Zani pondered for a moment, surprised that Lucian was so fond of stockings.
He had even managed to get Phoebe's white stockings from her.
Speaking of which, she was wearing black stockings herself… Surely he wouldn't ask her for them too, would he?
Zani was already thinking about how to refuse him without hurting his feelings if he did ask.
But with Lucian's thick skin, even if she rejected him, he probably wouldn't get upset, right?
Rover set Lucian back on the ground. "You make it sound so noble, but you just like both, don't you?"
"Looks like next time I'll have to wear one color on each leg."
"That way, you won't keep thinking about other women."
Lucian's expression lit up. "There's such a good deal?"
Zani chuckled. "I think even if you wore them like that, he'd still think about other women."
Phoebe, half-understanding, said, "Let me think… This must be what I read in a romance novel once…"
"'The unattainable is always tantalizing, while the favored are fearless…'"
"But the novel also said this is a mistake every man makes."
"Miss Rover, I think Mr. Lucian is just making the same mistake all men do. You shouldn't be too hard on him."
Zani & Rover: "???"
Zani looked bewildered. "Miss Priestess, that romance novel you read—was it written by Lucian, the God of Universal Love himself?"
"What kind of romance novel would write something like that? From what I know, romance novels are usually about pure love."
Zani didn't have many ways to unwind after work, but reading novels was one of them.
Though she didn't often read this genre, she knew a bit about it.
Phoebe's face flushed as she said softly, "I… I just happened to come across it. I didn't seek it out on purpose. Please don't misunderstand…"
Zani: "…"
Wasn't that just admitting guilt?
Who would've thought that the usually prim and pure priestess would secretly read such novels?
Lucian's eyes lit up. "Miss Phoebe, please, you must introduce me to the author of that novel!"
"Though we've never met, I'm sure we'd be kindred spirits!"
Rover decided she needed to set Phoebe back on the right path and make her understand what true pure love was.
Rover put her hands on her hips and said, "Miss Phoebe, please imagine this."
"Suppose you had a boyfriend like Lucian."
"Would you want him to be devoted to you alone, or would you want him flirting with other women while dating you?"
Phoebe froze, then looked at Lucian in confusion, imagining herself dating Mr. Lucian…?
Lucian stepped forward, gently taking her soft hand.
Under Phoebe's puzzled gaze, Lucian delicately removed the black glove from her hand.
A gentle sensation spread from her palm through her entire body, stirring something within Phoebe.
Her fair hand was now exposed to Lucian's gaze—her palm soft like rose petals, her hand's back smooth as silk.
Phoebe stood frozen, a wave of indescribable emotions surging within her.
Under her gaze, Lucian held her delicate fingers, leaned down, and lightly kissed the back of her hand, then said softly,
"Miss Phoebe, don't be swayed by others. Follow your heart."
Looking up into Lucian's affectionate eyes, Phoebe's flawless face turned bright red.
She shyly lowered her head, unable to meet his gaze.
"I… I…"
She was mortified! Phoebe's head spun, completely forgetting Rover's hypothetical question.
No man had ever done something like this to her before.
While kissing the back of a hand wasn't exactly improper, it was still her first intimate contact with a man.
Even the chilly sensation on her bare thighs seemed less significant now.
"Hey, hey, hey—"
Rover's brows shot up, her anger flaring. "I said it was hypothetical. Who gave you permission to touch her?"
She pulled their clasped hands apart. "Lucian, oh Lucian, you're getting bolder by the minute, aren't you?"
Lucian gave an awkward laugh. "Rover, you're misunderstanding again."
"I just wanted to make the hypothetical more realistic."
"Only under these conditions will Phoebe be more deeply impressed and make a more accurate decision, right?"
Rover, well-versed in Lucian's sophistry, wasn't fooled.
"Then tell me, why is a hypothetical called a hypothetical?"
"If it becomes real, is it still a hypothetical?"
Rover turned to Phoebe, who was still flushed and silent. "Have you thought it through now?"
Rover figured that, although Lucian had just kissed Phoebe's hand, as a priestess of the Order of the Deep, Phoebe would surely see it as a frivolous act.
That way, Phoebe would realize a man like Lucian was not suitable for her.
This would prevent Phoebe from falling for such a flirtatious man and save her from a flawed view of love.
She stared intently at Phoebe.
But to her surprise, though Phoebe kept her head lowered and her face was as red as a sunset cloud, she seemed to have calmed down a bit while Rover and Lucian were talking.
Phoebe occasionally stole glances at Lucian, quickly lowering her head like a startled kitten when Rover noticed.
"…Miss Phoebe?"
Rover said coldly, "I hope you remember you're a priestess of the Order of the Deep."
"As a priestess, you should have your own principles."
Rover's words were a bit harsh, but it wasn't her intention. She genuinely wanted to guide Phoebe back to the right path.
Phoebe's voice was barely audible. "Ugh…"
Only then did Phoebe recall what Rover had asked her earlier.
Though she had given Lucian her white stockings before, at the time, she couldn't bring herself to refuse his request for some reason.
And while giving away stockings sounded a bit embarrassing, it was just an item, after all.
But this was real, physical contact—how could Phoebe not panic?
In some prominent families in Rinascita, such gestures were a form of respect, but Phoebe had never experienced such treatment.
She had read in a romance novel before:
When a girl doesn't feel repulsed by a boy's forward actions, it means she likely likes him or at least has some affection for him.
If her heart stirs, it must mean she's had thoughts of wanting to be in a relationship with him.
Could it be… she really liked Mr. Lucian, even wanted to date him?
Phoebe said softly, "Um… I… I think…"
Seeing Phoebe's voice was so faint, Rover straightened up. "Priestess Phoebe, please boldly and loudly state your true feelings. Don't be swayed by someone!"
Rover threw Lucian's words back at him.
Phoebe's face was burning red. Facing Rover's pressure, she took a deep breath, mustered her courage, and said,
"I think… if it's Mr. Lucian, it's not impossible!"
Rover & Zani: "?"