Chapter 163: Wave-Particle Duality

The blizzard outside beat against the glass, making a dull thudding sound.

The fire in the hearth danced, warming the entire fourth-floor laboratory.

Lia was lying on a thick, long-piled carpet, flipping through a popular novel, her two calves swaying in the air.

The hem of her skirt slipped down with the movement, revealing her fair ankles.

Klein sat at a desk not far away, his quill hovering over a piece of parchment, not a single word written for a long time.

His gaze passed over the mountain of folders and landed on the pair of swaying ankles not far away.

“Come here.”

Klein put down his pen, his voice flat.

Lia turned a page, not even looking up.

“No.”

“The floor is cold.”

“The carpet is warm. You cast a permanent fire element spell on it.”

Lia exposed his excuse and casually picked up a cookie from the plate beside her, stuffing it into her mouth.

Klein watched her puffing cheeks, his fingers tapping lightly on the desktop twice.

He stood up and walked around the desk.

A shadow fell over her.

Just as Lia was about to roll over and dodge, her waist was tightened, and she was lifted into the air.

“Hey!”

The book fell to the floor.

Klein ignored her protest, carried her to the large high-backed chair, sat down, and placed her on his lap.

“I said the floor was cold.”

He reached out and took hold of Lia’s bare ankle, the warmth of his palm a little scorching.

Lia flinched but didn’t pull away.

“You just wanted a pillow to hug.”

Lia adjusted to a comfortable position, her back against his chest, and picked up the book that had fallen onto the desk.

“Mmm.”

Klein admitted it frankly.

He rested his chin in the crook of her neck, his warm breath fanning across her sensitive skin.

Lia felt a tickle on her neck and couldn’t help but shrug her shoulders.

“Stop fooling around, I’m reading.”

“Is the book better looking or am I?”

Such a childish question coming from an Eighth Circle Archmage was utterly out of place.

Lia rolled her eyes, closed the book, and turned to face him.

“You’re better looking, alright?”

She reached out her finger and poked Klein’s high-bridged nose.

Klein opened his mouth and gently bit her fingertip.

The moist sensation spread from her fingertip throughout her body.

Lia snatched her hand back as if she’d been electrocuted, the tips of her ears turning red.

“That’s disgusting!”

“You’re the one who ate a cookie without wiping your hands.”

Klein took her hand and used his handkerchief to meticulously wipe each finger, his movements slow and methodical, as if he were cleaning some priceless treasure.

The crystal ball on the desk lit up.

The rapid flashing indicated the caller’s anxiety.

Klein frowned, a flash of displeasure in his eyes.

He raised his hand to cut off the communication.

“Take it, what if it’s urgent.”

Magic flowed into the ball, and Samuel’s haggard, large face appeared above it.

The background noise was as chaotic as a battlefield, with explosions and roars rising and falling.

“Klein! Do something about the mess your Lia has caused!”

Samuel’s voice was hoarse, as if he hadn’t had a drink of water in three days.

“What’s wrong?”

Klein casually played with Lia’s long hair, winding the golden strands around his fingertip.

“What’s wrong? You’re asking me what’s wrong?”

Samuel laughed with anger and stepped aside to clear the view.

The image in the crystal ball swiveled to the square below the Tower of Truth.

It had turned into a battlefield.

Two groups of mages in different colored robes were facing off.

The group on the left held a banner with the word “Particle” on it, led by that fellow named Henry, who was conjuring a high-energy electron stream in his hands.

The group on the other side held a “Wave” flag, with Victor at the front, surrounded by a shield of oscillating sound waves.

“A wave is a wave! An electron can diffract, can a particle? Show me a particle diffracting!”

Victor’s face was red with shouting.

“Nonsense! How do you explain the photoelectric effect? If it’s a wave, the energy should accumulate continuously. Why does the electron pop out the moment the light hits it? That’s a particle collision!”

Henry, not to be outdone, had crackling electric sparks in his hands.

“That’s because your measurements are wrong!”

“That’s because your brain has a hole in it!”

Boom!

A fireball and a wind blade collided in mid-air, exploding into brilliant fireworks.

Samuel turned the image back, a look of utter despair on his face.

“See? They’re fighting. Really fighting. Just now, the Elemental School and the non-nuclear faction have already arranged a brawl three blocks away. The city guard can’t stop them at all.”

Lia watched this scene and couldn’t help but laugh.

“They’re quite energetic.”

“Your Excellency Lia, please don’t make light of the situation.”

Samuel’s face was grim.

“The entire magical world is now divided into two factions. One supports the wave theory, the other the particle theory. Both sides consider the other heretics and would love to burn them at the stake. Please, tell us, who is right?”

Lia leaned back in Klein’s arms and yawned lazily.

“Let them fight. As long as they don’t tear down the tower.”

Klein offered his cold advice.

“But…”

“I have to have lunch with Lia.”

Klein raised his hand and mercilessly cut off the communication.

The light of the crystal ball died down.

The world was quiet again.

“You’re so cruel.”

Lia poked him in the chest.

“Samuel will probably cry in the bathroom. He’s always idle anyway, this gives him something to do.”

Klein took her mischievous hand and kissed it.

“Besides, I don’t like it when people interrupt us.”

His gaze was focused and intense, making Lia a little uncomfortable.

“Um… what’s for lunch?”

Lia tried to change the subject.

“No hurry.”

Klein had no intention of letting her go. Instead, he tightened his arms, pulling her closer.

The distance between them almost disappeared.

Lia could feel the taut lines of his muscles, and his gradually rising… temperature.

“Klein…”

“Mmm.”

He lowered his head, his nose brushing against her cheek, his voice low and hoarse.

“They’re arguing outside.”

“That’s their business.”

“Samuel is working overtime.”

“That’s his job.”

Klein’s hand slowly moved up her waistline, the warmth of his fingertips clearly perceptible through the thin fabric.

Lia’s body went half-limp, her breathing quickening.

“But it’s broad daylight…”

“The curtains are drawn.”

Klein lightly bit her earlobe, satisfied to hear a suppressed whimper.

“And besides, you seduced me first.”

“When did I do that?!”

Lia cried out in protest, her watery eyes wide.

“I was just reading a book!”

“You were swinging your legs.”

Klein said with righteous justification.

“You were tempting me.”

What kind of robber’s logic was this?

Just as Lia was about to retort, her lips were sealed.

The rest of her words were swallowed.

Klein’s kiss was not gentle. It was filled with an urgent possessiveness, as if he wanted to devour her whole.

She could even feel the hard proof of his desire against her through the thin fabric.

Lia’s mind went blank. She could only instinctively cling to his shoulders, enduring this stormy demand.

She didn’t know how long it was before Klein finally pulled back slightly.

Their breaths mingled.

The corners of Lia’s eyes were red, her lips glistening, looking as if she had been thoroughly bullied.

Klein looked at her, his eyes darkening even more.

He reached out to stroke her cheek, his thumb caressing her swollen lips.

“Lia.”

“What?”

Lia’s voice was soft and weak, without a hint of deterrence.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s a wave or a particle.”

Klein’s voice was very soft, but every word struck her heart.

“What matters is that you’re in my arms.”

At this moment, there were no laws of physics, no magical truths.

Only the person before her.

Lia looked at him, her heart skipping a beat.

This man, when he spoke words of love, was even more fatal than when he wrote a paper.

“Smooth talker.”

Lia mumbled under her breath and buried her face in his chest to hide its burning temperature.

“Who taught you that?”

“Self-taught.”

Klein chuckled, his chest vibrating.

He picked Lia up and walked towards the resting lounge.

“Hey! Aren’t we having lunch?”

“I’m letting you sleep first. What were you thinking?”

“…Oh.”

***

On the other side of the Royal Capital.

Samuel stood on the balcony of the Magic Association, looking down at the chaotic square below, and sighed with a sense of utter despair.

Fireballs flew randomly, and ice shards scattered.

These mages, who usually prided themselves on their elegance, were no better than street thugs when they fought.

“President, what should we do? The city guard can’t hold them back much longer!”

A deacon ran in in a panic, half of his hat burnt.

“Let them fight!”

Samuel gritted his teeth.

“They’ll stop when they’re tired! Oh, and notify the medical department to prepare stretchers and potions. Also, keep a record of the repair costs. Are we sending the bill to Lord Klein later?”

“Huh? Why to Lord Klein?”

The deacon was completely bewildered.

“Because he’s dating!”

Samuel roared.

“We’re fighting for our lives, and he’s dating! Is that reasonable? Is that fair?”

The deacon shrank back, not daring to speak.

Although he didn’t know why, he felt that the president’s resentment was even heavier than that of the resentful spirits below.

***

Inside the mage tower.

The afternoon, after the storm had passed, seemed particularly quiet.

Lia was curled up in a corner of the sofa, wrapped in a blanket, holding a cup of hot cocoa, and seemed to be in a daze.

Just now, it almost…

Luckily, her stomach growled at the last moment, breaking the extremely intimate atmosphere.

Thinking of Klein’s face, as black as the bottom of a pot, Lia couldn’t help but want to laugh.

“What’s so funny?”

Klein walked in with a tray, on which were grilled steak and cream of mushroom soup.

The aroma instantly aroused the greedy worms in Lia’s stomach.

“Laughing at how you looked just now.”

Lia took the fork, cut a piece of steak and put it in her mouth, her eyes narrowing in satisfaction.

“Next time, perhaps I should cast a silence barrier first.”

Klein sat down beside her, his tone dangerous.

“You dare!”

Lia glared at him, then added resentfully.

“Eat, eat, I’m starving.”

Klein watched her wolfing down her food and shook his head helplessly, picking up a napkin to wipe the corner of her mouth.

“Eat slowly, no one’s going to steal it from you.”

“Oh, right.”

Lia swallowed her food, remembering something important.

“About that wave and particle debate, are you really not going to do anything about it?”

“What do you want me to do?”

Klein poured himself a cup of black tea.

“Just flex my muscles and scare them all home?”

“Do you think I’m the Creator God?”

Lia blinked slyly.

“Aren’t you?”

“You’re a little devil.”

Klein commented.

“Takes one to know one.”

Lia picked up a piece of mushroom and held it to his lips.

“Your reward.”

Klein opened his mouth and ate it, but his gaze remained fixed on her face.

“Actually, I have an idea.”

“What?”

“Since they have so much energy, why not give them a more difficult problem to solve?”

Lia took out a folded piece of parchment from her pocket, on which were densely written equations.

“What’s this?”

Klein took it, glanced at it, and his pupils contracted slightly.

“‘Experimental Concepts for the Photoelectric Effect and Compton Scattering’.”

“If you’re going to fight, you need weapons.”

Lia smiled like a cat that had stolen the cream.

“This is a heavy machine gun for the particle camp. With this, the wave camp will be crying for a long time.”

“You’re taking sides.”

Klein couldn’t help but admire the ingenious experimental design.

“No, I’m balancing the situation.”

Lia wagged her finger.

“Right now, the wave camp has the upper hand because interference and diffraction are so intuitive. The particle camp is being beaten down. Give them a little confidence, and the fight can continue.”

“Aren’t you afraid they’ll break the world?”

“They can’t.”

Lia was full of confidence.

“The truth becomes clearer through debate. When they find that neither side can defeat the other, someone will naturally stand up and start thinking about how to unify the situation.”

Klein put away the parchment.

“I’ll have this sent to Henry anonymously.”

“Good boy.”

Lia reached out and patted his head.

Klein caught her wrist and kissed it.

“Since I’m so obedient, is there a reward?”

“Didn’t I just give you a mushroom?”

“That doesn’t count.”

Klein leaned closer to her, his eyes deep.

“I want something else.”

Lia shrank back warily.

“It’s dinner time!”

“I’m full.”

Klein pushed his plate away.

“But this is not enough.”

He stood up and picked Lia up again.

“Where are we going?”

“Want to try taking a bath together?”

“I already took one this morning!”

“You were sweating just now.”

“I wasn’t sweating! I was scared by you!”

“Then you sweated from fear.”

…

“Lia, you will regret this!”

“Klein, I am the master of the bathroom!”

Slam!

The bathroom door was shut by Lia.

Klein, drenched and with a dark face, left alone.