Chapter 192: The Princess's Lament—Everyone's Watching, You Can't Do This (1)
Shia smiled warmly, his tone patient and convincing.
"See? Do you feel my emotions now? I mean no harm. You and I, as seniors and juniors, are friends, aren't we?"
"Would a friend hurt you?"
Sistine stared at Shia, dumbly shaking her head.
Truth be told, Sistine hadn't fully grasped what Shia was saying.
She simply found herself fixated on his charming face, the warm and radiant smile etched on it. It left a deep impression in her heart—like a ray of sunlight piercing through the clouds, bringing warmth to a cold, gray world, washing away the lingering darkness deep within her.
She felt dazed. Maybe... continuing to trust him wasn't such a bad idea? Perhaps she didn't really mind being near him after all.
But suddenly, Sistine's gaze sharpened, and a chilling aura burst forth from her. In a flash, the sharp whistle of a wind-carried arrow sliced through the air!
Instinctively, Sistine grabbed Shia, pulling him into her embrace. Twisting her body mid-spin, her white, flowing dress fluttered like petals as a flash of silver light arced through the air.
One clean slash. The arrow was deflected, and the threat neutralized.
The arrow embedded itself into a tree trunk. Sistine looked in the direction it had come from, feeling a mix of confusion and caution.
A goblin? When did such low-level creatures start launching sneak attacks?
Shia also looked at the goblin holding a quiver of arrows, his expression thoughtful.
Had they begun evolving?
He knew that goblins would undergo changes about six months from now. But for this to happen here and now—was it reasonable?
Drawing on his nine loops of experience, the timing and location of this development didn't add up. Goblins shouldn't have reached this stage yet.
As Shia pondered, he felt a tug at his collar. It was slightly choking him.
He snapped out of his thoughts and looked up.
Rong was standing nearby, her expression hesitant, her eyes glancing at Sistine with a hint of wariness.
Only then did Shia realize their position. It was... a little too intimate.
Currently, the young man was practically buried against Sistine's chest, the soft, warm curves pressing against him. Her scent, faintly milky and intoxicating, filled his senses. Their body heat mingled as if they were locked in a private embrace.
The crisis was averted, but Shia's position had flattened her ample bosom, their shape noticeably altered from the pressure.
Sistine could even feel Shia's breath lightly grazing her skin.
So close... this was way too close!
A deep blush spread across Sistine's cheeks, visibly glowing red.
In her haste earlier, she'd only thought of protecting him. Now, she realized just how intimately they were pressed together.
She quickly stepped back, putting a considerable distance between them, her gaze darting everywhere but toward Shia and Rong. Her movements were awkward and frantic, as if trying to shake off her embarrassment.
But as she calmed down, she noticed something startling about herself. Despite the closeness and physical contact, her skin and body didn't reject it.
If this had happened before, it would've been impossible. Her body would've instinctively resisted such contact.
Had her body truly stopped resisting him?
Meanwhile, Rong observed Sistine, whose face was flushed and demeanor shy. Remembering Nia's earlier warnings, Rong felt the weight of responsibility bearing down on her.
"Protect our master well," Nia had said. "It's a tough job."
Rong sighed inwardly. In such a short span of time, two incidents already!
***
This was just a small incident. The group had been traveling for most of the day, and as dusk fell, Sistine called for a halt to set up camp and rest.
Violet, as usual, didn't miss the chance to taunt Shia.
She constantly sought opportunities to reclaim her position as the top of the class.
"Shia, I've already slain thirty-six monsters today. What about you? How many have you taken down?"
Violet tilted her chin up slightly, her pride evident. Her kill count was unmatched in the group.
Shia, on the other hand, hadn't lifted a finger all day. His kill count remained at zero.
Although Violet led the charge, she'd kept an eye on her biggest rival.
"Don't tell me you haven't killed even one monster?" she said, her tone dripping with mockery as she clicked her tongue and shook her head.
"Newcomer top student, yet you haven't killed a single monster all day? So lazy!"
Shia remained unfazed.
To him, Violet's current behavior was like a child throwing a tantrum in front of an adult. Naturally, a child needed to be taught a lesson.
"Out in the wild, brute strength isn't enough," Shia said calmly, glancing at Violet. "Do you know how to secure shelter? Or how to find food?"
Violet froze, unable to respond.
She'd been raised in the royal family, enjoying the best treatment and finest education. Survival skills? Camping? Cooking? None of these had ever been part of her training.
As she watched the other students clearing debris and setting up camp, she felt completely out of place. Compared to their busyness, she was utterly useless.
Shia clicked his tongue and shook his head at the dazed Violet.
"It seems our princess has a lot to learn," he teased, his tone full of amusement.
Violet's body trembled slightly, feeling the sting of his words. She was utterly defeated.
After teasing the prideful princess, Shia turned to the rest of the group with a smile.
"You've all worked hard today. To reward everyone, I've prepared a feast for dinner."
In the forest, the easiest meal to prepare was a barbecue.
Thanks to Shia's level-eight cooking skills, the aroma of grilled vegetables, meats, and eggs filled the air. He'd even brought a variety of seasonings, and his skilled hands worked with finesse.
Within moments, golden-brown, fragrant roasted meat was ready.
The sizzling sound of oil dripping onto the fire and the mouthwatering aroma quickly captivated everyone's senses.
"Even under these conditions, Shia can make such a luxurious meal. Amazing!"
"This smell... even a five-star chef couldn't achieve such perfection!"
"Shia's so thoughtful. I thought we'd have to endure hardship on this mission, but instead, we get to enjoy this delicious barbecue."
The exclamations of admiration and praise rang out among the group, especially from the girls.
Violet, standing nearby, was almost petrified.
She'd spent the entire day fighting hard, yet her efforts seemed insignificant compared to Shia's one meal.
And the worst part? She couldn't even compete.
As a princess who'd never touched mundane tasks, cooking was completely beyond her.