Ella's mind felt like it was exploding, her whole body frozen in disbelief.

Her expression turned dazed in an instant.

Even though she held onto Shia's hand tightly, it did absolutely nothing to stop him.

What’s worse, although the tea meeting was nearing its end, it hadn’t concluded yet. Ella’s excuse wouldn’t allow her much time to deal with Shia’s antics either.

She could only toss him a reproachful glance.

But what Ella didn’t realize was how her cheeks were flushed with a rosy hue, her eyes glistening with a watery charm, exuding an irresistible allure.

For a mature and enchanting woman like her, such a reproachful look wasn’t a deterrent to a young, vigorous man like Shia—it was an encouragement.

“Please, continue,” Ella said softly, her voice tinged with a hint of apology.

It seemed she felt guilty for disrupting the tea meeting.

The other witches, while still a bit puzzled, chose to ignore the minor interruption.

After all, as long as there wasn’t any real danger or risk of exposing another witch’s identity during their meeting, a small mishap caused by a “pet” wasn’t entirely unacceptable.

Of course, this was only because they couldn’t see Ella’s current state.

Had they been able to see her flushed face and trembling form, her excuse would have crumbled instantly.

At that moment, Ella bit her lip as the blush spread further across her cheeks.

She was clearly holding back, forcing herself to endure.

The overwhelming sensation had drawn away all her focus. She could hear the witches’ voices but couldn’t make sense of their words.

Every word was familiar, but together, they meant nothing to her.

Finally, as the witches’ figures faded away and the meeting concluded, Ella’s body completely gave out.

The suppressed sounds in her throat finally found release.

Her body slumped weakly to the edge of the sofa, half-reclined in a soft, delicate posture that only made her look more alluring.

Shia shifted to her side, one hand propped against the sofa for support as he gazed down at her from above.

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Then, he lifted his other hand.

“See? I told you—you actually like it.”

Ella’s face turned beet red. She averted her gaze, utterly embarrassed.

“Just now… there were people watching.”

“They couldn’t see me. They couldn’t see you either.”

Shia grinned.

He leaned down, his lips close to Ella’s ear.

“Aunt Ella, I want to…”

His low whisper was faint, audible only to her.

She thought it was already shameful enough—but then he made an even more outrageous request!?

Ella’s already crimson cheeks turned an even deeper shade.

In front of her late husband?

What kind of request was this!?

Shia’s smile widened, his magnetic voice low and filled with a subtle temptation.

“He’d want you to be happy. You used to bear everything alone, but now you have me.”

“Let him witness your happiness firsthand—it’ll put him at ease.”

Ella clutched her skirt tightly, her gaze growing hazy.

A soft, involuntary whimper escaped her lips.

“Mm~”

Looking at the boy she had grown so fond of, her heart trembled violently.

Shia watched as Ella’s dazed eyes grew unfocused, his peripheral vision catching what he had been aiming for.

His grin deepened.

“What do you say?”

Her thoughts…

Ella could hear the pounding of her heart.

But…

Suddenly, she pushed Shia away.

She leaned forward onto the sofa, avoiding his gaze entirely.

“No…”

Even though his words seemed reasonable, Ella still had a thin skin.

Despite her practice in certain things, there were limits to what she could handle.

This was a line she couldn’t cross, no matter how logical it seemed.

Even though she knew deep down that she was doing this out of gratitude, doing so in front of her late husband…

How could she possibly manage that!?

Pushing Shia away abruptly, Ella’s frustrated voice followed closely.

“Leave now!”

Even though she kept her head down, Shia could imagine her expression clearly.

He chuckled softly, but before he could reply, the enchanting, fiery-tempered witch cut him off again.

“I said, leave!”

Shia shrugged.

Fine. He wouldn’t press her too hard.

Ella felt the sofa behind her shift slightly as the weight pressing against it disappeared.

Her mix of shame and anger subsided a little. She couldn’t help perking her ears up.

While she felt like a heavy weight had been lifted, there was also an odd sense of emptiness.

She waited until she heard the sound of the door opening, then closing.

The house finally fell silent.

Ella stayed in place, recovering her strength quietly.

Her face remained flushed, and her heart was filled with conflicting emotions—a mix of disappointment and relief.

---

By the time Shia found himself on campus, the sky had turned golden with the setting sun.

Brilliant streaks of fiery clouds stretched across the horizon, breathtakingly beautiful.

But Shia’s mood was far from pleasant.

Sigh. He still couldn’t go back home.

Nia hadn’t sent him any messages, meaning returning home was out of the question.

And Ella had just kicked him out.

More than the melancholy of being homeless, Shia felt worried.

Although Nia hadn’t explicitly said what was going on, he had a vague guess.

Her aunt, the stern and abstinent council member, had probably returned.

Only her appearance could put Nia on such high alert.

After all, while Nia usually seemed like an airhead, the last time he saw her so nervous was when the academy headmaster visited her home.

If there was anyone other than the headmaster who could make the seemingly naive but cunning elven princess this tense, it had to be her.

Shia stood by the lakeside, watching the fiery clouds reflected in the water, blending seamlessly with the sky above.

In the next instant, his world turned dark.

Soft hands covered his eyes, and a faint fragrance wafted from behind him.

Something elastic pressed against his back, soft yet heavy, its weight suddenly overwhelming.

Near his ear, light breaths were audible.

A low, magnetic, and teasingly playful voice spoke.

“Guess who?”

That unique fragrance, the alluring voice, and the combination of height and fullness made her identity unmistakable.

“Aunt Ella?”

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