His eyes were covered with black cloth, and he had to rely entirely on his hearing and Evelyn's instructions to judge positions.

  Meanwhile, Lyra was squatting outside the magic array, hugging a pile of magic crystals and crunching away happily, her little mouth never stopping.

  She had been sent out by Ryan. Her unreliable Dad couldn't see for himself and certainly couldn't let Lyra see, so he directly drove her outside the magic array.

  Lyra was completely bewildered and upset when suddenly forced out. Sparkling tears swirled wildly in her eyes.

  She had been happily eating, a half crystal still in her mouth, and had no idea what she had done wrong.

  Eventually, Ryan took out a bunch of rare magical ores from his storage space to calm her down. She obediently squatted outside, continuing her meal.

  Inside the magic array, the sound of cutting the fabric on her thighs continued until a crisp snap echoed, signaling the cut had gone through.

  Ryan immediately stopped moving upwards. Even though he could see nothing, he instinctively tensed, uncontrollable images flashing through his mind.

  "Hurry up," Evelyn urged, her voice carrying impatience and a faint, unhidden shyness.

  With his eyes covered, Ryan groped around her, and the uncertainty made Evelyn anxious, wishing the process would end quickly.

  Her call brought him back to his senses. He quickly banished the inappropriate images from his mind, cleared his throat, and asked,"Where next? You tell me the position."

  He dared not act recklessly and could only follow Evelyn's guidance to ensure nothing went wrong.

  "By the way, is there nothing under you?" Ryan suddenly realized a crucial problem. If she sat directly on the ground, her freshly cleaned body would get dirty again, and the floor was slightly cool.

  Evelyn fell silent as if muted, taking a long time before speaking, her cheeks heating up again.

  After waiting a few seconds with no response, Ryan asked again,"There's no cloth under you, right?"

  "Yes…" Evelyn's voice was so soft it could barely be heard.

  "Do you want to put a piece of cloth under you?" Ryan asked.

  Evelyn fell silent again, seeming to struggle with her decision. After a while, she finally replied in a faint voice,"Okay."

  Hearing this, Ryan immediately put the scissors away and took out a large, soft piece of cloth suitable for padding.

  With his eyes covered, he had to extend his right hand and feel around on the ground to find the proper position, taking some time to smooth it out neatly.

  During this, his fingertips accidentally brushed against Evelyn's smooth thigh. Ryan tensed and quickly withdrew his hand, silently apologizing in his mind. The black cloth blocked his view; it wasn't intentional.

  "The cloth is laid out. I'll help you move over a little," Ryan warned Evelyn in advance, then carefully reached out, relying on the approximate positions he had imagined in his mind.

  "Stop!" Evelyn suddenly shouted sharply, panic in her voice.

  Startled by her unexpected yell, Ryan froze, his hand hovering midair, not daring to move.

  Evelyn saw his hand stopped just a finger's width from her body. Her heart raced, and she strained every bit of strength to inch backward slightly, creating more distance.

  She took a deep breath and, with a trembling voice, said,"A little to the right."

  "Okay, to the right," Ryan adjusted as instructed.

  "More to the right, a little more." Evelyn continued guiding him.

  Following her directions, Ryan repositioned several times until his fingertips finally touched Evelyn's arm.

  The moment Ryan's fingertips touched Evelyn's arm, her body tensed uncontrollably.

  Clearly, she was still extremely unaccustomed to such close contact with a man, her mind full of awkwardness and discomfort.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  Ryan carefully supported her, adjusting her posture several times until Evelyn was finally seated steadily on the soft cloth laid out for her.

  Perhaps he had been too tense and hadn't controlled his strength properly, because a few faint red marks appeared on her slender arms. Fortunately, her arms were free of the magic backlash cracks, or the pulling would have caused unbearable pain.

  Following Evelyn's guidance, once he confirmed that all the remaining scraps of fabric from her thighs to her waist had been cut and cleared, Ryan gently pulled the pieces away from her body.

  He had no idea what Evelyn looked like at this moment, as his eyes were still covered by the black cloth.

  It would be a lie to say he didn't regret it, but Evelyn had been adamant, refusing to let him remove the blindfold and insisting he complete all the actions while blindfolded.

  Ryan's standards weren't especially high, but he wasn't about to be sneaky in this situation, like cutting a small hole in the cloth. He hadn't stooped to such a level.

  "How exactly am I supposed to put on this long dress?" Ryan held up the pure white gown, sounding utterly baffled.

  It looked complicated, and he had never handled a woman's dress before, let alone one with such an intricate design.

  "Bring the dress over here so I can see it," Evelyn said, watching the blindfolded Ryan squat there, cluelessly holding the dress.

  This guy didn't even know the basic steps for putting on a dress it was infuriating.

  Ryan quickly responded and, feeling his way, handed the dress to Evelyn.

  "First, lay the hem out behind you. Then put the straps over your arms, pull them onto your shoulders, and finally adjust the waist tie…" Evelyn held the hem and carefully explained each step, speaking slowly to make sure Ryan didn't miss anything.

  Ryan listened attentively, mentally rehearsing each step and trying to memorize the details so he wouldn't make a mistake when performing them.

  "Do you understand?" Evelyn asked after finishing.

  "No," Ryan replied without hesitation, his honesty leaving Evelyn momentarily speechless.

  The magic array fell into a brief silence, with Evelyn staying quiet for a long time.

  She had never imagined that such a simple task as putting on a dress would require repeated explanation.

  It wasn't until Ryan tentatively called,"Evelyn," that she took a deep breath, suppressed her frustration, and began to explain everything again, slowing her pace as much as possible to make him understand.

  Outside the magic array, Lyra was munching happily on the last magic crystal. Her belly was now round and full. She wanted to peek inside the magic array, but the light barrier blocked her, no matter how she pushed.

  Resigned, she curled up alone by the tree roots, the cold wind brushing against her tiny body, her big eyes fixed on the magic array, full of curiosity.

  After an unknown amount of time, the light barrier of the magic array gradually dissipated, revealing the scene inside.

  Lyra's eyes lit up, and she dashed in with her short legs, calling out,"Dad! Hug me!"

  Evelyn's cheeks still carried the lingering blush, her upper teeth biting her lower lip, eyes showing a trace of hard-to-hide embarrassment.

  What had she just gone through? It was just putting on a dress, yet she had taught Ryan the steps at least five times.

  When it came to the actual process, his clumsy touches and frequent mistakes made her feel like she wanted to disappear into a hole.

  By now, Ryan had already received Evelyn's permission and removed the black cloth from his eyes.

  Watching Lyra toddle over with her little legs, wanting a hug, Ryan quickly reached out with his right hand and scooped her up into his arms, chuckling happily.

  Lyra immediately wrapped her tiny arms around his neck, burying her little head in the hollow of his neck and rubbing against him, letting out a satisfied sound.

  That night, Lyra slept quietly in Ryan's arms, her breathing steady and gentle.

  Ryan sat on the soft cloth beside Evelyn. They didn't speak at all, simply sharing the quiet night together.

  The forest night breeze was cool, and Ryan would occasionally get up to add some firewood, using small branches to stir the fire and keep the flames warm and steady.

  They sat unusually close, though it was entirely Ryan who moved nearer. He adjusted his position several times until their arms were almost touching, then stopped, satisfied. The fragrance lingering around Evelyn made him feel an inexplicable sense of comfort.

  The next morning, the sky was dim and mist still hung in the forest, carrying a damp chill.

  Ryan carefully placed the sleeping Lyra onto the laid-out cloth, moving gently so as not to wake her.

  Then he retrieved a generous amount of food from his storage space. His portable food supplies were always well-stocked.

  Whenever the Grimoire's shop refreshed, there was a high chance it would offer various foods, from long-lasting wheat cakes and jams to fresh fruits, so he never ran out.

  "Evelyn, look, all of this is what you like," Ryan said, spreading a clean piece of linen on the ground.

  He neatly arranged the plates of food, with the largest portion being plump, juicy grapes, which he had noticed Evelyn preferred during a previous occasion.

  The scene resembled a forest camping trip for a young couple: a young husband, a beautiful wife sitting beside him, and exquisite food laid out in front.

  Evelyn looked at the fruit on the ground, remaining silent for a long while.

  They were indeed all things she liked, especially the grapes. She hadn't even realized how much she preferred them, yet Ryan remembered.

  Still, her proud nature wouldn't allow her to admit it.

  "Do you like it?" Ryan asked cheerfully, leaning toward Evelyn, his eyes showing clear anticipation, as if he eagerly wanted to see her smile.

  "Mm," Evelyn replied lightly.

  "You don't like it?" Ryan showed a brief flicker of disappointment but quickly hid it, pretending not to care.

  Evelyn, however, noticed the fleeting display, a subtle heaviness settling in her chest.

  "Alright then," Ryan said, seeing that Evelyn still refused to speak much. He didn't press the matter, picking up a bunch of grapes and eating them himself.

  Evelyn watched him, her emotions mixed and hard to interpret. Silently, her mind protested: You usually just feed the grapes directly into my mouth.

  Yet she couldn't bring herself to ask Ryan to do it. Pride kept her from speaking up.

  Her magic was still chaotic, and she didn't even have the strength to lift her hand for a grape. Asking for help would only make her feel ashamed.

  "Dad." At that moment, Lyra rubbed her sleepy eyes and puckered her tiny lips.