Ryan blurted out a shocking statement:"Doesn't that mean I have to strip you of all your clothes and put new ones on you?"

  Evelyn's ice-blue eyes widened slightly. She clearly had not expected Ryan to say something so audacious.

  Seeing Evelyn's almost stunned expression, Ryan felt a surge of courage and added,"Evelyn, if you don't like Stockings, you can return them to me. I can give them to someone else who needs them."

  Though he said this, he knew in his heart that with Evelyn's temper, she had probably already thrown the stockings away.

  He quietly lowered his head, keeping his gaze fixed on Evelyn's hands. If she made any move to gather magic or draw her sword, he would flee immediately.

  "I lost them." Evelyn's voice came, with a slight, almost imperceptible tremor,completely different from her usual icy, steady tone.

  Ryan felt a twinge of doubt. Why did her tone sound so strange? It seemed as if she were suppressing some emotion, but he couldn't pinpoint exactly what was off.

  "Lost, then lost." Ryan took a deep breath and decided to open his heart completely."If you hold a grudge over this, feel offended by me, and wish to kill me, by all means, do as you please!"

  He spoke with apparent decisiveness, but in his heart, he silently commanded Grimoire to bring the Soulweaver's Pendant from the storage space to his chest, ready to use it to escape at any moment.

  A crisp clang of a sword suddenly rang out, and Ryan cursed inwardly: Damn! I was just talking casually, and you actually drew your sword!

  Evelyn had drawn her ultimate ice sword, aiming straight for Ryan's heart.

  Ryan forced down the urge to flee. He knew that running now would only confirm his guilt and make Evelyn's murderous intent even stronger.

  The Soulweaver's Pendant at his chest was enough to withstand the strike, and he was curious to see whether Evelyn would actually go through with it.

  If she did strike, he could survive, but it would reveal his true strength, making it difficult to approach her in the future.

  The tip of the ultimate ice sword hovered only a few centimeters from Ryan's heart. Evelyn frowned, her eyes full of confusion:"Why aren't you dodging?"

  "Because I'm not afraid." Ryan met her gaze without flinching, his tone carrying a hint of deliberately feigned resolve.

  "Why not afraid?" Evelyn asked, advancing the sword tip slightly forward. The icy blade brushed against Ryan's robe, forming a thin layer of frost on the fabric.

  "Not afraid is just not afraid!" Ryan continued to grit his teeth and hold his ground. At this rate, he feared he would slip up, and he needed to come up with a plan quickly.

  Ryan spoke with utmost seriousness, as if reciting a magical oath:"I, Ryan, have lived an honest and upright life. Even a glance at a mother beast's rear would make me blush. How could I possibly put Silk Stockings on you just to touch your legs? I absolutely have no such filthy thoughts!"

  He spoke with genuine sincerity, his eyes radiating honesty.

  Evelyn could not help but let out a light laugh. Who would blush just from seeing a mother beast's rear? His excuse was ridiculously clumsy.

  A beauty's laugh was like ice and snow melting, and Ryan froze, stunned. In eight lives, this was the first time he had ever seen Evelyn smile.

  The smile was elegant yet lively, like rare winter sunlight, slowing his breath for a moment.

  But the amazement lasted only an instant. Evelyn quickly realized she had broken her composure. The smile vanished from her face, and her eyes returned to their icy coldness, as if the previous expression had been nothing but Ryan's illusion.

  Only the fingers gripping her ultimate ice sword betrayed the unrest in her heart.

  "If you really intend to kill me, then stab now!" Ryan snapped back to his senses and continued to hold his ground, leaning slightly forward toward the sword tip.

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  Inside, he screamed in panic: She has to retract the sword! Hurry! One more step forward and the protection of the Soulweaver's Pendant will be exposed!

  Seeing him deliberately move closer to the sword tip, Evelyn's heart skipped a beat. Her chest nearly touched the blade, and instinctively, she pulled the ultimate ice sword back.

  She did not even realize that seeing Ryan approach the tip had made her heartbeat falter. She was never a hesitant person, but facing this always-babbling Ryan, she found herself unable to strike for the first time.

  Ryan seized the opportunity as soon as he sensed her retracting the sword. He lunged forward, pressing his chest just against the withdrawn sword tip.

  Only when he felt the icy touch of the blade did he finally exhale in relief. Luckily, his gamble had paid off.

  With his understanding of Evelyn, after all this time together in this life, even without deep feelings, she must have developed at least some fondness. As long as he hadn't truly overstepped, Evelyn would not really kill him.

  If she had actually struck, he could only have activated the Soulweaver's Pendant, exposing his true strength and fleeing. Later, he would rely on Grimoire to increase his power and find a chance to deal with her.

  After all, with Grimoire's support, he was confident he could surpass Evelyn in magical power.

  "You idiot!" Evelyn looked at his deliberate move, half angry, half exasperated, and could not help but scold him. She casually sheathed the ultimate ice sword.

  She put her veil back on, avoided looking at Ryan, pushed open the private room door, and walked out briskly, leaving only a cold silhouette behind.

  Ryan slumped into the chair, letting out a heavy breath. Cold sweat had already soaked through his magical robe.

  Being around Evelyn was more thrilling than venturing into a magical labyrinth. One moment, swords were drawn and tensions high; the next, a foolish remark could lighten the mood. His heart felt like it might not hold up.

  He muttered to himself: I still prefer Evelyn when she's weak. Back then, she was defiant but lacked the strength to resist. Not like now, swinging between cold and hot, impossible to read her thoughts.

  "Mentor! Are you okay?" Derrick peeked in from outside the door, holding his still-swollen cheek. His eyes sparkled with curiosity, eager to see what had happened.

  Ryan glanced up at Derrick:"Do you want both your cheeks to swell evenly so you can look like a pig's head?"

  He really did not expect this apprentice to have such a strange mindset,still wanting to watch the fun even after being hit.

  "Mentor! Are you going to use healing magic on me?" Derrick's eyes lit up. He immediately forgot the pain in his face and moved closer to Ryan, full of anticipation.

  "Come here." Ryan nodded.

  But the next moment, before Derrick could react, Ryan's palm suddenly changed direction and struck the other, uninjured cheek.

  Moments later, Derrick, holding his face swollen on both sides like a pig's head, obediently followed Ryan along the bustling streets of the royal city.

  Shops on both sides of the street glimmered with colorful lights. Candy vendors heated syrup over flames, filling the air with a sweet aroma.

  "Mentor, it's fine if you won't heal me, but why did you hit me again?" Derrick held his cheeks with both hands. Speaking hurt him, and he involuntarily gasped.

  "I'm teaching you another lesson: don't speak recklessly, or one day you won't even know how you'll die." Ryan tapped the top of his head. The force was light, but Derrick immediately froze.

  He wanted to cover his head, but his cheeks hurt; he wanted to cover his cheeks, but his head tingled. For a moment, he didn't know which to protect.

  "Did you hear me!" Ryan's tone grew sharper.

  "I heard…" Derrick mumbled pitifully, his voice unclear.

  "Next time you speak without thinking, I'll tie you up and give your butt a few fireball hits. You'll lie in bed for ten days, maybe half a month, to reflect properly." Ryan added.

  He knew all too well the harshness of this magical world. Derrick had just stepped into the realm of magic and was far too naive. If he kept acting on impulse, he would eventually be caught in power struggles and lose his life.

  Back in the day, Ryan had been a little like Derrick,innocent,and anyone acting like that could lose their life.

  "I won't dare! Absolutely won't dare!" Derrick quickly raised his hands in surrender, afraid that Mentor would really follow through.

  Watching his panicked expression, Ryan's lips curved into a faint smile:"But… I actually quite like it when you call her Mentor's Lady."

  Derrick was about to show a look of delight but was interrupted by Ryan:"But you absolutely cannot call her that in front of her. Evelyn is proud and cares about appearances. If you really anger her, I can't protect you."

  He knew Evelyn too well,cold on the surface, but deeply concerned with how others perceived her. Especially regarding a title like Mentor's Lady, she would never admit it lightly.

  "Yes! I understand my mistake!" Derrick nodded repeatedly, committing Ryan's words to memory.

  "Then Mentor, will she really become Mentor's Lady?" Derrick couldn't help but ask softly.

  "What do you think?" Ryan didn't answer directly. He turned toward a street food stall.

  The vendor flipped magical beast meat on an iron griddle. The sizzling sound, combined with the aroma, whetted the appetite. Ryan bought a few skewers of grilled meat and grabbed two boxes of fruit candies, eating while strolling.

  After a while, Ryan overheard an interesting piece of news from passersby: the ruler of this royal city was actually a woman.

  Known as Queen Eryndor.

  Ryan looked at the clean, orderly streets, noting even beggars were rare, and felt a measure of admiration.

  A woman holding the position of Queen in a male-dominated magical world, managing such a vast city with precision, was impressive enough to make many male rulers feel inferior.

  She was an exceptional talent. If the opportunity arose, it would be worth seeing the methods of this Queen firsthand.