Chapter 90
Chapter 90
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 90: Lan Qi Was Just a Step Away from Heaven
Morning in the royal capital of Ikerite.The sky carried a faint shade of blue, and in this cool autumn season, the entire city’s air felt unusually crisp and fresh.
On the east side of Ikerite Academy, just two streets over, the roads were lined with shops.
From a small restaurant drifted the smell of breakfast—oats and cheese mingled with the warmth of smoke from the kitchen.
Lan Qi stood outside its door, wearing a faintly puzzled expression as he looked up at the building: a two-story wooden house of typical design, with a signboard at the entrance reading “Cat Boss Restaurant.”
Though the structure was built from rustic, tea-colored timber, the style and ornamentation were brimming with old Victorian charm. The wide sloping roof curved elegantly, its eaves stretching far beyond the walls to create a sense of spaciousness. Beneath them, a balcony offered room to relax, chat, or even dine. A set of wind chimes hung from the deep eaves, chiming softly whenever the breeze passed.
This was the new address Talia had given him.
It seemed that although the place was primarily a restaurant, the second floor doubled as a small inn for rent.
If one stayed here long-term, the rent likely wouldn’t be expensive. More importantly, Lan Qi trusted Talia’s gourmet radar—if she had chosen this place, the food must truly be unique and delicious.
The moment he pushed the door open, the sound of “ding-ling, ding-ling” chimed above him, and the restaurant’s quaint interior came into view.
Simple partitions divided the tables into sections. Aside from the front counter, there was only a stairwell leading to the kitchen or the second floor.
It seemed the restaurant wasn’t focused on breakfast service, so there weren’t many customers at this hour. Even the clerk behind the counter had to double as a waitress, shuffling back and forth with trays.
“Hello, I’m looking for a Miss Talia who’s staying here.”
Lan Qi waited patiently until the young waitress returned from delivering food, then asked politely.
“Miss Talia…? Sorry, I’ve only just started working here, so I don’t really know the guests staying upstairs.”
The waitress looked slightly apologetic as she explained.
She was young, about his age—likely a student working part-time.
“But if you can describe her, I can’t tell you which room she’s in, but I can go upstairs and help you find her.”
Her tone was friendly. She felt instinctively that Lan Qi wasn’t dangerous—just a warm, gentle boy.
“Well, she’s very beautiful. About 168 centimeters tall, looks around 20 to 25 years old. Long gray hair, golden eyes. Her figure’s the ideal healthy type, never had children. Hardly ever talks, never smiles.”
Lan Qi described her with absolute seriousness.
Back in his hometown of South Mantina, he’d once failed to describe Talia clearly to the butler. Ever since then, he’d been carefully refining the perfect way to depict her through words.
But before he even finished, a sudden chill crawled up his back.
A cold hand landed on his shoulder.
And from behind him radiated a pair of golden eyes—merciless, superior, brimming with crushing magical pressure.
The waitress herself shivered, rubbing her arms as if the whole restaurant’s temperature had dropped several degrees.
“You mean… the lady standing behind you?” she asked timidly, pointing toward his side.
“…Probably.”
Lan Qi kept the same fixed smile as he slowly turned his head.
His neck was the only part that would move—his body felt as if it had a mountain pressing down upon it.
Talia was standing directly behind him.
Her slender fingers looked as though they could snap his shoulder at any moment. In her other hand, she carried a paper box of Ikerite sea-salt cheese biscuits—a treat that always sold out early in the morning, forcing people to queue at dawn.
“Good morning, Teacher Talia.”
Seeing her appetite still intact, Lan Qi relaxed a little.
It seemed she’d been living happily enough these past two days without him.
…Though he did worry she might gain weight.
At her age, with her temperament, if she got fat on top of that… she’d be even harder to marry off.
“Come with me.”
Talia released his shoulder. Her voice carried no emotion, but every word was sharp with killing intent.
After thanking the waitress, Lan Qi obediently followed her up the creaking wooden stairs to the second floor.
They walked all the way to the end of the hallway. Talia drew a key from her pocket and unlocked the door to her new lodgings.
“Get in.”
Her tone was ice-cold.
Lan Qi didn’t dare hesitate—he hurried inside.
“Talia, you’ve got good taste…”
His eyes swept across the little apartment in genuine admiration.
The ceiling was a lattice of wooden planks and beams, with skylights angled to give the sense of a rooftop terrace where one could stargaze at night.
The walls were painted in warm tones of cream, pale orange, and beige, while the carefully polished wooden furniture shone with natural grain.
Talia ignored him, walking past to sit in the lone wooden armchair in the living room.
Beside it stood a small tea table stacked with newspapers and magazines—an image of her quiet, reclusive life here was easy to imagine.
When Lan Qi glanced at her, her gaze snapped back to him.
Though she had no proof, her instincts were stronger than ever: this boy was always thinking thoughts that deserved death.
Her innate magic was sharpening with time. Even if it wasn’t quite telepathy yet, she could sense how abnormally active his mind became whenever he was near her.
Other than restoring her kingdom, her only goal now was to break through her innate magic—from lie detection to full mind-reading. Only then could she uncover exactly what this human was plotting in his head.
“…Why did you come to me?”
Her tone was as cold as ever.
She had long intended to ask Lan Qi about the Shadow World incident from two days ago.
But whenever she imagined him smiling on the surface while secretly entertaining some vile thought inside, she burned with rage.
So she hadn’t reached out to him at all—just waited for him to come find her.
And sure enough, he had.
Which only proved this human was even more dependent on her than she’d imagined.
Yet, as expected—
The instant she saw his face, her mood soured again.