Kapitel 344: Mage (3)

The young man froze, his black eyes widening as he locked onto the robed woman's faintly visible golden gaze. His lips parted slightly, as if he wanted to speak, but no words came. For a split second, he stood rooted in place, the white cat on his shoulder flicking its tail lazily, utterly unaffected by its master's reaction. 

The robed man beside the woman noticed instantly. His posture stiffened, and his voice cut through the air, sharp and commanding. "Hey! Step aside!" 

The shout broke the moment like shattering glass. The young man blinked rapidly, as though shaking off a daze, before his roguish smile returned as swiftly as it had vanished. He raised his hands in mock surrender, his tone light and apologetic. "Ahem, it appears I stared for too long. Pardon my manners."