What mattered was not how they felt, but how they chose to act. Some were slaves to their desires, while some were masters of themselves, and lived their lives with clear minds.

Master Sunless was never unpleasant in his actions, and treated her with the utmost decorum. His mind was clear, and his intentions were pure. So, Nephis was not at all appalled by the hidden flames burning in his soul.

In fact, for the first time, she was a bit pleased to know that someone felt that way about her.

At least she wasn't the only one getting flustered all the time!

Now that the sword demonstration was over, there was some time left before the next item on their schedule. The schedule had been prepared by Cassie, who was in charge of maintaining the facade of their fake relationship and keeping the sword commission a secret, but it wasn't very strict. So, Nephis and Master Sunless had some freedom in what they chose to do.

Today, for example, he had prepared a picnic.

Nephis had a vague notion that picnics were usually held in nicer settings, but due to the difficulty of finding privacy in Bastion, they were forced to eat right here in the martial hall.

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She sighed wistfully.

«Maybe I should invite him to the Ivory Island next time, It's peaceful there, and the lake is beautiful But then, she blushed slightly.»

Would that be considered inviting a man over? She lived on the Ivory Island, after all… what would he think?

What would she want him to think?

The charming enchanter, meanwhile, spread a beautiful tablecloth on the bench and placed various snacks on it. There was also a jar of freshly squeezed fruit juice, and some ice to keep it cool.

gestured to

«Please enjoy, Lady Nephis.»

quite hungry after the strenuous sword practice, so

food… but everything prepared by Master Sunless was simply too delicious. She enjoyed these meals quite

had a delightful texture, and the combination of lettuce and tomatoes was just right to make the sandwich juicy without becoming soggy. The homemade sauce added enough

It was delectable.

tasted enough meals prepared by

as well, hinting that his skill had developed gradually by trial and error, as opposed to

the sword Domain, the efficient practicality common among the veterans of the Southern Campaign, and even hints of the Forgotten Shore in his cooking — the latter most likely picked up from working in the kitchen with

talented cook. Nephis had tasted dishes prepared for the royal table by renowned chefs, and while Master Sunless was not

her

always good

smiled and shook his

but synthpaste. I only tasted real food after becoming a Sleeper, at the Academy. Let me tell you, Lady Nephis… it was quite a

sad for a moment. How poor his background must have been, to only get access to palatable food after

that Nephis thought about it, she knew very little about the

hesitated for a few moments, then

decided

surprise and remained silent for a bit. It looked as

while, he chuckled and shook

own a Memory shop. I don't actually remember where I got the idea to open a restaurant, as well… must have been sometime during the Chain of Nightmares. I just figured that feeding people

was stumped

She believed strongly that it was the duty of all Awakened to resist the Nightmare Spell, but that did not mean that everyone had to spill blood on

who maintained the cities, grew crops, and

helped those better suited for the battlefield defeat

Nephis herself dreamed of something so heavy and unattainable. Wasn't

her face, the charming

if they are seasoned warriors, they would

looked at him

from most people, and felt alienated as a result. She also

what it would be like, to have a mundane dream. If her life had been different, what would her heart strive

looked at

she have wanted to open a martial school like this one and dedicate her life to the pursuit of swordsmanship, sharing her insights

life to music? Playing an instrument had never been among the lessons taught to her as a