“The Red Frost Duke is at least a Practitioner Rank 5. We’re no match for him at the moment. It’s wiser to focus on magic first and strike when the time is right. There’s no need to rush.”

As Elvynna spoke, her delicate fingers instinctively tightened around your hand.

Is this really about magic?
Is she sure she’s not after something else?
This feels like one of those infamous succubus "training techniques"!

Of course, even if they wanted to take things further, their relationship hadn’t reached that point yet. It was time to nurture their bond a little longer.

After all, they both knew the mastermind behind everything was none other than the Red Frost Duke. Their focus should be on strengthening their skills, then infiltrating his estate when the time was right.
Eirik did some quick mental calculations: they had about eighteen years before the Demon Tree wreaked havoc. That meant they could dedicate a good ten years to studying magic before the real action began.
And, of course, in that time, they could also nurture their bond.

[Eirik has invited you to a performance at the Silver Theater. Do you accept?]

Meanwhile, Elvynna received yet another invitation from Eirik.
She furrowed her brow slightly before rejecting him immediately.

“Hmph! Nonsense!”

You may not notice, but I’m not blind—there’s a looming disaster with the Demon Tree, so how could I waste time on a play?

Elvynna shook her head in mild frustration.
Eirik didn’t give up that easily. Over the next few days, he sent her one invitation after another: theater outings, balls, picnics, even scenic strolls.
Each one was swiftly rejected.

Magic was her priority! Who had time for distractions?
Men were nothing but a hindrance to her progress!

But soon, something strange began to happen.
No matter how hard she focused, her progress in magic began to slow down.
She quickly checked her status panel, and what she saw made her eyes widen in shock.

[Warning! Due to repeated rejection of your companion’s invitations, your relationship has deteriorated. Magic learning speed and aura effects have been reduced by 50%.]

“What?! How could this happen?!”

Frustration welled up inside her, but Elvynna quickly understood why.
After all, they were close companions, and continually rejecting his invitations made her seem inconsiderate and rude.
With their bond weakened, it was no surprise their magic efficiency had also taken a hit.

“So his talent boost is tied to the strength of our bond... Looks like I’ll have to spend more time with him…”
Elvynna frowned, helplessness creeping into her thoughts.
Is there really no way around this?
All she wanted was to focus on her studies!

[Elvynna has invited you to visit the Botanical Gardens. Do you accept?]

On the other side, Eirik was close to giving up entirely.
Damn, this woman is a total magic-obsessed maniac!
Here I am, a handsome guy, always by her side, and all she thinks about is magic—magic—magic?!
Just when he was about to quit, Elvynna suddenly started sending him invitations!
Ha, not happening! I refuse!

Eirik quickly pressed "No." Who said he had no temper?

“He rejected me?!”
Elvynna blinked, stunned for a moment, then hurriedly sent more invitations, clicking the button over and over.
Eirik, on the other hand, was left dumbfounded by the flood of notifications.
Is this NPC bugging out? Why is she suddenly sending me invites non-stop like she’s possessed?

Hmm... Fine. No need to argue with an NPC. Seeing how desperately she’s inviting me, I’ll just accept.

【You stroll through the Botanical Gardens together until nightfall. The moon is shining brightly, and your bond grows deeper...】
【Your relationship has significantly improved.】
【You adopted a young fox together and named it Little White.】

The days passed in a steady rhythm. When they weren’t studying magic, they were enjoying each other’s company. Their bond steadily grew, and so did their magic-learning efficiency.
Before they knew it, seven or eight years had passed.

“Hahaha! I knew it! The deeper our bond, the stronger the aura bonus! This time, I’m definitely going to reach the Savant rank and crush that Demon Tree!”

In the real world, Elvynna clenched her fists in excitement.
But soon, something entirely unexpected happened.

【It was a night of beauty and romance. After a few rounds of drinks, Eirik held your hand and confessed his feelings.】

Confessed his feelings?
Elvynna blinked, stunned. Did he have some secret he’d been hiding from her?
But the next moment, realization struck her, and her face turned bright red.

“No, no, no, no way! Is this really happening?!”
Elvynna’s face was on fire, and her heart raced.
She had been focused on magic all this time, but now somehow, she was being pulled into a romance?

“Reject him! Reject him!”
Frantically, she clicked the "Reject" button.
Magic, magic, magic—that’s all that mattered! She had to become stronger, become the Elf Queen!
Romance? Men? No thank you!

【Sorry, your bond is too strong to reject this option.】

The system’s response left her dumbfounded.
“What... what?! How can this be?!”

Even worse, Elvynna soon realized that, for most of those years, she had been the one initiating the invitations.
Their bond had grown stronger because of her!
Doesn’t that mean she had been the one chasing after him all along?

“Ahhh! Next time... I’ll be more careful. I’ll control the level of our bond. Who wants to fall in love in a game? Ridiculous!”

Elvynna smacked her flushed cheeks, forming a plan in her mind.
She took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down.
But little did she know, the situation was about to take an even more embarrassing turn.

【It was a night of passion and wild romance. You lay together, naked, wrapped in each other’s arms.】

【Congratulations, you’ve unlocked a new skin: Husband and Wife Bliss.】

On the screen, the two characters were shown embracing beneath a peach tree, their bodies exposed...

“Is... is this what I think it is?!”

Elvynna was both shocked and mortified, pounding her bed in frustration.
“This game remembers everything, doesn’t it? So now I’ll have the memory of... of doing that with someone?!”

Her mind was spinning, overwhelmed by the sudden shift in their relationship.
It seemed that in these seven or eight years, her bond with Eirik had skyrocketed in ways she hadn’t expected...