“Ah, seriously, I’ve never seen you upset about anything before. Can’t you be a little kind and tell me something that’ll make me happy? ~ We’re friends, after all. What’s the big deal?”

Christine twirled her long, pink-and-white manicured nails as she spoke.

“Miss Christine, do you know the effects of the Love-at-First-Sight Elixir?” Aesphyra asked out of the blue.

“Of course I know. I’m the one who asked you to brew it, how could I not know? The effect is to make one person fall in love with another. But the effect is quite unstable. Besides… love itself is such a mysterious emotion. Would anyone really believe that a single potion can make someone fall in love with them? That’s ridiculous.” Christine laughed. “If it really worked, that kind of love would still be fake. You might as well just call it a love charm.”

“Miss Christine understands this very well, yet still insists I personally brew this useless magic potion.” Aesphyra kept her gaze on the alchemical crucible before her, not even looking up.

“What can I do? The Festival of Amoriel is coming up soon. All those kids on campus, oh, I mean couples, they believe in this stuff. They’ll definitely buy large quantities of this potion and drink it together.” Christine flashed a merchant’s sly smile. “It’s become a tradition among students at Carillian Academy. I have to profit from it, oh, I mean, I have to follow the trend and reluctantly offer my masterpiece to help them strengthen their relationships.”

“Ah, do you know how hard it is for me? I’m earning this money with tears in my eyes.”

“Besides, who says this potion is useless? Miss Aesphyra, have you ever tried drinking this potion yourself?”

“This meaningless, ritual-less thing? I don’t think I’ll ever try it.” Aesphyra gave a wry, teasing smile. “Even if it were real, anyone who can only make someone love them through a potion is pathetic. They’re unloved for a reason.”

“But since you’ve never tried it, how can you say it’s useless? I’m telling you, it does work, just under specific conditions, in specific situations, between specific people.”

“Go ask outside. Ask those senior students who ended up together. Ask them whether my specially developed Love-at-First-Sight Elixir is effective. Out of a hundred, at least ninety-nine will be satisfied.” Christine lowered her brim hat slightly and boasted.

“Wow, really that powerful? Then if you ask those who didn’t end up together, wouldn’t ninety-nine out of a hundred be dissatisfied?” Aesphyra asked with amusement.

“What a sharp question. This is my personally developed alchemical potion, my exclusive secret formula. I’ve taught you the brewing method without reservation, yet you still dare to criticize it? Do you know how many of my colleagues would kill for this recipe? Do you know how profitable it is?”

“Miss Christine, you can just keep this formula to yourself. No need to write it down, it’s a waste of paper.” Aesphyra raised a delicate eyebrow.

“Seriously, you can’t comment on something you’ve never used.”

“Miss Christine, your so-called ‘love at first sight’ probably only creates a psychological effect between people who already love each other. As for those who don’t love each other, even if they drink it, they still won’t love each other.” Aesphyra revised at Christine.

“Besides, if someone doesn’t love another person, how could they possibly drink a Love-at-First-Sight Elixir given by that person? It’d probably end up in the trash around the corner.”

“Ah, Miss Aesphyra, you have quite the business mind. You’ve hit a logical paradox, how could someone accept a love potion from someone they don’t like? It simply won’t be drunk. But when it’s offered by someone you already like, it’s completely different, because you already love each other.” Under the shadow of her brim hat, Christine wore a sly, black-cat-like smile.

“In that case, no one can blame my potion for being ineffective. If it’s offered and the receiver refuses to drink it, how could that possibly be my fault?”

“Oh my~ What’s wrong? Suddenly bringing this up, is this a topic change?” Christine continued teasing, casting a mocking glance at Aesphyra. “Or could it be, Miss Aesphyra, that you’ve recently been heartbroken? Feeling sentimental at the sight of things?”

“Kyaa~ Who would’ve thought? The perfect, all-capable Miss Aesphyra actually has someone she can’t have? I never expected that. What kind of incredibly handsome, outstanding man could possibly make you unrequited?”

“If that’s the case, seeing as we’ve been partners for so long, I’m not opposed to helping you out.” Christine continued teasing Aesphyra like an oblivious fox about to fall into a trap.

After all, even in Christine’s eyes, Aesphyra was simply too perfect, so much so that she doubted whether Aesphyra was even human, whether she had human emotions at all. Naturally, she seized any opportunity to probe deeper.

“Miss Christine, what I meant was, I’ve discovered a new direction in developing your Love-at-First-Sight formula.” Aesphyra simply smiled in response.

“Oh? A new direction? Impressive. As expected of you, Miss Aesphyra. I knew I hadn’t misjudged you. But what does this have to do with our current conversation?” Christine gasped.

“Of course it’s related. This new direction produced a byproduct, enough for a small bottle of super-strong adhesive.” Aesphyra gave Christine a meaningful look, her gaze lingering on her lips.

“I’ll give this bottle of adhesive to you for free. I’ve already thought of the perfect use, right in your playful little mouth~?”

“Eh? Okay, okay, I won’t bring it up anymore, okay? I won’t, I won’t.” Christine quickly waved her hands, then argued under her breath. “Such a grudge-bearer. Can’t even take a joke.”

Aesphyra paid no mind to Christine’s grumbling. After finishing the batch of potions, she handed them over, collected the medicinal ingredients she needed, and left.

“Ah, seriously, Miss Aesphyra, just take a bottle home like a keepsake. Really” Watching the rows of vibrantly colored orange-red potions neatly arranged on her counter, Christine said while making final adjustments.

“Bang, Tap, Tap.” Her words were met with the crisp sound of a door slamming shut, followed by footsteps fading into the distance.

“Seriously, slamming the door? She never used to do that. I just made a harmless little joke, why such a bad attitude? Could that girl really be heartbroken?” Christine argued softly.

She didn’t dare provoke Aesphyra further. If Aesphyra quit and stopped working for her, she’d lose this rare and invaluable assistant, and unpaid labor.

After all, Aesphyra was the daughter of a wealthy family. She didn’t need the money at all. The only reason she took odd jobs at Christine’s shop was because this wasn’t her home, and she needed access to rare, high-level alchemical ingredients that were hard to obtain elsewhere.

Honestly, sometimes Christine felt less like Aesphyra was her worker, and more like a temperamental young mistress she couldn’t afford to offend, a precious treasure she had to pamper endlessly.

“Eh, well, never mind. This batch turned out great. Should fetch a good price.” Christine sighed slightly, shook her head, and continued organizing her potion bottles.

“Ah, this little missy didn’t even help me clean up. I’m not young anymore, I still have to strain my old back doing this.”

……….

The tense exams were finally over. Some were excited, some worried, but most were anxious. Still, regardless of how well or poorly they did, the exams were finished.

In the following weeks, Carillian Academy was decorated with lanterns and streamers. Walking down the street, Winnie had no idea what was going on. He never paid attention to all these random festivals. Growing up, he’d always believed festivals were for the rich, something a poor person like him shouldn’t get involved in.

Although to be fair, he wasn’t exactly poor anymore. Just selling the reward Isatia had given him would instantly make him wealthy.

But still, as everyone knows, Winnie had always been poor, so poor that the fear of poverty stuck with him. Naturally, he still saw himself as one of the poor.

“What’s going on? Everywhere’s turned into a celebration. Is it school anniversary day or something?” Winnie asked Fred, who was walking beside him while they casually strolled the weekend streets.

“Huh? Brother Winnie, you really don’t know?” Fred immediately gave Winnie a strange, meaningful look.

“Know what?” Winnie felt the odd stares from the group of card-playing buddies beside him and felt confused. “If I knew, why would I be asking you? I’d just keep it to myself.”

“Brother Winnie, the Festival of Amoriel is coming, don’t you know?” Fred examines Winnie up and down.

“What’s the Festival of Amoriel?” Quietly following at Winnie’s left, Shikondell wore a look of eager curiosity. As a non-human, she was unfamiliar with human culture and thus didn’t understand what the Festival of Amoriel represented or meant.

“Oh right, now that you mentioned it, I do remember a little. Sounds about right.” Winnie slapped his forehead.

He did have a vague memory of it, after all. He’d grown up immersed in human culture.

The Festival of Amoriel was essentially similar to Earth’s Valentine’s Day, just with a different name.

Amoriel was the deity of love on the continent of Terraria, hence the festival’s name.

Originally a day to honor this deity, it gradually evolved into Terraria’s unique Valentine’s Day.

“Yeah, you finally remember.” The group of card players around him all nodded with deep, meaningful expressions.

“What’s with you all?” Winnie asked, puzzled. “In the end, this festival is for couples. What does it have to do with us single dogs? Why does everyone need to remember it so carefully?”

“Oh-ho! So you’re being straightforward about it, huh?! Daring to mock us single dogs? Brother Winnie, you’ve stirred up everyone’s anger, you know?!” Fred instantly gave Winnie a look of utter disappointment.

“Brother Winnie! I never saw this coming! I believed we card players, with our pure and innocent hearts, would stay far away from this blasphemous festival. Yet here you are, the very first among us to betray that vow and celebrate it!”

“Bring forth the card player’s punishment!” Fred called out, as if summoning executioners to seize Winnie.

“Hey, hey! Don’t mess around! When did I mock you? I said ‘we’ single dogs, not just you guys!” Winnie quickly defended himself.

“Big brother Winnie, stop pretending! Keep acting and it’s not funny anymore!” one of the card players shouted. “You’re already feasting on delicacies while mocking us who can’t even taste the soup!”

“What delicacies? What are you all even talking about?!” Winnie couldn’t help but exclaim. “It’s the weekend, don’t go crazy on me.”

“Eh, eh? So, what exactly?” Shikondell also looked completely confused.

“Dell, don’t you know? This scoundrel Winnie ran off behind our backs!” Fred pointedly accused.

“So, what are you talking about?”

“Don’t play dumb, Winnie. John and Aiden already reported to us, on exam day, you were seen going on a date with a girl! And it was none other than Isatia! They even saw you two almost kissing!” Fred spoke through gritted teeth.

“This festival none of us can enjoy, yet this sly blue-haired brat is already living it up!”

“Kkk-kiss?!” Shikondell’s eyes widened.

‘Virtue + 120.’

Current Virtue: 1704.

“Kiss?! Who the hell made up that ghost story?!” Winnie rolled his eyes. “People making false accusations should be held responsible, you know?!”

“Heaven bears witness, my first kiss is still intact!”

“Oh, so you did go out for lunch with Miss Isatia, didn’t you?” Fred retorted with sharp precision. “Brother Winnie, you really don’t consider us brothers. Keeping something like this a secret!”

“When did I keep it a secret?” Seeing that everyone already knew, Winnie decided to drop the act. “Haven’t I been telling you the truth all along? You just never believed me.”

“This…!” Fred and the other card players were left speechless.

Huh. Come to think of it, Winnie hadn’t actually hidden anything. He’d been telling the truth the whole time, they just assumed he was boasting and didn’t believe him.

“Death penalty forgiven, but punishment remains! Brothers, grab your weapons! The traitor must be taught a lesson!”

“Eh, eh? Hey, stop it! Isatia and I are just friends, don’t spread rumors, alright?!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep