Oscar didn't speak. He didn't move. He only stared blankly with wide eyes.

Serena's full confession had blown a fuse in his mind, and he was currently like a construct that was not powered on. His cheek that she pinched felt like a hot chisel had stamped itself on it. He received such acts from his mother but never from a girl his age.

As a young teenager, he was still inexperienced and unsure about love and attraction.

"Oscar?" Serena leaned closer to Oscar with a smile; the sweet scent of her wavy red hair overwhelmed Oscar's nose but also brought him back to reality. Seeing that Oscar was out of his stupor, Serena continued her pursuit. "You haven't given me an answer yet."

The most shocked was Serena herself, who couldn't believe how bold she was behaving. She didn't plan on confessing her feelings and only wanted to tease Oscar with her slightly wet shirt. But it quickly spiraled out of her control, and the next thing she knew, she was right in front of him, confessing and bringing herself closer.

"You know, I'm the daughter of a wealthy merchant family," Serena wrapped her arms around Oscar and dove straight into a tight hug; the feeling of his toned chest and muscular back made her lose some more reason. Her breathing quickly became erratic, her cheeks flushed, and her eyes were wet and entranced with infatuation. "I'm quite greedy."

Oscar was speechless and tried to regain composure before Serena's smell and soft, enticing body overwhelmed his rational thought. His mind went to the one place where there was no such notion, the Abyss Prison. The memories of his master, Draven, torturing him in the name of training cooled the heat of lust in him.

"Sorry." Oscar slowly got out of Serena's hold. His obsidian eyes looked straight into her to convey his words without any doubts. "I don't know you that much. Not to mention this is too much for me at the moment."

It was too much for him. His training was already consuming so much of his time that he was tired with little time to interact with others, save Frederick and Emily when they train together and Celestina, but that was cutting into his own sleeping time.

The other reason was that they had only just gotten acquainted with each other. Oscar's mother and father knew each other for many years before marriage. He felt a physical attraction to Serena, but he couldn't decide from a day's partnership.

But the most important reason was what Oscar said next. "Additionally, I think I'm in love with someone else."

Oscar wasn't sure about his feelings for Celestina, but he knew he felt something more toward her. So, he could only say he might be in love. On account of his confused emotions, Oscar could not accept Serena's feelings.

"Y-you are?" Serena looked sad and bit her lips. After a moment, with an unwilling gaze, she said, "But you said think….then, can we start as friends?"

"Friends?" Oscar's serious look softened. "That's fine with me. Now can you please go back to your seat? This is highly uncomfortable."

Serena scoffed and got up back to her seat. "I will give you a warning in advance."

"A warning?"

"As I said, I'm very greedy and won't stop until I get what I want." Serena smiled. "I won't give up my pursuit, and I'll make you fall in love with me."

Her declaration of a successful romance was similar to how she declared her victory before the trial began. Oscar began to understand that this was one confident and stubborn woman. He heaved a heavy sigh and felt a storm brewing inside him from the uncertain future she would bring to him.

The rest of the meal was spent in peace as Oscar and Serena talked with each other like friends. Serena was particularly enthusiastic and listened to Oscar's words with focus and a loving gaze. Oscar mainly ignored it but was glad that things had somewhat calmed down.

Over the meal, he learned many things about Serena, who said she was a year younger than Oscar.

The Fulgir family she hailed from was a wealthy merchant family that ran auctions and businesses in the southern region. They had accumulated immense wealth and trust by handling the affairs and goods of Exalts with neutrality and good deals. With the vast wealth, they could entice Exalts to work for them and even marry into the family.

Thanks to their efforts, the Fulgir family was on a smooth track to earning a nobility title and finally entering the upper echelons of the Empire. They already had sway and wealth, so they needed a title to cement their legitimacy and protection. The family's biggest and most welcome shock was Serena's Grade Seven Exolsia.

With a Grade Seven, vast wealth, and influence, the Fulgir family was sure to keep rising and gather more power. Her father's ambition was for the family to become a Duchy, and so all the hopes were placed on Serena to be the lynchpin. Serena was delighted at the chance and motivated to fulfill those expectations.

"So, Oscar, what do you want to do in the future?" Serena asked.

Oscar pondered for a bit before answering, "I want to travel. For so long, I've read about amazing places and people's journeys. When I became an Exalt, I finally had that chance to see those same views, and it was more than I could describe. I would like to travel around the world."

"Traveling sounds fun," Serena washed down the meal with a cup of juice, licking her lips seductively to entice Oscar. "Maybe I should think about it as well."

"You're welcome to travel on your own." Oscar knew Serena's intent and quickly suggested the alternative notion.

Knowing Oscar's meaning, Serena stood up with a scoff. "I'm finished eating. Let's go."

They were now well-rested and left the table of empty plates. Serena stared in wonder at Oscar after seeing how much he had eaten. 'Thankfully, I have a lot of money. I can feed him a lot in the future. Oh, maybe I can treat him to some gourmet dishes.'

While she was formulating a plan to get her grasp on Oscar through his stomach, her eyes brightened after seeing a sign that read, 'Showers'. After all the ordeals they went through together, they desperately needed a cleansing. On the side were numerous stacks of the Pavilion's uniforms.

Serena picked up a clean uniform with a wide smile. The clean fabric in her hands was absolutely heavenly. Then she thought of something and boldly asked, "Oscar, do you want to shower together?"

Oscar nearly lost his balance from her audacious suggestion. "NO! Sorry, but I'll be going on ahead." He grabbed a uniform, marched into one of the showers, and locked the door.

"Hmph," Serena gripped her clean uniform, but she smiled. "Ah well, if he weren't like this, I wouldn't have fallen in love. But it's a shame. I really want to see his muscles."

Oscar finished his shower, letting the cooling-off period calm him and dampen the heat he was feeling. After drying himself off, he put on the clean uniform and returned to the main cavern. "She's not here yet?"

"Surprise!"

Two soft hands covered Oscar's eyes. He groaned and quickly grabbed her hands away.

"My~ you're quite assertive." Serena loved the feeling of Oscar's rough hands.

With that, Oscar quickly let go and said, "Were you hiding or something?"

"Who knows? Maybe we got out right after each other." Serena chuckled. She put her hand to drape her hair behind, and her green eyes looked upward at Oscar, who was a bit taller. "What do you think?"

She was referring to herself. Her red hair was now clean of sweat and dirt, leaving a lustrous red shine that was unique to her wavy hair, and paired with a white wing ribbon that added to her charm. Her long, thick eyelashes added to her beautiful green eyes, and her face was mesmerizing.

Her uniform was standard, but the blue jacket fit her well and asserted her front, while the blue dress and knee-high socks showed a small section of her soft thighs. However, asking Oscar to judge based on her looks was not the way.

Oscar simply said, "Whatever. Let's continue."

Serena staggered back from Oscar's indifferent reaction, but a frown appeared on her face, and she quickly hugged his arm like a lover, bringing it close to her chest. This time, Oscar did show a reaction and quickly escaped from Serena's grasp.

"That's weird; you don't show any reaction to a girl's appearance. However, it's good to know you're not a rock." Serena teased.

Oscar felt his mind being drained while close to her. He turned and said, "Are we friends or not?"

Serena was confused. "Of course we are."

"Then please don't act like this. This isn't appropriate for friends."

"Fine." Serena saw how serious Oscar was and retreated. She didn't want to be hated. "But I'll find other ways."

After another long walk, Oscar and Serena entered a chamber, but unlike the rest of the caverns, this place was not of rock. It was like the grand halls of a palace with great marble pillars and engravings on the clean white walls.

"What is that?" Serena saw a large figure in the distance.

The large figure was large, about the size of a house, with eight large arms, six large legs, and two heads. Its body was black and spherical. The six legs protruded out and curved like ant legs, but the eight arms were pairs of left and right arms that faced four directions.

The head was also spherical, with one large crystal shaped like an eye. The crystal began to shine, and a burst of Ein exploded. Its legs began to move, and the arms cracked their knuckles.

The crystal focused, and Oscar foresaw something dangerous with his Prinsyct.

"Watch out!"