admit defeat

Alice beamed with a warm smile, her eyes filled with genuine concern as she explained, "This is a cold-repelling rune. I noticed earlier that your physical condition seemed a bit off and you were rather sensitive to the cold." She gently held up the rune, the faint markings on it seeming to glimmer in the soft light. "So I specially crafted this cold-repelling rune. I hope it can be of some help to you."

Caesar stood tall and straight, his figure emanating an air of quiet power. He took the white rune paper in his long, slender fingers, his dark, obsidian-like eyes flickering with a hint of something indiscernible. His brows were slightly furrowed as he examined the rune, his expression one of deep thought.

Seeing that Caesar was holding the rune but remained motionless, Alice tilted her head inquisitively, her eyes widening a bit. "Do you dislike it?" she asked, a tinge of nervousness creeping into her voice.

Caesar's eyes, deep pools of mystery, seemed to stir with a complex mix of emotions. A brief, almost imperceptible flash of something tender passed through them.

"This cold-repelling rune might be a bit crude," he said slowly, his voice a low rumble. "But it is also a token of your sincerity." He paused for a moment, his gaze still fixed on the rune. "If you don't want me to have it, I can give it back to you."

After saying that, Alice reached out her hand with a quick, eager motion, her fingers stretching towards the rune.

However, in the next moment, the cold-repelling rune disappeared from his hand as if by magic. Alice's outstretched hand, caught off guard, ended up grasping Caesar's large, firm hand.

The touch of her soft, warm hand against his cold one made Alice's heart skip a beat. She looked up in surprise, her eyes meeting his deep and unfathomable gaze. Caesar, for his part, seemed to tense slightly at the contact, his body going rigid for an instant.

But after just two seconds of intense eye contact, Caesar abruptly turned his head away, his neck muscles straining. He shifted his gaze to the side, his broad shoulders squared. "I'll reluctantly accept it," he said, his tone a touch gruffer than before.

This person is really strange and rather arrogant, Alice thought to herself, a small frown creasing her brow.

At this time, no one noticed that Caesar's ear tips had gradually turned a faint shade of red. He unconsciously raised a hand to his ear, as if trying to hide the telltale sign.

Alice looked around the room, her eyes darting from one corner to another. "Where is this?" she asked, her curiosity evident.

"The Number One Restaurant in the World." Caesar replied, his voice regaining its usual composure. He casually swept his arm in a wide arc, gesturing to the opulent surroundings.

It's actually the Number One Restaurant in the World? No wonder the decoration and everything here are extremely luxurious and top-notch. With Caesar's powerful strength, he could naturally enter easily. Alice's eyes widened in wonder as she took in the details of the room.

She walked over to the window and looked up at the sky outside. It had already darkened, and a crescent moon was hanging high in the sky, casting a pale, silvery light. The sight seemed to entrance her, and a soft smile played on her lips.

Since coming to this world, she had never had the chance to take a good stroll in the bustling imperial city. She had heard that the capital city was especially lively at night. The thought of it made her eyes sparkle with excitement.

The more Alice thought about it, the more excited she became. She skipped over to Caesar's back, her steps light and energetic. "Caesar, how about we go out for a stroll together?" she asked, her voice filled with anticipation.

Caesar remained still, his back straight as an arrow. He didn't even turn his head as he replied coldly, "No."

Hearing such a resolute refusal, Alice's face fell, her smile fading. A look of disappointment clouded her eyes.

She got out of bed and walked up to Caesar, her movements a bit hesitant. "Let's go. I'll treat you to a meal," she said, mustering a grin. She tugged playfully at his sleeve, her fingers curling around the fabric.

Caesar looked down at her, his expression softening slightly. He studied her face, taking in her bright eyes and the way her hair fell around her shoulders. "…No." Caesar refused again, but this time his voice wasn't as cold and hard.

"Big brother…" Alice reached out and tugged at his robe with a more insistent pull. She blinked her big, bright eyes up at him, a pleading look in them.

Caesar took a small step back, his body language distancing himself. He raised his hand and pushed her hand away gently but firmly. "You'd better spend this time on cultivation. Besides, it seems you haven't cultivated in the past few days. You're still at the seventh level of a magic apprentice!" he said, his tone becoming more serious. He folded his arms across his chest, his stance authoritative.

"From today on, I will start to supervise your cultivation progress."

Alice felt as if she had been struck by a bolt from the blue. Her mouth opened in shock, her eyes wide with disbelief. "What… What did you just say?" she asked, her voice trembling.

Caesar saw her frightened expression, and a faint smirk tugged at the corners of his lips. He couldn't help but feel a strange sense of pleasure at her reaction.

The corners of Caesar's mouth curled up slightly, almost imperceptibly. Then he said, "Since my life is closely intertwined with yours, before I leave this place, I will raise your cultivation level to that of a Magus." He leaned forward slightly, his gaze locked on hers, emphasizing his point.

If he left here and she encountered danger, he might not be ableable to rush back to rescue her in time. Only if she was strong enough herself could it be the greatest guarantee for both of their lives.

"This is really too much trouble for you. How about…" having a discussion? Alice looked up at him, her eyes filled with a hopeful glimmer.

"That's settled." Caesar's tone left no room for argument. He straightened up to his full height, his presence dominating the space.

Alice pulled a long face, her brows knitting together in frustration. She wanted to cry but couldn't.

In her previous life, she was constantly supervised by a group of old sorcerers. She owed at least half of her great achievements in her previous life to them!

Now, in this new life, she was still being forced to progress in cultivation.

"Can't we discuss it a bit more?" Alice looked up, showing a big, fake smile to Caesar. She batted her eyelashes playfully, trying to charm him.

"No." Caesar's answer was short and to the point. He turned his head away, his jaw set.

"Brother Caesar, I can cultivate well on my own. I was just busy making the cold-repelling rune for you in the past few days and didn't have time to cultivate. I promise I'll cultivate hard in the future." Alice threw a few coquettish glances at him, her eyes half-lidded. She spoke in a deliberately soft, singsong voice, trying to make him change his mind.

Caesar was slightly moved upon hearing this. He turned his head slowly, his eyes casually sweeping over her. Seeing her affected manner, he didn't feel any disgust at all. Instead, he found her a bit cute. He raised an eyebrow in mild surprise.

Caesar felt that his gaze today seemed a bit unusual.

Alice said, "How about this? Let's make a bet. We'll have a physical fight without using magic power. If you win, everything will be as you say. If I win, then give me the chance to cultivate on my own." She bounced on the balls of her feet, her excitement palpable.

Seeing her bright and eager eyes, the words of refusal that Caesar was about to say got stuck in his throat. He hesitated, his lips parting slightly.

After thinking for a moment, he said, "Alright, I'll only give you this one chance." He uncrossed his arms, his body relaxing slightly.

"Thank you, big brother." Alice immediately became overjoyed. She clapped her hands together, a wide smile spreading across her face.

Caesar felt rather helpless when he heard her various forms of address. Sometimes she called him Caesar directly, sometimes Brother Caesar, and sometimes Big Brother…

The corners of his thin lips curved up slightly and then quickly returned to normal.

Even he himself didn't notice that occasionally a few traces of a doting look flashed in his eyes at this time.

In this spacious space, Caesar suppressed all of his cultivation power. He took a deep breath, his chest expanding, and then let it out slowly. He focused his attention on Alice, who was dressed as a young man not far in front of him.

Alice took off her mask, her movements swift and confident. She shook her head slightly, letting her hair fall freely around her face. Her features were delicate and beautiful, her eyes shining with determination.

She curled her lips into a charming and somewhat mischievous smile and mustered up the courage to lunge at Caesar. She crouched low, like a predator about to pounce, and then sprang forward with a burst of energy.

At first, Caesar didn't pay much attention. He simply sidestepped her initial attack with a casual step to the side, his body moving with fluid grace. However, as the fight with her progressed, he became increasingly shocked.

Her moves were extremely skillful. Every action contained a deadly strike. If he was a little careless, she would succeed!

Although she didn't have much strength, she was extremely good at using clever techniques like evading the real and attacking the false, making it difficult for external forces to harm her. She also used techniques like blocking and confining to prevent her opponent from exerting force.

Using finesse to overcome brute force!

Suddenly, her move changed to using softness to overcome hardness. She twined her body around his like a vine, her arms and legs wrapping around him tightly. Caesar's eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected move. He tried to break free, his muscles tensing, but she managed to push him to the ground.

Just when Caesar was about to counterattack, he felt a tickling and numbing sensation at his Adam's apple. He froze, his body going rigid. The feeling spread throughout his body instantly.

He knew that she had gently bitten his Adam's apple.

As long as he made the slightest move, she would bite down hard.

"I lost." Caesar conceded, his voice a bit hoarse.

Finally hearing these words, Alice immediately let go of his Adam's apple. At this moment, she was sitting on top of him. She sat up straight, a triumphant smile on her face. She held up two fingers, saying with a laugh, "I won, Caesar."

Caesar touched his Adam's apple, his fingers brushing over the slightly reddened skin. There was still a trace of warm and moist feeling. Looking at Alice again, he suddenly had a sense of unreality.

He could actually tolerate a woman sitting on top of him, and he didn't seem to dislike it.

"Caesar, what are you thinking about?" Alice saw that he was in a daze and waved her hand in front of his eyes. She leaned forward a bit, her face close to his.

Finally, Caesar agreed to let Alice cultivate on her own. However, he would still supervise her from time to time during this period to prevent her from being lazy.

Alice invited, "Caesar, let's go for a stroll?" She got up from him, her movements graceful. She extended a hand towards him, her palm up.

This time Caesar just looked at her deeply for a few seconds. His eyes seemed to bore into hers, searching for something. Then he said, "Okay." He took her hand, his grip firm but gentle.

Alice handed her half mask to Caesar. "If there was no mask to cover your face, your extremely handsome face would surely attract a large number of women to follow." She said with a teasing grin, her eyes twinkling.