Color Theory

As dinner drew to a close, the atmosphere in the private room became increasingly relaxed.

The cups and plates on the table gradually emptied, leaving only some leftover food and wine. Outside the window, the magic lamps of Oysast lit up one by one, bathing the lake and streets in a warm yellow light. The noise, separated by the glass, became hazy and distant.

Ubel cut a piece of dessert—caramel pudding—with a small fork, her purple eyes serene under the light. She suddenly looked up at Lowell, who was refilling her glass with juice, and the usual faint smile on her lips deepened.

Lowell noticed her gaze, put down the juice jug, and looked at her with a slightly teasing expression.

"Speaking of which, Ubel," he said casually, as if suddenly remembering something, "You like Lanto, don't you?"

The question came directly, even a bit abruptly.

But Ubel's smile remained unchanged, and she didn't even stop what she was doing. She put a small piece of pudding into her mouth, savored it carefully, and then raised her eyes, her smile unchanged.

"Just a little interested," she said lightly, her green eyes looking directly at Lowell. "What, you seem quite interested in him? You like him too?"

"Cough--!"

Lowell had just picked up his glass and taken a sip when he heard this and almost choked. He put down the glass, wiped his mouth, and his expression twisted slightly.

"What do you mean I like him?" He raised his voice, puffed out his chest, and adopted a "what's wrong with you, kid?" attitude. "That's Huang Mao, Huang Mao! A teacher for a day is a father for life, don't you understand? I've taught you quite a bit, haven't I? Occasionally, you should show some concern for your student's love life."

"Really?" Ubel tilted his head, his mischievousness undisguised. "So, 'Old Father' is quite concerned about the color of the Glasses Guy's hair?"

"Of course!" Lowell puffed out his chest, as if declaring some momentous truth. "Hair color is important, of course! Look at me, Frieren, Himmel, and Ruby, what comes to mind?"

As he spoke, he pointed to his own black hair, then to Frieren's silver-white hair, and finally made a vague gesture in the air, as if outlining Himmel's blue hair and Ruby's red hair.

The people at the table thought about what he said.

Fern sipped her floral tea, blinked her pale purple eyes, and spoke calmly:

"Absolutely not."

Kanne and Rabiñe exchanged a glance and shook their heads. Ubel, on the other hand, calmly ate his pudding, with an expression that said, "Let's see what other tricks you can come up with."

Lowell held up one finger, making a "no" gesture in the air, his expression a mixture of regret that "you guys really don't understand" and excitement that "let me teach you."

"You guys really don't understand at all!" His voice carried a preachy enthusiasm, "Himmel and Ruby, that's a red and blue couple! Like Rainbow Cat and Blue Rabbit, Kyoko Sakura Sayaka Miki, Rem and Ram... these color schemes basically represent complementary personalities, mutual attraction, full of tension, and overflowing with a sense of destiny!"

He paused, then pointed to himself and Frieren.

"And Frieren and I are a classic black and white pairing! Like Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji, Sesshomaru and Rin... What does this represent? Yin and Yang balance, simplicity and sophistication, and most importantly, deep companionship and protection! These are color schemes that have been proven by countless works, a very sophisticated official design!"

He spoke with considerable pride, as if announcing some remarkable discovery, and even waved his arm.

A hush fell over the table as everyone watched him.

Ubel's smile remained unchanged; he simply let out a soft "Ah-la."

"That's so strange."

Fern nodded slightly in agreement. "Same as above."

Lowell, seeing their complete lack of engagement, pursed his lips, snorted, leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms, but the glint of "spreading the truth" in his eyes hadn't faded.

"Hmph... You don't know what's good for you. One day, I'll use magic to reenact all these classic scenes for you. I'll let the world experience the beautiful, heartwarming impact from the world of anime!"

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a hint of half-serious, half-joking ambition, as if he were making a grand, but rather unreliable, vow.

Frieren, who had been quietly eating her fruit, was quite supportive. She looked up, a hint of doubt in her emerald eyes, and gently poked at a piece of melon on her plate with her fork, asking earnestly:

"So, according to Lowell, Lanto and Ubel have yellow and green hair, don't they? Are they a good match?"

Lowell's eyes lit up instantly. He immediately lowered his arms, leaned forward, and placed his hands on the edge of the table, a look of excitement on his face that said, "Finally, someone has asked the right question."

"Hmph... yellow-green?" He drew out the syllable, then nodded sharply, his voice rising slightly, "That's a perfect match! A perfect match!"

He began to list them as if they were his own treasures:

"Look, Zoro and Sanji, Bartolomeo and Cavendish, Leo and Mansherry... aren't they all yellow and green? Yellow and green have always been rivals, they argue as soon as they meet, they dislike each other, but when it really matters, they're more reliable than anyone else, and their teamwork is terrifying! This kind of setup is the best!"

He got more and more excited as he spoke, and even raised one hand and waved it forcefully in the air.

"Get together with me!"

"Smack!"

Before he could finish speaking, he accidentally slammed his hand on the edge of the table too hard, making a soft, crisp sound. The cups and saucers on the table wobbled slightly.

The private room fell silent for a moment again.

Seeing Fern 'Lowell rare, almost animated excitement, Philon's pale purple eyes flickered with a hint of helplessness as she softly commented:

"... It's rare to see Lord Lowell so passionate and enthusiastic."

Ubel had finished her pudding, put down her fork, and elegantly wiped her mouth with a napkin. Hearing this, her purple eyes curved into a smile as she looked at Lowell, her tone even more teasing.

"Yes. All this talk about being an old father... He's still just a child at heart, isn't he?"

Lowell, feeling a little embarrassed by their comments, touched his nose, his momentum slightly weakening, but he still muttered under his breath, "It's just the truth..."

Just then, Frieren's calm voice rang out.

I'm really looking forward to it.

Lowell paused for a moment, then turned to look at her.

Frieren had finished the last piece of melon. Her emerald green eyes were fixed on him, her face expressionless but her gaze earnest as she repeated herself.

"You're going to use magic to perform it. I'm looking forward to it."

A brief silence.

Then, the slight annoyance on Lowell's face vanished instantly, replaced by an undisguised, radiant smile. He reached out and pulled Frieren into his arms, giving her a tight hug and nuzzling his chin against the top of her silvery hair.

"Frieren is still the best!"

His voice was muffled, but clearly filled with joy.

Frieren was held in his arms, not moving much, just quietly leaning against him, her emerald green eyes blinking.

Fern watched the two embracing, then glanced at the remaining desserts on the table. He silently picked up a small cookie and ate it in small bites, as if the scene before him was nothing out of the ordinary.

Ubel picked up his teacup, took a sip, and gazed at the colorful nightscape of Oysast outside the window, a faint smile still playing on his lips, lost in thought.

Kanne and Rabiñe relaxed and began to talk in hushed tones about their plans after the exams.

The air in the private room was once again filled with the lingering aroma of food and the warm lighting.