"Why would I want to kill you?" Evelyn was momentarily stunned by the absurd answer. The coldness in her tone faded slightly, replaced by a hint of confusion.

  "Think about it yourself. I'm someone you've killed so many times. How could I not be afraid of you?" Ryan's voice carried a subtle trace of grievance.

  There was also a hint of indignation. His hand around her slender waist unconsciously tightened, and the sudden pressure made Evelyn tremble slightly.

  Evelyn shot Ryan a sharp glare, then lightly but playfully bumped the back of her head against his chest, a small act of revenge.

  "Ouch!" Ryan immediately let out a theatrical cry of pain, exaggerating his tone, clearly trying to lighten Evelyn's mood.

  Hearing his cry, Evelyn froze instantly. A flicker of barely perceptible worry crossed her eyes, as if afraid of hurting Ryan again.

  "How can you summon the ultimate ice sword?" Evelyn asked another question that had been lingering in her mind.

  That ultimate ice sword was her exclusive weapon, and by all rights, only she should be able to control it.

  "That's my secret trump card. But don't worry, the ultimate ice sword has already returned to your spiritual domain," Ryan replied.

  He had no intention of revealing the secrets of Grimoire or the lottery cards for now. That was his final safeguard for survival.

  Seeing Ryan unwilling to say more, Evelyn didn't press further.

  She closed her eyes and channeled her spiritual power to inspect her own spiritual domain.

  Sure enough, the ultimate ice sword floated silently within the space, while the corpse of the Grand Magus still lay in the deepest part of her spiritual domain.

  At this moment, however, the ultimate ice sword's seal had been lifted. With her current magic level, she could no longer wield it. She would have to return to Glacial Arcana Academy in the future to reseal it before it could be used again.

  "Why would you risk being killed by me so many times and still keep coming near me? What exactly is your goal?" Evelyn asked again.

  Her gaze burned steadily at Ryan, filled with inquiry and a hint of expectation even she had not realized, wanting to hear his answer.

  Ryan lowered his head and met her clear, unguarded eyes.

  He took a deep breath, his expression turning completely serious, and spoke honestly:"Because I like you. From the very first moment I saw you, I liked you."

  "Of course, I admit that at first it was just lust. But as we spent time together, I realized I liked you more and more, liked you to the point of no return."

  "This feeling of liking, it's indescribable. I can't help but think of you. Even though you've driven me away so many times, I still can't resist the desire to see you!"

  Ryan's heartfelt and straightforward confession hit like a powerful assault. Evelyn froze instantly in his arms, speechless for a long time.

  A blush quickly spread from her cheeks to the roots of her ears, softening the blood-colored cracks on her face.

  Ryan was not lying. He truly liked Evelyn, liked her to an extreme, almost to the point of madness.

  Her beauty was breathtaking, indescribable in words, perfectly matching the goddess-like image in his mind. He simply could not resist.

  A goddess in his eyes had appeared right before him. To say he didn't like her would be nothing but self-deception.

  In the past, Ryan had indeed often found himself thinking of Evelyn uncontrollably, to the point of forgetting to eat and losing sleep at night.

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  But in the beginning, most of it was because he was afraid that Evelyn might suddenly appear before him and pierce his heart with a single strike.

  "You're lying again. How could you risk your life over and over again just because you like me?"

  Evelyn, now fully aware, was not swept away by this straightforward confession. She did not fully believe Ryan's words and continued to press, her tone carrying a hint of expectation.

  "This time it's true!" Ryan hurriedly explained, his affection for Evelyn genuine beyond doubt, without a hint of falsehood.

  Evelyn quietly watched Ryan, saying nothing. The distrust in her eyes was obvious.

  Ryan naturally saw through her thoughts. Anxious, he immediately said,"I swear by my Heart of Magic. I, Ryan, sincerely like Evelyn. If even a word I say is false, may the backlash of Thunder Magic strike me and reduce me to ashes!"

  He spoke the oath so quickly that Evelyn hadn't even reacted in time, and there was no way to stop him.

  In the magical world, swearing by the Heart of Magic carries immense binding power. To break such a vow is to face inevitable magical backlash, with no chance of escape.

  Upon hearing Ryan's oath, Evelyn froze completely in his arms.

  This time, she believed him utterly. If Ryan were lying, the sky would already be gathering storm clouds, and the backlash of Thunder Magic would descend immediately.

  "Does it still hurt?" Ryan asked softly, noticing Evelyn's blush as she leaned quietly against him.

  Both of them still bore traces of blood. A few days ago, in the rush to recover, Ryan had only lightly wiped away the blood with clean water. There had been no time to deal with the details.

  Evelyn remained silent, nestled in his embrace.

  Seeing this, Ryan gently leaned his head toward her face, wanting to check on her condition.

  Whether out of shyness or for another reason, Evelyn quickly turned her head to the side, avoiding his gaze.

  Ryan's eyes fell on the blood-colored cracks across her face and neck. Rather than marring her beauty, the cracks gave her a fragile and bewitching allure.

  Yet seeing these cracks filled Ryan with a heavy ache. These injuries had been caused by her saving him.

  From the moment Evelyn had woken, even a slight frown had revealed her suffering. The pain from the magical backlash was surely unbearable for any ordinary person.

  "How did you find me?" Ryan had been pondering this question for a long time.

  His movements were extremely secretive. How had Evelyn been able to locate him so precisely?

  "Clockwork Doll." This time Evelyn did not evade the question and softly gave the answer.

  It was the Clockwork Doll Ryan had given her before, capable of transmitting faint magical waves across great distances.

  "If I had known, I wouldn't have given it to you," Ryan said softly behind her, chuckling lightly, with a teasing tone of mock regret.

  Evelyn naturally understood the teasing in his words. Without that Clockwork Doll, she truly would not have been able to find Ryan, nor would she have ended up in such a pitiful state.

  "Do you want to die?" Evelyn's tone carried a trace of anger. She was clearly displeased with Ryan's mock regret."You are my apprentice!"

  If she hadn't come, this apprentice would probably have been dead long ago. That enemy's magical palm strike aimed at Ryan, Evelyn had been silently grateful that her control over the Grand Magus' corpse was quick enough to block the deadly blow.

  Otherwise, Ryan would surely have been struck down without a single bone left.

  Ryan opened his mouth, intending to explain that he had a trump card for survival, but Evelyn cut him off immediately.

  "Don't say it." Her gaze softened slightly.

  "Thank you, Evelyn." Ryan did not argue further. He spoke the words of gratitude softly.

  Evelyn's expression flickered in surprise. It had been a long time since she had heard Ryan call her by name.

  "Call me Mentor." A subtle sense of pleasure rose in Evelyn's heart, though her cheeks were still flushed.

  Her skin had always been sensitive, and Ryan had always liked this shy side of her, often wanting to tease her a little.

  "You didn't say that in places without anyone from Glacial Arcana Academy, I could call you Evelyn?" Ryan deliberately leaned closer, his warm breath brushing against Evelyn's ear.

  Her face and the area around her ears had been flushed ever since Ryan confessed, and now, with him teasing her so closely, the blush deepened further, sending a flutter through Ryan's heart.

  "I said..." Evelyn's words were cut short as her whole body suddenly shivered, the last syllable trembling noticeably.

  The next moment, she felt her entire body go limp, as if struck by a faint bolt of lightning, completely drained of strength.

  Evelyn's eyes shook uncontrollably. Ryan, this rascal, had actually gently bitten her earlobe!

  Her body was already extremely weak, struggling to control even her own magic. How could she withstand such a sudden touch?

  Moreover, her ears had always been the most sensitive part of her body.

  Feeling the gentle nibble at her earlobe and Ryan's warm breath brushing against her, a strange, indescribable sensation swept over Evelyn, sending shivers down her spine and making her collapse helplessly into Ryan's embrace.

  "No, let go..." Evelyn tried to assert her authority as a mentor, hoping to make Ryan release her.

  But the words trembled as they left her lips, carrying a softness she herself barely realized.

  "Let go~" By the end, her voice had almost become a plea for mercy.

  Seeing her like this, Ryan's desire to tease her was fully satisfied. He finally released her gently.

  "Evelyn, you are so cute." Ryan looked at the girl slumped in his arms, utterly adorable, and could not help but laugh aloud.