Finally, just to be safe, after the Third Princess’s watcher left, Yiyi and I kept practicing reinforcement magic deep in the forest until noon.

"May the sacred soul bless us, spirit as guide—Heavenly Armor."

"May nature’s power shield us, spirit as guide—Gale Swiftness."

But after this whole morning’s training, the only things I’d gained were a head full of obscure incantations… and the painful realization of just how frail my body was.

Just one morning—even with rest breaks nearly equal to practice time—I felt like every joint had dislocated. Slumped on the ground, I couldn’t move a muscle. My body went limp, drenched in fragrant sweat. Angels truly were built differently from humans; even our perspiration carried a delicate floral scent. Or as *that person* put it: "Little Yiyi smells so sweet~ I just wanna gobble you up right now~"

A light, refreshing fragrance drifted through the leaves. Though this was a forest, the ground bloomed with tiny colorful flowers. Glancing up, I spotted plump little white blossoms clinging to the branches—easy to miss among the thick foliage, yet their calming aroma filled the air.

Mmm…

A breeze, soft as a dancer’s fan, brushed past. Sunlight, filtered through layered leaves, lost its glare and glowed warm orange like a lovesick maiden. Sitting there, I didn’t want to move an inch.

"Alright, rest’s over. Time to head back."

Just as I stared dazedly at the sunbeams dappling the ground, a crisp voice chimed beside me. I turned to see *that person’s* face—utterly untouched by fatigue.

*How can she not be tired after all that training? Is her body even human?* …Ugh. My head throbbed.

She clearly noticed my trembling limbs but seemed unfazed—probably just thinking I was exhausted. Without asking, she sat beside me, took my wrist, and gently kneaded my arm.

"There, there. Since you look so pitiful, I’ll *graciously* give you a massage. No need to thank me too much, okay?"

Her hands were surprisingly skilled. After barely two minutes, my knotted muscles loosened, and the screaming fatigue in my body eased.

"T-thank you, Master."

"Told you not to over-thank me! Who else would massage a weak Contract Beast like you?" Her hands paused briefly at my words, then she huffed and turned her head away. "Though… do your wings need massaging too, Little Yiyi?"

"A-ah! Master, please don’t—!" I shook my head frantically, fighting the instinctive euphoria surging through our Contract. *Just one touch makes me melt… if she massages them…*

"Come on, don’t be shy, Little Yiyi~"

"I really don’t— Mmm… ah…! M-Master…! Mmm…! Gently… please… no…"

*She’s doing this on purpose… absolutely on purpose…*

Later, when she scooped me up in a princess carry—smiling while I lacked even the strength to wiggle a finger—I glared up at her, puffed up like a little beast. *Wait—no! Not like a beast! Damn this Contract!* After the Throne Struggle… I swear I’ll escape. I’ll get as far from this person as possible…

…Ugh. Headache.