127~After the Rain, They Sprouted Like Mushrooms
“Seriously, you’re not gonna tell Miss Tillysha about this, are you??”
“No way, you can relax. It’s not like I need to tell her, right?” Normally, if someone barged into your house uninvited, you’d be steaming. But Dillin was a bit… unique.
See, Dillin’s senses weren’t just his own; they also included Tillysha’s. From Dillin’s perspective alone, Litte had overstepped quite a bit. However, from Tillysha’s perspective, Litte had acted rashly and on her own initiative, but her出发点 was for Tillysha’s safety, fearing that this innocent little cabbage might get plowed by some wild boar, so it wasn’t as enraging.
“Thank you for your magnanimity!………” Compared to being disliked by Tillysha, figuring out Dillin’s true identity seemed far less important. With Dillin’s assurance, Litte finally felt a bit more at ease.
Good thing Aistride’s around. Few words, and Litte’s all docile now.
Placing the decor back on the coffee table, she kept apologizing to Dillin repeatedly.
“Litte, just apologizing won’t cut it.”
“Later, I’ll make up for it to Mr. Dillin………” Litte kept her head down, not daring to look up at Dillin.
The commotion ended without too much chaos, and Aistride took Litte away from the Crown Courtyard.
“Regarding my application to join your team, you don’t have to rush the decision. You can take your time before giving me an answer.”
“But, Aistride, your people might not support your decision and may think it’s too reckless. Why don’t you discuss it with them?”
“The other day, I came to a realization; they’re your family, and even if their actions seem extreme, it’s all for your good.” Dillin reflected.
“No, this is my decision, Dillin.” Aistride raised her violet eyes, shining like a crescent moon. “Miss Tillysha is absolutely right; personal decisions shouldn’t be shackled by something called ‘family.'”
“If, hypothetically speaking… you’re willing to give us another chance to reaffirm our feelings for each other.” Having said that, Aistride seemed to have used up all her courage, dragging Litte away without looking back.
Dillin knew how hard it must’ve been for the reserved Aistride to say those words.
But the whole team-entry thing……
After the two left, Dillin sat on the couch with a headache. Way back when he first joined the Crown Team, he knew he’d eventually have to deal with a bunch of newcomers’ applications to join his team.
Whether they came because of Tillysha or the fame and privileges the Crown Team offered, the leader always attracts attention like bees to honey.
It was unexpected that Aistride would reapply to join his team after the competition. To Dillin, Aistride was always the obedient little rich girl who listened to her elders, not someone who’d pull rebellious stunts. On the other hand, her team composition was perfect, with great synergy and team chemistry—no need to remix things.
Aistride……
Dillin was silent, reminiscing about the past. It was Aistride who took care of his everyday life, and during the Crown Finals, she personally went down the mountain to deliver a blanket and cleaned fruit for him……..
To say Dillin didn’t have feelings for Aistride would be a lie, but when Tillysha came along, the fiery passion he once felt for Aistride gradually cooled down.
Dillin didn’t think it was because his love came and went quickly. It’s just that with Tillysha’s appearance, some of his views and personality started to change.
Though he didn’t outright notice it, the more times he transformed into Tillysha and fought as her, the more Dillin’s personality was influenced by Tillysha.
It wasn’t that he fell in and out of love quickly. He’d become more calm, rational, and level-headed.
Elves are paradoxically extreme beings. A good metaphor might be “extremes.”
They can be overwhelmingly good or arrogantly high-handed. They’re usually far more rational and cool-headed than humans, but when their emotions erupt, they go all-in, unwavering till the end, showcasing a loyalty that humans can hardly catch up to.
Tillysha’s detachment and rationality rubbed off on Dillin, like pouring a bucket of cold water on a blazing fire, cooling down his over-heated thoughts.
Calm and composed, Dillin reconsidered everything, including his feelings for Aistride, and began self-reflecting, noticing several inconsistencies.
Dillin believed in love at first sight, but was it truly love at first sight what he felt for Aistride?
To put it bluntly, he was initially just a naive guy blinded by Aistride’s beauty. All this talk of love at first sight was nonsense. Plain and simple, he was lusting after her body, and that was despicable.
This kind of feeling can’t be called liking, at least in Dillin’s current perspective. This impure affection was hard to accept.
Dillin’s attitude toward Aistride had changed due to Tillysha’s influence. This influence was constant and subtle, happening under his radar.
Because of this, Dillin realized his past feelings for Aistride didn’t rise to the level of genuine liking. He had to redefine his interaction with Aistride accordingly.
However, even if it wasn’t love, he surely had a certain level of fondness. This situation was quite confusing.
Blunt rejection seemed inappropriate, but accepting Aistride meant living under the same roof, eating and living together. In the short term, it’d be fine, but over time, a fatal problem would arise — Dillin and Tillysha have never appeared together.
Complicated, huh? What to do?
Just as Dillin was pondering deeply, a bright and crisp doorbell rang once more.
Who’s come now??
Dillin was perplexed. The news of him and Tillysha moving into the Crown Manor shouldn’t have spread yet. Besides Aistride, only Litte and those elves knew. So how come just within two days of moving in, he’d already received two rounds of visitors?
Dillin sorted out his tangled thoughts, got up from the soft couch, and walked to the courtyard.
“Good day, to whom shall I address?” Dillin unlocked the courtyard gate with his ID card.
Hmm… could it be that Aistride left something behind and came back to get it?
Nah, it’s not probable. Aistride didn’t even enter the house. How could she have left anything behind? Besides, unlike Litte, Aistride was meticulous and wouldn’t make such a rookie mistake.
Dillin opened the gate with doubts in his mind and was slightly stunned by the familiar face that appeared in front of him.
Oh, here’s another known face.
Seeing Dillin, the amber two-tailed ponytail knight nodded in surprise, then reacted promptly and performed a standard knightly bow.
“Sorry to bother you. You must be the divine prince of Miss Tillysha, the renowned Mr. Dillin, am I right?” The knight lass stood graceful and elegant, almost as if she wasn’t wearing a school uniform but a formal gown for a banquet.
Of course, the person standing at the door was none other than Princess Filisia.
“Not quite renowned…and who exactly are you?” Dillin wasn’t being modest. If anyone knew about his reputation, they’d know one thing for certain: he’s famous for living off others—big time.
It was obvious Dillin didn’t know Filisia, so even if he did, he’d have to pretend.
“Nice to meet you, I am Princess Filisia Zhesha of the White Glass Kingdom. Perhaps you’ve heard my name?” Filisia looked poised and refined. Dressed in her official Colman uniform, she had her own unique charm.
As one of the top three students, Filisia had a special school uniform that, though less luxurious than Tillysha’s, certainly stood out against the regular Colman women’s uniform.
Compared to the Crown uniform, her uniform’s golden rose was switched to blue, the crystal accents at her cuffs and hem turned into gold thread decorations, and the color of her knee-high socks changed to beige. All other details were rather similar.
To summarize, Filisia was stunning with a voluptuous figure and long legs accentuated by black knee-high socks. Her flowing double ponytails made her radiant and mesmerizing.
In short, she was curvaceous, with a bountiful chest and a tight behind.
“Oh, you’re Princess Filisia, it’s an honor to meet you.” Dillin’s gaze flickered over her for less than half a second before he refocused his attention.
Sensing Dillin’s change in gaze, Filisia’s eyes gleamed mischievously.
“This isn’t really a great place to chat, now is it?” Filisia’s lips arched into a subtle curve. “Of course, if it’d disturb Mr. Dillin and Miss Tillysha’s daily lives, then we’ll stop immediately.”
“Ah, no worries, it’s just that we just moved in, so many things are still unsorted. Please excuse us, Princess Filisia.”
“Call me Filisia.”
“……eh?”
“There’s no need to tack on formalities like ‘princess’ to my name—it’s all too long and cumbersome.”
“Ah, I understand.” Looking at the uninvited Filisia, Dillin had his suspicions.
Not again?!
Come on, it’s been how many days?
“Filisia, please, come in.” Addressing her by her given name felt strange, since they weren’t too familiar.
“Alright, thanks.” Filisia confidently stepped into the courtyard, inspecting its design and landscape. “Beautifully kept, Mr. Dillin really loves these flowers, I see.”
“Not exactly; it’s not my doing—it’s all thanks to the maintenance staff. I didn’t help at all.” Dillin shook his head. Seeing Filisia interested in the courtyard, he mused whether she liked the garden.
No, she’s the princess of the White Glass Kingdom; no matter how luxurious the Crown Villa is, it can’t compare with the royal palace, and such scenery would seem ordinary to her.
Dillin went into the house and noticed Filisia standing politely at the entrance, waiting for his instructions.
“Is it okay to wear these shoes?” Dillin handed a pair of pink cotton slippers to Filisia.
“Sure thing.” Filisia smiled, deftly removed her loafers, revealing her dainty feet encased in black knee-high socks before sliding into the slippers.
Dillin produced another cup and poured her a cup of tea. “The tea here is a bit bitter, forgive me, Your Highness………. Miss Filisia.”
“Mr. Dillin had visitors before me, am I right?” Filisia observed the untouched cup on the table, perched confidently on the sofa, tea in hand.
“Yes.”
“My guess was right—these people submitted applications to join your team, didn’t they?”
“Correct.” Dillin mentally commended the White Glass Princess for her keen observation skills.
“Well, may I ask how Mr. Dillin plans to deal with them?” Filisia blew on her tea and started sipping.
“This requires some consideration.”
“Ah, Miss Tillysha’s not here?”
“Yes, she had to run an errand.”
“Ah, I see. You’re probably planning to consult Miss Tillysha upon her return, right?”
“Yep, that’s the plan.”
“Gotcha. So……” Filisia took a small sip of her tea and put her cup down. “Count on you, Mr. Dillin?”
“Not at all………. wait. Why does Miss Filisia say ‘count on it’?”
“Of course, since what follows might add to your workload, my apologies.” Filisia smiled gracefully but with a hint of mischief.
“Adding to my workload……….?”
“Here’s my application for team entry, please review it.” As she said that, Filisia opened her handbag, handing over a sheet to Dillin.
“……” Reading the densely-packed, neatly-inscribed entries in imperial script, Dillin was taken aback despite expecting something like this. “Are you joining the team??”
“Exactly.”
“But……….?” Dillin was thrown off. With Aistride already being considered, now Filisia?
Top three Crown Cup finalists all coming together on the same team? What would the administration even think? How are other teams supposed to compete?
“So, no go?”
“Ah, why, Mr. Dillin, are you curious why Miss Filisia would make such a decision?” He felt addressing her with her maiden name wasn’t quite right, so he added “Miss” to show politeness and distance. “From what I know, your team’s synergy is exceptionally high, especially that divine goddess with four resistances—why seek another team?”
“Reasons, hm?” Filisia closed her eyes as if deep in thought. “There are many, maybe too many to list right now. Which do you want to know first?”
Filisia’s behavior felt more like a job interview rather than a royal princess. Chatting with her was refreshingly easy, stress-free, and one couldn’t help but feel an affinity toward her.
