Her consciousness was hazy. Slowly opening her eyes, she found herself in a somewhat unfamiliar room. Faint sunlight peeked through the gaps in the curtains, bringing a sliver of light to the dim space.
"Haaah~"
She sat up slowly, languidly covering her mouth with a delicate hand as she yawned.
The room's furnishings felt strangely unfamiliar, yet they undeniably bore her mark. Elysia even glanced up and saw a photo frame hanging on the wall, its contents making her pause.
It seemed to be a picture of herself... and that mischievous Jiang Qiao. In the photo, she wore a pristine white wedding dress, embracing that rascal with a radiant smile. They looked incredibly sweet and happy... Wait, wasn't this basically a wedding photo?
Realizing the nature of the picture, a blush crept onto Elysia's cheeks. Surprise mingled with a hidden sense of glee, like a little girl finally getting her coveted candy after much effort.
But...
Had she ever taken a picture like this with that scamp?
Gazing at the photo, Elysia felt a little bewildered. While the picture brought her joy, she had no memory of when she and the naughty Jiang Qiao had done such a thing... Yet, somehow, it felt perfectly natural.
She tried to think, but "Grrrrowl~," a delicate sound like a drum roll, disrupted her thoughts.
"A little hungry..."
Elysia mumbled, patting her soft tummy.
Suddenly, her delicate nose twitched. Her eyes lit up, and a trickle of drool escaped the corner of her mouth unconsciously.
"Smells so good."
Climbing out of bed, the famished Pink Elf followed the aroma. Pushing the door open and poking her little head out, she saw a figure busy in the kitchen.
As if sensing her presence, the person in the kitchen turned to look—their eyes met directly.
"You're awake, Ely."
"Mm, perfect timing. Breakfast is almost ready. I was just thinking about waking you up." It wasn't a stranger. The young man wearing an apron—Jiang Qiao, just as she remembered him—had a calm expression. The apron, however, added a distinct "househusband" vibe, and he wore a gentle smile as warm as a spring breeze.
Elysia, still poking her head out, blinked, looking rather adorable.
But soon, her gaze fell upon the dining table, where steaming, incredibly abundant, and tempting dishes were laid out.
They were filled with... hmm, perhaps a Shenzhou style?
Hua seemed to make similar things... She vaguely remembered them being specialty dishes from the southern part of Shenzhou.
Tempted by the delicious food, Miss Elysia's stomach let out another protesting 'roar,' as if telling her—Quick, let me taste!
Of course, this was a bit embarrassing for Elysia.
After all...
She could feel his gaze resting on her... Wasn't this mortifying!
Elysia felt quite conflicted.
However, her inner awkwardness ultimately couldn't overcome the hunger pangs. Driven by instinct, Elysia shuffled over and sat down at the table.
Perhaps because she had just woken up only to be immediately enticed by the aroma of food, she hadn't had time to tidy up. She was still wearing somewhat loose pink pajamas, a sliver of white skin peeking enticingly through the gaps between buttons. While not quite reaching the 'sinful' scale of Aponia, it was still quite impressive from a normal girl's perspective.
However, she didn't pay much attention to her slightly disheveled state... not just because he seemed completely oblivious to these unintentionally revealed perks, but more because, for some reason, being with this rascal gave her a natural feeling, like they were a long-married couple.
If it weren't inappropriate, and the temperature and weather weren't so extreme, perhaps even running around the house in the most basic clothes wouldn't be an issue.
Of course, a bigger reason was likely because... right now, the ravenous Elysia only wanted to feast on the delicious food before her!
Being a woman of action, Elysia moved decisively. Like a hamster, she stuffed her cheeks until they were full and bulging, her pretty face showing blissful enjoyment of the tasty meal.
"Sho good~"
She mumbled indistinctly. Perhaps because she was eating too hastily, her azure eyes widened as she struggled.
"Mmph—"
Jiang Qiao promptly handed her a glass of milk, relieving the choking sensation that felt like being constricted by a python.
"Phew..."
She let out a long breath. "I'm alive, I'm alive..."
"No one's fighting you for it."
Jiang Qiao used a napkin to wipe the grease and sauce from the corner of Elysia's mouth, looking slightly exasperated.
"Well, I was hungry~"
The girl huffed playfully, acting just like a child.
"...As long as you're happy. Once you're full, go back and fix your makeup and clothes."
"Hm? Why?"
"Did you forget? Eden arranged to watch her new movie premiere with you."
"Eh... Oh... Right, I think that did happen." Elysia paused, then nodded somewhat vaguely, as if half-remembering.
She felt like it was true... but something felt strange.
"Alright, hurry up and go."
"...Even if you say so, deciding what to wear is hard... So, you come help me choose~" Urged onward, Elysia complained slightly, but then an idea struck her. She immediately hugged his arm, beaming.
Elysia's room—no, in a way, it was likely Elysia and Jiang Qiao's shared room.
Inside the sizable walk-in closet, Miss Elysia, having freshened up, was humming a song released by Eden, cheerfully trying on clothes.
With little inhibition, her reflection in the changing mirror perfectly illustrated the phrase "a lotus bud just revealing its tip," subtly revealing her budding figure.
The girl's graceful silhouette was fully displayed. "Mmm~ How about this one?"
"Looks good."
"What about this one?"
"Mm-hmm."
"What do you mean 'Mm-hmm'..."
"I asked you because I wanted your opinion, you know," Elysia grumbled with a hint of dissatisfaction, pouting.
"Hmm... But in my eyes, everything looks great on you."
A smile as radiant as a blooming flower showed Miss Elysia's current cheerful mood. She hummed softly, unable to hide her delight.
"...Okay, you pass~"
"Alright, I'll wear this one then~ Help me fasten the back~" She finally chose a very casual, light outfit.
In front of the vanity mirror, she tidied her appearance, expertly applying a trace of light-colored lipstick.
"How do I look now?"
"You know my answer."
"Of course~ But I just want to hear you say it yourself."
"Very beautiful."
Elysia smiled, then stared at the man before her, index finger pressed against her lips, suddenly thinking of something amusing—the next moment, she quickly leaned in and... quite impolitely, planted a hickey on his cheek.
"Don't wipe it off~"
Like a little devil, the girl issued this willful, forceful 'command.'
Then, she happily admired her handiwork, admiring the 'mark' she had left on him.
Jiang Qiao seemed a bit resigned but didn't say anything.
Just like that, bearing the incredibly conspicuous hickey Elysia had given him, he drove her to a special cinema—one of Eden's properties. The film Eden and Elysia had agreed to watch wasn't ordinary either; it was the original cut of a film Eden had completed but hadn't released yet. Aside from the production team, they were practically the first to see the raw footage.
The movie starred Eden herself, chronicling her journey from an innocent debutante to a renowned star... The plot was steeped in 'artistry,' clearly bearing Eden's signature style.
Miss Elysia, a lover of romance, naturally enjoyed it too—after all, the movie contained the kind of romantic plotlines she adored... Plus, the brilliance of humanity depicted made her incredibly happy.
The only issue was, she wasn't sure if it was her imagination... but she kept feeling like the male lead looked somewhat familiar.
Elysia tried hard to recall, but surprisingly found his face had become blurry; she couldn't remember what he looked like or who he was at all.
This sense of dissonance confused her...
Was her memory just that bad?
As before, Elysia didn't dwell on it.
After all, a certain rascal was right beside her.
That being the case, many things didn't matter that much, did they?
Yet, inexplicably, she always felt like she had forgotten something important.
For the next few days, Elysia lived a peaceful life accompanied by Jiang Qiao.
Watching Vill-V's magic show.
Attending Kalpas's barbecue party.
Griseo's art exhibition...
In short, it felt like she experienced many, many things.
Everything was so calm and happy. Close your eyes, open them, and it's a new day.
It was almost... like a dream...
Thinking this, Elysia suddenly froze.
...A dream?
That's right!
Shouldn't she be with the naughty Jiang Qiao... facing a new enemy?
She vaguely remembered being hit by someone's attack... and then... opening her eyes again, she was here.
The sealed information gradually unlocked. Recalling the past, clarity returned to Elysia's eyes.
Yes, this is a dream.
It's fake.
I have to return to reality, return to his side!
Although she was incredibly content with this dream, although perhaps he could handle things even without her, Elysia didn't want to just peacefully enjoy the dream. After all, the reason she came back with Jiang Qiao was to fight alongside him.
Therefore—
"Sorry, I can't keep indulging in this beautiful dream anymore."
She looked at the 'Dream Jiang Qiao' not far away, speaking to him with considerable seriousness. No matter how wonderful the Jiang Qiao in the dream was, he wasn't real. Fully aware of this, Elysia, despite her reluctance, spoke these resolute words.
However, the shock she expected to see on his face didn't appear.
Instead, hearing her words, Jiang Qiao actually smiled.
But before either could say more, a sweet, yet helpless voice interjected.
"Honestly... why can't you just be good, accept all of this, just like now?"
The familiar voice made Elysia pause. As she looked up, a stunning figure that left her utterly bewildered entered her sight.
Staring at the face that was her own, Elysia stood dumbfounded.
...Is that... me?
That face, that voice, undoubtedly belonged to Elysia—the only difference might be that this Elysia's attire was completely unlike anything Elysia remembered herself wearing. At least, she wouldn't dress so revealingly... so 'alluringly.'
This Elysia, clad predominantly in dark purple, wore clothes that were not only highly revealing but also possessed a 'wanton' feel due to their daring design, something the original Elysia could never embody.
If she saw someone else dressed like this normally, she might blush and secretly think: She looks just like a naughty pretty girl.
But seeing herself like this left Elysia at a loss.
Of course—to say it was entirely 'wanton' might not be accurate either. Although the smiling girl indeed radiated charm, at the same time, for some reason, she also possessed a completely opposite... innocence belonging to Elysia.
The innocence of a maiden, the allure of a woman... If one had to use an appropriate adjective, perhaps only 'fairy' could reasonably describe this other Elysia who looked so much like herself.
"Who are you? Why are you impersonating me?"
"...Pfft." Elysia's wary and hostile question reached the other girl's ears, making her pause for a moment before bursting into laughter.
"Impersonating... haha... Is that what you think?"
"Honestly, you hurt my feelings... Although it seems the current me has changed quite a bit compared to before, not recognizing your own shadow is really not right, you know." Surprisingly, she showed no anger at Elysia's accusation of 'impersonating Elysia.'
Of course, that wasn't strange.
After all, she wasn't like some drooling child—as the Elysian Realm Elysia, the ultimate cyber ghost waifu with fifty thousand years under her belt, Elysia wouldn't care about such words, just as she calmly faced the reality of her own ■■■■■■■■.
Original self, oh, you and your naivete are laughable.