Chapter 91. Cinderielle’s Thoughts. Flor’s Doubts.

Chapter 91. Cinderielle’s Thoughts. Flor’s Doubts. While Liu Shu thought about Fortuna's World Tree, she heard Cinderielle ask. "Say, Tiantian, did you read the books I shared with Flor?" Liu Shu answered with a cheerful tone. 'I ate them!' Cinderielle's mouth twitched. 'Right, I forgot she eats books.' She smiled, not knowing how else to react. "Ah... I see. So, did it taste good?" Puzzled, Liu Shu asked. 'How can books have a flavor? The earth and sun have taste, but not books. You didn't know this?' The Sylvan looked at the World Tree, feeling like everything she asked about had been wrong until now. In Liu Shu's canopy, Flor was trying her best not to burst into maniacal laughter at how badly Cinderielle was fumbling her conversation with Liu Shu. 'T-This is too funny, hahahahaha.' Cinderielle felt that if she continued trying to make small talk, she would probably fail to advance the relationship. However, after thinking for a few moments, she actually didn't change her methods. A smile appeared on her lips. 'Well, I will take this chance to learn about her. Go slowly, get to know her, understand how she thinks, what she likes, what she dislikes... Even if I fumble my questions, does it matter? I will eventually know and understand her.' Cinderielle laughed. "Well, I didn't know about the Sun having a flavor! How does it taste, Tiantian?" Liu Shu focused on her leaves, which were gently absorbing the Sun's nutrients, and answered slowly. 'The flavour is... strong. It gives me energy and makes me feel comfortable. When I don't regulate my intake, sometimes I feel sleepy as well, hahaha.' The Fire Sylvan approached and lit up a flame on her palm, approaching with it one of the branches that dropped low enough for her to reach. With Liu Shu's willow-like shape, plenty of her branches reached low enough for her action not to feel uncomfortable. "How about my flames, Tiantian? Do they feel like the Sun?" Liu Shu was at first surprised when seeing fire. As a tree, her first instinctive reaction was to avoid it. However, these thoughts only lasted for a moment. 'Hm? It doesn't burn?' Cinderielle saw everything with a deep smile in her eyes. At first, seeing the branches part away in fear made her heart hurt a bit. Still, when the branches moved back slowly and approached very carefully, her eyes shone with happiness. Like a gentle flame that grew by the second, her orange eyes looked at Liu Shu deeper the more she interacted with the fire she summoned. Seeing the branches curiously move inside her own fire gave the Sylvan a satisfaction like no other. Liu Shu was curious, so she couldn't help but play around with a gaze filled with interest. 'Wow~, your fire doesn't burn, why? It's... warm and comfortable.' Cinderielle laughed. "Perhaps it is because our affinity with each other is good." Liu Shu was doubtful. 'Really? Does affinity matter with fire? I thought it always burnt!' Cinderielle leaned on Liu Shu's trunk, slowly releasing her own flowery scent and aura. "Well..." Cinderielle smiled. "You are right. My fire is a bit special, that's it. It doesn't use organic materials as fuel, so unless I want it to, I can avoid burning any organic matter. Of course, I can also create a normally burning fire." Liu Shu's voice sounded pouty. 'You lied to me.' Cinderielle shook her head. "I didn't, Tiantian. Can't you really feel it? For example, right now, how do you feel with me around?" Liu Shu remained silent. She understood a bit why Cinderielle released her scent and aura. Because of the book she read on Sylvan's behavior, she knew that these actions were done when a Sylvan was interested in another creature. Of course, for Liu Shu, the concept of "being interested" was foreign. 'Interested in what? Forming a pair? The book said something about finding a life partner, but...' The World Tree felt confused. 'What is a life partner? Someone who will be with you forever? Someone who supports you? The book said that some Sylvan could become a World Tree's partner. But how does that work?' Yet, for that King, his wife was probably his world. More important on an emotional level than anything else. Important enough to throw everything they've built into the trash just to avenge her. That tale felt foreign to Flor. When Zinnia, a relatively young Rose Fairy whom Flor considered almost like a daughter, died, the thought of ordering all the Rose Fairies to go out and slaughter all creatures, regardless of the cost, never once crossed her mind. Was she angry? She was. Was she sad? She was. But, using the lives of others to avenge her was not something that would feel right to do. The reason Flor was not against sacrifice to protect Liu Shu was a mix of caring about her and Liu Shu being something like salvation and a lifeline for the Rose Fairies' development. In just one year of being around Liu Shu, their average tier has risen from F to F+. Their numbers were similarly increasing exponentially. And now, with the new fruits, that average would probably rise to E-, and with time, to E. Moreover, the affinity fruits would allow them to fight creatures realms above themselves at the same Level. The strength difference between an F Rank creature and an E Rank creature was abysmal. Yet, in just a few years, Liu Shu's existence will be able to change an entire race's tier. How crazy was that? Knowing all of this, Flor felt comfortable listening to Cinderielle's willingness to set aside her deep feelings to look over Liu Shu. It meant that while her emotional side was clearly irrationally obsessed, the rational side was strong enough to keep those emotions at bay. 'Now, the problem is...' "Good morning. You woke up early, Miss Cinderielle." Flor's gaze moved, and observed the new arrival. '... Will her emotional and rational balance remain untouched if another creature manages to close the gap you chose to leave open?' Cinderielle looked over and laughed. "Morning, Verdantia. How was your sleep?" The Life-Attributed Sylvan observed Cinderielle's posture and closeness, her eyes flashing with many thoughts. However, she answered normally while approaching Liu Shu. "It was the best sleep I've had in my life. The beds were all filled with a trace of Liu'er's scent~." Verdantia smiled at Liu Shu and said. "It's a very pleasant and refreshing smell." Liu Shu took the compliment at face value and giggled happily. 'Thanks, Verdantia!' Hearing her voice, Verdantia's eyes flashed with a deep obsession for a fraction of a second, something Flor and Cinderielle noticed. "No problem, Liu'er. You complimented my flowers, so we are now very close friends~." Liu Shu was puzzled and asked. 'Are we? Just because I thought your flowers were pretty?' Verdantia's legs faltered for a second, hearing that directly from her, but she managed not to fall as she leaned on Liu Shu's trunk. "Of course~." Flor's gaze moved from Verdanita's hand to Cinderielle's face, and she saw her orange eyes locked on the hand touching the World Tree's trunk. 'Now the real test starts, I guess. The things you say when the competition is behind you will be different than when they are ahead of you...' ***************************************** Author Note: Hello, dears; it has been a while, so here's a little reminder about Pa tre on benefits, which, by the way, have become quite a few! First of all, up to 15 extra chapters in both my novels! Next? A GIANT gallery of 45+ Complete images with a few R-18 ones~, hehe. Plus, there are 120+ sketches of those images! Then, the right to participate in the Celestial Theater and polls I do from time to time! Give it a look~. pa tre /Mortrexo