"Pretty good, isn't it?"
The golden-haired witch's nose lightly touched Shade's as she pressed her lips together and asked softly. Shade took a deep breath and nodded.
"All this time, you've been the one constantly reaching out to help me, while I haven't been able to do much for you. But I don't want it to be like that. I want to do something for you too, even if it's only a trivial matter. What can I do for you?"
She did not say, "There's no need." That would only keep their smoothly developing relationship as it was. These feelings came from something neither of them could clearly explain, and Shade clearly did not want only to receive. He also wanted to show through action that he was not satisfied with the current state of things.
The witch understood how he felt at this moment, and she smiled gently.
"Then, could you stop calling me 'Miss Feliana' from now on? At least when it's just the two of us, I don't want to hear that form of address anymore."
"Mana?"
He called out that name, then said softly.
"I'll wait for you on the other side of time."
This time, she took the initiative to kiss him, and they did not slowly part until a knocking sound came, Blaney pushed the door open and walked in, saw the two of them, and coughed softly.
Blaney's hair was now wet and loose behind her. She looked toward her teacher with a somewhat reproachful expression, but did not dare complain directly. After all, this time she had already taken great advantage.
The witch in the long purple dress merely smiled and wiped Shade's lips with her hand.
Blaney said, "Teacher, Shade, the Halfling Young Lady who came back with you is in