"Wew..." Barbara exhaled in relief once Leyvi was fully asleep. At least the awkwardness was over—for now. She hadn't expected so many embarrassing moments to pile up in such a short time.

"I wonder how long he'll be out..." she murmured, glancing at the timer. "They made such a fuss about his spiritual cultivation talent, so he should be able to wake up within an hour, right?"

Barbara's gaze drifted to Leyvi, her thoughts wandering. He was still young, yet already had several wives. That wasn't unusual for men from wealthy families, but Ava had told her that both Leyvi and Alchemist Anda were orphans.

Oh right, I forgot. Alchemist Anda was the one who recruited them. How unconventional. Still, he didn't seem like a bad person. Then why did Ava talk as if he were some sort of villain?

Her musing broke when she noticed something odd at the five-minute mark. Leyvi had been asleep for a while now, yet he hadn't fallen onto his back. That was… unusual. Did he have an unusually strong body?

Curiosity got the better of her. She reached out and touched his arm, surprised to find it was firm and muscular. No wonder he could stay upright like this even in sleep.

But then her energy-sensing method picked up something else. An enormous concentration of energy within his body. Her eyes shifted to his abdomen, and she focused her senses there.

In the next instant, her eyes widened to their limit, as if she were staring at the impossible.

"What... what is that unbelievable amount of energy? This should be impossible! A Core Formation cultivator shouldn't have anywhere near this much. No core could withstand it!"

Barbara's curiosity surged. She had never encountered anything like it, and there were no records describing such a phenomenon. Even the Institute of Universal Energy's controlled experiments, where selected cultivators were painstakingly trained to push their cores to the limit, had never reached anything close to the energy level inside Leyvi.

Right now, she had the overwhelming urge to send her spiritual sense into Leyvi's body and examine his core directly. But that would be both unethical and dangerous. It would violate his privacy, and if something went wrong, her spiritual sense could be destroyed.

Even so, Barbara struggled to contain her curiosity. In the end, she compromised—she would probe more closely with her energy sensing method. It was still improper to do this while he slept, but far less invasive than a full-blown spiritual intrusion.

Her fingers hesitated in midair before finally gripping the hem of Leyvi's shirt. She gave it the gentlest lift, just enough to expose his abdomen. The faint light in the room played across his defined muscles, making her ears burn.

"Focus, Barbara… focus," she muttered under her breath, as if scolding herself. Still, she couldn't help a quick glance at his face to make sure he was truly asleep.

"Leyvi, please excuse my rudeness," she whispered softly, not so much to inform him as to reassure herself. "I swear I'm not that kind of girl. I just want to know more about this energy… nothing else."

She drew a quiet breath, then leaned forward, brushing her hair over one shoulder so it wouldn't get in the way. Her hand hovered for a moment before pushing her bangs aside completely. Inch by inch, she lowered herself until her forehead lightly rested against the warm, firm plane of his stomach.

The contact made her shiver. His skin radiated a steady heat, and she could feel the slow, powerful rhythm of his breathing. She adjusted her position, tilting her head so her forehead lay flush against him.

Her energy sensing method was always strongest through direct contact with her forehead, but this posture felt so improper that her face flushed even more. If anyone walked in now, she might not be able to get married anymore.

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To make matters worse, a faint, masculine scent lingered in the air around him, clean yet distinctly his. It curled into her senses, making her heart beat faster and breaking her focus. A faint tingle coiled low in her body, forcing her to take a slow, measured breath before she dared to probe deeper.

Barbara's eyes fluttered shut as she steadied her mind. Almost at once, it felt as if she had been drawn into a place of endless energy. It was pure, calm, and contained, yet so vast that the more she reached toward it, the more it seemed to stretch on without limit. She had the strange sense that if she went too far, she might be swept away entirely.

The sensation was unlike anything she had experienced before. The energy was immense, yet serene, like a deep sea that could crush her and cradle her at the same time. It made her feel both impossibly small and more alive than she had ever felt. In her mind, it was as though she stood at the edge of a great, unexplored land, and all she had to do was take one step forward to see it in its entirety.

Her fingers curled a little tighter into the fabric of his shirt, her heartbeat growing louder in her ears. She had to know what kind of core could contain something like this. Was it a strange mutation? A leap in cultivation evolution?

For someone who had devoted her life to studying energy, this was more than a rare find. It was the kind of discovery that could change the course of history. Without realizing it, she found herself pulling him closer, her arms wrapping around him while her mind raced ahead with wild possibilities. If she could unlock this secret, if she could teach it, her name would be remembered for generations.

"Miss Barbara, didn't you promise not to take advantage of me?"

The voice came suddenly, shattering her fantasy in an instant.

Barbara froze, her mind blanking. Her eyes flew open so wide they almost hurt, and for a long moment she could only stare in disbelief.

What am I doing? This posture… why am I hugging him? When did I become this kind of woman? Oh my god. How do I explain this?

Her thoughts were spiraling. It's over. My reputation. I will be labeled as a pervert. People are going to find out about this, and nobody will marry me.

Barbara's mind was in complete chaos. She willed herself to pull away, yet her arms refused to obey. She remained frozen, still clinging to him like she was holding onto the last piece of driftwood in a storm.

"Hahaha! It's fine. Don't panic. My wives love to hug me too, so you can take your time," Leyvi said with an easy smile.

Barbara felt the urge to cry a river. She had already endured her fair share of awkward moments around him, but this topped them all. No matter how she tried, she could not think of a single reasonable explanation that would save her from this humiliation.

The truth was, Leyvi had been awake long before Barbara touched his arm. He had simply chosen to pretend to be asleep, not wanting to reveal too much and planning to "wake up" in about forty minutes.

What he had not anticipated was Barbara detecting the energy in his core and becoming so drawn to it that her actions escalated into a full embrace. He could tell she was not acting on impulse in the usual sense, but was lost in a world of curiosity and wonder. As a self-proclaimed gentleman, he decided to stop playing possum and gently interrupt her before she got carried away any further.

Of course, if she had no objections, he would not mind in the slightest. After all, Anda had targeted Barbara precisely for her rare energy-sensing ability. Apparently, not just anyone could master the technique developed by the Institute of Universal Energy.

After a few deep breaths, Barbara finally managed to will her muscles to obey. She unwrapped her arms from around him as though they were glued in place, straightening up far too quickly and nearly losing her balance. Her hands hovered awkwardly in the air for a moment before she clenched them into fists at her sides.

"I— I wasn't— It's not—" Her voice cracked halfway through the first word.

Leyvi tilted his head, his expression maddeningly calm, as if he had all the time in the world to watch her struggle. "Not what, Miss Barbara?"

Her eyes darted anywhere but at him. The ceiling suddenly became the most fascinating thing she had ever seen. "It wasn't… um… I didn't mean to— I mean, I meant to, but not like that—" She stopped, realizing that sounded infinitely worse.

"I see," he said, nodding with mock seriousness. "You meant to… but not like that."

"No! I mean, yes! I mean— argh!" She pressed a palm to her forehead. "It was for… research. Purely professional! I was… sensing… energy. Yes, that's all!"

"By hugging me?"

Her face turned the color of fresh lava. "It's— that's just part of my method! It's… more accurate with direct skin contact!"

Leyvi's lips curved into a slow smile. "Interesting. So if I asked you to repeat the process, you would…?"

"No! I mean— I could, but— that's not the point! You have… very strange energy, and it— it pulled me in! I wasn't thinking clearly, and before I knew it…"

"Hahaha! I understand. You don't have to explain more." Leyvi finally relented, deciding he had teased her enough.

"Actually," he continued, his tone turning a little more genuine, "I'm curious about my core too. It formed by accident after… well, an accident. Maybe you can help me investigate it?"

Barbara's head snapped up, her embarrassment momentarily forgotten. Her eyes lit up like someone had just handed her the key to a vault filled with priceless treasures.

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