https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-697-Lanchi-and-Talia-s-Heart-Racing-Moment/12585111/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-699-The-Longest-Lunch-of-Lochie-s-Life/12585113/
Chapter 698: Lanchi Concedes That Thalia Is Adorable
Chapter 698: Lanchi Concedes That Thalia Is Adorable
Thalia's body stiffened, her gaze fixed on Lanchi.
The soft lighting of the restaurant now seemed unbearingly bright, as the sparkling crystal chandelier cast a dazzling glow, akin to relentless spotlight, trapping them in its glare with nowhere to hide.
Just as Thalia felt utterly helpless, each breath becoming heavy and difficult, she suddenly saw Lanchi regain his composure.
She, too, seemed to have found her savior, tightly grasping Lanchi's hand.
"No problem, please change it to a quadruple-cut waterfall cheese handmade beef burger."
Lanchi calmly addressed the waiter first, then turned his attention to the communication magic card without haste.
"It's like this, you know how Tata loves the Animal Forest series of merchandise, so today I ordered the set meal recommended by the staff for her. Although it might still not be enough, she can get a toy and a raffle ticket. As for the couple's accessories, it just so happens that today is a holiday in the Kingdom of Bosen."
He spoke fluidly and confidently to Shubellyan.
"Yes."
Thalia added from the side.
Although she felt that Lanchi's words were a bit demeaning, she couldn't help but be grateful for his quick thinking and excellent crisis management skills.
There was no doubt that Lanchi was a public relations expert!
As long as she was the only one eating the couple's set meal, Shuberryan wouldn't misunderstand that she and Lanchi were a couple.
"I see."
Hearing this, Shubellyan became relieved.
Come to think of it, Lanchi and Tata probably wouldn't want any accessories either. They usually seemed to dislike each other and would be even less likely to wear matching couple jewelry from Icarus in public.
"But are the two of you on a date today?"
Shubellyan asked again, confused.
When she was little, Mikaya had brought her to the Flower Capital, Pari, in the Kingdom of Bosen many times, so she was relatively familiar with the place. Today was the Fireworks Festival in the Kingdom of Bosen, and most of the time, couples would walk together.
It was surprising and unexpected for Lanchi and Tata to go out and find a restaurant to eat together, just like a couple on a date.
"We're usually in Icarus, so we don't pay much attention to the festivals of other countries. For us, it's no different from any other day."
Thalia replied helplessly and naturally.
First and foremost, it was important to dispel any ambiguity about today's events.
She had also learned a bit from Lanchi's way of thinking.
"Also, I was a bit sleepy and confused this morning. I had already gone out to work before realizing it was a day off."
Lanchi's voice carried a hint of fatigue as he added, "I'm a bit tired."
"Take care, Lanchi. You need to get some good rest."
Shubellyan immediately expressed her concern, as if she couldn't believe that Lanchi would make such a mistake. He must be really exhausted.
"..."
Thalia felt that this man was too much, twisting little Shuberry around his finger.
Now, Shuberryan was the one offering comfort.
Wait, he didn't even seem to be lying. Everything he said was true.
How did he manage that!
Thalia's gaze toward Lanchi gradually became complex, as if she were looking at a scoundrel. But upon further reflection, the person holding his hand was none other than herself. He was cooperating with her to get through this difficult situation, so she had no right to complain about him.
At this moment, she felt a sense of reassurance being with Lanchi, as he could always find a way to resolve issues. In times of crisis, the two of them always managed to complement each other.
Just as they were chatting casually and the atmosphere had improved,
"Mommy, they're holding hands. How are they going to eat?"
A little girl looked at them and asked her mother curiously.
She seemed to have been curious for a while, as she had been glancing at Lanchi and Thalia from time to time.
The little girl's gaze was pure and unguarded. Tilting her head and blinking her big eyes, her innocent face was filled with confusion as she sensed the unusual atmosphere between the couple.
As soon as she finished asking, she was stopped by her parent, who gave an apologetic look toward the couple.
After apologizing, the mother quickly bent down and whispered something to her daughter, her tone a mixture of reprimand and comfort. The little girl pouted and nodded, seemingly understanding yet not quite.
This left Lanchi and Thalia breathless.
And this not-too-distant exchange seemed to have been overheard by Shubellyan through the communication card.
"Haha, everyone over there must be couples. How come there are such foolish couples who still hold hands while eating?"
Shubellyan laughed.
She had seen the same thing during the Fireworks Festival in the Kingdom of Bosen before.
"..."
The two fell silent again, feeling the sweat on their palms increasing.
Lanchi and Thalia were sure that this communication couldn't continue any longer—this restaurant was full of dangers!
"Why aren't you talking anymore...?"
Anxiety filled Shubellyan's mind.
The ones holding hands probably weren't Lanchi and Tata, after all.
"I was just watching that idiot!"
Thalia replied in a low voice, her eyes fixed on Lanchi.
"Me too..."
Lanchi maintained his half-smile, admonishing himself not to argue with Thalia at this moment.
"You two better not let anyone see you like this."
Shubellyan instantly felt that she was overthinking things and quietly heaved a sigh of relief.
After all, she couldn't imagine Lanchi and Tata, who usually seemed at odds with each other, holding hands.
Every time she opened the door, she would see Lanchi and Tata like fire and ice, keeping their distance, so she didn't have to worry about walking in on anything inappropriate between them.
"By the way, is Mr. Meow there?"
Shubellyan felt that she was being overly suspicious today.
But if she didn't ask, she still wouldn't feel at ease.
Lanchi and Tata probably wouldn't go on a date alone... right?
"Yes, he's here."
Hearing Shubellyan's question, which was laced with a hint of suspicion, Lanchi felt like he had grabbed a lifeline.
With Mr. Meow around, it couldn't be considered a date between him and Thalia.
He looked towards his shadow and gently stomped his foot, signaling for it to jump out.
Mr. Meow often suddenly ran off, but he would eventually sneak back into Lanchi's shadow, and most of the time, Lanchi didn't even notice when he had returned.
However, this time was different.
There was no movement from the shadow.
Lanchi and Thalia both looked down at it.
"......?"
They slowly raised their heads to look at each other, beads of sweat forming on their foreheads, their clasped hands tightening.
Where had Mr. Meow gone? It seemed like he really wasn't there! This was only making the misunderstanding worse!
"Hello? Hello?"
Shubellyan wondered if the connection was stable, and her voice carried a deeper tone of suspicion.
It had been quite a while, and she still hadn't heard Mr. Meow's voice.
If the two of them had deliberately sent Mr. Meow away today, then what were they planning to do? The more Shubellyan thought about it, the more anxious she became, and she started to let her imagination run wild.
Lanchi and Thalia could feel Shubellyan's anxiety through her increasingly rapid and uncontrollable breathing. They felt that they were in serious danger of being misunderstood!
However, there was no sign of the little black cat anywhere nearby.
Shubellyan's train of thought was unpredictable, and they could sense her wild speculations even through the communication card.
There was no way they could explain themselves if things kept going in this direction!
"......!"
In a moment of inspiration, Lanchi passed the magic card to Thalia's lips.
Thalia looked at him, a bit incredulous.
She instantly understood what he meant! Only she could imitate Mr. Meow's childish voice!
Lanchi's pleading eyes seemed to be telling her that it was up to her now.
Setting aside whether Thalia could do it or not, the top diva of the Demon World, Great Lover Poet, would definitely be able to pull it off, so Thalia should be able to as well; it was just a matter of whether she was willing to or not.
After some internal struggle, Thalia felt more and more anxious.
"Meow-llo Shubellyan! It's me, Mr. Meow!"
Thalia pinched her voice and blushed as she imitated Mr. Meow's voice.
She felt like dying after saying those words.
"Pfft!"
Hearing Thalia meowing, Lanchi couldn't hold back his laughter.
Thalia glared at him angrily and grabbed his hand hard, feeling both ashamed and angry that he could laugh at a time like this.
At this moment, Lanchi pressed his lips together, his jaw clenched, as if he was trying his best to endure something while also thinking hard.
"Mr. Meow, I miss you so much."
Shubellyan felt as if she had been given a fast-acting heart medicine. Knowing that Mr. Meow was with them, her worried heart finally calmed down.
"I miss you too, meow!"
Thalia's voice became even more strained.
"......!"
Lanchi desperately tried to hold back his laughter, lowering his head and resting his forehead on the table, his shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter.
Initially, he really hadn't thought it would be this funny.
...
On a small boat by the river, some distance away from the restaurant.
Aetio rowed the boat leisurely, while Rosalinda had Mr. Meow on her head, occasionally signaling Aetio to row back and forth.
"What are they talking about? Tata's face is so red."
Through the telescope, Rosalinda could see Thalia holding the communication card, her cheeks flushed, while Lanchi was laughing hard beside her, as if his joy could be transmitted through his hand to her, and she was holding his hand tightly.
Unfortunately, they were too far away.
Using detection magic at this distance would definitely be noticed by the two in the restaurant.
"Can't hear clearly, but the atmosphere seems good!"
Aetio looked towards the restaurant and replied with a smile.
"Meow... Could it be Shubellyan calling?"
Mr. Meow saw the strange reactions of Lanchi and Thalia and had a vague idea of who was on the other end of the call.
"You really can laugh, Lanchi. If anything goes wrong, you'll be in big, big trouble."
"I was saying they should go on a date today."
Aetio couldn't help but record this beautiful moment with a video crystal.
Along the way, she took quite a few pictures of the two holding hands.
When they go to the Kingdom of Hertford, they can share the photos with Lanchi and the others.
...
In a riverside booth at the Cologne Day Bridge Inn, the floor-to-ceiling windows offered an unobstructed view of the serene Selene River. The reflection of the lush greenery and vibrant wildflowers on the river's surface added a touch of dynamism to the tranquil scenery, with an occasional small boat drifting by, leaving ripples in its wake.
Thalia was still holding the purple-glowing communication magic card, conversing with the other end in Icarus.
"Mr. Meow, it's Anthanas! Will you be bringing gifts for the employees?"
On the other end, Shubellyan seemed to have heard Mr. Meow's voice, and Anthanas eagerly asked, stepping closer to Shubellyan.
"They're all ready, meow. Don't worry, Anthanas!"
Thalia continued, forcefully suppressing her embarrassment and mimicking Mr. Meow's energetic tone.
She never imagined having to converse with her dearest friend in such a manner.
If she were to be found out, she would be mortified beyond words.
Usually, when Shubellyan went out, she was either accompanied by Sinora or Anthanas, always with a powerful demon bodyguard by her side.
"Why does your voice sound like that today, Mr. Meow?"
Anthanas seemed to have taken the magic card close to her ear, her expression filled with doubt.
"What's wrong, meow?"
Thalia's heart was pounding, and she forced herself to squeeze out a reply.
"You sound extra cute."
Anthanas couldn't quite pinpoint what was different, but she felt there was a subtle change from his usual tone.
"I've always been cute, meow."
Thalia replied in a childish voice.
By now, Lanchi could barely contain himself.
He lay on the table, pounding the sofa with laughter.
His trembling laughter made Thalia feel even more mortified, and she wanted nothing more than to make him disappear.
"By the way, Mr. Meow, Lanchi, Tata, as a barrier expert, I've also joined Shubellyan and Sinora's Duke's Expedition Team. After Sinora broke through the outermost barrier, we discovered a huge underground space beneath the Duke's mansion. We don't know what's inside yet, but we'll share it with you as soon as we figure it out!"
Anthanas excitedly shared the news with the other end of the call.
These three had been exploring the Duke's mansion in Aransal every day. If it weren't for the fact that high-level magic couldn't be used casually in the city, especially in such a prominent location as the Duke's mansion, they would have made even faster progress. Nonetheless, they were thoroughly enjoying themselves, feeling like they had discovered a hidden underground city within the heart of the city-state.
"Okay, we'll do some more research on card making here and then head back. We'll probably buy tickets for the next couple of days."
Thalia reverted to her usual tone, responding calmly.
The epic-level statue of the God of Will and Love in the Temple of Love in Pari could bestow temporal mental enhancements through prayer, slightly increasing the success rate of creating mental magic cards.
Setting aside favorable timing and circumstances, if they could make the cards in Pari, they would try to take advantage of the location and record Kaliella's Shadow Weaving there before returning.
However, it seemed like a far-fetched hope.
"Then, you two take care and have fun!"
Shubellyan offered her well-wishes.
Unless there was a sudden outbreak of war in the Krexe Empire, Lanchi and Thalia should be back by early September.
International communication was expensive, and after chatting for a while, they had already spent a considerable sum. For the frugal Shubellyan, this was quite an extravagant expense.
"Okay, don't worry."
Both Thalia and Lanchi replied.
After a brief farewell, the international communication came to an end.
Thalia and Lanchi heaved a sigh of relief, leaning back into the sofa, feeling as if they had survived a major disaster.
However, Lanchi couldn't seem to get Thalia's voice out of his head, and he burst into laughter again.
"What are you laughing about..."
Thalia's voice turned icy.
"I miss you too, meow!"
Lanchi imitated Thalia's tone, fearlessly teasing her.
"You're so cute, Tata!"
He seemed to be enjoying himself, adding another comment.
Just looking at Thalia's expression, he felt his appetite soaring.
"I've always been cute, meow."
Thalia's face was flushed, and Lanchi kept repeating those words in her ear.
She clenched her trembling fists, bowing her head as she struggled to control her breathing.
Endure.
She had to endure today!
If she lost control, she dared not imagine what she would do to Lanchi.
(End of Chapter)
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