He stepped closer, his eyes not leaving hers. And under her scrutinizing, half-challenging gaze, he reached out and cupped her breast through her clothes.
"What are you doing?" she asked, her voice strained, trying not to react.
But she didn't move away. She didn't swat his hand or even flinch in rejection. Even now, with his palm gently fondling the soft mound beneath her shirt, she didn't try to stop him.
She was trying to act like it didn't matter… much contact meant nothing to her.
What was she trying to prove by staying still like that?
That this really was too trivial to faze her? That she was fine with it?
Christian couldn't quite understand her thoughts… but the way her cheeks kept deepening in color, and how her body flinched at his touch, felt undeniably cute to him.
So, as his eyes locked with her quivering blue ones, he finally said, "Laying my hand on you?"
Olivia didn't answer. She only bit her lip.
And Christian, who become more bold by her silence, let his other hand join in, cupping and fondling her breasts with both hands now, slowly kneading their softness through the fabric.
Then, with a slight smirk, he lowered his head and buried his face between them.
Didn't she call him a pervert?
Christian decided to fully embrace the role, just for now.
He exhaled slowly, taking in her scent… one that faintly reminded him of her mother, but still falling too short, to have the same impact on him.
He rubbed his head gently between her breasts, the warmth and softness surrounding his face as he played with her.
He stayed like that for a while, teasing her, but never crossing the line too much.
And when he felt the moment nearing, when her breath turned rougher, and her body tensed as if she were about to say something, he finally pulled his head back just slightly.
Close enough that their breaths touched.
He stared at her flushed face, at the glassy shimmer in her eyes that looked like tears might spill at any second, and said with a soft smile, "You were the one who started it… so don't feel too aggrieved, okay?"
Her eyes flared with resentment at his shameless words, and any other man might have softened, seeing her .
But not Christian. To him, that face… embarrassed, defiant, on the edge, was nothing but adorable. So instead of stopping, he fondled her breasts again, letting his fingers knead the soft flesh through her robe. Then, with a grin tugging at his lips, he suddenly asked, "Should I show you a magic trick?"
'What's he going to do now?' Olivia thought, raising an eyebrow.
Her heart was pounding, and her cheeks were burning hot. Everything happening was, of course, a first for her… this kind of touch, this kind of atmosphere, this kind of closeness.
And yes, she was embarrassed. No, she was dying from embarrassment.
But even then… she didn't want to stop him.
She didn't pull away, neither did she tell him to stop.
Instead, a strange curiosity bloomed in her chest.
How far was he going to go?
What was he planning next?
She just wanted to see.
Christian didn't let her wait long. He slowly withdrew one hand from her breast, and with a snap of his fingers, click, shadow surged from his hand like flowing smoke.
They wrapped around the room… or rather, made an enclosed a space just for the two of them.
And Olivia was naturally astonished.
In an instant, the entire world beyond them seemed to vanish. Darkness pressed in on all sides, and even with her current strength, she could barely see what was in front of her. But that didn't matter.
Not when something else had completely seized her attention.
Even Christian's other hand, which was still fondling her breast, couldn't pull her focus away at this moment.
All she could think about… all she could feel… was this.
This refined, delicate manipulation of shadow essence.
It wasn't crude. It wasn't flashy. It was calm, smooth, perfectly controlled.
Would she be able to do something using her own technique?
Her attributes were volatile, chaotic, meant for destruction and bursts of power.
But even if that wasn't the case…
She still doubted she could've pulled off something so refined.
A quiet gasp escaped her lips, not from the hand on her chest, but from awe.
No, she was fascinated.
She couldn't help but admire the way he had grown.
She still remembered the first time she heard his name from her mother.
And how, when she realized he was just an ordinary person, she had looked down on him.
Later, when he finally touched upon essence, when he finally stepped into what could be considered the other side of the world… she still looked down on him.
She had been full of her own talent.
But time and time again, Christian had proven her wrong.
Even when she wasn't there to witness it herself, from what she heard from him… or from her mother… they astonished her.
And now, seeing him again after a year, seeing this firsthand… she realized his progress had been even greater than she'd imagined.
And deep inside, she was… genuinely happy for him.
The pride she once had, the superiority she once clung to, it had long since crumbled.
Now, only admiration remained.
Of course, she wouldn't show any of that on her face. If she let him see how moved she was, he'd get too smug.
So, with a deliberately neutral tone, she simply said, "Well, that's a nice display."
Hearing her bland tone, Christian just chuckled and replied, "Well, it's just a small trick, so, we can talk more freely now. It wasn't meant to impress you."
"What do you mean?" Olivia narrowed her eyes and asked.
Her thoughts wandered to his hand, which had still been on her breast just moments ago, and she couldn't help but wonder again, just how far was he planning to take things this time?
But this time… she was mistaken.
The reason Christian had done all this, even the fondling, was for a simple, unexpected purpose.
To test her friend, Aria.
He had suspected she might be eavesdropping on them. And if she sensed him making such a bold move on Olivia, he thought she might react… maybe even intervene.
But until now, there had been no sign of movement on Aria's side.
Was she really not eavesdropping? Or was she just pretending not to notice?
He couldn't be sure. That's why he had used this barrier, to isolate the sound completely.
And so, Christian calmly explained everything to Olivia.
"Well, I understand that with our strength… and especially Aria, who's specialized in wind, she could easily catch what's going on in this room if she wanted. But… why would she do that?"
"That's naturally because I exposed her… as someone from another world," Christian said.
Blinking at his statement, Olivia froze for a moment. Then, her eyes widened in disbelief. "Impossible!"
It wasn't that she had any issue with people from other worlds. Her teachers, and all those who had trained her, were from other worlds too.
No, the reason she denied it so strongly was far more personal.
It was because she and Aria were too close.
They had known each other even before Olivia entered the Academy. She couldn't believe Aria would hide something like that from her.
"Do I need to lie to you?" Christian didn't argue, instead he simply asked.
And that simple question… was one Olivia had no answer for.