Ryan and Evelyn's hands were tightly interlocked, their gazes falling on Lyra playing not far away in the snow. Lyra's clear, cheerful laughter echoed across the empty snowfield.

  The faint struggles in Evelyn's hand had long since disappeared, as if she had silently consented to Ryan holding her hand. Even she had not noticed that her boundaries with Ryan were slowly lowering.

  In the past, not only would she refuse to hold hands, but even coming within ten meters of him would trigger her magic to invisibly push him away.

  Now, standing side by side, they looked remarkably like a couple who had been together for years, quietly watching their child play happily nearby. The atmosphere was so warm and tender it was almost unreal.

  Ryan held Evelyn's slender hand and occasionally hopped lightly, tracing patterns in the snow with his toes. He had to admit, his drawing skills were quite impressive.

  He pulled Evelyn's hand as he hopped onto a flat patch of snow, using his toes to gently scrape and quickly sketch the figure of a little girl.

  The features of this little girl were so distinct that Evelyn immediately recognized how closely they resembled the little girl from the Clockwork Doll.

  Next to the little girl, Ryan slowly traced the shape of a little boy with his toes. He did not even realize that the two snow figures were almost identical to the Clockwork Doll pair.

  Even more subtly, the two figures held hands tightly, standing out vividly against the vast expanse of white snow.

  After finishing the sketches, Ryan slowly looked up at Evelyn beside him. She lowered her head slightly beneath her veil, seemingly staring at the snow drawings at her feet. The veil concealed her expression, making it impossible to tell her emotions.

  Ryan guessed that beneath the veil, she probably still looked as cold and distant as ever.

  But he could not resist. Taking advantage of Evelyn's brief distraction, he suddenly tugged harder on her right hand.

  Caught off guard, Evelyn's body tilted toward him. At the moment her balance shifted, Ryan released her hand, then immediately extended his arm and wrapped it around her slender waist.

  Their bodies pressed tightly together, their warmth clearly passing through their clothes. The cold snowfield seemed to grow warmer in the heat of their closeness.

  "Evelyn..."

  Snow fell from the sky, drifting onto their hair and shoulders.

  Evelyn's body stiffened slightly, as if the call had unsettled her thoughts. Perhaps her mind was so scattered that for a few brief seconds she made no attempt to struggle, leaning against Ryan's chest and allowing the snowflakes to fall over them.

  Ryan slowly raised his left hand, his fingertips gently reaching for the cord of the veil around Evelyn's neck. With a light tug, the knot came undone.

  Then, he raised his hand with care, lifting the veil from Evelyn's face. As the fabric slowly rose, a face resembling that of a goddess gradually emerged.

  Evelyn's cheeks were tinged with a soft blush, her usual cool and aloof aura softened, replaced by a hint of charming innocence.

  Cradled tightly in Ryan's arms, her eyes stared at him blankly, full of uncertainty and wonder.

  From above, the endless white snowfield stretched out below. Ryan stood tall, and Evelyn leaned delicately against him. Their eyes met, and their pupils trembled slightly in unison.

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  Ryan slowly moved closer, his lips warm with breath, inching toward her bit by bit.

  Evelyn, held in his embrace, did not struggle in any significant way. Her pupils contracted slightly, and she stared blankly at Ryan drawing nearer, her mind utterly empty.

  Until their noses lightly touched, their warm breaths mingling, their gazes clashed fiercely at such close range. A flickering fire seemed to burn in Ryan's eyes.

  Neither of them noticed that in this instant of rapidly intensifying emotion, a glowing circular pattern appeared simultaneously on the right wrists of both.

  The pattern on Evelyn's wrist glowed blue, like condensed moonlight, radiating a gentle and serene magic. The pattern on Ryan's wrist blazed red like dancing flames, exuding a scorching heat.

  A closer look revealed that these were the markings of the Fate Bracelets.

  The pair of Fate Bracelets emitted a faint magical aura, subtly influencing their thoughts, as if catalyzing the deepening of their emotions.

  Of course, the magic of the Fate Bracelets only works under one condition: both parties must feel a genuine attraction toward each other.

  Evelyn stared at Ryan so close before her and gently closed her eyes. Her long lashes quivered slightly, betraying the nervousness in her heart.

  At this moment, Ryan's own tense heart quietly eased. He knew that if Evelyn struggled violently, he would have no choice but to release her. He did not wish to force her or make her resentful; every approach came from genuine emotion.

  Their noses remained touching for a long while, the warmth between them weaving continuously.

  Ryan understood that this could not be rushed. His lips still moved slowly, softly pressing closer to hers.

  Everything around them seemed to vanish, the whistling cold wind and falling snow could not interfere with their closeness.

  Despite the biting cold blowing against them, they felt no chill, only the increasing warmth of each other's bodies, a rising heat that made every breath feel scorching.

  Finally, their lips met gently. The warmth intertwined with a faint, tender flutter. Not fully pressed together yet, but the moment already made time feel as though it had stopped.

  Evelyn, held tightly in Ryan's arms, could not stop her body from trembling slightly, her heartbeat racing so violently it felt like it might burst from her chest.

  Ryan's state was no different. Even after countless cycles of reincarnation, he remained a complete novice when it came to matters of the heart.

  In other words, these two, locked in an embrace at this moment, were two emotional rookies colliding in all their awkwardness.

  They could feel each other's hearts pounding violently in their chests, each beat audible, yet unspoken, neither daring to break the fragile silence of embarrassment and excitement.

  Just as Ryan's lips were about to press fully against Evelyn's…

  "Headmistress!" A voice full of rage, almost tearing itself from the throat, suddenly rang out from afar.

  Ryan's ears twitched, instantly recognizing the source of the voice.

  It was Mora! Her voice carried such intense anger that the magical fluctuations it emitted sent the falling snow around them into wild turbulence, forming a chaotic mist of snow.

  Damn it! Ryan silently cursed as he heard the familiar roar. Every hesitation instantly vanished.

  He knew clearly that no matter how furious Mora was, she would never dare attack two potential Grand Magus candidates like them.

  The thought flashed through his mind, and he no longer held back. With reckless abandon, he pressed his lips forcefully against Evelyn's!

  Amid the raging blizzard, their bodies clung tightly together in the swirling snow, kissing passionately and intensely.

  It was as if they were shutting out all distractions, plunging headfirst into the surge of emotion in that fleeting moment.

  The deafening roar snapped Evelyn back to reality. The tangible pressure of his lips on hers made her eyes widen instantly, filled with shock and panic.

  Had she lost her mind earlier? Why had she closed her eyes and allowed this idiot to kiss her? And why had she not struggled?

  Evelyn twisted and struggled violently in Ryan's arms, her delicate arms pushing against his chest.

  But Ryan's arms held her firmly, leaving her unable to move even an inch, only able to emit soft, choked whimpers.

  Mora watched the shocking scene unfold in the distance. Ryan's unapologetic move to kiss Evelyn was a direct, crushing blow to her.

  Her eyes instantly turned red, bloodshot, and she sprinted toward them in a storm of fury.

  Her heart ached with frustration, yet she could not strike. After all, both Ryan and Evelyn were Grand Magus talents, the future pillars of the academy.

  She did not possess the meticulous mind of Elara or Maelira. Had it not been for their moral blackmail about the academy's future, she would never have agreed to come searching for Evelyn.

  Now, her mind was filled with nothing but anger. Her whole body trembled with fury, yet she dared not act.

  After a few stunned seconds, reality hit her: if she could not attack, surely she could at least pull them apart.

  How could she stand here foolishly, just watching them kiss?

  Realizing this, Mora could no longer restrain herself. Magic surged under her feet, her form accelerated, and she dashed toward the embracing pair, determined to wrench Ryan away with all her strength.