Has the knight lady who married into the countryside fallen into depravity today?

The heavy oak door was gently closed with a dull thud, shutting out that small world full of hope and determination.

Klein turned around, and a familiar figure appeared in the shadow of the colonnade.

Ophelia had already stood there at some point, quietly leaning against the handrail of the stairs leading to the second floor, her gaze fixed on him.

The magic lamp at the end of the corridor cast a hazy glow, like a thin veil, gently covering her long golden hair and giving the ends a warm, honey-colored halo.

She seemed to have been waiting there for quite some time.

She didn't ask him what he had done; her gaze went past his shoulder and landed on the heavy wooden door behind him that had just been closed.

"Is she alright?" Ophelia's voice was very soft, as if she were afraid of disturbing the soul that had just been carefully placed behind the door.

"It's stable for now." Klein exhaled a breath of stale air, his body weight leaning against the wall behind him. This fatigue did not stem from the depletion of magic power, but from a deeper level of weariness resulting from repeatedly pondering human nature.

"I gave her some things to do," he added.

Ophelia's golden eyes, still bright in the dim light, turned to him, filled with frank questioning.

Klein then briefly explained his plan, from grinding the evening primrose to separating the tranquilizing herb.

"...More valuable than a thousand empty words of comfort is giving her something to do for Karen; that will help her regain her footing." Klein's voice sounded somewhat low in the quiet corridor. "What she needs is not pity—though ultimately, I'm only doing this out of compassion."

After listening, Ophelia fell silent.

She didn't say things like "You did the right thing" or "You're so kind."

She simply stepped out of the shadows, stood before Klein, looked at him with a familiar, knightly scrutinizing gaze, and then said something completely unrelated.

"When I was on the West Coast, I would occasionally observe the soldiers in the legion."

"In the legion, when faced with swarms of sea monsters, new recruits going to the battlefield for the first time are so scared that they wet their pants."

Her voice was calm and clear: "At this point, an experienced veteran wouldn't pat him on the shoulder and say 'Don't be afraid.' They would kick him and yell at him to grip his sword tighter and check the gaps in his armor."

Klein paused for a moment, then understood what she meant and couldn't help but chuckle.

"So, I've mastered the secret to stabilizing morale in the Knights without any formal instruction?"

Ophelia's lips curled up slightly, so quickly it was almost an illusion.

"You can always find strange, but just so-so, solutions."

Ophelia suddenly reached out her hand.

Klein instinctively shrank back, but his feet remained firmly planted on the spot.

She was too close.

That unique fragrance of hers, mixed with the scent of wind and sunshine, entered his nostrils without warning.

Cool fingertips gently brushed across his collar, picking up a few bits of herbal scraps that had stuck in the storeroom.

It was just a trivial movement, but that barely perceptible touch made Klein feel his heart skip a beat, and a surge of heat rushed from his neck to the top of his head.

"This is just to give her something to rely on." He composed himself, forcing his thoughts back on track, his voice unconsciously softening considerably. "The real trouble is waiting for me upstairs."

Healing Karen's soul cannot be accomplished simply by grinding herbs into powder.

That requires defying the whispers from the deep sea, and a meticulously crafted alchemical miracle concerning the soul, allowing no room for error.

"I'll stay with you," Ophelia said succinctly, withdrawing her hand.

She said those three words as naturally as "I'm going to get the sword."

Klein looked at her, at those golden eyes that reflected his image.

There was not a trace of hesitation or retreat in it; it was as calm as a piece of amber warmed by the sun.

With her around, those shadows lurking deep within knowledge, threatening to devour reason at any moment, don't seem so terrifying anymore.

He exhaled a long breath, releasing the gloom that had settled in his heart because of Leila.

"We've figured out a solution for Karen's situation... and we've also found a way to study the Deep Sea God. However, that method..."

Klein's voice was very low, as if he were talking to himself, or as if he were seeking final confirmation.

Ophelia didn't respond, but listened quietly; her patience was always his best calming agent.

Klein paused, then finally uttered that taboo name: "I may, very soon, need to use the 'Siren'."

The air seemed to freeze for a moment.

"Siren".

That name was given by Klein.

Although Ophelia did not know why he called her that, she did not object.

That name represents an unkillable monster, a terrifying entity formed from the will of the deep sea, possessing tangible offensive capabilities.

Ophelia's expression remained unchanged, but something settled deep within her golden eyes, like the last glimmer of light before molten gold solidifies.

"Mmm," she replied.

One word, that's all.

But Klein knew that this one word contained the entire promise.

On the carriage back to the manor, the two made an agreement: this item belonged to both of them, and if either of them wanted to use it, they would need the other's permission, and both of them would have to be present at the same time.

This is the last line of defense to prevent anyone from being misled by it.

Ophelia's "hmm" was both permission and a vow.

Klein looked at her calm profile and couldn't help but explain, "The whispers of that thing can directly erode the soul. I need an absolutely clear-headed 'anchor' by my side to ensure I won't be dragged into the abyss during the surgery. I'm not confident enough on my own."

Ophelia turned her head away, her golden eyes showing no surprise, but rather a calm acceptance of the situation.

"I know," she said. "So, let's do it together."

Her words were always so direct, like a knight's charge, crisp and clean, cutting straight through all unnecessary worries and concerns.

Klein paused for a moment, then smiled, the last weight lifted from his heart.

He realized that his earlier concerns were indeed unnecessary.

Honesty is always the best choice when it comes to this lady knight.

"it is good."

Klein nodded emphatically, as if he wanted to slam the word into the ground.

A rare moment of silence fell between the two of them.

This silence did not last long.

Klein let out a long sigh, feeling his bones groan with unbearable strain. He turned around, intending to go upstairs to rest.

However, as soon as he stepped onto the first step leading to the second floor, a figure emerged from the shadows beside him and blocked his way.

Ophelia.

She stood ramrod straight, completely blocking his path upstairs. The scene resembled less a couple's private conversation and more a border guard checking suspicious individuals.

"Are you going back to your room?" Her voice was devoid of emotion.

Klein thought she was worried that he would bury himself in his research and work without sleep, and smiled helplessly.

"Yeah, I'm too tired, I need to recharge." He pointed upstairs, "Don't worry, I know the principle of moderation, I won't touch that troublesome thing right away."

To everyone's surprise, Ophelia shook her head firmly, her tone carrying the unquestionable quality characteristic of a knight giving an order.

"You can't go back to that room."

Klein was taken aback.

Why?

"Your room has always been used as an alchemy workshop." Ophelia's gaze was so sharp it seemed to pierce through the walls, seeing everything in the upstairs room. "This afternoon, Karen lost control in there, and his blood splattered on the carpet. Although you cleaned it up, the influence of that evil power won't easily dissipate."

She paused, seemingly organizing her thoughts in words that were too complicated for her, something rarely seen in her.

"And those herbs you processed, the materials in the storage room... you're still covered in their scent. All these things mixed together create a faint but persistent pollution field. Not to mention, you're going to be facing the 'Sirens' in that place next."

She spoke at length, clearly and logically, as if analyzing a battlefield riddled with hidden traps.

"In conclusion," she concluded, her eyes unusually serious, "that room is absolutely unsuitable for anyone seeking mental relaxation until it undergoes a thorough alchemical purification. The air inside is dangerous."

Klein didn't react for a moment.

He looked down and smelled his cuff; there was indeed a faint, complex scent of herbs mixed with a hint of metal.

But... it seems the Knight Lady has other ideas?

He looked up and carefully examined Ophelia before him.

This knight, who is usually concise and to the point, delivered a speech that resembled a pre-battle mobilization for the sake of hygiene and safety in his bedroom.

This is just... so adorable it's impossible not to love it.

He couldn't help it; the corners of his mouth couldn't be suppressed and turned up, eventually turning into a soft laugh.

Ophelia frowned slightly as she watched him laugh, a hint of confusion and displeasure flashing in her golden eyes: "This is serious."

"Alright, alright, my lady knight." Klein quickly raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, his tone full of helpless indulgence, "You're right, I accept your arrangements completely."

He walked past her, making a move toward the guest room on the other side.

"Well then, for my own safety and well-being, I'll have to make do with the guest room tonight..."

"stop."

Ophelia's voice came from behind, carrying a hint of barely perceptible urgency.

Klein obediently stopped.

"The guest room hasn't been occupied for a long time, and the bedding is damp." Her reason was always so convincing and irrefutable. "The weather has turned cooler recently, and sleeping on damp bedding can easily make you sick."

Klein was completely out of options.

He slowly turned around, spread his hands, and looked at her with a teasing smile, deliberately throwing the difficult question back at her.

"Then tell me, where should I sleep?"

The magical light at the end of the corridor flowed silently, casting long shadows of the two people.

The only sound in the air was their soft breathing, and ambiguity quietly grew in the silence.

Ophelia's gaze unconsciously and quickly drifted towards her room on the second floor.

That gaze lingered for a fleeting moment, less than a second, so fast it was almost impossible to catch, but Klein saw it.

Klein felt both amused and touched, but his face remained impassive. He even deliberately put on a troubled expression, as if he were seriously thinking, perfectly cooperating with her performance.

"This is truly a problem of the century." He stroked his chin seriously. "He can't possibly sleep in the hallway. If Raymond sees his master curled up on the floor tomorrow morning, he'll be terrified and think the manor has been ransacked."

Ophelia's lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but ultimately no sound came out.

In her usually calm and undisturbed golden eyes, there was a rare hint of panic, like a beautiful yet helpless deer whose escape routes had been blocked by a hunter.

Seeing her like this, Klein knew he couldn't tease her anymore.

This knight's skin is much thinner than the armor she wears.

He suppressed his teasing thoughts, took a step forward, and the distance between them instantly closed to the point where they could hear each other's breaths.

"In that case," he lowered his voice, which sounded particularly clear in the quiet corridor, carrying a gentle and magnetic quality that made one's heart race, "there is only one place left."

Ophelia's breath hitched, and her heart skipped a beat.

Before she could react, Klein turned around nonchalantly and walked straight toward the bathroom.

"But before that, I need to wash up first."

With his back to her, his voice held a hint of indulgent laughter that he himself was unaware of.

"You smell like herbs all over your body, which will disturb Miss Knight's rest."

As soon as he finished speaking, he turned into the restroom and the door closed gently.

Ophelia stood frozen in place, like a beautiful statue immobilized by magic.

The bathroom door blocked his view, but it couldn't block the lingering heat of his last words in the air.

Klein's voice echoed repeatedly in her mind, each word like a feather gently scratching her eardrums, bringing waves of tingling itch.

She could clearly hear her own heartbeat, one after another, pounding against her chest like a drum, making her limbs feel weak.

The blush that started at her ears spread uncontrollably, covering her neck and giving her fair skin an alluring pale pink hue.

She instinctively raised her hand, her icy fingertips touching her burning cheeks, the astonishing temperature difference jolting her back to reality.

What...what did she just do?

He must have seen through all those clumsy, flawed excuses.

Ophelia leaned slowly against the cold wall, trying to calm her boiling blood with its chill.

She finally couldn't help but bury her face in her hands, golden hair slipping through her fingers.

Unseen by anyone in the corridor lights, the usually calm and composed knight was now blushing with shame over an invitation he hadn't yet uttered and an unspoken understanding.