The memory was vivid, much to Sevianna's disgust. Brand had also used the tactic of "looking like a fool in love," and unfortunately, Sevianna had fallen for it.
Brand had never been in love, not with her, nor with anyone else. He was just a somewhat handsome man who liked to play around and let girls fall for him. Toward that kind of person, even the original Sevianna had recoiled—especially after she had almost stripped for him.
Actually, Sevianna believed that Brand was the protagonist in some stallion world. But she was not fond of harems that didn't stem from love. And the problem was, who needs love in a harem novel? Most of them were straight-up sexual, full of aphrodisiacs. She could coexist with them as long as they didn't come for her.
Adounis was shaken by Sevianna's pained look. He wanted to hug her, to comfort her by patting her head, but he couldn't summon the courage. His self-control would help him rein in his indecent urges. But not with her dressed like this!
Sevianna no longer wasted her thoughts on Brand. Instead, she observed this red-faced man who was still contemplating how far he could go with his self-control.
All right, she'd let him off the hook this time. "Did you need anything from me?" she asked.
Adounis was startled awake by her question. He stared at her blankly, seemingly having forgotten why he was there. When he realized that he had actually forgotten something so simple, he blushed. He cleared his throat to gather his thoughts. "I forgot to tell you that I'm taking you tomorrow to pick out your dress."
"Ah, for the birthday?" Sevianna nodded in understanding.
"We'll be leaving at dawn tomorrow, so sleep early," Adounis instructed. He secretly took one last glance at her outfit, then resolutely closed his eyes, lest he be tempted to lead her to his room. Turning toward his door, he hurried to escape back to his quarters.
"Good night," Sevianna said gently.
Adounis's eyes almost popped out of their sockets. He abruptly turned back but found her door already closed. He gritted his teeth in frustration. How could he miss his chance? Then, he sighed in defeat. "Good night!" His ears flushed red as he entered his room.
When morning came, Sevianna wore a dark blue dress with a black ribbon around her collar and her hair in loose twin pigtails. She had woken up early and couldn't fall back asleep, so she waited for dawn.
It was still faintly dark outside as she sat in the living room, hugging a pillow while waiting for Adounis.
Adounis was greeted by the sight of a blank-looking girl, hugging a pillow and idly playing with her hair. He suddenly had the urge to pull her onto his lap and pamper her in any way he could.
"Did you not sleep?" He approached her, hesitating for a moment before deciding to sit beside her. To his joy, she didn't push him away.
"Slept. But woke up early," Sevianna mumbled.
Adounis had already started petting her before he could think through his decision. And he didn't want to stop, so he hardened his expression and continued. "Mn, continue sleeping in the carriage then. We're going to Stella Kingdom."
Sevianna didn't bother to slap his hands away. She had long given up on that futile gesture. She knew he would persist stubbornly after a month of his continuous pursuit. Besides, it wasn't so bad. It was only because, before she had grown accustomed to him, she had detested physical touch.
"Stella Kingdom?" It was no wonder they had to leave by dawn—by the time they arrived, it would already be noon.
Adounis and Sevianna sat in the same carriage as they began their long journey. The carriage was of extremely high quality, so she felt no bumps nor discomfort from sitting for so long. But halfway through the ride, she grew bored and sleepy.
Her swaying head landed on Adounis' shoulder, startling him. But when he realized what had happened, he froze, fearful of waking her up. He then very carefully adapted to his role as her "pillow," keeping quiet while taking quiet pleasure in the moment.
Stella Kingdom was the most technologically advanced kingdom. The buildings there were structured inorganically, resembling stars, moons, and discs. Their most distinguishing feature was the protective force field that kept the city illuminated at night with picturesque stars, creating an artificial galaxy.
Adounis wanted Sevianna to experience walking in that artificial galaxy. In a way, they were going on a date. While the oblivious Sevianna slept soundly for the rest of the ride, Adounis had been planning their schedule for the day. He'd have to ensure that picking up the dress would be "delayed" until right before they headed home.
A smile bloomed on his face as he tenderly brushed aside a strand of hair that occasionally fell on Sevianna's face. The gentleness in his gaze was unmistakable.
Sevianna eventually woke up after they had already passed the inspection near the gate. She rubbed her eyes and murmured in gibberish, dazedly looking around, wondering where she was, as she had forgotten.
Adounis laughed heartily. It was these moments that he loved to treasure. "Good morning~"
His laugh and greeting startled her awake, and his sweet smile left her stunned. She almost went out of character, wanting to snuggle into his arms. She was indignant at her inability to do so.
Mingyan was so docile that she couldn't take the provocative initiative, while Sevianna had grown too cold to even think of taking the lead. Hayst, would she ever have a seductress's body to directly tease her Yan gege?
The girl's dazed and stunned expression was too cute. Adounis might still be able to suppress his urge to kiss her, but he couldn't hold back his hand from petting her. He wondered if she would soon grow to hate his habit, and he dearly wished she wouldn't.
"The dress has been delayed until late this afternoon. In the meantime, where do you want to go?" he asked, striking while the iron was hot.
Sevianna finally comprehended where she was and what she was doing. Her brows knitted at the news.
Sevianna: 'Hahaha! Sneaky, sneaky~ Adounis is so cute~ He actually lied just to get Sevianna to go on a date?' *giddy*
Lily: 'Sevi~ look! I think I saw a flying teddy bear!'
Sevianna subconsciously glanced outside the window, and indeed... teddy bears were flying outside. Her eyes visibly sparkled as she gripped the rim of the window. Her gaze was fixed on a flying teddy bear that was somersaulting in the sky.
Adounis never thought that a flying teddy bear and a girl with twinkling eyes could make such a beautiful scene. He felt a little jealous of the teddy bear, but his appreciation for the moment was greater. Otherwise, he might have tried to make the girl turn her attention to him instead.
"Do you want one?" It was just a simple inquiry. Who knew that the girl would look at him expectantly with a hopeful gaze? His throat bobbed up and down.
"Alright, let's get you one." He didn't need her verbal affirmation to know she wanted it.
Sevianna's likes had never changed. Even her dislikes remained the same. She was still the angel who loved cute things, and she was especially weak to the furry ones. She eagerly bounced down from the carriage first and waited patiently for Adounis.
Adounis was absolutely speechless. Had he known what she liked, he would have brought her here earlier! He hastily got out and naturally took her hand to lead the way.
Sevianna couldn't care less about his physical touch. Her head was already filled with thoughts of playing with her own flying teddy bear. She even wondered if she could ride on it — that idea made her even more excited.
They entered a shop named Bear for the Sky and found various designs of teddy bears on display. As soon as she stepped foot inside the shop, Sevianna's eyes twinkled.
Adounis helplessly reined in the ever-growing excitement of Sevianna and led her to the shopkeeper, who was watching them with mirth in her eyes. "Welcome to Bear for the Sky! How may I help you?"
Sevianna was looking around and not listening, so Adounis could only do the talking. "As you can see, she wants one."
The shopkeeper giggled. "We have different types of bears. What would this miss like to have?"
Her question finally caught Sevianna's attention. She swiftly turned to the shopkeeper, and with incredible enthusiasm, she began asking about all the different types. Her excitement seemed to infect the shopkeeper, who vigorously explained in great detail what each bear could do.
The more Sevianna listened, the more sparks her eyes released. Adounis hadn't stopped laughing ever since. Sevianna would have glared at him then, but she was too focused to spare the time.
Adounis didn't know whether to laugh or cry about this. But he was still pleased that their date was going so well.
In the end, Sevianna chose the teddy bear that could fly. She made sure it fit perfectly in her arms so that she could take it anywhere.
Sevianna: 'Lily, quick! Come and possess it!'
Lily: *touched* 'I thought you had forgotten about me~'
Lily subtly moved from Sevianna's soul and successfully possessed the teddy bear. She moved its hands and feet first to check, then floated away from Sevianna's hold. She did it!
Sevianna was also very happy. She had never let Lily possess stuffed toys in the previous world because she didn't want to risk her identity being discovered. But this was a fantasy world, and there were flying teddy bears! How could she not take this chance to play with Lily?!
'Lily could be the best wingman! Hehe~'
Sevianna hadn't completely abandoned all her beliefs. She still remembered how she had earned such a precious gift. She turned to Adounis, who had been watching her with a pleased expression, and smiled, her perfect teeth exposed. "Thank you~!"
That surprise attack made his heart leap. He immediately covered his foolish grin, his cheeks a deep shade of red.
The shopkeeper, who had been watching these lovebirds, sighed with great emotion. Although the teddy bears she made were usually bought by kids, she wondered if she should also promote them to young ladies. The shopkeeper could have never imagined that her nonchalant decision would lead her to become one of the richest citizens in the kingdom — a high achievement, to say the least. Of course, that was in the future.
Sevianna was already content, so she didn't make things difficult for Adounis and let him lead her to all kinds of places, with a teddy bear floating by her side, following them. The teddy bear was definitely not the odd sight; it was Adounis' and Sevianna's beauty that attracted most of the stares.
By late afternoon, Sevianna had experienced walking in the artificial galaxy for the first time, dined at a restaurant with glass rooms floating around the city, and suddenly received a kiss on the forehead from Adounis.
But this hadn't fully processed in her mind until that night. So, she kept a dazed look throughout their date.
When it was finally time for her to pick up her dress, the fleeting kiss on her forehead had already been relegated to the back of her mind.
They entered a star-like building named Starlight Fashion. The first floor was filled with common types of dresses, and Adounis led her directly to the topmost floor. When they got there, two ladies were waiting beside a dress placed on a stand.
Sevianna had to do a double take. The dress was a strapless, off-white puffed gown paired with silk gloves. Its engraved crystal stones almost made her cry instantly.
'Why does this dress have the same concept as my wedding dress?' The only difference was its puffed skirt and the missing veil...
She peered at Adounis' side profile and saw his delighted expression as he looked at the dress. Her eyes sank. "Did you design this?" She did her best to keep her tone calm.
Adounis scratched his cheek, a little embarrassed to admit. "Not really. I merely gave a detailed description, that's all."