181: Chapter 181 Cecilia's Breakthrough! The Girl's Complex Emotions!

The master bedroom on the top floor.

A subtle scent lingered in the air.

Cecilia, with her exceptional perception, twitched her nose, feeling somewhat unaccustomed to it.

Rowan was currently sitting on a lounge chair by the floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking Gino City below.

He was casually draped in a velvet bathrobe, the collar slightly open to reveal his well-defined chest.

The morning light traced soft lines on his sharp profile as he held a glass of pale red liquid, his expression leisurely and relaxed.

Catherine was indeed very beautiful.

Her beauty wasn't like Helena's quiet, intellectual elegance, nor Cecilia's sharp, wild beauty; it was a pure and delicate temperament, like a fawn in the forest.

Her slender frame, skin so fair it was almost translucent, and those eyes that turned slightly red whenever she was startled or nervous all gave rise to an involuntary urge to protect her.

It was precisely this unique temperament that made him unable to resist having her a few more times this morning.

A noble girl as pure as a fawn.

The taste was quite good...

He brought up the system panel and glanced at the gains from last night and this morning.

[Charm lv3 Proficiency +24]

[Drain lv3 Proficiency +72]

[Obtained Free Attribute Points +121]

The first blooming of an 82-point girl; the harvest was slightly lower than that of the 84-point Sylvie, but it was still quite good.

However, the experience with Catherine's soft, delicate body was even more delicious than with Sylvie.

That sense of fragile vulnerability instead stirred some deeper interest in him.

He set down his teacup as he heard faint footsteps coming from the door.

The footsteps were almost inaudible on the carpet, but with his current perception, he could clearly outline the person's figure and the rhythm of their steps without even looking.

Light, steady, and intentionally silent upon landing—these were the characteristics of the Shadow Breathing Technique after its initial mastery.

Cecilia walked in.

She had changed into clean, dark gray casual clothes, her high ponytail still carrying a hint of dampness.

Compared to when she first arrived, this girl who disliked wearing dresses seemed to have shed an invisible layer of restraint, her every movement now possessing a sense of fluid and restrained power.

This was the outward manifestation of the comprehensive improvement in physical fitness after gaining entry into the Breathing Technique.

Rowan's gaze lingered on her for a moment, a flash of satisfaction appearing in his eyes.

He pointed to the chair opposite him, his tone casual yet carrying an air that brooked no refusal:

“Sit.”

Cecilia glanced at him.

Without saying a word, she walked silently to the seat opposite him and sat down.

Rowan sized up the girl in front of him.

Her progress with the Shadow Breathing Technique was even faster than he had expected.

Under the supply of ample resources—

Now, she stood firmly at the peak of a High-level Apprentice Knight.

She was only one step away from the most critical threshold: the condensation of a life seed.

In other words, he was finally about to nurture his own first knight.

The thought put him in a good mood.

He reached out and picked up a potion glowing with a faint milky-white aura from the small table beside the lounge chair.

He pushed a wooden box in front of Cecilia and said in a flat tone, “This is a breath of life potion. It can assist you in condensing a life seed and breaking through to become an Official Knight.”

Cecilia's gaze fell on the potion, her pupils constricting slightly.

breath of life potion!

She had, of course, heard of this name.

This was a high-level auxiliary potion that helped High-level Apprentice Knights break through bottlenecks and condense life seeds. Its market price was over a thousand gold coins, and even then, it was often unavailable.

When she was in the mercenary group, she had heard the leader lament that even saving money for a lifetime might not be enough to buy one.

And now, it was placed so casually before her.

She was silent for a moment.

She understood Rowan's meaning.

Then, she reached out, picked up the crystal bottle, uncorked it, tilted her head back, and drained the liquid glowing with a milky-white aura in one gulp.

...

As the potion went down her throat, it initially felt like mint, but it quickly transformed into a gentle yet surging heat that spread through her entire body.

The heat wasn't violent, but it carried an indescribable vitality, like spring rain nourishing the earth, permeating every corner of her body.

Cecilia closed her eyes and, following the path of the Shadow Breathing Technique, guided the heat to circulate through her meridians.

At first, the circulation of the heat was somewhat sluggish.

But as she adjusted her breathing rhythm, the heat became smoother and smoother, like a cleared river channel, surging and flowing within her.

The combat qi in her body was originally like water droplets scattered on sand; although condensed through the Breathing Technique, it could never truly merge into one.

Now, under the catalysis of the breath of life potion, those scattered droplets began to converge, rotate, and compress in the same direction, forming an increasingly solid and bright vortex.

She knew—

That vortex was the prototype of a life seed.

The entire process lasted for about three minutes.

Fine beads of sweat broke out on Cecilia's forehead, her breathing sometimes rapid and sometimes slow, while a faint dark-gold aura faintly shimmered on the surface of her body.

She pursed her lips tightly, her brow slightly furrowed, clearly putting all her effort into guiding the changes within her body.

Rowan sat quietly to the side, not making a sound to disturb her, merely letting his perception from Insight quietly envelop her, ready to intervene at any moment should she fail.

However, his worry was clearly unnecessary.

Cecilia's compatibility with the Shadow Breathing Technique was extremely high, and with the aid of the breath of life potion, the entire breakthrough process was even smoother than he had anticipated.

Finally—

Cecilia's body shook slightly, and a brand-new, powerful aura burst forth from within her!

Though the aura still carried a newborn-like fragility, it already possessed the solidity and resilience characteristic of an Official Knight.

She slowly opened her eyes, and within those light brown pupils, fine shadows seemed to be swirling now.

This was the outward manifestation of the enhancement of mental power through feedback after the initial condensation of the life seed.

She looked down at her hands, which were covered in thin calluses, and gently clenched her fists.

A force far stronger than before surged between her fingers and palms; the sense of power was so real and clear that she was momentarily dazed.

She had finally become an Official Knight.

Not by relying on her brother from the mercenary group.

But by relying on the Breathing Technique and potion casually provided by the man before her.

She looked up at Rowan, her lips moving as if she wanted to say something.

But just then, she suddenly felt an extremely subtle change within her body.

It was a change she only discovered after the life seed had condensed.

Deep within her body, it felt as if two extremely tiny seeds were quietly sprouting.

Her pupils constricted slightly, and her breath hitched for a moment.

She... was pregnant?!

And with two?!

Boom—!

This sudden discovery immediately set off a huge wave in her heart.

She didn't believe a Great Knight would be unable to control his life essence.

In other words—

He did it on purpose!

This realization made her emotions extremely complex at this moment!

Why?

She was just a lowly maid!

Did he no longer care about noble decency?

In her heart, there was surprise, bewilderment, a sliver of secret joy she was unwilling to admit even to herself, and a sense of uncertainty about the future.

She instinctively wanted to tell Rowan something, but the words died in her throat.

...