"What perfect timing," Kevin muttered quietly from his chair, a hint of resignation in his voice. He had no intention of leaving—he still needed to talk to Elise.

Pity he’d almost blurted out that classic line earlier. The task would’ve been done. He’d find another chance.

"Disaster, Mistress! Something terrible has happened!"

The tightly shut door burst open as a clumsy maid shoved it from outside. A loud bang echoed, followed by her frantic words.

"How many times must I tell you? Never panic, no matter what," Elise scolded sternly. She glanced at the sweat-drenched maid, shook her head wearily, then raised a hand leisurely. "Speak. What’s happened?"

"Well…" The maid suddenly noticed Kevin. She froze for a moment, then began slowly before Elise could scold again. "That monster—it might be fully healed. It could’ve even broken through to the Seventh Rank. The adventurer team we Othmans hired was nearly wiped out. Only the captain returned, gravely wounded. Of course, this is just speculation…"

"I see."

Elise felt a flicker of trouble, but it vanished instantly. Her gaze shifted to Kevin nearby, and the heavy weight in her heart lifted. After all, this guy was the Empire’s guardian. "Leave. I have a solution."

"Yes, Mistress."

The maid said nothing more. She silently retreated, closing the door behind her. As an Othman servant, she knew better than to ask what she shouldn’t—basic principle.

Silence returned to the room. Kevin rose slowly, shuffled to the window, and basked in the soft sunlight filtering through his tattered cloak. Casually, he spoke. "Leave it to me. Though it’s quite troublesome."

Kevin hated trouble, but he never ran from it. Yet his tone shifted subtly—his magic was completely drained.

"Mm, I’ll leave it to you, Kevin."

"After I handle this, I have things to discuss with you. Wait here."

"Mm, go ahead. Wait—use the stairs!"

Before her words faded, Kevin confidently leaped out the window. A sharp scream and the crack of snapping branches followed.

"Ow! Ow! Ow! This hurts so much!"

Pain etched Kevin’s stunning face. She mustered all her strength to push herself up. Cracks spiderwebbed across the ground where she’d landed. Limping badly, she headed back to rest.

She hadn’t planned on it, but now she did. Maybe she could squeeze a bit more magic from the unconscious Lorin. After all, a Magic Emperor without magic was like a phone without battery—utterly useless.

Halfway there, the pain overwhelmed her. She slumped into a dark corner, shivering. She hadn’t felt this weak in ages. Her old body, forged in countless battles, rarely suffered injuries. But ever since that system turned her female, things changed. Sighing, she sat on the dry ground. She reached under her cloak with delicate hands and gently massaged her pale thigh, hoping for relief.

"I’ll rest here for now. Wait until my leg feels better," she muttered alone in the shadowy alley, her voice thick with resignation. She looked up at the azure sky.

Just then, a familiar face blocked her entire view. Kevin blinked—wasn’t that Lorin? Confusion flooded her stunning features. She’d drained his magic completely; he should’ve been sleeping like a log. No way he’d bounce back so lively after one night. Yet the energetic Lorin before her was undeniably real. Kevin froze, unsure how to react. Was he here to settle the score? Or was payment insufficient? If so, she could handle it.

But Kevin’s train of thought was cut short by Lorin’s voice.

"Miss Kevin, is something wrong with your body?"

Lorin’s tone was laced with concern. He gently grasped her slender arm—not to trap her, but to avoid hurting her. He wasn’t angry about the drained magic; instead, he worried about her condition. He faintly sensed she couldn’t regenerate magic on her own.

"Huh?" Kevin was stunned. She stared at him with confusion. After a century of hard-knocks experience, she’d expected trouble—or a demand for payment.

"Mm, there’s… an issue," she replied vaguely. No need to expose her weakness—a lesson learned through blood and tears. Her tone turned serious. "So, Lorin, what do you want?"

Lorin said nothing. He simply shook his head slowly, his voice steady. "Miss Kevin, I said I only want to protect you. If you ask why… I’m sorry, I don’t know myself."

"Oh~ I think I get it now." Kevin rubbed her stunning face. Suddenly, all the irrational things made sense. She looked at Lorin with a strange gaze, muttering silently. *He’s really fallen for me. Kinda gross.*

"Miss Kevin, what happened?" Lorin noticed the bruises on her legs. She could barely stand. Something was definitely wrong.

"Nothing. I just fell."

No sooner had she spoken than Kevin felt the massive surge of magic coursing through Lorin’s body. She stared at him like he was a monster. His magic recovery speed was nearly a hundred times faster than others.

*Maybe this guy’s a decent power bank.*