The night grew deeper and quieter.

At this time, Luciel was sipping tea while waiting for Liyue to return.

Mino had already fallen asleep at the table.

Knock, knock.

There was a knock on the door.

Luciel glanced at the rabbit-eared girl who was still asleep, then got up and opened it.

Standing outside was a white-haired girl, and beside her, a woman with a cloth wrapped around her head.

"Liyue, come in quickly." Luciel smiled warmly and stepped aside.

When Liyue brought the others inside, Luciel wasn't surprised. The three-colored lizard outside had already warned him.

After all, Xiao Cai had just been scolded by him earlier—because it had frightened the rabbit-eared girl.

Now it hid itself in a nearby alley, keeping its aura suppressed, lying there silently.

"I'm back." Liyue entered with a bright look, carrying a large cloth bag.

"And you—come in too," Luciel said gently, looking at the other woman who hesitated at the doorway.

Yu Feier stood frozen, staring blankly at the man before her.

The man's black eyes were deep and unreadable, yet clean and warm. There was no trace of disgust, coldness, or rejection in them.

In an instant, her heart quivered. His image filled a blank space in her heart that she hadn't known existed.

What a good man.

Her face heated up rapidly, and she foolishly stared at him—this man she had never looked at so seriously before.

"My companion's just a little shy."

Liyue glanced at the sleeping Mino, then quietly stepped out again, tugging at the cloth wrapped around Yu Feier's head and dragging her inside.

"Eh? What's this situation?" Luciel raised a brow. To him, it almost looked like Liyue had kidnapped someone.

"She gets confused easily. With her, it's better to act first than explain."

As she spoke, Liyue loosened the cloth mask, letting her long white hair fall naturally.

"I see," Luciel nodded as if understanding.

He got up to warm some barbecue and asked softly, "You haven't eaten dinner yet, have you?"

"Not yet," Liyue replied casually.

Meanwhile, Yu Feier stood awkwardly with two large cloth bags, sneaking glances at Luciel as he prepared the food.

For some reason, she thought this man was… truly handsome.

"Your companion?" Luciel, feeling the intensity of her gaze, winked at Liyue.

"She's Yu Feier. She's eighteen, and… well, a bit scatterbrained by nature."

Liyue gave a quick introduction, then walked over helplessly. "Yu Feier, put those things down."

"O-Oh…" Yu Feier stammered softly, lowering her head to avoid everyone's gaze.

"Don't be so nervous," Liyue said. She had never seen Yu Feier act so flustered before—dazed, awkward, almost like she'd been bewitched.

"This is the person I told you about: Luciel."

Liyue helped her set down the bags and added, "And that girl sleeping at the table is Mino."

"H-Hello…" Yu Feier whispered, her voice barely audible, face burning red.

"???" Liyue was utterly bewildered. Was this really the usually absentminded Yu Feier? When did she get so timid just to greet someone?

Then it struck her. Perhaps Luciel was the first truly normal man Yu Feier had ever met. No wonder she was acting unnatural.

She quickly convinced herself of the reason.

"Don't just stand there. Sit down," Luciel said kindly.

"O-Okay." Yu Feier sat stiffly, her heart pounding wildly. She felt lightheaded, as if she'd been drinking.

Suddenly, a passage from Alina's "Love Quotes" flashed through her mind:

'If a girl's heart races when she sees a man, and her eyes are unconsciously drawn to him, that could mean one thing: love at first sight.'

—Alina's Love Quotations

"Could it be… I've fallen in love with Luciel at first sight?"

Yu Feier's heart trembled violently. She shook her head in disbelief.

"No, impossible. I'm not some shallow girl, like Little Lily always says…"

It's just… I've never seen such a pure man before. That's all. He just feels… nice. Yes, that's it.

She tried to calm her racing heart.

"Here, have something to eat."

Luciel smiled faintly and handed her a plate of freshly grilled meat.

"T-Thank you…" Yu Feier accepted it absentmindedly.

But the moment her golden eyes met Luciel's, her heart leapt again—throwing her carefully built composure into chaos once more.

"What's wrong?" Luciel asked, puzzled at her dazed look, before glancing at Liyue.

"Don't mind her," Liyue said coolly between bites of barbecue. "She just needs time to adjust. She'll be fine later."

"…Alright." Luciel let it go and shifted the conversation. "Liyue, you've just been outside. Did you notice anything unusual?"

"Yes. All of the patrol team members have disappeared."

Liyue set down her cup of hot tea, her tone serious. "I also saw many hunters loitering near the hotel. It looks like they're watching us."

"Hunters? Are you certain?" Luciel's dark eyes narrowed.

"Yes. A few of them I recognize."

Luciel's expression darkened. "It seems someone is envious of us…"

He suspected tonight's incident with Bloodbeard had drawn unwanted attention. But if that were the case, why were there no patrols?

"Luciel, could it be because the Moon Lord was injured?" Liyue frowned. "Maybe they pulled the patrols to protect her."

"No. That doesn't make sense." Luciel shook his head. "Removing all patrols just to guard one person is unreasonable."

"Unless…"

His eyes sharpened. "Unless they think we might cause trouble. So they posted people to watch us instead."

Yu Feier, quiet until now, whispered timidly, "I… I think someone might try to harm the Moon Lord."

Her logic was simple—if villains in the tribe knew the Moon Lord was injured, they'd naturally strike.

Luciel froze, then realization dawned. "Of course… The watchers aren't protecting her. They're keeping us from saving her."

"But why?" His brows furrowed. "If someone dares target the Moon Lord, only the Elders could mobilize so many hunters. But what are they really after?"

The idea of using the Moon Lord as a "water-producing pet" flashed in his mind—but he quickly dismissed it. She had too many supporters.

"Unless… there's a greater prize than the Moon Lord."

His gaze sharpened. "A new source of water."

Liyue instantly thought of Luciel. "Could it be you?"

"It's not me." Luciel shook his head firmly. "Even if word of my water awakening spread, they wouldn't react this fast."

He leaned back. "No… this has Elder's fingerprints all over it."

The pieces began to fall into place.

"…Then, are we going to save the Moon Lord?" Liyue asked carefully.

"Not yet." Luciel's voice was calm, almost leisurely. "She should be safe for now. What we need to know is what the Elders are plotting."

His lips curved faintly. "Besides, we'll need hundreds of beast crystals to rescue her properly. Perhaps even a sixth-rank beast to stand a chance."

"You're planning to go straight for the Elders?" Liyue's silver eyes widened.

Luciel chuckled. "We're not part of the Moon Lake tribe. Why should we care? Think of it as… borrowing something from them."

"Borrow?" Liyue blinked. "You mean… steal?"

"No, no." Luciel wagged a finger. "Call it collecting payment. The Moon Lord will thank us later."

Yu Feier's long eyelashes trembled. When Luciel secretly winked at her, her face flared crimson.

Her heart melted completely.

"…When will you move?" Liyue asked.

"Soon. Tomorrow, we'll head back to Little Black Tortoise's place."

"I'll go with you," Liyue said firmly.

"Alright. But…" Luciel's eyes slid toward Mino—who was clearly pretending to be asleep. Her rabbit ears twitched ever so slightly.

With a playful smile, Luciel added casually, "Since Mino's asleep, we'll just have to leave her here."

"No, I'm going too!" Mino shot up, pouting. But when she realized she'd been caught faking sleep, her face burned in embarrassment.

"Hmph! I'm still going." She turned her head stubbornly—only to see Yu Feier, still wrapped in cloth.

Timidly, Mino scooted closer to Luciel.

Yu Feier lowered her head, her golden eyes dimming. She wanted to greet Mino, but the girl's avoidance stung.

"She's just shy," Liyue explained softly.

"Oh? Like Little Lily?" Yu Feier perked up, recalling fondly, "She used to be terrified of strangers too. But once she warmed up, she never stopped talking. It was so funny."

"…Something like that," Liyue muttered.

Yu Feier grinned and nodded. "Got it." Then she turned to Mino and smiled brightly.

"Y-Yeah!" Mino squeaked, blushing even harder.

Watching them, Luciel could only shake his head, amused.

Finally, Liyue spoke seriously. "We should prepare to move. Dawn is coming soon."

Luciel's tone was casual, almost like planning a friendly visit. "Yes. Let's get ready, meet the Moon Lord after we collect what we need, then head home."

"Alright."

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