Chapter 622: Contact 2.5

When they were done, Seo placed the crystal at the center of the table.

The red glow had grown brighter, now almost eager — as if responding to their attention.

“I can see it’s already active,” Rose said, noticing the faint, swirling light inside the orb’s core. “She must’ve been waiting for us to answer… what gives, I wonder?”

“Hehe~ maybe she just wanted to talk. It’s been a while since we last saw her — maybe she misses us,” Alice replied, her tone light and teasing as she leaned closer to the crystal. “She is kind of adorable when she gets all possessive and dramatic, don’t you think?”

Meanwhile, Seo, who was still a bit unsure of who exactly they were talking about, tilted her head slightly.

“Liyana?” she asked, her usual monotone voice carrying a hint of curiosity.

“Ah— right,” Alice said, waving her hands as if trying to find the right words. “She’s Riley’s official first fiancée… kind of. Well, none of that really matters anymore since things got complicated, but uh—” Alice scratched her cheek awkwardly. “Just think of her as your older sister. In terms of Riley’s fiancées, I mean.”

“…Okay,” Seo replied plainly.

She didn’t completely understand what that meant, but she decided not to question it any further. It was already confusing enough trying to keep up with Riley’s increasingly tangled love life.

Alice, on the other hand, felt that her explanation made the most sense… probably.

Technically, Seo was older than Liyana — at least in age — but if they were ranking things based on who came first in Riley’s line of fiancées, then Liyana definitely held the number one spot.

Not that there was an official ranking system, of course.

Just thinking about that made Alice’s head hurt.

Shaking her head to clear away those unnecessary thoughts, she leaned forward and lightly tapped the orb with her finger, infusing it with a faint wave of mana.

“I’ll accept the call now!” she said, her voice bright and full of excitement.

The crystal immediately responded — glowing brighter as magic surged within it.

A low hum echoed across the room before the orb projected a shimmering crimson screen midair.

The faint ripples of light expanded outward until the clear image of a woman appeared before them.

“Hello, sisters~”

The voice that flowed out was soft yet confident, dripping with playful amusement.

Liyana’s face soon came into full view — silvery-white hair cascading past her shoulders, her crimson red eyes glowing faintly under the light.

Her elegant black dress, adorned with faint lace and gem patterns, made her look like she had just walked out of a painting.

“Oh? Hmm…” she leaned slightly closer to the projection, her eyes narrowing with curiosity before a small, teasing smile formed on her lips. “I see a new face this time.”

Seo blinked at the screen, not sure how to respond.

“Did darling charm another one again?” Liyana continued, her tone both amused and mischievous. “I did hear rumors, but honestly… I suppose it’s only natural. He really does have a way of making women’s hearts flutter~”

Then, as if suddenly realizing something, Liyana tilted her head and looked around the screen with mild curiosity.

“By the way, where’s Darling and Sister Snow?” she asked.

Alice smiled sheepishly, waving her hand in greeting. “Hello, Liyana~ hehe, we didn’t expect to receive such an expensive gift from you.”

“Fufu~” Liyana giggled behind her hand. “Well, I wanted to keep in touch with my dear sisters and, of course, my beloved Riley as best as possible. So I just asked Papa for a little bit of… expense~”

Alice blinked. “A little bit?” she repeated, glancing at the glowing crystal orb. “You call a royal-grade communication crystal a little bit?”

“Well,” Liyana said with a teasing smirk, “for Papa, that really is just a small expense.”

“I see, hehe~” Alice laughed, deciding not to question it further. “Ah, if you’re looking for Riley and Snow, unfortunately they’re away right now.”

“Away?”

Alice nodded and began explaining the situation.

She gave a brief summary of what happened back in the competition, Snow’s recovery—keeping it simple but clear.

Rose occasionally added small details, her voice calm and polite, while Seo listened quietly from the side.

When Alice finished, Liyana hummed softly, her expression growing thoughtful.

“I see… I hope Sister Snow gets better soon,” she said gently, her tone carrying genuine warmth despite her usual teasing manner.

“Yes, we all hope so too~” Alice replied, smiling brightly.

For a brief moment, the air between the girls softened—warm and sisterly, a quiet understanding passing between them.

Then, Liyana’s crimson eyes shifted slightly, her gaze falling on Seo, who had been silently sitting at the corner of the table.

Liyana leaned closer to the screen, her eyes sparkling with interest. “And who might this lovely girl be?”

Alice quickly caught on and gestured toward Seo. “Ah! Sister Liyana, this girl is Seo. I believe Riley already mentioned her to you once before?”

“Seo… Seo…” Liyana repeated the name slowly, as if recalling a memory. Then her lips curved into a knowing smile. “Ah, I see. You’re that Seo. The quiet one Riley spoke of. I suppose Darling captured your heart as well, hmm~?”

Her teasing tone made Alice snicker softly, while Rose only nodded.

“You’re so beautiful,” Liyana continued sincerely, her gaze softening. “It’s such a shame I can’t meet you in person just yet… but it’s a pleasure to finally see your face, Seo.”

Seo, calm as ever, nodded politely. “Yes. Likewise.”

Even though her tone was monotone, everyone in the room could tell she meant it sincerely.

After the introductions were out of the way, the girls easily slipped into casual conversation.

With Liyana’s playful energy and Alice’s bright enthusiasm steering things along, the air around them felt light and cheerful.

They chatted about little things—how the weather had been strange lately, how Yui’s cooking somehow kept improving every week, and how Alice still hadn’t beaten Rose at cards even once.

It was the kind of normal talk that made them forget about the heavier things happening outside.

Of course, the topic that came up the most was none other than Riley.

Liyana, with that teasing tone of hers, kept dropping questions and comments about him.

“Has Darling been eating properly?”

“Did he still leave his room messy?”

“Ah, I swear, if he keeps skipping meals, I’ll come over myself and drag him back home~”

Alice laughed every time, playfully defending him, while Rose just sighed softly in the background, clearly used to both of them.

Seo, meanwhile, quietly listened, only adding short comments here and there when prompted.

Their laughter filled the room as the minutes slipped away.

Despite the distance separating them, it almost felt like Liyana was sitting right there with them—just another morning between friends and sisters.

Eventually, after what felt like no time at all, Alice blinked and glanced at the clock.

“Eh… wait, it’s already been an hour?”

“Oh?” Liyana tilted her head with a smile. “Has it really?”

Before anyone could reply, the red orb on the table suddenly let out a faint bloop sound, and the glowing projection began to flicker slightly.

“Ah—” Rose muttered.

The image shimmered, dimming around the edges as if it were growing tired.

“Hmm… I guess it ran out of mana,” Liyana said with a light sigh, disappointment clear in her voice.

“Aw, already?” Alice pouted, leaning closer to the orb.

Rose explained calmly. “Portable communication orbs like this always have time limits. Even the highest-grade ones., We’ll have to recharge it before calling again.”

“It’s a bit disappointing, but it seems our call ends here for the day,” Liyana said with a soft sigh, her elegant tone carrying a teasing warmth. “I’ll call again after some time then~”

“Yes, please do~” Snow replied with a calm smile, waving faintly at the screen.

But Liyana, of course, couldn’t resist leaving one last surprise before ending the call. “Ah, before I go, let me… let you all in on a little secret. I actually wanted darling to hear this first, but oh well~”

“Secret?” everyone echoed almost in unison — curiosity immediately sparking across their faces.

Liyana’s smile deepened, her fingers brushing gently over her stomach as she leaned a little closer to the screen.

“Yes, you see… I’m pregnant~!”

…..??????

?????????

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The entire room fell silent.

Eyes widened.

Mouths dropped.

Even the sound of breathing seemed to stop for a moment.

Then chaos.

“Wha—What did you just say!?” Rose blurted out, half standing from her seat.

Alice’s eyes blinked rapidly, as if trying to confirm whether his brain had just glitched.

Even Seo, who was usually composed, froze entirely — her calm expression cracking for the first time.

Liyana looked more than satisfied at the collective reaction, a mischievous smirk forming on her lips. “Fufu~ I was just kidding—”

“Oh my gosh, you’re pregnant too, Sis~?!”

Liyana stopped mid-sentence.

The voice belonged to Alice — loud, bright, and brimming with genuine joy.

“Wait—what?” Liyana blinked, her smirk faltering.

Alice clasped both hands together with sparkling eyes, letting out a small laugh that was half embarrassment and half excitement.

“Ahaha~ I was actually going to keep it a secret a bit longer, but since you said it first, I guess it’s fine now!”

She then giggled again and, almost shyly, placed both hands on her lower abdomen.

A faint shimmer of red light pulsed from her fingertips, like ripples of living magic.

The air distorted slightly as the illusion spell around her faded — revealing the gentle, unmistakable curve beneath her dress.

Everyone stared in stunned silence.

“Hehe~ I’m actually pregnant as well,” Alice admitted, cheeks flushed pink. “I haven’t told Riley yet, but… surprise~? Hehe…”

The atmosphere turned completely still.

And on the screen, Liyana’s figure froze.

Her bright expression dimmed instantly — the cheerful aura replaced by a dark, twitching smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

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