"Do you really want them?" Ryan asked with a smile as he leaned closer to Evelyn and sat down beside her.

  Evelyn was clearly still sulking over being tricked earlier. Her cheeks flushed red, and she turned her face away, deliberately avoiding Ryan's gaze, making it clear that she did not want to interact with him.

  The earlier teasing had already sent her heartbeat into chaos, and now she had no face to look at him.

  【Quest Triggered: Personally put the white lace edged stockings on Evelyn】

  【Quest Reward: A pair of high heels】

  "So now it comes as a full set?" Ryan muttered to Grimoire in his mind.

  Stockings that came with high heels? This reward was getting more considerate by the moment.

  Ryan immediately realized,"That Shadow Silk Stockings tearing the other day wasn't an accident at all. It was you, wasn't it?"

  He had long suspected it. After all, those Shadow Silk Stockings could not have ripped so easily.

  Now, hearing Grimoire's prompt, he was even more certain.

  Grimoire had deliberately ruined the Shadow Silk Stockings, forcing him to replace them with white ones to trigger this so-called set quest!

  "But you know what? I like it," Ryan thought, piecing everything together. Instead of being angry, he smirked inwardly.

  Being able to personally put stockings on Evelyn and get matching high heels as a reward? That was more than worth it.

  【Friendly Tip: If the host finds it difficult to put on the stockings with one hand, try channeling magical energy to activate the left hand's Arcane Enchantment】

  【It can transform the limb into a flexible magical energy form, assisting in delicate operations.】

  Ryan paused for two seconds, then suddenly snapped awake.

  He had been so focused on building a relationship with Evelyn over the past half month that he had completely forgotten about the Arcane Enchantment!

  That Arcane Enchantment could have saved him a lot of trouble with precise operations. All the previous efforts feeding her or helping her dress had been wasted!

  "Grimoire, why didn't you remind me earlier?" Ryan asked irritably in his mind.

  【The emotional progress between the host and Evelyn is of high observational value. I entered low power sleep mode during this period and therefore did not provide reminders.】

  It was hard to tell whether Grimoire truly forgot or had deliberately not reminded him.

  "What an incompetent Grimoire," Ryan muttered, but he didn't press further.

  Scolding it was useless. It was better to make full use of the Arcane Enchantment now and grow closer to his little Evelyn. Thinking of this, he could not help but chuckle inwardly.

  Soon he snapped out of his thoughts from talking to Grimoire and refocused on Evelyn's profile.

  "If you do not say anything, I will take it as your agreement," Ryan said softly, his tone slightly teasing.

  But Evelyn still turned her face elsewhere. The flush on her cheeks had not faded at all. She was clearly still sulking and had no intention of acknowledging him.

  Ryan did not rush. He simply waited quietly. Evelyn still did not speak or turn her head.

  He did not know if she was genuinely angry and refusing to interact or just too shy to speak. Either way, Ryan had plenty of ways to get her to open her mouth.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  Evelyn was staring off in another direction when she suddenly felt her feet lifted by a gentle yet irresistible force. She lost her balance and nearly wobbled to the ground in surprise.

  At the same time, he quickly extended his right hand to steady her shoulders.

  "Since you've agreed by default, just stay still," Ryan said, patting Evelyn's arm lightly with his right hand to reassure her.

  "Your hand…" Evelyn finally noticed his left hand, her eyes full of astonishment.

  It had clearly been unusable before. How had it suddenly recovered? And the metallic gleam made it look nothing like a normal arm!

  "Probably because you accepted the gift I gave you. I got happy, and with the surge of magic, my arm just… grew back," Ryan said, spinning a half-truth like he was coaxing a child.

  Evelyn's brows knitted slightly at his half-hearted explanation.

  She did not believe it for a second, but Ryan clearly did not want to elaborate, and she had no intention of pressing him further.

  Her gaze fell on the feet steadily held by the metallic hand. Hesitating, she said,"I still don't want to put them on right now."

  She tried to pull her feet back with a little force, but her magic had not fully recovered yet. Her resistance was weak, barely more than symbolic.

  Ryan noticed her little attempt and the smile on his face faded, his mood instantly sinking."You still don't want them?"

  "Then I won't force you." He slowly relaxed both his metallic left hand and his right hand, preparing to step back and move away from her feet.

  Just as he reached to retrieve the white lace edged stockings he had placed aside, Evelyn's urgent voice rang out."No!"

  Seeing Ryan look so disappointed, her heart tightened for some reason. Her words came out fast, almost stumbling.

  "Really?" Ryan's gloom immediately lifted almost entirely when he heard her, and he looked up at her.

  "Then don't move anymore," Ryan said, his eyes still locked tightly on Evelyn.

  Only when Evelyn felt embarrassed under his gaze and lowered her head slightly, giving a small nod, did Ryan finally break into a happy smile, like a child who had just received candy.

  Even though Evelyn had agreed not to move, when Ryan's metallic hand lifted to support her feet again, she still flinched as if shocked, instinctively trying to pull her feet back.

  Ryan knew he could not show leniency now. He had to be firm.

  His metallic left hand and right hand pressed down simultaneously, holding her ankles steady so she could not move.

  "If you try to move again, I'll just bite them off," Ryan said, lowering his voice to scare her as he gently pressed her ankles against his waist.

  Evelyn's struggling gradually subsided, and only then did Ryan slowly release his hands. His fingertips still lingered cautiously, afraid that any misjudgment of force might upset her.

  "Be good and don't move," Ryan whispered softly, his voice gentle, as if coaxing a sulking child.

  Then he carefully picked up the white lace edged stockings and began putting them on her.

  His movements were exceptionally gentle, as if afraid of hurting her. He would pause frequently, smoothing down her skirt and pressing the fabric between her legs, clearly taking care to prevent any accidental exposure. Every action was meticulous and deliberate.

  Watching him with such focused care, Evelyn's cheeks turned as red as ripe cherries, though her thoughts remained elsewhere.

  From initial resistance to her current calm, her mindset had subtly shifted.

  Seeing Ryan maintain such seriousness, adjusting her skirt carefully after every little progress, she gave up struggling entirely and obediently let him handle it.

  It wasn't that she hadn't thought of resisting strongly. She knew better than anyone that even at her peak, she might not have been able to break free from Ryan's hold.

  After all, he was also of Grand Magus aptitude, and their strength was evenly matched. Not to mention, her magic was still unstable and her body weak; resistance would have been futile.

  By the time the stockings were completely on, Ryan looked up and saw Evelyn with her eyes closed, cheeks flushed, long eyelashes resting quietly, and her breathing steady, as if she were asleep.

  Yet the slight tension in her legs and the lingering redness at her ear tips betrayed her. She was not asleep at all, merely deliberately avoiding eye contact.

  Seeing her like this stirred a subtle thrill in Ryan's heart: temptation, pure temptation. Her shy yet obedient demeanor made his pulse race.

  But Ryan did not act beyond propriety. He knew well that matters of the heart could not be rushed. Overstepping would only provoke resentment.

  He wasn't naive. Evelyn's current attitude showed that although she might not have completely fallen in love with him, she no longer resisted his touch as she had before.

  If things continued like this, it would only be a matter of time before Evelyn fully accepted him and fell in love with him.

  As for his own feelings toward Evelyn, Ryan could not fully articulate them.

  At first, many of his actions had been driven by Grimoire's quest. But over time, the original purpose of the task had become blurred.

  If he were now asked to give up Evelyn, no amount of magical tools or generous rewards from Grimoire would make him agree.

  This was his nature. Otherwise, he would not have persisted in getting close to Evelyn, even after being repeatedly killed by her so many times.

  What may have started as mission-driven proximity had now transformed. Looking at Evelyn's delicate face, Ryan's lips curved into a gentle, tender smile.

  His feelings had long surpassed the original task, becoming pure and sincere.