Night had fully descended, the rain pouring down in torrents.
The carriage halted in front of an inn in a small town.
Nathan, draped in a voluminous robe, stepped out of the carriage, instantly soaked by the relentless rain.
He immediately felt dizzy, nearly unable to stand.
After settling everything, Nathan entered his room in the inn.
The room was dimly lit, permeated with an air of antiquity.
Faded maps and worn weapons adorned the walls.
The windows, bed, and chairs were all grimy.
Nathan found a spot to sit and took small sips of water from his flask.
Once the dizziness from the carriage ride subsided, he realized he was very hungry.
Lia helped Nathan tidy the room.
She found a recruitment poster from last year for the Nebula Academy on the wall and began reading it with interest.
When Eris returned, they cast a few cleaning spells and then pulled Lia to the adjacent room to continue tidying.
The rain washed away the heat but also added a chill dampness to the already gloomy room.
Noticing many unburned logs in the fireplace, Nathan carelessly cast a small fireball towards it.
Unexpectedly, the small fireball transformed into a massive one, becoming more than twice its usual size upon impact, resulting in an explosion in the fireplace.
Fortunately, it was contained within the hearth, or it would have set the entire room ablaze.
Hearing the noise, Eris and Lia hurried over and, seeing the distorted fireplace, immediately understood what had happened.
Nathan spread his hands, "I didn't mean to do it!"
Eris, however, looked grave and said solemnly,
"Little brother, I forgot to tell you something! The Blood Burning curse that's affecting you heats your blood, essentially enhancing your physical potential. But this boost in potential comes at the cost of consuming your life force."
"So, if you want to live a bit longer, try not to use magic until Cliff cures your Blood Burning. Understand?"
Nathan's face turned pale; he understood the logic.
It was like intensifying a fire in a fireplace.
If a pile of wood normally burns for five hours, increasing the fire's intensity might halve that time.
Eris didn't continue.
She walked over to Nathan and patted his shoulder for comfort.
Nathan, for his part, wasn't so concerned about this.
What really bothered him was the upcoming dinner.
The innkeeper brought over a few blackened objects.
They looked like burnt chunks of meat, covered with a layer of solidified grease, emitting an acrid, burnt smell.
The moment they hit his tongue, bitterness, greasiness, and a strange taste rampaged through his mouth, almost making him vomit.
His stomach churned, worsening his mood.
Fortunately, Eris and Lia took out food they had brought with them.
For a magus, having a personal storage space wasn't a big deal.
Space-related gems or small containers enhanced by magic could achieve this effect.
Such spaces, if not too large, were easily accessible.
Nathan had a storage space too, ingeniously designed into his ring on his right hand.
It was only a cubic meter in size, but he never thought to use it for storing food.
He couldn't help but marvel at the attentiveness of women, utterly different from men in this regard.
However, it seemed Nathan's streak of bad luck was not yet over.
Just as he used magic to retrieve a bottle of wine from his storage space and placed it on the table, he suddenly felt dizzy and then his body began to burn.
The two ladies had no choice but to lay him back on the bed, with Lia casting spells to continuously conjure ice cubes.
Eris, meanwhile, kept casting spells to increase the air circulation in the room without causing a draft that might worsen Nathan's condition.
They were busy until midnight but finally managed to lower Nathan's fever.
Nathan gave a wry smile of gratitude, but felt frustrated realizing he had to endure this for four more days.
Eris, yawning, went back to her own room.
Lia, however, brought a plate of pastries to the bedside.
Looking at the understanding Lia, Nathan still harbored some doubts.
"Lia! Why did you come?"
After some thought, Nathan decided to voice his inner uncertainties, "Don't you hate me? I caused the downfall of the Clark family, and I also bullied you in the past."
Lia lowered her head, pondering for a while before responding softly,
"That day when you went to the family estate to investigate Wales, after Alex Clark refused to exchange me back into the family, I realized how terribly wrong I had been. What I thought was family honor was actually just about interests. They never really cared about me."
Lia's expression darkened as she spoke.
"As for you, though your methods were not exactly honorable, at least you were bold and upfront, much more genuine than the hypocrites in my family. Considering how I treated you before, it's only fair that you slighted me. What's there to be angry about?"
"Hmm, you're truly magnanimous. If I were in your shoes, I wouldn't have forgiven myself so easily, heh heh!"
At that moment, they were very close, and Nathan's hand mischievously slid under her skirt, touching the firmness beneath her silk underwear.
Lia held his wandering hand, whispering, "I only found out later that if you hadn't toppled the Clark family, I might have already been married off to Tig from the Silver House, becoming a sacrifice for family interests."
After saying this, she took out two pastries from the food box, bit into one herself, and then leaned down to feed the other to Nathan.
The pastry, a piece of foie gras wrapped in reduced cheese, melted in Nathan's mouth as soon as he tasted it, utterly delicious.
But what was even more delightful was watching Lia chew, occasionally sticking out her tongue to lightly lick her lips.
Nathan felt an urge, a desire to take a bite himself.
"How do you find the pastry?" Lia asked softly.
"Absolutely wonderful, but I'm feeling increasingly hungry," Nathan replied, his words carrying a double meaning as he smoothly wrapped his arms around Lia's slender waist.
Lia's waist was indeed slim, easily encircled by an arm.
Blushing, she playfully scolded, "You're not allowed to move your hands. I'll feed you."
Saying this, she placed a piece of pastry in her mouth and leaned down to feed Nathan.
Their lips and tongues met, sending a sweet and tender sensation throughout Nathan's body.
Nathan hooked his arm around Lia's neck, deepening their kiss.
Two minutes later, with a dreamy look in her eyes, Lia gently licked Nathan's earlobe, lifted her skirt, and straddled him.
She didn't sit down completely, her round yet petite buttocks hovering.
Her flower was already muddy, now enveloping Nathan's large head, drawing it in and out but refusing to take it all.
Nathan's hands slid back involuntarily, but before they could reach further, Lia caught them.
"I told you, no moving," she said.
Lia pinched Nathan's waist and twisted it with some force.
Suddenly, Nathan remembered a saying from his past life.
A woman is like a kitten, seemingly gentle and adorable, with soft and fleshy little paws, yet concealing sharp claws within their pads.
As he thought this, he felt a suction pulling his member into a moist, warm, and slippery place.
With the same person, making love twice felt entirely different.
The last time Lia let him take the lead, that encounter could definitely be described as intense and satisfying.
Her madness, a blend of pain and pleasure, seemed to have an endless vitality needing release.
But this time, she really turned into a little temptress, demure yet indescribably alluring, elegant yet uniquely capricious.
The same teasing, but the girls in the brothels seemed shallow in comparison, their arousal and desire transparent in their expressions.
Lia was different.
Her demeanor appeared somewhat indifferent, even slightly overwhelmed, provoking an involuntary sense of pity.
However, her body, every movement, the trembling of her hips, and the contractions of her flower, were utterly bewitching.
Even in the midst of passion, her eyes remained clear, yet deep in her pupils, a fiery passion lurked, enough to ensnare any man.
"Last time you took quite long, this time I want it to last even longer. I'm not going back tonight," Lia whispered in Nathan's ear.
Her words nearly made Nathan's blood boil again, but he was also slightly puzzled, sensing a faint hint of jealousy in her tone.
One pastry after another disappeared, the fire in the fireplace dwindling.
On the large bed, the two were entwined, their breaths growing heavier.
The place where they joined was already a sticky mess, each rise and fall accompanied by a squelching sound.
Thankfully, the relentless rain outside masked all noises.