The doctor gave a few more careful instructions and prescribed several bottles of special eye drops to promote recovery.
As Serie stepped out of the observation room, before her eyes could adjust to the light outside, Claudia naturally took her hand.
This sudden action not only stunned Serie, but also caused Lynette and Yuki, who followed closely behind, and Jared, who hadn't walked far, to show surprised expressions.
Claudia herself didn't seem to realize anything was amiss; she even subconsciously tugged Serie twice, as if urging her to follow.
Lynette cleared her throat twice, and only then did Claudia lower her head with a hint of confusion, her gaze meeting Serie's raised eyes—
Those captivating eyes, freshly freed from bandages and still with a natural flush at the corners, held an innocent question.
Then—
Time seemed to freeze for half a second.
Claudia finally reacted.
She stiffly withdrew her gaze as if burned, not daring to look at Serie a second time, then abruptly pulled her hand away and strode quickly towards the end of the corridor, almost fleeing the scene of a crime!
Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap—
Her back was ramrod straight, and her steps were fast and chaotic, revealing an unprecedented awkwardness.
Serie even suspected that she would, in her panic, crash through a wall and vanish on the spot.
The hand that had just held Serie's was now uncontrollably trembling slightly, her fingertips curled.
That delicate face, usually filled with arrogance and disdain, was now like something thrown into boiling water, visibly reddening from her earlobes all the way down to her neck, even her fair collarbones tinged with a faint blush!
That flush was astonishingly vibrant, almost seeming to drip blood.
"Ah ah ah ah ah ah—!"
Claudia screamed wildly internally, as if ten thousand screaming chickens were simultaneously crushed in her mind!
She had acted purely out of habit just now; seeing Serie emerge, she instinctively reached out to take her hand!
She had even completely forgotten that Serie's bandages had already been removed and she didn't need guidance at all.
She actually! In front of Doctor Lynette! In front of Yuki! In front of her biological brother Jared! Acted so... so impatient?! As if Claudia Kohl couldn't live without Serie!
This was simply... a colossal humiliation!
Claudia wished she could smash her head through the wall in front of her!
Claudia! Snap out of it!
She roared internally, trying to find her anchor of sanity.
You are approaching Serie to expose her false disguise as a human!
Not to hold her soft, smooth little hand!
Watching Claudia disappear down the end of the corridor like a'shopping cart,' without looking back, Serie blinked blankly.
Are we still going home for dinner?
Oh, no...
What's wrong with this guy now?
However, she quickly dismissed this small interlude; hadn't Claudia had enough crazy episodes?
She turned, a sweet smile immediately blooming on her face, and very naturally reached out to take Lynette's hand, shaking it gently: "Doctor Lynette~ Let's go~ Let's go eat something delicious!"
Lynette's brows, which had been slightly furrowed by Claudia's behavior, instantly smoothed at the sound of the playful plea, leaving only pure tenderness: "Okay, what do you want to eat? It's my treat today."
Heh! What a thing to say~
When was it ever not Doctor Lynette's treat for her food, drinks, and lodging?
Whatever she wanted to buy, Doctor Lynette would always pay for her~
Not long after, the group arrived at the Control Bureau's living area mall.
Bright lights, dazzling displays of shops, and the mingled aromas of various foods.
For Serie, who had regained her sight, everything felt new and exciting.
Lynette and Yuki stayed by her side, chatting and laughing, creating a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere.
Serie was like a happy little bird, holding Lynette's hand, full of interest in the various Control Bureau-exclusive desserts and snacks, while Lynette indulged her with a smile, letting her choose, and Yuki chattered beside them, sharing recent interesting stories.
Of course, in this harmonious scene, there was also a discordant figure—Jared.
The little person inside Serie couldn't help but roll her eyes.
Big brother, who are you? Are we close?
The situation was quite ironic when she thought about it.
She was close to Doctor Lynette and detested Hayato, yet Hayato's two students were closer to her.
And Doctor Lynette's student, Jared... Tsk, he was just an eyesore no matter how she looked at him.
Hmm... Perhaps I'm just naturally more tolerant of cute older sisters!
Serie thought happily, licking her ice cream in small bites.
She just wondered if Doctor Lynette had any more cute seniors like Yuki, or even better ones?
Thinking of this, it was almost the deadline for new students to choose their mentors.
Serie still wanted to choose Lynette, even if it meant working with that guy Jared.
Just as Lynette was leading them to queue in front of the Sweet Dream House, a familiar female voice, like a flowing spring, drifted into Serie's ears.
"Elena, when you returned to headquarters that day, why didn't you look me up for a chat?"
Serie looked in the direction of the voice and saw a woman not far away, leaning against the rustic doorway of the library, whispering into her phone.
She wore a simple, off-white linen maxi dress and sandals, walking on the polished floor as if she didn't belong to this world.
Her red hair was woven into several loose braids, casually draped over her shoulders, adorned with a wreath of unknown white flowers, still dewy from the morning, which made her skin appear even fairer than snow.
The light spilled over her, casting a soft halo around her.
She looked like an elven priestess who had just stepped out of a book, pure and untainted by dust.
That gentle and ethereal voice belonged to Teacher Moana, the instructor for the plant-type anomalies class.
It sounded like she knew Billie's aunt.
Serie wasn't surprised.
A-ranks were rare to begin with, and it was only natural for fellow Australians to have a private acquaintance.
Seeing Moana end her call and turn to enter the library in the mall, Serie's heart stirred.
She immediately gave Lynette a sweet, obedient smile: "Doctor, you all queue up first, I'm going to the restroom!"
With that, without waiting for a reply, she slipped into the library's main entrance like a nimble fish, silently.
The interior of the library was grand and quiet, with towering bookshelves made of an alloy that emitted a warm luster, arranged in perfect order.
Each bookshelf had a sleek retrieval terminal embedded in its side.
Serie quickly found an empty one, inserted her ID card, and swiftly searched for "euphoria rose" with her fingertips.
The screen flickered, displaying information about several related works.
As expected, most were marked with glaring access permissions: C-rank and above.
Some were even A-rank and above.
The only thin pamphlet accessible with D-rank permission was vague.
It only mentioned that medicines made from euphoria rose were briefly used as a special painkiller in the Saint Martan army.
However, it was later discovered that the side effects were too great, so it was completely discontinued.
As for those side effects—excessive use would cause the injured to develop inappropriate feelings for their comrades.
Tsk, tsk, the scene was too beautiful; Serie couldn't even imagine it.
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