Novel Full Chapter 1193: Quinlan’s Proposal
Chapter 1193: Quinlan’s Proposal
Feng’s breath came out shakier than she wanted it to. Her hand still held his, and the oriental teen was forced to realize that her smaller fingers did not manage to span the width of his palm.
“Then… what about Serika…?” she asked softly. “You won’t use one on her?”
Her tone was distant, almost dreamy, still half-dazed from Quinlan’s earlier outburst and the gentle pressure of his hand against her cheek.
“Impossible!” Rosie suddenly declared from above, puffing her tiny chest with conviction.
Quinlan, intending to explain better than the leafy dryad had, raised one hand with palm up in front of the girl.
Rosie giggled, instantly understanding. “Hehe~!” she chimed, and outside the mansion, her great tree stirred.
The earth rumbled as thick, living branches began to shift and weave through the night air. One of them reached toward the open window of Felicity’s room, where the princess was still unconscious, collapsed in her bed.
The moment the branch slithered inside, its aura alone was enough to jolt her awake. Felicity shot upright with a gasp.
“Wha-!?”
Her forehead smacked directly into the branch with a loud *bonk!*
“Ouch!” she yelped, grabbing her head as the intruding tree brushed past her.
The branch continued its path, ignoring the dazed princess completely as it extended into Quinlan’s waiting hand. Two delicate blossoms swayed at its tip.
“Thank you,” Quinlan smiled as he plucked the flowers from the branch. He gave the bark a small pat before Rosie recalled it back out the window with a happy rustle of leaves.
Rosie’s laughter tinkled through the room like bells as she waved goodbye to her own tree.
Felicity, meanwhile, was still sitting up in bed with a stunned look, messy purple hair, and a red mark forming on her forehead. “Wh–what just happened?! Did a tree just assault me?!”
None answered her pleas for an explanation.
“These,” Quinlan began, “are the products Rosie created. Back when she was still at the start of her growth phase.”
He held the flowers up for them to see. “Because she was a newborn child when they materialized, their power is… limited. They only affect those whose essence is still malleable, weak enough to be reshaped.”
“Serika, for example, is already past that point. At level 58, her path has stabilized. No flower could rewrite what she’s already become. The same was true for her at 55, her level upon arrival to Thalorind.”
He turned his hand, letting the blossoms catch the light. “The same goes for Vex. Their levels, and their cores, are too strong to be moved by this magic.”
He looked back at Feng, eyes calm once more. “But for someone still growing… someone whose class still has room to evolve…”
The corner of his mouth lifted faintly. “That’s where these make magic.”
Rosie clapped her tiny hands, beaming. “Rosie made them special!”
Felicity blinked between them, rubbing her sore forehead. “… I feel like I ended up missing a whole lot.”
“What about you, or someone else? Jasmine is also low level, she could consume one more…” Feng murmured as she observed the flowers.
Quinlan shook his head. “One flower per person. It doesn’t work a second time. Believe me, I tried.”
“Hehe, I bet!” The oriental teen giggled, knowing full well that the man before her would’ve kept consuming them if he could, while also stuffing his girls full with them. She could already picture it: Quinlan sitting under Rosie’s tree, trying one flower after another, waiting for the impossible breakthrough.
Not because he was greedy or unwilling to share, but because that was who he was: a man who shouldered far too much, who couldn’t rest until he’d clawed past every limit.
Then her gaze fell back to his hand. Two flowers.
Feng’s lips curved into a sly grin. “You have two,” she declared right before glancing toward Felicity meaningfully.
The princess blinked, following her gaze, then pointed at herself hesitantly. “… Wait! One of them’s for me?!”
Quinlan nodded. “I promised Alexios you’d be treated as if you were my daughter.”
Felicity’s eyes widened, and a genuine smile broke across her face. It was bright and pure, the kind she rarely showed around anyone.
But Feng’s eyes narrowed. “That’s not all, is it?”
Quinlan turned toward her and let out a chuckle. “This nosy brat is too smart for her own good.”
Feng only smiled wider, triumphant.
He sighed in response and looked back at Felicity. “You’ve been trying to follow in your mother’s footsteps. Trying to become a great mage like her.”
Felicity blinked again, startled and confused due to the sudden shift in tone.
“But your mother,” Quinlan continued, “is a nasty bitch.”
Felicity froze. “W-what?”
“I’ll take you away from her for good and mold you into a better mage than she could ever produce.”
The room went quiet.
Felicity’s throat bobbed as she stared at him, torn between shock, confusion, and something else she couldn’t name. Her heart was racing, but not from fear.
Across from her, Feng smiled softly, eyes gentle and knowing. She’d already read him completely. The man’s fury, his desire to protect, and the way he saw potential where others saw useless failures.
Rosie, perched on Quinlan’s head, let out a sweet giggle. “Hehe~ Rosie loves it when Papa gets like this!”
Quinlan extended his free hand toward Felicity.
The young princess looked at his open palm. She knew exactly what that gesture meant. If she accepted it, there would be no going back. In this world, no mage could serve two masters. A student who took a new teacher severed all ties to the old one.
And if the separation wasn’t agreed upon by the old master, it would be akin to the student spitting upon their legacy, their bloodline, their creed.
A great humiliation.
Felicity’s breath caught in her throat. She understood very well why Quinlan was doing this; Queen Morgana became his enemy with her actions, and if Quinlan had a say in the matter, he did not merely kill his enemies.
He dominated and destroyed them, ruining their entire lives in the process.
This was a stab aimed at Morgana before he faced off against her in person.
That’s why Felicity hesitated. As she did so, the shadow of her mother’s face flashed through her mind. Cold eyes, sharp smile, and the unspoken words that had haunted her for years.
“You’ll never be more than my shadow.”
Felicity was older than when Morgana awakened her Wizard class. She also had a lower Magic stat by two.
Despite only being a teenager, she was already behind her mother.
Then another memory followed, the one that burned brighter than all the rest. Her mother was throwing her life away just to buy herself a chance at capturing Quinlan.
Not caring if she lived.
Not even looking back.
Felicity’s hands trembled. Then, her expression hardened.
“She is truly a big bitch!!” she shouted suddenly.
Both Feng and Rosie blinked, startled.
The princess’s small hand shot forward and grasped Quinlan’s. “Please take care of me, Master Quinlan!”
For a moment, silence reigned. Then Quinlan’s smirk curved, sharp and satisfied. “Good decision.”
Rosie threw her tiny hands into the air. “Yay! New sister for Rosie! Big Sis Felicity is obligated to pamper her little sister at least ten times a day!!!”