Lyra rubbed her sleepy eyes and, in a daze, glanced at the food spread out on the ground. Her half-closed eyes instantly brightened, and she became much more awake.

  "Go ahead and eat," Ryan said, rubbing her little head. He picked up a grape and, in front of Evelyn, gently fed it to Lyra.

  Lyra immediately perked up, her little legs pattering over to the food. She grabbed a crisp wheat cake and began eating in big, eager bites.

  Evelyn sat quietly nearby, watching the scene in silence. Eventually, she turned her head to face the morning mist, leaving no one able to guess the turmoil stirring in her heart.

  Was it envy of Lyra's carefree nature, or discomfort at Ryan's deliberate neglect of her? Even she couldn't tell.

  After a short while, Evelyn suddenly felt something round brush against her lips. She quickly looked down.

  Just as she expected, it was a plump, juicy grape. Ryan was leaning slightly toward her, mouth open, making an"ah~" sound, clearly signaling her to open her mouth and eat.

  Evelyn's cheeks warmed, and she turned her head sharply to the side, making her stance clear. She did not want to eat, and she especially did not want to be fed like that.

  Ryan, however, showed no discouragement. In his view, Evelyn's refusal was clearly a little temper tantrum, not a true rejection.

  After all, she had never resisted before. Her current attitude was simply that of a spoiled little brat.

  Moreover, given her current state, where even lifting her hand was difficult, even if she really didn't want to eat, she had no choice. She had to replenish her energy to recover properly.

  Ryan decided to move to the side Evelyn had turned toward, squatted down, and looked directly at her, still holding the grape.

  "I'm not eating," Evelyn said, meeting his gaze, trying to push him away with a sense of distance.

  "Really not eating?" Ryan raised an eyebrow. Instead of backing off, he leaned slightly closer."I'll give you two choices."

  "Either you kiss me, or you eat it."

  He moved his face closer, his warm breath nearly brushing against Evelyn's cheek. The meaning was unmistakable: either obediently kiss him, or eat the grape—her choice.

  Evelyn instinctively turned her head again, only to find the other side was where Ryan's hand holding the grape was. As soon as she turned back, she was met with Ryan's handsome face in close-up.

  She was trapped in the middle, with no room to retreat.

  Ryan's face inched closer with a determined air, while the grape remained steadily in place.

  Evelyn's peripheral vision caught his face so close, and she felt his warm breath approaching. Her heart rate spiked.

  She gritted her teeth and lunged her head forward, biting hard into the grape.

  But as she bit down, she felt a slight sensation on her fingers. She had accidentally bitten Ryan's fingers holding the grape!

  "Ah! That hurts!" Ryan exclaimed dramatically, exaggerating his voice.

  Feigning intense pain, the faint bite force on his fingers was nothing to him.

  Although Evelyn knew her weak bite couldn't actually hurt him, she instinctively loosened her jaw, a hint of subtle panic flashing in her eyes.

  Ryan seized the chance to withdraw his fingers and gently pushed the grape steadily into Evelyn's mouth.

  "Try it. I picked this grape especially for you. It's big and sweet, I promise."

  Looking at the faint circle of teeth marks on his fingers, Ryan glanced at Evelyn's flushed cheeks and smiled, his tone carrying a hint of pride.

  Evelyn looked at him coldly, her brows slightly furrowed, her cheeks puffed out, and a piece of grape still in her mouth, making her look irresistibly cute.

  Though deep down she was displeased with Ryan's forceful feeding, she could not deny that when his fingertips brushed near her, a subtle, inexplicable flicker of pleasure quietly stirred in her heart.

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  She gently bit through the grape in her mouth, and the sweet juice immediately spread across her tongue. Just as Ryan had said, it was perfectly sweet and delicious.

  Half a month passed in this tender, slightly flirtatious teasing and quiet companionship.

  The place was no longer the chaotic scene it had been before. Clean cloths were spread near the fire, and Lyra was napping under the shade of a nearby tree, clutching a magic crystal.

  "You're wearing the Soulweaver's Pendant on your neck. I need to take it off now," Ryan said, squatting in front of Evelyn.

  His gaze landed on the pendant around her neck. This Soulweaver's Pendant still had other uses, so he could no longer leave it on her.

  After half a month of rest and recuperation, the cracks left by magical backlash on Evelyn's body had mostly healed. What had once been jagged, fierce marks had faded into fine, faint red lines.

  Now, apart from still being unable to make large movements, her body had largely recovered, though she remained somewhat weak and frail.

  "Mm," Evelyn responded softly, her face betraying no particular emotion.

  "Not happy?" Ryan leaned toward her, his smiling face wobbling gently in front of her eyes.

  He was not entirely sure whether Evelyn was truly displeased. Habitually, he wanted to tease her, so he voiced the thought directly.

  When teasing Evelyn, her expression of simultaneous embarrassment and annoyance always struck him as incredibly amusing.

  "No," Evelyn replied quickly and sharply, her tone carrying the panic of someone caught off guard.

  Seeing her still weak state, Ryan carefully lifted her legs into a crossed position, then cautiously turned her body so she was facing away from him.

  Evelyn silently cooperated, saying nothing, just waiting quietly.

  Yet after a long while, there was no sensation of the Soulweaver's Pendant being undone around her neck, nor any sound.

  She couldn't help but feel puzzled when a hand suddenly lightly brushed her earlobe.

  Evelyn's body instantly tensed, panic surging through her. Was he going to bite her ear?

  But after a moment, the tingling, biting sensation she had anticipated did not come. Instead, she felt only the gentle, cautious brushing of fingertips across her earlobe.

  This left her even more confused. What exactly was he doing?

  A faint ticklish sensation ran across her earlobe, then the touch disappeared.

  She could not see her ear and could not guess Ryan's intentions, so she sat stiffly, her heart racing uncontrollably.

  Finally, she felt the slight sound of the Soulweaver's Pendant being undone around her neck. The pendant that had accompanied her for half a month was gently removed by Ryan.

  The instant it left her neck, Evelyn felt an inexplicable, subtle pang of loss, as if something important had been taken away, leaving an empty void in its place.

  The sense of loss she felt was not because she valued the Soulweaver's Pendant for its power.

  It was purely because she thought it had been a gift from Ryan, a token that proved she had been remembered during this time.

  "Evelyn, look!"

  Just as her mood sank, a mirror suddenly appeared before her.

  Evelyn instinctively lifted her eyes, and when she saw her reflection, she froze for a moment.

  In the mirror, she saw herself wearing a pair of Amethyst Earrings, adding a touch of refinement to her appearance.

  "Focus on your body carefully," Ryan said softly, noticing her daze.

  These Amethyst Earrings were not just decorative. He had drawn them from the million-Origin Value lottery pool.

  At his words, Evelyn immediately activated a trace of her magic to sense herself from within, examining the earrings closely.

  The next second, a clear sense of surprise and delight filled her eyes. Pure magic was slowly seeping from the earrings into her body, perfectly harmonizing with her own magic, as if they had been meant for her from birth.

  This magic flowed automatically, requiring no conscious guidance. Evelyn could not help but think: these earrings are truly incredible!

  Even more astonishing, the earrings emitted a subtle protective aura, covering her vital areas.

  With this magic supporting her, she could feel the chaotic energy within her body becoming calmer and more manageable.

  These were not just protective accessories; they were treasures capable of automatically absorbing ambient magic and assisting with meditation.

  In the magical world, items with multiple functions like this were extremely rare. Evelyn could not help but wonder where Ryan had obtained them.

  "Do you like them?" Ryan asked, leaning closer.

  Evelyn's gaze remained fixed on her reflection in the mirror, her long eyelashes trembling slightly. She did not speak.

  But the faint blush on her cheeks had already revealed the answer in her heart.

  "Good," Ryan said with a smile. Taking advantage of her distraction, he gently brushed her nose with a fingertip in a natural, affectionate gesture.

  Evelyn's body stiffened instantly, her cheeks warming again, but unlike before, she did not pull away. She only pressed her lips together lightly and lowered her head a bit further.

  By late night, the forest had grown completely quiet, and the sound of Lyra gnawing on magical crystals had long since ceased.

  In recent days, the magical crystals had been heavily consumed, and Ryan's supply had grown tight. Unable to continue feeding her, he returned Lyra to her Totem imprint to rest.

  Ryan remained sitting beside Evelyn, the two of them unusually close.

  At first, Evelyn resisted. Whenever she shifted even slightly, Ryan would immediately lean in closer.

  After a few times, she gave up struggling entirely. After all, being close was one thing; being pressed together was another. She let him be.

  Ryan held a small stick, slowly stirring the small fire in front of him, sparks flickering lightly in the night.

  "Evelyn, if the ultimate ice sword hadn't reminded you, would you have remembered I even exist?" Ryan asked while poking the fire.

  "Hmm," Evelyn replied calmly, without hiding anything.

  Without the reminder from the ultimate ice sword, she probably would have forgotten him.

  "You heartless woman, killing me so many times and then forgetting me just like that?" Ryan complained in mock grievance.

  "Who told you to keep sneaking…" Evelyn's words faltered and she didn't continue.

  "Sneak what?" Ryan pressed.

  Evelyn pursed her lips in silence. Both of them knew perfectly well, and there was no need to spell it out.