NOVPUBThe winding path meandered upward, flanked by lush cascades of evergreen ivy on both sides.
Even without speaking, they both knew where to go next in the vicinity.
What they needed now was to adjust their mindset, and there was a perfect place for that, highly recommended by Countess Rosalinda.
Montmartre Heights, at an altitude of 170 meters, is also the highest point in the entire Floral City Pariel. 𝙣𝒐𝙫𝙥𝙪𝙗.𝙘𝙤𝙢
Ascending to the heights, the city of flowers lay spread out beneath them, with comfortable benches, also offering a view of the sunset.
The Montmartre Heights in North Shore 3rd District, as compared to other districts in Pariel, were indeed high, so much so that even the Selina River could not flow against its rise.
Here, there were scenic winding paths, grand sacred churches, Little Hill Square crowded with painters, and dance halls alive with music every night.
In just a few minutes, they had climbed to the top of Montmartre Heights.
Leaves accumulated on the side of the road, where children occasionally ran past, and in the distance, middle-aged men in suits and leather shoes read newspapers.
Looking out, the vast expanse of Parie City unfolded before them, with the westward-dipping sun beginning to melt into the horizon, the sky painted pink like burning clouds.
The two sat down on the bench in front of the railing, feeling as though they had escaped into the heavens.
For a long while after that, they remained silent.
The gentle evening breeze played with their hair, bringing with it a faint scent of roses, refreshing the soul.
"Shall we go have dinner?"
Lanci glanced at the clock tower and suddenly asked.
They had only just had lunch, but it was already time for dinner.
"No need."
Talia didn’t look at Lanci, feeling like his motive for asking was incredibly annoying.
She was already full, fuller than she had ever been.
It was all Lanci’s fault, feeding her so much that when she was with him, she felt as if her self-control switch was broken.
"I meant eating dinner normally; I won’t feed you this time."
Lanci still asked with concern.
He was always worried that Talia might be hungry.
"I don’t want you to feed me, never again!"
Talia finally turned to him and shouted as if swearing to a goddess.
She remembered the entire afternoon of being fed by Lanci and now felt her face burning.
Such absurdity would never happen between them again!
"It seems that you really are full."
Lanci said, reassured.
This afternoon had felt like several centuries to him.
Thankfully, they were in Floral City Pariel. If they had been so shamelessly feeding each other in Ichrite and been walked in on by friends, they might as well have fled the world.
"..."
Talia slowly turned her head away from gazing at Lanci’s face.
The setting sun draped her delicate features in a veil of light, her pupils reflecting the city’s dusk as if memories were swirling.
She had been in this beautiful Floral City for quite some time now, with each recollection now crystal clear in her memory.
When she first came to this city, she had never imagined she’d squabble with Lanci like this every day, even enduring a catastrophe together.
Perhaps not just one...
"Any new thoughts on card-making?"
Talia mumbled to herself as if weary from the exertion.
Perhaps full from food and drink, her tone returned to normal, no longer bickering with Lanci.
"Not at all."
Lanci shook his head,
"But if you make cards without scolding me on purpose like today, I might really not adjust to it."
His current ability as a cardmaker was partly trained into him by Talia, day by day.
"You saw through me, did you?"
Talia glared at Lanci, questioning him.
"Of course."
Lanci no longer had the heart to tease her.
"Then you deliberately made me angry!"
Talia pinched Lanci’s cheek, glaring at him furiously.
"Wrong, wrong, ow!"
Lanci surrendered outright.
Again, the two squabbled as usual, their noisy scuffle accompanied by the shadows cast by the sunset that looked both angry and joyful.
They drew the attention of children, and soon, the kids dashed past once more.
"Alright, I’ll let you off today."
But perhaps Talia truly had no energy left to fight with Lanci, for she soon gradually released his cheek.
The two settled back onto the bench, watching the sun about to disappear beneath the horizon.
"I always feel like we’ve found the secret to how to work with each other..."
Talia whispered contemplatively, her frown betraying an inability to articulate her thoughts clearly.
"If we could find the synergy we had that day during the final battle in the Posen Demon Realm, maybe it would be different."
For some reason, she felt that if she teamed up with the Lanci of that time, they would be able to cooperate well.
"But it seems so difficult."
Lanci mused as he watched the sunset.
Not to mention how to reclaim the state of that day.
Just not bickering with each other was a challenge.
"Why don’t we revive Laoman and ask him how he made us unite our thoughts that day?"
Lanci proposed to Talia.
"..."
Talia looked at Lanci, his earnest expression revealing his tendency not to show much respect for the defeated.
In a way, he respected his opponents immensely, always paying homage.
She would likely continue to hear stories about legendary foes from him in the future.
He helped Hugh defeat Laowu, and he helped her defeat Laoman.
Wait a minute, who had he beaten the strongest, Lausang, for?
"Besides, we haven’t tried card-making in several days, have we? What if we give it a try when we get back tonight?"
