Professor Ryan Hacks choked up as he spoke.
It seemed that among all the women he had met, only the daughter of that human Lord had carved a mark in his heart.
As he grew older, perhaps he truly felt some regret.
But some things, once missed, are missed forever.
When the bell rang for the end of class, he left the classroom immersed in his own emotions.
It was as if he hadn't noticed at all that the faces of the students he left behind in the classroom had turned blacker than soy sauce, one after another.
"Telling a breakup story before Valentine's Day, you really have a way!"
Dark watched Professor Hacks's receding figure gradually disappear and couldn't help but reveal a trace of a smile.
The professors these past two days were really one more full of antics than the next.
"Dark, Dark."
Diana suddenly turned her head.
Dark asked, "What's wrong?"
Diana asked with a dazed and cute look, "What is a live-in son-in-law?"
Dark: "..."
You don't even know what a live-in son-in-law is, yet you listened so earnestly?
He said helplessly, "A live-in son-in-law is a boy who marries into a girl's family."
Diana: "Eh? Can boys also marry into a girl's family? Then..."
Dark: "Hmm?"
Diana hurriedly shook her head: "No, nothing."
Dark: "?"
Diana: "I said it's nothing!"
...
After leaving the classroom, Dark returned straight to the dormitory to perform the final revisions on the teaching materials for the Arithmetic Class.
He had roughly compiled the content for the entire academic year, but it still needed careful proofreading and processing.
However, this part required slow work to yield fine results.
He first performed a textual proofreading on the approximately fifty thousand words of content, minimizing the probability of typos and grammatical errors as much as possible, and then began to slowly enrich the sentences.
In general, the content of this Mathematics 1 mainly encompassed basic calculations, basic equations, and simple geometry. The geometry section introduced the Pythagorean theorem, from which some branches were derived.
The absolute difficulty of Mathematics 1 was not high, but some foundational things best revealed one's skill.
For example, the definition of "power," the induction of the Pythagorean theorem...
Dark had not yet given this Mathematics 1 to Professor Lily for appraisal, but he could roughly imagine Professor Lily's reaction.
For "wise ones" of Professor Lily's type, the method most habitually used in geometric calculations was not those formulas and theorems that had yet to be induced, but a means of "intracranial modeling"!
They would directly construct geometric models in their brains and then determine angles and side lengths through measurement.
This was certainly an effective method, but it lacked universality.
It simply couldn't be taught widely.
...
However, the Mathematics 1 written by Dark contained things that ordinary people could learn, and could completely be incorporated into basic education.
The significance of this level might exceed the expectations of the parties involved.
...
Eight o'clock in the evening.
Dark temporarily set aside Mathematics 1, pulled out a copy of Elf Craftsmanship — Wood Carving from the stack of books on the desk, and flipped through it casually.
He had discovered this book, Elf Craftsmanship — Wood Carving, by chance while looking for assignment materials in the library.
Thinking that he would have to learn it eventually, he borrowed it.
Taking it out to flip through now was partly to relax his mind, and partly to prepare for the wood carving studies later.
With Mathematics 1 completed and progress on the [Zoo] slow, the research on the [Tri-Armed Transmutation Circle] was naturally put on his agenda.
Once the immediate matters came to a temporary pause, he would probably start self-studying wood carving.
Even if wood carving craftsmanship couldn't be used for the [Tri-Armed Transmutation Circle], it could still exist as a hobby.
In short, it wouldn't be a loss either way.
Elf craftsmanship was famous for being exquisite and beautiful, and this was equally true for their wood carving.
If it were ordinary times, it would inevitably give people a feeling of being flashy without substance.
Most people bought products of Elf craftsmanship not for utility, but for decoration.
But this characteristic happened to be suitable for Dark.
Looking at the various exquisite wood carvings pictured in the book, he gradually became fascinated.
...
At nine-thirty, Dark put down the book, bathed and washed up, practiced the [Nether God Art] for a while, urged the Magic Guide Spirits to sleep, and then lay down to sleep fully clothed himself.
"Tomorrow is Valentine's Day."
Although Dark didn't place his focus on Valentine's Day, saying he didn't care at all would definitely be a lie.
He narrowed his eyes, pondering the list of gifts he might receive, and his eyelids grew increasingly heavy.
"I wonder if the world will have turned white when I wake up?"
...
When his breathing became steady.
The Sylveon on the small bed suddenly pricked up its ears.
It quietly extended two feelers from under the blanket, sensing the flow of air in the room.
After another long while, seemingly finally confirming that Dark was fast asleep, Sylveon quietly crawled out from under the blanket.
The meat pads on its feet touched the carpet silently.
The other Magic Guide Spirits were a step slower, but also got down from their beds one after another.
Ten Magic Guide Spirits, including DemiDevimon, gathered on the balcony in unprecedented harmony, chattering and discussing.
The brewing of the "magic potion" had long been completed.
What remained was the cutting and shaping.
Simply put, it was turning it into a shape that belonged to themselves.
Gatomon placed the large block of preserved chocolate flat in the center, then took out a knife and began the final cutting.
"Meow."
It hummed softly, and in just a moment, it divided the pitch-black chocolate into ten equal portions.
What they had brewed was dark chocolate dominated by bitterness, but the sweetness mixed within the bitterness was also very stubborn.
Gatomon had tasted it personally and was confident in the balance of taste.
But for chocolate endowed with extra meaning on Valentine's Day, taste was only one of the elements.
Sometimes, the shape was even more important than the flavor.
Therefore, ordinary people would use molds to set the shape while brewing the chocolate.
But Gatomon did not do that.
Because they were each different!
After receiving the chocolate, the ten Magic Guide Spirits began their respective shaping.
Before this, Gatomon had already thought for a long time.
It learned about the custom of giving chocolates on Valentine's Day through picture books, so it specifically looked up relevant information.
At first, it wanted to make a heart-shaped chocolate, which was common but classic.
But later it felt that was really lacking in character.
So after long deliberation, it decided to make a [Gatomon-shaped] chocolate!
Each Magic Guide Spirit received a large piece of chocolate, so they had the capital for trial and error.
Gatomon cut off a portion and began trying to carve that piece of chocolate into the shape of a cat's face.
Just thinking about Dark accepting its gift and biting into the chocolate of its shape bite by bite caused a slight flush to appear on its cheeks.
But during the carving process, it just curiously glanced around, and then discovered with astonishment—among all the Magic Guide Spirits, not a single one was honestly carving a heart!
Among them, Sylveon was obviously also carving a chocolate in its own shape.
Its ribbon feelers were very dexterous, and it soon carved something that looked decent.
As for the other Magic Guide Spirits, the shapes they were carving couldn't be clearly seen for the time being.
"Mang-mang~"
Magic Beast (Ditto) had transformed into the appearance of [Meowth] and was working very hard.
But attempt after attempt, failure after failure, the usable chocolate became less and less.
It looked pitifully at the fragmented chocolate, and finally, having a sudden inspiration, it modified those chocolate pieces into tiny little hearts, just like chocolate cookies!
Then it took out a gift box, put the chocolates inside, and tied a big bow with a ribbon.
This Valentine's Day gift was considered half complete!
...
After Magic Guide Spirits possessed intelligence and good basic education, they began to have thoughts that normal Magic Guide Spirits wouldn't have.
For example, feeling admiration for the magister who created them, understanding what gratitude is...
In the end, Magic Beast (Ditto) inserted a note into the gap of the gift box's ribbon.
On the note, crooked characters pieced together a simple sentence.
It held the gift box and placed it carefully at the head of Dark's bed.
Then it revealed a big, satisfied smile!
...
But it did not return to its own small bed. Instead, it turned back to the balcony to help Trash Slime with the external shaping of its chocolate.
For some reason, Trash Slime wanted to spread the chocolate into a large pancake shape...
And then create a sunken human face within the pancake-shaped chocolate.
Although Magic Beast (Ditto) looked confused, it still helped it successfully complete the production.
...
Four-thirty in the morning.
Diana, who had set an alarm specifically for this, sat up straight as if suddenly startled awake.
The quilt slipped from her upper body, revealing well-developed, rounded hemispheres.
Diana sat there for quite a while before suddenly snapping back to reality.
As her brain came online, she glanced at the alarm clock again and began to move in a rush.
Getting out of bed, washing her face, changing clothes, arranging her hair.
The things girls need to do early in the morning... are actually not much different from what boys need to do.
In the end, Diana only applied a little something like "baby cream" to her face.
Then she clipped on her card pouch, brought her gift, and like a red-and-white thief on Christmas, quietly opened the door and walked softly toward Dark's dormitory.
At this time, the sky was just brightening, hazy and dim.
The corridor was terrifyingly quiet.
Diana held the gift box, a rare trace of apprehension on her face.
"Does it really work?"
"On Valentine's Day, if a person has no lover and is seeking a partner, they will be with the first person they see forever!"
"It would be great if Dark could marry into Diana's family."
"That way, when Diana grows up, she won't have to leave Dad and Mom."
"Live-in son-in-law... Woo!"
...
The temperature was very low, and the air was cold.
Diana couldn't help but pull her collar tighter and breathed out.
Pure white mist rose in front of her, blurring her vision.
Tap, tap, tap.
Although Diana's footsteps were light, they still created echoes in the empty corridor.
Suddenly, her steps paused, her expression stunned.
At five in the morning, at the door of Room 201 at the top of the second floor of the Noble House tower, someone had actually beaten her to it!
If it were just that, it would be fine.
Diana judged others by herself, feeling that what she could do, others might also do.
But what she saw in her eyes at this moment caused her to feel puzzled.
The girl blocking Dark's dormitory door a step ahead of her was actually wrapped in a wool blanket, curled up in the corner of the door like an insect cocoon.
A tiny little thing, frost floating on her face.
Pink, slightly transparent hair draped over a palm-sized small face, and a sickly flush appeared on her cheeks.
A mere thin wool blanket couldn't block the invasion of the cold wind at all.
The snow-white limbs curled in the blanket trembled slightly, uncontrollably.
Eudora Envy was like a morning elf, petite and pitiable, so ethereal that she seemed as if she might disappear at any moment.
Diana stared blankly on the spot for a long while before finally muttering, "She couldn't have been squatting here since last night, could she?"
Immediately after, Diana took two steps forward and sensed an anomaly.
sleeping out in the open, ordinary people would instinctively be vigilant and sensitive to any movement.
But Eudora still had no reaction when she approached to such a close distance.
Diana subconsciously quickened her pace. When she reached Eudora's side, she hurriedly squatted down and reached out to touch her forehead.
Diana remembered that when her mother caught a cold, her father would touch it like this.
She heard that when the human body is unwell, the forehead becomes hot.
Although Diana hadn't experienced it, she had some common sense after all.
She first touched it with her fingertips, then switched to touching with her palm.
"So hot!"
Diana looked at Eudora, who was still not startled awake, and couldn't help but widen her eyes.
Even if she didn't understand much, she immediately realized that Eudora was definitely sick!
"What to do?"
Encountering this kind of emergency for the first time in her life.
Diana panicked instantly, at a loss like an ant on a hot pan.
She subconsciously looked at the door of Room 201, wanting to ask Dark for help.
But just as her bent knuckles were about to touch the cold door panel, she suddenly calmed down. She couldn't help but glance at Eudora, then immediately placed her gift on the ground, extended one hand under Eudora's body, and scooped her up with the other hand.
After scooping Eudora up along with the wool blanket, she bent her knees slightly to brace herself, switched to a two-handed princess carry, turned around, and rushed toward the stairwell.
Eudora's gift box slid out from the gap in the wool blanket and rolled to the door.
...
She was sick, so of course she had to find a doctor.
Diana held the girl who was only a year younger than herself, yet she handled the weight as if it were light, feeling no burden at all.
Her running steps were both fast and steady; in just a few strides, she rushed down the stairs and out of the tower.
The Feathered Serpent Golem guarding the Noble House tower suddenly opened its eyes, but then slowly closed them again.
The snow that had started falling outside at some point had long covered the bridge with a thick layer of white.
Deep footprints appeared on the layer of pure white snow, and drifting snowflakes covered the depressions of the footprints.
The entire castle was wrapped in a coat of plain silver, and the frozen lake surface reflected the gradually brightening sky.
The morning star shone with brilliance.
...
...
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