This journey was different from the urgent ones we'd had before. Despite our mission to reclaim the Dragon Crystal, it lacked the same sense of urgency as when we were rescuing Alice. So, we took our time, enjoying the scenery along the way.
The pleasant journey brought Alice and me closer together. Soon enough, she was leaning on me and acting affectionate.
Whenever I saw little Alice cuddling up to me like a sticky candy, happiness sparkled in Philiya's eyes.
At night, we camped in the wilderness again. This time it wasn't because of me but because Philiya refused to enter the city of Tero.
She felt uneasy about my past in Carlanga where I had killed thieves sent by the Carter family. She feared trouble if I entered Tero, especially since Alice was supposed to be brought there by slave traders. Her aversion towards Tero was palpable, and she adamantly refused to go into the city.
Though I wasn't afraid of trouble, I decided not to enter the city since she disliked it so much.
However, as the capital of Carter, Tero was the only city within fifty miles. With our leisurely pace, we hadn't even covered eighty miles in a day, so camping out again was inevitable.
Fortunately, Alice didn't mind this arrangement. In fact, she was excited to experience another different night.
After finally persuading the restless Alice to sleep inside the carriage, even I, as resilient as I am, felt a bit mentally exhausted.
Seeing her now lively and adorable, knowing that her experience of being abducted hadn't left any scars, reassured me greatly.
Since she had eaten the barbecue I made, she had almost become another little Yu, but thankfully, her appetite wasn't as scary as Yu's, or else I would have to give up making anything but barbecue.
Even though she didn't eat much each time, after a while she wanted to eat again, and every time she rubbed me until she promised to help her barbecue, that look of unrelenting determination really scared me.
Philiya looked at me as if I were relieved of a heavy burden, worried and said, "Isn't Alice too sticky?"
I smiled and said, "It doesn't matter, I really like that feeling. I haven't had many relatives since I was a child. Now I can have Alice, such a lovely little girl, sticking to me. I don't know how happy I am!"
Philiya smiled and said, "I seldom see Alice so sticky. When I lived in the village, she rarely got close to others, even the closest neighbors."
"Ha ha, that may be our fate!" I smiled.
"What is fate?" Philiya was very curious.
"Fate, is the saying from my hometown. It can't be seen or touched, but it's like a thread that connects two people. Even if they don't know each other at all, once they meet, they will get to know each other, understand each other, and fall in love."
I looked deeply at Philiya's beautiful and delicate face and said in a deep voice.
Philiya was a little blushing by my look, but she didn't avoid my eyes. She just said, "This kind of saying is really beautiful. Why have I never heard of it before? What is your hometown like? Didn't you say you were always with your master from childhood?"
Looking up at the vast starry sky, I murmured.
"I can't go back to my hometown anymore!"
Although I had known it all the time, at this moment I really understood the significance of my hometown.
Seeing my deep affection and sorrow, Philiya's heart tightened suddenly, and she couldn't control herself anymore. She threw herself into my arms, choked with emotion: "You can't go back to your hometown, you can't see your relatives, so Alice and I are your relatives, we will always be with you. Don't be like this! Do you know? Your sadness in your eyes breaks my heart!"
I came to my senses and held Philiya tightly in my arms, excitedly saying: "Yes! With you, I have relatives! With you, I won't be lonely! Don't worry, I won't be sad anymore in the future. With you and Alice by my side, I will always be happy and joyful."
"Okay!" Philiya nodded heavily, her pretty face pressed tightly against my chest, listening to my rapid heartbeat.
I couldn't bear it any longer, I gently lifted her charming face, and slowly lowered my head. Philiya seemed to feel something, her eyes slightly closed, her cheeks flushed, but she raised her head obediently.
Finally, I pressed my lips against her wet lips. When I gently opened her teeth with my tongue, she reflexively withdrew for a moment, but soon came forward again, letting me sweep in her mouth. I kept teasing her, and finally after an accidental contact, her tongue responded enthusiastically.
The passionate kiss and Philiya's constantly squirming body stimulated my blood, and her tongue's response made me even more lustful. The hands that were originally hugging each other began to become dishonest. The left hand slowly moved down and placed on her raised buttocks, and the right hand was not idle either, it had climbed up Philiya's towering breasts and kept rubbing them.
When I finally let go of her mouth, Philiya collapsed completely, leaning softly against me, her face red as if it was about to drip with water, and her eyes were also watery.
The seductive look made me want to enter her body right away.
Philiya's eyes sparkled with surprise, a faint smile tugging at her lips. Suddenly, she lifted her head and lightly kissed me on the lips, then retreated into my embrace, snuggling closely and closing her beautiful eyes.
Watching her endearing expression, my heart felt serene as I gently held her delicate waist, completely absorbed in the warmth of the moment.
When I finally came back to my senses, Philiya had drifted into a peaceful sleep, her smile still serene.
Standing up slowly, I carefully lifted her and ascended into the carriage, placing her gently next to Alice. Looking at her tranquil smile, I couldn't resist lowering my head to give her a soft kiss on her fair forehead. Just as I was about to leave, I noticed she was still tightly holding onto my hand even in her slumber. So, I sat down beside her, quietly admiring her exquisite face.
And so, the night passed slowly like this.