Her voice was soft, as though she feared disturbing this long-lost tranquility. Her gentle gaze rested on the plain yet heartwarming bowl of porridge.
Not far behind them, a long dining table had been hastily put together and covered with clean, coarse cloth. It was laden with all kinds of pastries and snacks made by the villagers, Mydei, and the others.
Anaxa stood with his arms folded across his chest, brows slightly furrowed as he looked at the plate before him, now missing a corner of its contents. His tone carried a hint of teasing helplessness.
He had only turned around to chat with a villager beside him for a few moments. When he looked back, the last delicately shaped pastry on the plate, garnished with glossy honeyed red beans, had vanished without a trace, leaving only a few tiny crumbs behind.
He raised his eyes toward the side. "..."
At some point, Cipher had slipped like a nimble cat onto a relatively stable crystal cluster support by the edge of the massive pot nearby.
She crouched there steadily, one hand bracing herself against the pot's rim while the other held the missing red bean cake. She took small bites from it, her cheeks slightly puffed out, a satisfied smile of successful scheming on her face.
Today, she wore a dark gray fitted outfit suited for movement, its close cut outlining the girl's slender yet lively figure. Her long gray hair was tied into a neat high ponytail that swayed lightly as she chewed.
Watching her smug, delighted expression, Anaxa shook his head and said mockingly:
"You ill-mannered little thing. Since you like it so much, you can have the last red bean cake. Eat carefully—don't choke to death!" He deliberately raised his voice a little.
"Hehe, kitty wants it!