"I'm sorry."
Melusine said apologetically.
Kevin's expression had been too serious at that moment. She thought she had made Kevin unhappy by using her Nen ability without permission.
"No, it has nothing to do with you. I was just overthinking." Kevin quickly replied, trying to alleviate Melusine's concerns.
He temporarily pushed aside the tangled thoughts in his mind and refocused his attention on Melusine in front of him.
"Your suggestion is excellent. It has solved a big problem I've had for a while."
Regardless of the reason, Melusine had indeed helped him greatly.
Hearing this, a smile bloomed on Melusine's face.
He needed something to distract himself.
"Melusine, was your leg disability congenital?" Kevin suddenly asked.
Previously, due to their lack of familiarity, he had been hesitant to ask too much, but now he felt the time might be right.
Melusine's expression was slightly forlorn as she looked down at her legs.
"Yes. I haven't been able to walk since I can remember."
So it was congenital? That would be troublesome.
"If you don't mind, let me examine them? Although I'm an alchemist, in some ways, I can be considered half a doctor."
"Doctor? Um—okay, okay."
Melusine's face inexplicably began to flush, as if she had thought of something. Her speech also became stuttered. "Please, Doctor, do you—do you need to examine me now?"
"Yes, of course. I need to examine them carefully."
Kevin stared at her legs, nodding with a slightly serious expression. If he didn't examine them, how could he know the current condition of her legs?
Hearing such a reply, Melusine's face turned even redder, and she glanced around her surroundings.
"Here... here for the examination?" Her voice trembled with shyness.
Kevin, who had been looking down at her legs, suddenly realized something was amiss and looked up. He saw Melusine had already reached up to cover her face, her ears and neck flushed with embarrassment.
Huh? No.
"What are you thinking? This is a proper examination!" Saying this, Kevin reached out and gently tapped her head.
In what situation would one make such an association?
"Ow!"
Melusine hugged her head, letting out a soft cry of pain. Her mouth pouted, her eyes welled up with tears, and her expression was full of grievance.
"But... in the manga..."
That expression was truly unbearable.
"Alright, alright. I understand. It was my fault for not explaining clearly, and I wronged you."
Kevin understood the problem. He leaned closer and gently stroked her head, rubbing the spot he had just tapped. This was a rare intimate gesture from him.
Melusine's expression immediately changed, and she naturally collapsed into Kevin's embrace.
Hehe.
A sly smile appeared on her face.
Outside the garden, the maids who had been secretly watching immediately cheered at the sight.
Good, good—that's how it's done!
Kevin looked helpless.
Could he push her away?
"Alright, now let me have a good look."
Saying this, he extended his palm, gently grasped Melusine's calf, and lifted her lower leg, cradling the calf muscle in his palm.
Although Melusine couldn't stand, she clearly had feeling in her legs. Kevin's touch was like an electric current, spreading throughout her body. She let out a soft hum, pressing her entire body tightly against Kevin, her head buried even deeper.
"Sigh. I really don't know if you're bold or shy."
Kevin grumbled, then slowly injected Nen into her leg through his arm.
As a Nen user, Melusine was completely defenseless against Kevin's Nen, offering no resistance. To be honest, this moment truly surprised Kevin. After all, even Pairo and Kurapika, who trusted Kevin the most, would instinctively create some resistance when Nen invaded their bodies—this was a natural reaction of Nen.
"Hmm—"
Melusine tightly hugged Kevin's waist with both hands, pressing her body even closer. Kevin's Nen made her feel as if something had entered her. And—she could feel something from the Nen that Kevin was pouring in.
This was no longer just shyness.
"Are you so sensitive to my Nen?"
Logically, she shouldn't have such a strong reaction. Kevin was a little puzzled. He had deliberately infused his current emotions into it to reduce the discomfort of his Nen flowing in.
"Hmm... very, very ticklish."
Her voice trembled slightly, and she hugged Kevin's waist uneasily, even rubbing her head against his chest. It looked like she was acting spoiled, but in essence, it seemed to stem from an inner sense of insecurity.
Kevin stopped the Nen transmission. He roughly understood Melusine's reaction.
Although her legs were disabled and she couldn't control them voluntarily, the tactile sensations in her legs were real, and they seemed exceptionally sensitive. The influx of Nen stimulated this touch, but she couldn't control her legs to react accordingly. This conflict caused Melusine's insecurity to erupt instantly.
It was a feeling of helplessness.
Upon realizing this, Kevin reached out and gently embraced her.
He softly comforted her. "It's okay. I'm right here."
Then, Kevin once again manipulated his Nen, this time with greater focus, making the Nen flow more smoothly and subtly. However, as the examination deepened, it inevitably caused Melusine some discomfort. Fortunately, it didn't take long to get a result.
Kevin withdrew his Nen, his brows slightly furrowed.
"How is it?" Melusine asked curiously.
"The legs themselves are very normal. At most, one could say they lack exercise."
This was where Kevin felt puzzled. Essentially, such legs shouldn't be so weak—so why were they disabled?
"Huh?" Melusine looked confused.
"Perhaps it wasn't thorough enough just now. This time, a more detailed examination might be needed. Please bear with it for a moment."
Saying this, Kevin directly pulled out a vial from his waist and handed it to her.
"Drink this. I didn't expect it to actually come in handy."
Melusine took the vial and drank it all at once. After drinking, she asked, "What is this for?"
[Scanning Agent] —made from Kevin's blood, plants that could store his Nen, and a material with good Nen conductivity.
The sole purpose of this ordinary potion was to allow Kevin's Nen to conduct a comprehensive and more detailed scan throughout the user's body without obstruction. The inspiration for making this potion came from the previous treatment process for Pairo. This was a highly targeted potion, and its key lay in Kevin's absolute control over Nen.
Normal Nen users found it difficult to perform precise scans of another person's body with Nen, unless they possessed a special Nen ability like Qi Duo's. In a sense, this was a specially supplied, weakened version of a potion designed to mimic that ability.
Kevin simply held Melusine in his arms, letting her legs rest on his lap.
"Oh!" This bold move startled Melusine.
"Weren't you quite bold just now?" Kevin asked with a smile.
Melusine blushed and didn't answer, but simply reached out and covered Kevin's mouth. It was precisely because Kevin had been avoiding intimate contact with her before that she had taken the initiative. Now that Kevin was taking the initiative, she immediately couldn't resist.
"Alright, alright. I won't say anything more. But this time, you have to hold back, okay?"
"Mm." Melusine pursed her lips and nodded.
Kevin gently stroked her long legs. From the touch alone, they were perfect—smooth and delicate skin. Because she had taken the potion, the caress and examination infused with Nen made Melusine feel extremely sensitive.
The problem was that Kevin's Nen, when mixed with his Nen ability, possessed special capabilities. For example, right now, he had to make his Nen capable of carrying his goodwill—meaning his Nen ability had the effect of connecting emotions. This allowed Melusine, who could perceive certain emotions of her crush through her Nen ability, to sense Kevin's conflicted feelings at this moment.
At that moment, she tightly clutched Kevin's clothes with both hands, her eyes tightly closed, trying hard to suppress her voice.
Finally, it seemed to have reached some limit.
Melusine's legs suddenly trembled a few times.
Even she herself didn't notice this tremor.
Indeed—these legs should essentially be normal and healthy. They shouldn't be disabled.
Kevin continued to meticulously inject Nen.
"Mm-hmm!"
Melusine could no longer suppress it and let out a soft hum.
Outside the garden, Lorian and the other maids who had been secretly watching had long since blushed.
They couldn't see exactly what the two were doing. They could only see Kevin's back, Melusine sitting entirely on Kevin, and occasional soft hums.
The youngest maid, her face completely red, covered her face with her hands, but her eyes peeked through her fingers, staring intently without blinking.
"Melusine is so bold..."
"So amazing."
"Don't talk nonsense. They're not necessarily—"
Before this maid could finish her sentence, another soft hum came. At this, she too obediently closed her mouth.
"As expected of the Saintess."
"Idiot. That title isn't used that way."
Although they were all blushing, their gazes showed no intention of moving away. Instead, they watched even more intently.
As the examination ended, Melusine collapsed into Kevin's arms, sweating profusely, her white hair clinging tightly to her face. She was slightly panting.
Kevin didn't speak, which made her even more embarrassed. Instead, he picked up a handkerchief and gently wiped away her sweat, then carefully tidied the strands of hair on her head. Then, holding her, he looked out at the garden and slowly said,
"Your legs are undoubtedly normal. The reason you can't walk isn't a problem with your body itself, but rather the influence of a Nen ability. There's Nen attached to your legs that feels no different from your own Nen."
"Didn't you feel it?"
Melusine, who had recovered, shook her head in response to Kevin's question.
"Is that so? Well, that's good news. Compared to a congenital disability, the effects caused by Nen are much easier to resolve."
For Kevin, congenital physical problems were the hardest to solve, followed by problems caused by Nen abilities, and then injuries acquired later were relatively easy to handle. Of course, this was the general order.
If Melusine truly couldn't control this Nen, Kevin could completely rely on the technique of peeling off grudges to slowly strip away the uncontrollable Nen from her legs. Although the process would be troublesome, it wasn't too difficult.
"Then... can I stand up?" A flicker of expectation flashed in Melusine's eyes, but she tried hard to suppress it.
"Yes. Even using the clumsiest method, it would only take a few months at most."
"A few months... that's wonderful. Thank you."
Kevin looked at her and said seriously, "Compared to your help to me, what I've done is really nothing."
"I want to go up to the tower."
"No problem." Kevin nodded, ready to get up.
"I want you to carry me up." Melusine hugged him, starting to act spoiled.
"Yes. I'd be very happy to."
Kevin picked up Melusine in a princess carry and walked toward the tower.
Ever since Melusine sat in Kevin's arms, the white snake that had been coiled around her silently coiled itself on the ground. It stretched its upper body and quietly watched the scene. It had originally intended to fulfill its duty and lift Melusine—but it seemed someone had taken over its job.
Hiss, hiss~
Was I ignored?
The white snake helplessly swayed its body and followed.
The two stayed at the top of the tower until evening.
"Look! It's a shooting star!"
Melusine, who had been chatting idly, suddenly cried out in surprise.
A shooting star streaked across the night sky, fleeting in an instant.
"Fleeting in an instant," Kevin murmured softly.
"Quick, make a wish. It's very effective."
Seeing Melusine's unwavering belief, Kevin's straight-laced nature kicked in, and he couldn't help but retort, "How is that possible? That's all for fooling kids."
These words successfully earned him a displeased look from Melusine.
"Hmph. It really is effective. All the wishes I made before came true."
"Haha, really? Alright then, I'll make one too."
Kevin didn't believe it, but he still nodded obediently in agreement.
After making the wish, the two sat quietly.
Melusine leaned entirely on Kevin. Ever since their feelings rapidly warmed up that morning, Melusine now wished she could stick to Kevin's side every moment.
"Before the festival... can you come see me every day?"
"Hmm. I can't guarantee that."
"Ahhh! Come every day!" Melusine hugged Kevin, starting to act spoiled.
"Then I'll try my best."
"Hehe!"
The two snuggled closely together like that.
After a long while, only then did Kevin carry Melusine and head downstairs. By this time, it was late.
The white snake silently followed behind.
Should I 'retire'?
Kevin reluctantly bid farewell to Melusine and left the castle. He silently walked along the village streets, all the way back to the inn.
In the lobby downstairs, Menchi and the others were chatting. As soon as Kevin walked in, Buhara's gaze scrutinized him from head to toe. Seeing his empty hands, his face was full of regret.
Only then did Kevin remember, slapping his head and saying apologetically, "I'm sorry. I completely forgot today."
"It's fine." Although a hint of disappointment showed in his expectant eyes, Buhara still waved his hand, indicating it was fine.
Menchi stood up and circled Kevin. Her eyes darted around, as if scanning.
"What are you doing?"
"Hehe. You have a smell about you." Saying that, she leaned closer and sniffed.
Kevin lifted his collar and sniffed left and right. "No smell? Is it Melusine's scent?"
"Tsk. That's the sour stench of love."
"You're crazy."
Kevin rolled his eyes and sat down at the table.
Gowen glanced at him and asked softly, "You seem a bit melancholic. Did something happen?"
"You're still so perceptive." Kevin had to admit. Gowen was always able to easily discern others' emotional problems.
"What's wrong?" Menchi pressed.
Meeting the gazes of the three, the thoughts Kevin had been suppressing in his heart began to surge like a tide.
"Hey. I ask you—do you think you came to this Secret Realm truly of your own free will?"
This question made Menchi frown. She wasn't a fool. This question sounded chilling.
The atmosphere in the room instantly quieted down.
"Did you... discover something?" Buhara asked with a solemn expression.
This was no joke. If he thought carefully, he really couldn't recall anything unusual throughout the process.
"Although I know it sounds a bit melodramatic to say this, the things I've encountered really make me feel strange." Kevin poured out all the details of what he had encountered that day. Then he revealed the doubts in his heart.
"Melusine—I can tell you clearly, this woman is completely my type. Her appearance, personality, temperament, and figure—every aspect perfectly matches my preferences. It's as if God molded her according to my desires. Such a girl, like my dream lover, also happens to like me."
Saying that, he let out a long sigh and looked at the three, continuing, "It sounds like I'm showing off, right? But it's too coincidental. I can perceive good and evil emotions.
"Especially after that check today, Melusine's Nen ability also has emotion transmission capabilities, which rendered my feigned resistance useless. But it also let me truly know her will and thoughts.
"Although it sounds a bit narcissistic, if nothing goes wrong, my attraction to Melusine is just like her attraction to me."
They probably understood what Kevin wanted to express. It was indeed too coincidental.
Perhaps there really were perfect matches in the world, but for Nen users like them, who were somewhat wary, such overly coincidental events still made them uneasy.
"If it were just that, you wouldn't say such things." Menchi frowned, staring at him intently, her expression very serious.
Kevin nodded, looking somewhat dejected. "That's right. If it were just that, I could still accept it.
"But the problem is Melusine's Nen ability. She showed me a special use of her Nen ability today. Do you know what it is?"
"It's providing me with ideas. You all know that recently, due to problems with potion ingredients, I haven't been able to find suitable materials to combine. I clearly have good materials in hand, but I can't use them for now. This feeling is really tormenting, and I should have gotten used to it by now.
"But today, Melusine's Nen ability activated and acted upon me, providing me with ideas for making potions."
Saying that, Kevin simply demonstrated it on the spot.
He quickly processed the materials. Before long, he had placed three materials on the alchemy table. The anxious feeling in his heart finally settled. Undoubtedly, all three materials were very suitable.
The idea provided by Melusine's Nen ability was completely correct.
"See? I just need to slightly adjust the dosage of each material, and I'll get the potion I want."
The three fell silent.
At this moment, even they couldn't attribute all of this to luck. Nen abilities could actually complement each other. This was no longer something that could be explained by simple perfect matches or love at first sight.
Moreover, Kevin's problems didn't stop there—including his unique over here sound phenomenon.
"You... you don't seem very worried about this situation." Gowen spoke, looking at Kevin with a hint of confusion.
Such a thing was already strange enough, and it was likely that a Nen ability was at play behind the scenes, guiding everything. However, in his opinion, Kevin was just a little troubled—not even particularly worried.
Meeting the gazes of the three, Kevin, after speaking out all the thoughts in his heart, revealed a carefree smile on his face.
"To hell with it! Since heaven sent a wife, there's no reason not to take her.
"As for the guy pulling strings behind the scenes—to show my gratitude, I won't punch him to death."
"Hahaha! Yes, that's the attitude!" Menchi laughed approvingly, reaching out and patting Kevin's shoulder hard.
"I'm still looking forward to a feast at the festival," Buhara said with a smile.
And if Kevin's premonition was correct, then they were also victims—and they absolutely had to expose the mastermind.
"My sword is at your command," Gowen said.
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