"I don't believe in miracles... yet the history of science is not without the existence of miracles."
"But if a miracle called 'emotion' truly exists... please let it come true... even if it's one in ten million... one in a billion... I pray for it sincerely..."
"This is merely the insignificant wish of a tiny human..."
"But even at this time and in this place... I am praying for you..."
...
The young woman's eyelids fluttered slightly. The deep blue pupils beneath shimmered with light, like fireflies in the night, before gradually fading out after nearly a minute.
Her well-proportioned waist allowed her to sit up from the bed without needing to use her hands. On the bed in this unfamiliar room, she expressionlessly surveyed her surroundings.
Daybreak was approaching. She had awakened punctually at this time, like a clock timer. The quiet Fire Moth Headquarters heard no commotion.
The steady sound of breathing beside her, accurate to the second in every interval, caught her attention. Another person was sleeping in the bed, a black-haired man.
The young woman glanced at the sleeping man, looked down at the white gloves on her jade-carved hands and the magnificent outfit she was wearing, and closed her blue eyes.
The clothes on her body vanished like foam, revealing her flawless, immaculate body. Then, a female uniform of the Fire Moth covered her skin. Her deep sea-colored long hair was automatically tied into a high ponytail with a gray band, lending her a touch of heroism and vitality.
She slowly opened her eyes. The bright light deep within her pupils disappeared. Looking down at the man whose breathing rhythm hadn't changed, she reached out, her hand shaped like a claw, and calmly reached toward the man's throat...
Her fingers touched skin.
Pitch-black pupils reflecting a deep, glowing green met deep blue eyes.
The man stared silently at the young woman.
The young woman's fingers rested on the side of his face. The skin was smooth, like milk flowing over it.
She withdrew her fingers. The warm sensation disappeared from his cheek.
"...You changed clothes." Lin quickly noticed that the young woman's clothes had changed. He was quite satisfied that she had taken his words to heart.
The first hurdle many new recruits need to overcome is actually obedience to orders. Even the erratic Kevin had sternly lectured Kosma until he cried when he disobeyed orders. The rule about wearing uniforms holds no practical significance, but it is precisely the military's way of standardizing appearance, cultivating collective consciousness, and fostering obedience.
The young woman's light, clear voice rang out delicately: "It's time to get up, Lin."
"..."
Although the scene looked rather charming, Lin actually felt the situation was extremely bizarre.
Why they ended up sleeping in the same bed has to be traced back to when the two of them met yesterday and instantly hit it off.
"Marriage? You?"
"Me."
From the moment Lin first saw the young woman, he had already surveyed her entire body. His initial sensory impression was...
Is this person really a soldier...
Most female soldiers of the Fire Moth possessed physiques more beautiful than those of models, with every muscle toned and elastic, maximizing the beauty of the body and musculature like statues from the Middle Ages.
Lin thought Elysia was a good example; she was lean where she should be and ample where she should be, with skin taut with fabric appearing hydrated and elastic—a standard female warrior's physique.
But the young woman's figure made Lin first think of Mobius.
Mobius was completely different from Elysia. Elysia might be heavier in terms of weight, but Mobius's figure was the classic slightly plump body of a researcher.
She took great care of her diet and tried to avoid drawing attention, yet Lin only needed one glance to see the slight flab on her lower abdomen and thighs. It wasn't much, but it was definitely there.
This wasn't to say the young woman was also slightly plump, but her figure was similarly not that of a warrior. He couldn't detect any signs of exercise. The six-pack abs Elysia developed through training were completely absent from this girl's flat stomach.
"...Let's forget it." Lin was not interested in plots driven by a sudden rush of blood to the head.
But just as he was about to leave, the young woman suddenly reached out both hands and grabbed his sleeve.
"..."
"..."
As the air nearly solidified, Lin eyes grew cold.
"What exactly do you want?"
"I will do anything. Marry me." The young woman once again displayed that stiff smile.
"You don't need to lower yourself to accommodate me." Lin easily pulled his arm free. He spoke coldly, "Marriage is built on a foundation of equality. If you truly want to marry someone later, you must respect yourself and also respect others."
Since he had said this much, Lin bypassed her and walked away. Marriage, indeed, could not be rushed...
"Tap, tap, tap..."
He stopped his leg, and the sound stopped.
He took a step, and the sound started again.
"Tap, tap, tap..."
Afterward, Lin spent the entire afternoon in the gym, and the young woman watched him exercise for the whole afternoon from the side. They didn't exchange a single word the entire time.
When Lin finished his workout and prepared to head back, the young woman also got up and followed him.
"...Marriage?"
"Yes."
Lin didn't know what to say. This was the first time he had encountered someone more persistent than Elysia. Even Elysia would at least show some shyness, but the young woman seemed to have no sense of shame whatsoever, following him around even after Lin had clearly refused.
Therefore, Lin decided to use a different approach.
"Marriage requires the resonance of mutual interests, personality traits, and individual emotions. While I was exercising, you were just Spacielng out, which shows that our interests are not compatible."
"You can... teach me."
"..."
"I want to marry you only because I want to find the answer to a question. You are the same, right? I can feel it; we are the same kind."
This somewhat surprised Lin.
The young woman seemed to have seen through his thoughts, directly revealing the truth behind his marriage seeking.
"We can try it," the young woman nodded.
"...Try what?"
"Just try simulating a marriage scenario."
Lin contemplated for a few seconds, then suddenly asked: "What... do married people do?"
"..."
The two of them, very abruptly, fell silent at the same time.
Oh right, what exactly do married people do?
Upon reflection, what is called marriage is a relationship with legal benefits. Lin definition of marriage was exactly that: reproduction after marriage. But besides that... what else is there?
"I think we can start with sleeping in the same bed," the young woman suggested.
"Sleeping in the same bed? Sharing one bed?"
"Yes, sleeping in the same bed should be the most direct manifestation of marriage."
"...Then let's try it."
And so, inexplicably, the two of them began their marriage simulation.