Chapter 95 - 22: See You Tonight

Chapter 95: Chapter 22: See You Tonight

Lilia was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled.

Victor looked at her. "What is it?"

"Nothing."

The girl wiped away tears of laughter. "I just think... you really do know yourself best."

Meeting Victor’s somewhat confused gaze, she explained, "The future you told me. He said you’d be more likely to believe me if I just said I know Time Magic, rather than the reason I made up."

Lilia moved with light feet, nimbly stepping over a pile of books like a little cat to stand before him.

"By the way..."

She leaned in a little closer, looking up at the silent young man. "Can’t you tell me some more secrets that only you would know? Otherwise, I have to spend a ton of time convincing you every time, and it holds up our reading."

Victor looked down at her, not answering her question. "It’s so much trouble... Why do you still help me?"

"Is this a secret for a secret?"

Lilia smiled. "No special reason. I just wanted to help, so I did."

It might have sounded like a half-hearted excuse, but it was the absolute truth.

After a long pause, Victor said, "1360."

Lilia tilted her head.

Victor’s Adam’s apple bobbed. "1360. The year I first came to the Light Kingdom."

He looked into the girl’s dark, bright eyes. "As long as you tell me that... I’ll believe you, no matter what."

Lilia smiled. "Okay. I’ll remember that."

...

With the two "keys" Victor had personally given her, things became much more convenient.

Lilia no longer had to explain much to Victor. The moment she mentioned Time Magic and the year 1360, he would fall silent for two seconds at most before believing her.

Just like that, by constantly reloading, Lilia and Victor finally finished reading all the books about Demons on the second floor, compiling a three-page index.

Lilia sat in the chair that Victor had brought for her—after who knows how many reloads—trying her best to memorize the long list of book titles and Chapters.

The repeated reloads, each one requiring them to read through the entire night, had pushed her to her mental limit, even if her reset body could handle the physical strain.

If she hadn’t rested her head on the table for a few breaks, she would have probably collapsed already, determined to sleep until the end of time amidst the fragrance of paper and ink.

Victor sat across from her. "The initial screening is complete. You won’t need to return to this point in time anymore."

Lilia’s sleep-deprived brain felt like mush, completely incapable of thinking. "Why?"

"Next, I need to study the information on that Demon Lord in detail and decipher the contents of this manuscript, word by word."

Victor placed the Lord’s manuscript between them. "This is a continuous task. If I don’t have my memory of it, it will be difficult to make progress."

"Oh..."

Lilia nodded.

"Go home and get some proper rest today. You don’t have to come to class. I’ll explain things to the Interior Minister."

"Okay..."

Seeing her still staring at the index, Victor reached out with a hint of exasperation and pulled it away.

Lilia looked up in confusion.

"Did you not hear what I just said?"

Victor said, "You don’t need to go back to last night anymore, so of course you don’t need to memorize this index."

Lilia: "..."

’Oh, right!’

She’d been overworking her brain so much lately that she hadn’t grasped such a simple concept.

She wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but when a look of sudden realization appeared on her face, the handsome yet perpetually cold and indifferent young man across from her seemed to smile. But the smile was fleeting, like a cloud or a breeze you couldn’t quite catch.

The mentally exhausted Lilia had basically lost all ability to think, let alone analyze what Victor might be thinking at that moment.

Since she didn’t need to memorize the bibliography anymore, Lilia immediately wiped all the titles and Chapters from her mind and stood up unsteadily from her chair. "I’ll be going, then."

Victor stood up, wanting to steady her, but ultimately stopped himself. "Be careful on your way."

Lilia nodded. After just a few steps, she turned back and looked at him curiously. "What about you?"

The girl blinked her hazy eyes, clouded with exhaustion. "Aren’t you going back to rest?"

"..."

For some reason, Victor felt his long-silent heart skip a beat.

He looked at her delicate face, which seemed all the more fair and fine in the morning light, and an unconscious smile touched his lips. "I’ll read a little longer, but I’ll go back soon."

"Oh, okay."

Lilia turned and walked out.

Just as the girl’s figure was about to disappear into the shadow of the doorway, Victor suddenly called out to her. "Lilia."

"Hm?" The girl turned back again.

"Tonight... I’ll be here again. Same time."

Seeing the girl’s somewhat confused expression, Victor felt a rare flicker of panic.

He averted his gaze and explained dryly, "What I mean is, if you’re also interested in the Demon Lord’s manuscript..."

Only then did Lilia understand what he was trying to say.

She smiled and said, "Mm, I’ll be there."

"Well then..."

The girl waved her hand. "See you tonight."

She left.

’See you tonight.’

Victor mulled over the farewell, which felt like a promise.

’It... should be the first time I’ve ever heard those words, yet for some reason, they feel incredibly familiar.’

’As if, in moments I can’t remember, she has already said them to me countless times.’

’But, unlike those forgotten pasts...’

’This time, I will remember.’

"Yeah."

Victor lowered his gaze, a faint smile gracing his lips. "See you tonight."

...

Lilia walked out of the attic. The cool morning wind on her face cleared her muddled thoughts a little.

Her brain struggled back to life. She pushed aside the memories from all the reloads and quickly reviewed what had happened "yesterday."

Last night, she had come to the vicinity of the attic at nightfall because she had received an invitation from Chris.

Now, an entire night had passed. Chris, just as she’d expected, never showed up. Meanwhile, Rebecca should have, per her instructions, spread the news to Chris’s chambers that Lilia had been waiting here since early in the evening.

’That awful little brother of mine, always playing the victim despite being more cunning than anyone... he should have heard the news long ago.’

Lilia rubbed her face.

Even without a mirror, she knew. After pulling dozens of all-nighters, she must look utterly haggard.

’Just the perfect state to be seen in.’

She stepped out of the garden, about to head toward her own chambers, when a familiar figure appeared at the far end of the path, walking toward her.

It was a servant from Chris’s chambers. Lilia had seen him once outside the training grounds, so she recognized him immediately.

His purpose was clear; he was heading straight for the small garden. When he saw the haggard-looking Lilia, his expression showed no surprise, but rather... a sort of indescribable shock.

"Princess Lilia, you’re..."

He was being cautious. He’d originally wanted to ask, "Have you been waiting here all night?" but the words felt too obvious as he was about to say them. So he changed his question. "What are you doing here?"