Chosen By The Lover's Constellation-Chapter 91: Mana Ties, Part Three

"So..." Lianna said, hands clasped together as she walked up to her roommate. "Can she? Please?"

In front of her was Enverna, one brow raised so high it probably hurt.

Behind her was Zura, who Lianna had just said should stay with them for the time being.

"..."

Silence ensued.

"Um, well, if her life would be threatened without us then... I suppose it is the least we could do for her."

[You say that but why do you look so annoyed?] Lianna questioned internally, but she did not voice that query. Instead, choosing to take the victory as it was presented, she raised her hands.

"Yes! Okay, let’s get your stuff!"

"Uh, hey," Zura leaned over Lianna’s shoulder, looking at Enverna. "Thank you."

"You’re welcome," Enverna responded.

---

Later, as the nighttime rolled around, Lianna gestured at the now vacant couch.

"So, there you go. You can sleep here for the night. I’ll grab you some blankets."

Zura glanced at the couch, then back at Lianna with a small smile.

"Thanks again. I appreciate it."

Lianna quickly fetched a couple of blankets from the bedroom and handed them to Zura.

"If you need anything, just let us know."

"Will do," Zura replied, settling onto the couch. "Goodnight, both of you."

"Goodnight, Zura," Lianna said with a smile, heading back to the bedroom.

As Lianna entered the room, she found Enverna already in bed.

The room was dimly lit by a soft glow from the lamp on the nightstand. Lianna closed the door behind her and joined Enverna under the covers.

Enverna looked at her with a mix of curiosity and concern.

"Is Zura settled in?"

Lianna nodded.

"Yeah, she’s on the couch. I hope she can get some rest. Her situation’s pretty rough."

"Ours is as well," Enverna added. "The people targeting her likely don’t think too fondly of us either."

"Well, yeah, but we have each other to rely on. She’s on her own. I mean, not anymore, but... Yeah."

Lianna cracked a smile but Enverna’s expression remained contemplative.

"Right..."

[Wow, there’s really a lot going through Envy’s mind these days, huh? Assassination aside, she’s kinda different these days.]

Enverna shifted to a more comfortable position, facing Lianna.

"This week has been... quite eventful."

Lianna sighed, her gaze turning distant.

"Understatement of the year! I can’t believe all that happened right in front of us."

Enverna placed a comforting hand on Lianna’s shoulder, drawing her eyes back to her.

"Well, we can’t change what happened, but we can figure out what to do next."

Lianna met Enverna’s gaze, her eyes searching for answers.

"Mhm. The people who did that probably aren’t stopping there. I think it’s probably best if we ask for a little bit of help, though."

Enverna raised an eyebrow.

"Help? From who?"

"From Miss Taylor."

Enverna looked a little confused.

"How could she help us with something like this?"

Lianna chuckled nervously.

[Right. I forgot to mention this.]

"Um... You know the administrator?" Enverna nodded. "That’s Miss Taylor."

Enverna’s eyes widened in surprise.

"What?"

"Yeah..." Lianna looked up at the ceiling, her whole life practically playing out before her eyes. "It was her all along."

Enverna blinked a couple of times.

"The leader of the Watchful was the same woman who saved you..."

Lianna nodded.

"Yep. She’s the reason I’m here. In more ways than one."

Enverna processed this information, her expression thoughtful.

"... How are you feeling about all of this?"

Lianna sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly.

"I don’t even know how I feel about it yet, Enverna. Confused, angry, scared... But, it doesn’t matter. Right now, I just want to make sure Zura is safe and find out the truth. Maybe Cynthia can help us with that."

"I hope so. It feels as though we have gotten to do maybe 3 total days of regular adventurer work and the rest has been dealing with chaos," Enverna noted.

"True! But... Hopefully, if we lay low for a bit, things will die down."

As Lianna voiced that sentiment, Enverna’s gaze bore into hers, setting the room ablaze with an intensity that seemed to crank up the temperature a few degrees.

Somehow, over the course of the conversation, they’d gotten dangerously close. The air suddenly felt charged.

"Well... No matter what, I will be by your side," Enverna breathed. "We’re in this together."

"Right. Together," Lianna affirmed, her heart suddenly racing.

[What’s happening? Am I dreaming?]

Their faces were even closer in a blink.

Reassuringly, Enverna squeezed one of Lianna’s hands under the covers.

The room seemed to close in. Lianna’s face felt so hot.

Lianna swallowed hard, acutely aware of the rise and fall of her own chest as a question threatened to spill out from her lips.

Every beat of her heart echoed, each thud reverberating through her being like a drumroll. The air, thick with tension, wrapped around them, making every second stretch infinitely.

In that suspended moment, Lianna noticed that Enverna’s face was drawing a little closer. Hers did as well. Their breath intermingled in front of them, becoming one.

Then, a knock on the door interrupted them.

Startled, they pulled away from each other, eyes wide.

"Lianna? Enverna?" Zura’s voice came from the other side of the door.

Lianna took a deep breath, trying to compose herself.

"Yeah?"

Zura hesitated for a moment.

"I was just wondering if you had any spare toothpaste. I forgot mine."

"Y-Yeah, sure. Let me grab it for you."

As Lianna went to fetch the toothpaste, she couldn’t shake the thought that she and Enverna had come dangerously close to... something.

Well, Lianna wasn’t exactly naive about this sort of thing.

They’d nearly kissed.

How and why was the issue. Lianna could produce no answers.

[I mean... I’m not reading the moment wrong, right? That’s what almost happened just now???]

Closing the bathroom door behind her, she couldn’t help but wonder how different things might have been if Zura hadn’t knocked when she did.

As she got back in bed, she found Enverna turned away, silently indicating she did not want to bring this up.

Lianna could respect that.

Neither of them actually managed to fall asleep for a while, though.

---

Lianna’s next quest did nothing to make the sudden turmoil in her heart any better.

{Have sex with Zura before November 5}

{Reward: Love Rush (Instinct)}

Lianna put her head in her hands.

[Lover... You’re killing me here.]

"You sure it’s a good idea for us to be out walking around right now?" Zura asked Enverna, by the kitchen. "I feel like we should just lay low for a bit."

"’For a bit’ could easily end up becoming forever unless the perpetrators of the assassination are taken down. We need to find some sort of way to accelerate the process."

Meanwhile, Lianna stared at those words.

[That’s the same reward I would have gotten if I’d stopped the assassination from happening... Do the rewards carry over to the next quest when you fail? Ah, maybe not necessarily. Otherwise, I would have gotten this thing for helping Zura out yesterday.]

"If you say so," Zura shrugged.

"Alright," Lianna finally got off the couch. "Let’s go. Hopefully, Miss Taylor can help us out."

A little while later, they were standing outside that very woman’s office.

With a knock, they were invited inside. Cynthia’s golden eyes flicked up from her paperwork as they entered, her expression unreadable.

That was still hard for Lianna to internalize. This wasn’t "the administrator", it was Cynthia Taylor. The Cynthia Taylor. Lianna was caught between fangirling for her and slapping her in the face.

"Please, have a seat," Cynthia gestured towards the plush chairs arranged in front of her desk. "I’m sure you’re eager to hear a little about what I have learned, so let’s cut to the chase," Cynthia began, her gaze shifting between the three. "The government’s current assessment is that the assassination of the president was orchestrated by a group of Garridite terrorists. Their motive might be to reignite the flames of war between Telvan and Garriden."

Lianna’s eyes widened, Enverna’s expression tightened, and Zura remained stoic, absorbing the gravity of the situation.

"Now, before you react, I want to make it clear that this is an initial assessment. Things may change, but for now, it’s crucial to understand the potential consequences," Cynthia continued.

Lianna’s mind raced, considering the implications of such a revelation. Enverna, too, seemed deep in thought, while Zura maintained her composed demeanor.

"So... Is there anything that can be done about it?"

"From the government’s side? Sure. From yours? Not much."

[Yeah, sounds fair. This issue seems a lot bigger than us. Especially given what’s set to happen in less than a year.]

Reminding herself of that, Lianna thought:

[It’s strange, though... How exactly is the world supposed to end? Sure, the president being assassinated isn’t good by any means, but that leads to, somehow, Garriden falling? I just can’t see it.]

The air thickened with anticipation as Cynthia leaned forward, her golden eyes fixated on the two girls before her. She gestured between Enverna and Lianna.

"As per usual, for now I recommend increasing your publicity, inspiring the people of both Telvan and Garriden through your story. Show them that unity is possible, that love can transcend borders."

Lianna exchanged a glance with Enverna, the weight of the proposal settling in. Zura remained silent, observing the unfolding discussion.

Cynthia leaned back, steepling her fingers in front of her.

"Stay out in public, build your social profiles. Attend events, make appearances. Let people see the strength of your bond, and perhaps, in doing so, we can mitigate the tensions that might arise."

Enverna spoke first, her voice measured.

"You’re suggesting we use our relationship as a tool for diplomacy?"

Cynthia nodded.

"In a way, yes. Your love story could become a symbol, a beacon of hope that counters the narrative the terrorists are trying to promote. It’s a unique chance to make a positive impact."

"..." The girls looked at one another.

"I, uh, struggle to see that happening," Lianna confessed.

"Because, still, you fail to understand the importance public perception has," Cynthia smiled. "That’s fine. Keep your eyes on the news for a few days. You’ll see what I mean."