Chapter 486 "The Christmas Ball (3)"

Stephanie's sudden question caught Sean off guard. She was smiling and blinked her eyes from time to time, like a girl laughing at her boyfriend. Sean didn't expect it to be asked from Stephanie.

He pulled his bow tie and said a little uncomfortably, "Now is not the time to talk about this..."

"Why not? Frankly speaking, boys your age are in the stage of hormonal development. Whether it's a school or a Muggle school, boys at this age have already experienced a relationship or two."

Sean took a deep breath, trying to turn his back, "But why are you asking this question?"

She raised her head and didn't have the expected reaction from Sean. Instead, she said without thinking, "I thought it was obvious. I like you too, Sean."

Sean froze on the spot, and the sudden confession disrupted his mind. Before he could speak, Stephanie moved closer and softly placed her hands on Sean's shoulders.

"Do you want to date me, Sean?"

The words caught Sean off guard. He pretended to be calm, but he didn't notice that he was trembling in his heart.

"Okay, cut with the jokes. You are not Patricia, who likes to tease others," he said calmly.

Stephanie laughed, "Do you still want to pull another girl into this tangled relationship? Or do you like hot girls like Patricia?"

"When did I say that I like that kind of... No, I'm talking about the things between the two of us now that-" Sean couldn't continue what he was trying to say.

Stephanie's eyes were shining, and anyone could see the firmness and seriousness inside.

"Okay, give me a moment to think. Is this related to your Lust, or is it really just what you were trying to say to me? Or are you affected by something now?"

She continued, "No, nothing was wrong with me at all, and I'm fine right now."

She moved her face closer, and Sean could see her delicate eyelashes.

"Forget all about that. I do like you." She smiled, "So, are you going on a date, Mr. Wallup?"

Sean turned his face uncomfortably, "Stephanie, I think you may have misunderstood..."

But Stephanie is much stronger today than before; she seems no longer that cold, expressionless girl.

"Why, Sean?" She blinked in confusion, "Isn't it everyone's right to pursue the person you like?"

"I know, but I don't think our relationship would go well now..." Sean said with difficulty.

Stephanie didn't feel sad about being rejected at all but smiled even more happily, "But you didn't push me away."

It was only then that Sean realized that Stephanie's hands on his shoulders were still gently stroking his hair. He pushed away her hand and straightened his clothes.

"I forgot..."

Stephanie wasn't annoyed or anxious. She moved closer after Sean pushed her away. "Body never lies, Mr. Wallup."

"But the body is also affected by instinct." Sean retorted.

"And your instinct proves that at least your body is attracted to mine." Stephanie showed no sign of weakness.

Sean looked at each other, sighed, and said with a headache, "This doesn't look like you at all..."

She replied, "It doesn't look like me because I'm after you."

Sean stopped talking and scratched his hair. However, Stephanie didn't give him much time to think. She seemed to have already prepared what she was going to say today.

"Leave the dating thing aside. Please allow me to explain." She waved her wand, and the snowflakes falling in the sky gradually subsided, "I don't want to get an answer. Whether I accept it or reject it, I simply want to tell you about it."

She smiled, "I like you, Sean."

Sean's lips squirmed, and finally, he only spit out a word, "I..."

"Now you know, we can start about it later."

She used her wand to summon a huge cushion, sat down, and patted the seat beside her with an anticipation look on her face. Sean sighed and finally sat down.

Stephanie looked up at the chandelier and said, "Sean, you don't have to worry about me. Whether it's my feelings for you or your thoughts about me, I don't mind at all."

She turned her head, "I hope that you can put me on hold for a while. As for today, just treat it as a little thing that happened on my birthday."

Her sudden change in attitude confused Sean a little, but after seeing her expression, he still nodded, "Alright…"

Stephanie smiled when she got the answer she wanted, and she lay down.

"Can we talk more?"

Sean followed her and lay down, complaining a bit in his tone, "There are more things to think about, even though you said you don't have to care..."

Stephanie helped him complete the next words, "But I am still thinking about how to deal with our relationship in the future, right?"

Sean said helplessly, "Don't you know that it's a bit cheeky of you to say you can put it aside temporarily, Miss Ollivander?"

A laugh can be heard, "Well, I just want to rejuvenate your memories about me when we first met and make them shock-value."

"I guess."

Both of them were looking at the ceiling. The light that the elf flew and scattered lightly blended into the air, and the whole room suddenly fell silent.

After a long time, Stephanie said, "You said that you will think about how to deal with our future relationship, right?"

"Yeah." Sean replied.

"What about Daisy and Hermione?"

As soon as this was mentioned, Sean immediately had a headache, "Shouldn't we maintain a slightly ambiguous friendship now? Don't you think this kind of question ruins the atmosphere now?"

Stephanie smiled, "Of course, I would be happy about that, but you overlooked one thing."

"What?" Sean turned his head slightly.

"You think about how our relationship will develop afterward, but you don't think about Daisy and Hermione." She said softly.

Sean fell silent for a moment.

"This is not a topic I should bring up. What I should do is to constantly show my value, attract you more, and at the same time avoid some possible conflict in the relationship between the two of you." Stephanie explained calmly, "It's just that the situation is special, and I think that if you want to handle the relationship between the two of them well, being equal to everyone is one way to start."

Sean frowned suspiciously. Was he being unfair to anyone?

"I treat everyone equally. If others treat me well, I will treat others well. If others treat me badly, I will treat others worse." He replied

"You're rational..." Stephanie chuckled lightly, "But, if things like emotions are all based on reason, what's the use of emotion?"

Sean stopped talking again.

Stephanie still looked at the ceiling and said, "As I said just now, you will consider our future relationship, but Daisy and Hermione are not in consideration. It is obvious that your relationship with them is closer, but you kind of brushed them off or pretended to be stupid by not knowing it. Is this fair?"

Sean sighed.

Stephanie turned over and looked at Sean, "This is not your weakness, Sean. This may be the thing that fascinates me the most about you. Your way of solving things comes from not being able to see the future. On the surface, it's like you're evading it, but you were trying to be responsible about it."

"You're worried about the Pride, right? It lives in your body, and I have one in mine. No matter what it will look like in the future, whether it's good or bad, we're both going through the same thing." Stephanie stretched out her hand.

" But Daisy is different from Hermione. Before the Sins problem is not dealt with, you can't think about the longer-term future, and you can't think about who you want to spend the rest of your life with."

Her voice made Sean a little defensive. He forced a smile, "I'm Sean Wallup. People now call me a once-in-a-century wizard in the world. I might be- "

Stephanie pressed Sean's chest hard, "Don't lie."

"I can't find a solution, but the time for Pride to wake up is getting closer. I can only pin my hopes on others. Whether it is Professor Grindelwald or Professor Dumbledore, they are trustworthy men, but they're not me..."

Stephanie moved her body.

"Well, I can feel it, too."

Sean patted Stephanie's hand lightly, "The pressure is indeed great, but I am not a person who sits and waits to die, and I will definitely do my best."

As he spoke, more confidence and firmness gradually appeared in his eyes, "I don't believe in fate. If there is a fate, it must be made by me."

Stephanie stared blankly at his face, and she smiled slightly. "Bad news, Mr. Wallup."

"Huh?"

"That makes me like you more."

"Well, having said that. It's not fair that you've been avoiding Hermione and Daisy because of this. Professor Grindelwald has probably influenced you, and you always like to take things on yourself. Think more about others. Why don't you try to ask other people's thoughts about it? Is it because you feel that after you tell them that you are one of the Sins, they will avoid you like a monster?"

Sean replied, "Of course not."

"Some things don't have to be taken in your heart. If you tell them, will it have a negative impact on the whole thing? Probably not."

Stephanie squirmed in his arms, "But for the follow-up of your relationship with them, they at least have the right to choose, don't they?"

Stephanie's words made Sean think deeply. Stephanie seemed to see through Sean's thoughts. She moved her body and withdrew from Sean's arms.

"It turns out that there is still a layer of you that I didn't know."

Sean sneered, "Come on, it's nothing."

"Also, why haven't you picked a partner yet?"

"Uhh…"

Stephanie lay down with her hands spread out, "I owed you once before. I'll do you a favor..."

"Huh?"