Eden's singing voice was melodious and touching, but Van felt as if he were sitting on needles.
Because on the surface, Mobius was seriously enjoying the performance, but under the table, that foot of hers was already slowly moving up along his calf, lightly rubbing the inside of his thigh.
Van immediately took a deep breath.
He instinctively glanced at Kiana and Sirin sitting on either side of him. The two girls were fully focused on the stage, completely unaware of the under-table turbulence.
Instead, Raiden Mei, sitting next to Kiana, noticed his unusual reaction and whispered, "What's wrong?"
"Uh... nothing..." Van pretended to be calm, but he felt that mischievous foot had already slid into an even more dangerous position.
Mobius still maintained her elegant sitting posture, even tapping her fingers gently to Eden's melody.
But Van saw that faint, almost imperceptible sly smile on the corner of her lips, and the increasingly outrageous movements beneath the table.
Just when Van was about to lose it, Mobius suddenly withdrew her foot and, as if nothing had happened, picked up the champagne in front of her and took a sip.
Van let out a long sigh of relief and could finally concentrate on enjoying Eden's performance.
"No wonder she's hailed as a hall-level artist, Eden's voice is just too beautiful!" After the performance ended, Kiana stretched and sighed.
Sirin curled her lips and complained, "Tch, someone's mouth was open wide enough to stuff an egg in while listening, so embarrassing~"
"I did not!" Kiana immediately retorted, "If anyone was acting, it's someone who was clearly mesmerized but still had to keep a straight face, who are you trying to act cool for?"
"Who are you saying is acting cool?"
"Whoever answers, that's who~"
Just as the two were about to start arguing again, Mobius suddenly got up and walked toward them.
Kiana and Sirin immediately stopped quarreling, and Raiden Mei also looked at her warily.
Mobius didn't mind the girls' gazes at all. She walked straight to Van's side, leaned over, and whispered softly in his ear, "This is just the beginning, little white mouse~"
With that, Mobius turned and elegantly walked away.
But sharp-eyed Ivana noticed the way Mobius walked and fell into thought.
'Speaking of which, why did the way Mobius walked look a little... different from before?'
So Ivana thought.
After Mobius left, Sirin immediately leaned in and asked, "What did she say to you?"
"Nothing, just... nothing important." Van smiled and changed the topic. "Didn't Kiana say earlier that we'd go claim that mysterious grand prize after the performance?"
"Oh right!" Kiana picked up the thread. "Eden's performance was so amazing, I completely forgot about that."
After leaving the venue, everyone chatted about Eden's performance while speculating about Mobius's intentions.
"That woman definitely doesn't have good intentions," Sirin muttered. "The way she looked at Brother Van was all wrong, like a wolf seeing meat."
"I think it's kinda interesting," Ivana grinned mischievously. "Maybe the old man actually likes that kind of aggressive style~"
Ivana's words left Sirin momentarily speechless.
Images of Mobius leaning in close to whisper to Van suddenly surfaced in her mind.
That woman's every move carried a commanding aura that couldn't be refused, and Van actually... didn't dodge?
Thinking of this, Sirin felt a wave of sourness well up in her heart.
'Could it be that he really likes strong women like that?'
She lowered her head and looked at her own figure, then recalled the times she'd always been treated like a kid. Suddenly, she felt like she had discovered something terrifying.
"Hmph..." Sirin unconsciously tried to imitate Mobius's faint, half-smiling expression, but because the gesture was too forced, it only made her look even more childish.
"Hey, Sirin, what are you doing? Does your face feel weird?" Kiana curiously leaned in.
"None of your business!"
Sirin immediately returned to her usual self, but in her heart, she silently recalled every little movement Mobius made.
That slight chin lift... that casual yet possessive gaze...
Maybe... she could try learning it too?
In this noisy and chaotic manner, the group arrived at the prize redemption area.
After the staff verified their identities, they were led to a luxurious private room.
Before long, a woman in an office lady uniform walked in.
"Congratulations, honored guests, on winning our resort's mysterious grand prize."
She smiled as she handed each of them a gold-embossed invitation letter. "With this invitation, not only can you enjoy all services at the resort for free, but you also have a chance to win a luxury mansion in Changkong City."
Kiana opened the invitation as she received it, then immediately looked confused.
Because she couldn't understand a single question written inside.
"What's written here? I don't understand any of it." Kiana asked in confusion.
The woman smiled and explained, "These are riddles left by our boss. If anyone can solve them, they'll win a luxury villa in Changkong City."
Van looked at the invitation in his hand, and an alarm sounded in his mind.
The embossed gold patterns, the special paper, all of it reminded him of the private message Ai-chan sent him not long ago.
[Captain, do you need me to get you a bigger house?]
Combined with the gathering of familiar people from his past life, Kevin, Pardofelis, Eden, and Elysia, Van could almost confirm that this was all Ai-chan's doing behind the scenes.
But the enemy hides in the shadows while he's out in the open. For now, he could only take things one step at a time.
———
[At the Same Time, Elsewhere]
Otto was dealing with his own troubles.
Earlier, because of Mobius's appearance, he and Yae Sakura had taken Kallen away from the barbecue stall.
Now, all he wanted was to live a sweet life with Kallen, but he had no idea how to get rid of Yae Sakura, the "third wheel."
If he acted too aggressively, it might even backfire.
If Kallen ditched him to go on a date with Yae Sakura instead, he'd blow up.
Just when Otto didn't know what to do, Yae Sakura suddenly said she had something to do at the hotel.
Otto was overjoyed on the inside, but on the surface, he still pretended to be regretful. "Ah, what a shame~"
As long as you ignored the way the corners of his mouth were twitching upward uncontrollably, that line actually sounded pretty convincing.
After Yae Sakura left, Otto finally got his wish and started a real date with Kallen.
They wandered every corner of the resort and tried all kinds of delicious food.
Though it was exhausting, when he saw the joyful smile on Kallen's face, Otto felt it was all worth it.
Looking at Kallen's radiant smile in the sunlight, Otto suddenly thought of that despair-filled world from before.
In that world, Kallen was forever frozen five hundred years in the past, and he had become a complete madman.
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