Aponia certainly had no reason to refuse Xu Qi.
She gently brushed the back of Xu Qi's head, as if soothing a little baby.
"This time, you really don't seem like yourself. Even when you faced Xia Ya in Magic City, I'd never seen you this nervous. Has Otto... put that much pressure on you?"
"It's different."
Xu Qi stopped speaking after that.
Aponia, however, answered for him.
"Back then, you could still remain free of attachments. But now that the battlefield is outside Magic City, you can't put that worry out of your mind.
"Why don't you say it out loud? Is it because you're afraid that doing so would place unnecessary pressure on us, making you feel as though you're dragging us down?"
Xu Qi's face was filled with a bitter smile.
He slowly rose and rolled over beside Sister Nya.
"How do you always know what I'm thinking?"
Aponia turned toward him. Her delicate body pressed closely against his as she reached out and caressed Xu Qi's cheek.
"Didn't you say it yourself? I'm your Sister Nya. Of course I know what you're thinking."
"That's cheating..."
Aponia took Xu Qi's hand and pressed it against her chest.
"Xu Qi, can you feel anything?"
"Sister Nya, slow down a little. I haven't recovered yet."
Aponia's pretty face flushed. She curled her finger and flicked Xu Qi on the forehead.
"You're always thinking about that sort of thing. I'm asking you to feel my heart—Xu Qi, this heart beats for you, but it also belongs to me.
"Did you ever ask whether we wanted to be defined as responsibilities you had to bear for no reason?"
Xu Qi parted his lips slightly, unable to answer.
Aponia leaned close to him. They were so close that Xu Qi could feel