Chapter Eighty-Nine: The Blessing of the Spirits

The villa’s grand hall fell silent in an instant, broken only by the crackling of the fire in the hearth. Lu Xi’s eyes widened in disbelief, her clear sky-blue gaze reflecting Kaier’s face at close range. Her lovely features had flushed a deeper pink, whether from excitement or shyness, it was hard to say.

“What did you just say? I didn’t hear you clearly.”

Her voice trembled slightly, tangled with anticipation, unease, joy, and a host of other emotions.

“I said—” Kaier had only just begun, but before he could repeat himself, the girl in his arms suddenly cut him off.

“Wait!”

“My goodness, this can’t be a dream.” Lu Xi cupped both cheeks in her hands, her skin burning hot. She murmured to herself, “The way you suddenly came back today is exactly the same as the opening of the sweet dreams I’ve been having lately, and now you’re saying that to me too.”

“Kaier, am I really dreaming? If not, hit me.”

When she finished, she looked at Kaier with a trace of worry.

“Of course it isn’t a dream.” Kaier sighed helplessly. With the strength he possessed now, how could he possibly bring himself to strike Lu Xi?

He could only extend one finger and lightly flick her smooth forehead with carefully controlled force.

“Ah.” Lu Xi clutched her forehead in mock pain, yet her face blossomed into a radiant smile. Her slender body spun playfully once, and her arms wound intimately around Kaier’s neck as she met his eyes face to face. “Ask me that question again.”

Kaier nodded. “I asked whether you would like to become part of my family.”

“Why even ask? Of course I would! A thousand times yes! A ten thousand times yes!” Lu Xi answered with such fervor that she could hardly contain herself, choking up as tears spilled from her amber eyes and slid down her fair, delicate cheeks.

After losing her relatives, she had lived in Kaier’s home all this time, waiting and hoping each day. Now that this promise-like declaration had come at last, she understood that every moment of waiting had been worthwhile.

“I plan to establish a family called Caron and build up my own private power. If you join me, then you’ll be my family from now on, and I’ll use my strength to protect you.” Kaier said with a smile, reaching out to wipe the tears from her face.

Tears still clinging to her lashes, Lu Xi asked softly, “Then if I agree, does that make me the first one to join the family?”

“Of course.” Kaier reacted quickly with a nod. Rogan was still in the middle of the family trial mission, so he could only be considered half in, at best.

Lu Xi tilted her head and, gathering her courage, pressed on. “Then when will we get married?”

“You’re only seventeen. You want to get married that quickly? At least wait a few more years.” As Kaier said this, he could not help but smile. Was he basically bringing home a child bride from the battlefield?

“I’m not little at all.” Hearing that, Lu Xi puffed up indignantly, pushing out her chest. The front of her dress revealed a modest but definite curve, pressing softly against Kaier’s broad chest and slightly warping the proud shape.

“You little temptress.” Kaier gave a wry smile, then seemed to remember something and said to her, “Close your eyes for three minutes. No matter what happens, don’t open them.”

Lu Xi nodded and quickly shut her eyes. Her pretty lashes trembled faintly, and her angelic face seemed to wait for something with quiet expectation.

Kaier swept a hand through the air, and with a thought he selected three cards from the card space. Each carried the sheen of blue quality as they floated above the first-floor hall.

The first was an ability card, a Life-Addition card, which could only condense into a semi-transparent illusory card in the outside world.

“With this thirty years of natural lifespan added to you, I hope you stay healthy and remain by my side for a long, long time.”

With Kaier’s inward command, the Life-Addition card dissolved into consumption and merged directly into the girl’s body, taking effect at once.

Lu Xi’s slender body shivered slightly. The card had an indirect tempering effect on her constitution, greatly boosting her vitality as well, making her feel more refreshed, at ease, and full of vigor.

Kaier caught the second card in his hand. It was an item card, which quickly transformed from card form into a physical object resting in his palm.

It shone with a luxurious and dazzling gem-like brilliance: a heart-shaped sapphire necklace, exquisite and flawless, as though it were the most expensive and opulent of masterpieces.

“Girls should all like this sort of thing...”

Kaier murmured to himself and fastened the sapphire necklace around Lu Xi’s fair neck. The Heart of the Ocean might be priceless to others, but to him it was merely one treasure among many.

And then there was the final third card, a biological card: Elven Blessing.

Kaier’s mind stirred, and he targeted Lu Xi, consuming this one-time mysterious life card.

In the next instant, as the card spun and dissolved in midair, the surrounding space twisted slightly. A small figure with a pair of wings flew out from the vortex.

That half-real, half-illusory being looked strikingly like a fairy. Its little mouth moved as if chanting some whisper-soft spell, and a wash of natural light bathed Lu Xi’s back while her eyes remained closed.

“What exactly is going to happen?”

Kaier stared at the scene in surprise, but before long the natural light gradually dimmed, and the phantom of the tiny winged being faded as well, vanishing together with the small spatial vortex in the hall.

The room fell quiet and dim once more, returning to its ordinary state.

“Is that all?” Kaier frowned. What was that fairy-like creature just now—could it have something to do with those higher-dimensional races in the realm of Asgard on Earth?

“Kaier, three minutes have passed. I can open my eyes now, right?” Lu Xi said softly. Testing the matter, she opened her eyes. When she saw the Heart of the Ocean around her neck, her mouth fell open in astonishment. “Th-this is far too precious, isn’t it?”

“It’s just a gemstone necklace. You don’t really have anything to wear, anyway. You can take it to some banquets later.” Kaier patted her head and asked, “When you had your eyes closed just now, did you feel anything strange with your body?”

“Strange? There was a slight tingling, like a mild electric shock, but I was standing next to you and my heart was beating too fast to notice.” Lu Xi answered frankly.

Elven Blessing, a gift from nature, and all it did was produce a natural-light effect? Kaier silently complained to himself. Since when had a blue-quality card become so useless, especially a one-time biological card?

“Oh right, I was so busy talking with you that I forgot we still need to buy ingredients for lunch.” Lu Xi touched her deflated stomach.

“That’s easy. Why don’t we just eat out?” Kaier suggested. Right now, money was apparently the one thing he lacked least.

After Lu Xi carefully put away the Heart of the Ocean, the two dressed and headed out. Only after opening the front door did they realize it was drizzling outside.

“Ah, I’ll go get an umbrella.” Lu Xi looked up at the dark sky and was about to go back inside for one, when in the very next moment, the light rain stopped without warning.

A cool breeze swept past, the heavy clouds dispersed, and the rain-cleansed sky opened to reveal sunshine and a rainbow.

Coincidence?

At the doorway, Kaier frowned. Something about this was clearly not so simple.