When Loren woke up the next day, he felt like he couldn't breathe properly, and then he saw Caroline lying on top of him.

"What are you doing lying on me?"

Loren wasn't surprised that something like this happened. He had already come to terms with it by now, so he just silently picked Caroline up and moved her off.

"I heard dogs like to lie on their masters when they're sleeping..."

Loren held Caroline under her arms, her hands hanging down naturally, as she weakly said this.

"That's cats."

Loren corrected her and then put Caroline down.

"Master, there's something under your bed, it scared me last night..."

"What could possibly be under my bed... Wait, I think I know..."

A sudden sense of foreboding rose in Loren's heart. He hurried to the bedside and took a look underneath.

Sure enough, he saw Cecelia hiding under the bed, and she even waved at him.

"When did you sneak in here?"

"I'm here every day..."

Loren had been sleeping quite late these past few days, so Cecelia really did have the chance to hide under his bed.

"So... you saw everything?"

"Yes, I saw everything. You and Luna, Scarlett, Mirrorheart, Movila..."

"Stop talking..."

Loren felt a wave of embarrassment, and at the same time, he started imagining some rather strange scenarios.

Listening to the person you like with others from under the bed...

Even in books, that would be considered pathetic...

But Cecelia's expression didn't look very good. She didn't seem to accept this matter very well, though she didn't say anything either. Loren had a feeling she was saving up for something big.

Cecelia silently crawled out from under the bed, patted the dust off herself, and pretended nothing had happened.

"Let's go down to eat."

After coming out, Cecelia's movements became noticeably stiffer.

She already had a bit of a yandere streak. Although Loren had tempered it somewhat and she'd improved a lot, it was still impossible for her not to mind this kind of thing.

Loren didn't know how to deal with this either, so he could only react as things came, and maybe discuss it later.

……

Due to Caroline's interference, Loren woke up a bit earlier today and managed to catch the family breakfast. The dining table was already full of people.

Upon noticing that Loren came out of his room together with Caroline and Cecelia, Naclis snapped the chopsticks in her hand again.

In response, Anna silently handed her a new pair.

"Mirrorheart, did you set up a dog bed for Caroline in my bedroom?"

Loren felt his question was redundant. No one else would do something like this besides Mirrorheart.

"Yes, I also prepared a collar. For the sake of ceremony, I intended for you to put it on her personally."

Mirrorheart placed a collar in front of Loren. Caroline's eyes were practically shining as she looked at it.

To declare her own status, Mirrorheart deliberately pulled her collar down a bit, revealing the collar around her own neck.

Loren remembered this collar. It was something he had personally made for Mirrorheart at her strong insistence before. It had almost become Mirrorheart's most important possession, and she basically wore it all the time.

It was just that she usually dressed too conservatively, completely covering her neck, so the collar wasn't visible.

"Ahem, later I need everyone's help with something. I need to use the Goddess of Love's power to make some things. Who wants to come?"

Generally, the requirements for crafting such things are very strict, but it's different with witches. A witch's love is pure and intense, so failure in crafting is basically impossible.

"I'll do it!"

Anna was the first to raise her hand. Seeing her, the others no longer competed.

In response, Anna revealed a faint smile.

Hehe, plan successful.

"Alright, Anna will come with me later."

Loren pushed the collar in front of him away, but Caroline snatched it up, wearing an expression like she'd found a priceless treasure.

"I'll take it as a gift from you."

"……"

Loren was silent for a moment, rubbing his temples.

"As long as you're happy..."

After Anna finished off the remaining dozen or so plates of food on the table, Loren led her into his room.

"Shouldn't we go to the laboratory? Why the bedroom..."

Naclis voiced her doubt. Mirrorheart beside her didn't answer Naclis's question, only saying something meaningful.

"I estimate it won't be long before you and Anna can address each other differently."

"What does that mean?"

Naclis looked utterly confused, but Mirrorheart had already turned and left.

……

"What are you taking your clothes off for?"

As soon as they entered the bedroom, Anna eagerly pulled her skirt up to her neck. Loren could only hurriedly stop her.

"So it's not needed?"

Anna let go of her skirt, wearing a regretful expression.

"What exactly are you regretting..."

Loren helplessly knocked on Anna's head, then shook his own, trying to shake out what he had just seen.

The white tights Anna wore today were especially thin...

"Alright, let's get to business. Interlace your fingers with mine, and hold this between our palms."

As he spoke, Loren took out a heart-shaped pendant. The material used to make this was a kind of white gemstone, engraved with many runes pointing to the Goddess of Love. The rest of it consisted of various intricate mechanisms. Just converting emotions into energy was difficult enough.

The power in this world is actually quite idealistic; otherwise, witches' strength wouldn't directly double after they turn dark.

"Oh, okay..."

Anna obediently interlaced her fingers with Loren's. In comparison, Anna's hand looked very small, almost completely enveloped by Loren's.

Loren placed the heart-shaped pendant between their palms, then gave the next instruction.

"Now, radiate your affection. This kind of abstract thing is hard to explain... uh..."

Soon Loren realized his worry was unnecessary. Loren's face was reflected in Anna's pink eyes, her affection almost materializing. Her gaze was practically pulling threads...

She held his hand tightly. Loren could clearly feel Anna's body temperature.

In the end, Loren had to take out a handkerchief to wipe the drool from Anna's mouth.

"Okay, you can let go now... I said you can let go now..."

After the energy was fully charged, Loren tried to release Anna's hand, but she still held onto his firmly.

It was only after Loren knocked on her head again that she finally let go.

By now, the pendant's appearance had changed. The gemstone had turned into a girlish pink, exactly the same color as Anna's eyes.

"Wow, this is so pretty."

Anna looked at the pendant and sighed in admiration. Loren also nodded. It really was beautiful, just a bit dangerous.

This pendant was filled with the Goddess of Love's power, to the point of having an indestructible effect, making it very dangerous and highly likely to corrupt the user.

Indestructibility was also part of the Goddess of Love's authority.