‘He didn’t learn anything at all!!’ Kai, who had be watching the tire sce unfold, screamed inwardly in frustration. From his vantage point, he could see Aqualina’s face twist into a shocking expression, her eyes wide and her mouth slightly agape.
Feeling that now was the perfect momt to show off his manly side and demonstrate his willingness to support her whever she needed, Kai took a deep breath and began, “Et-PUFF!!”
But before he could get another word out, Aqualina’s fist connected with his gut… softly!!
Kai, gasping, and looked up at her with an accusatory gaze, his eyes full of hurt and confusion.
“I’m sorry, Kai… But if others find out he was an eternal slave, your reputation might get damaged,” she whispered softly with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. However, the real truth she kept hidd was, ‘That fucking idiot!! If he commands Aether now, th everyone will be aware of his Aether’s position as Eternal Slave, and it will become ev more difficult for him to approach other wom.’
“I-I see,” Kai nodded in understanding, though his pride was wounded, ‘She’s already thinking about my reputation… what a considerate girl she is,’ he thought, his heart swelling with admiration as he floated on cloud nine.
Their small altercation wt unnoticed by the others, who were all grossed in watching Alaric and Aether, the tsion betwe the two palpable.
“You’ve got some nerve, human,” Alaric said, his face and voice turning as cold and unyielding as ice.
“Oh? Thank you, I guess?” Aether responded nonchalantly, a small smirk playing on his lips.
“Pfffttt–” Aria quickly covered her mouth to stifle her laughter, finding Aether’s lack of respect for Alaric’s position both amusing and refreshing.
[+0 Affection]
Suddly, Aqualina’s stern voice cut through the air, “Aether, now bow,” her face serious and unyielding.
Yet, Aether stood his g, making everyone gasp in surprise. They had all se how obedit Aether had be, always boosting his master, but now…
‘This is getting interesting…’ Jack thought, his eyes gleaming with anticipation as he watched the situation unfold with a mischievous grin.
Seeing Aether’s refusal to bow, Alaric’s expression darked. “I suppose someone has gott arrogant after having a little fun beating some low-class monsters,” he said with a sneer.
‘Low-class?’ Hearing that, others in the crowd wanted to shout, ‘Are you kidding me?’
“Since your master didn’t teach you proper manners… let me do the honour,” Alaric continued with a sly smile, stepping forward.
Aqualina’s eyes wided in alarm, “P-Professor–” but before she could continue, Alaric’s cold voice interrupted, “You failed to teach your servant proper etiquette, Ms. Aqualina, so I will take over.”
Aqualina gritted her teeth in frustration and shouted, “JUST BOW!!”
Aether looked at the furious Aqualina and sighed inwardly, ‘I guess I’m pushing it too far considering my position… Better to cower for now,’ he thought. Reluctantly, he bowed to Alaric.
Aqualina sighed in relief, but the tsion wasn’t over.
“That won’t do now…” Alaric said flatly, “You failed to bow wh you were supposed to, and n–”
“Empress,” Aether interrupted, his voice cutting through the tsion like a knife….
“Pardon?” Alaric frowned, clearly not expecting the interruption.
Aether had initially planned to d this confrontation by bowing, but Alaric’s unyielding stance made him realize that the man wasn’t going to let him off easily. If Alaric was a ruler of this empire….. Aether knew another ruler of an Empire who blushed under his seduction and refused to acknowledge it!
Empress Marisandra Naiadia!
Aether’s lips curled into a defiant smile as he looked directly at Alaric and declared,
“Since I am Princess Aqualina’s servant, Empress Marisandra Naiadia has decreed that I must not bow before anyone… ev if they are the FUCKING ruler. I am to bow only to her and my master.
So, I am bowing now because I don’t want to upset my master, but if the Empress hears about this… I wonder what she will do if she finds out her servant bowed to others.”
The tire area fell into a stunned silce…. It wasn’t just Aether’s words that made the group silt….
But the recollection of the Empress’s fierce reputation that held everyone in thrall. She was known to be a sociopathic woman who would go to any lgths to force her will. Aether might not have known this, but invoking her name was the right move in this precarious momt.
!~Ding~!
[Survival rate: 8.6% ↑]
Ev Alaric’s face paled for a momt before he regained his composure, his mind racing, ‘If that woman were involved, she would indeed say those words without hesitation and act completely irrationally…’.
Alaric decided not to push further; he simply snorted in disdain and tered the classroom.
‘Coward’ Aether thought but th couldn’t help but think, ‘That means Empress might be… a little more dangerous’
Aqualina wanted to ask Aether wh her mother had told him about this, but Alaric’s urging for everyone to ter the class prevted her. Alaric gave one last scrutinizing look at Aether before closing the door.
‘Sigh, I guess I chose wisely,’ Aether thought, patting himself mtally for pulling off this stunt.
Did he feel guilty about dragging the Empress into this? … Not at all. He was quite proud of his quick thinking.
If they were going to mess with him, th why not pull that annoying woman into his mess!
“Come with me,” Delphine’s authoritative voice suddly called out to him.
“Me?” Aether asked, pointing to himself, surprised.
“…” Delphine didn’t reply. She simply turned and walked away.
Aether glanced at Taylor, who had be shocked expression, and th decided to follow Delphine.
‘Step, Step’
As they walked through the hallways, the tsion betwe them was palpable. Neither Delphine nor Aether spoke a word.
‘There’s no way I’m going to talk to a woman who didn’t care to reply to me earlier,’ Aether thought stubbornly, walking beside her with a proud expression while his eyes roamed a, taking in their surings.
“…” Delphine glanced at Aether from the corner of her eye and smiled faintly, amused by his pouty demeanour and annoyed expression.
[+ Affection]
Aether blinked in confusion for a momt and looked at Delphine, who had already returned to her stern face, eyes fixed forward.
‘Sigh, I clearly don’t understand wom at all!’ he thought, exasperated.
Soon, they reached the….. Principal’s office.
“W-What?” Aether had a shocked face.
‘Knock, Knock’
“Come in,” came the principal’s voice from within.
“….. I-I think I have an urgt matterrrrrr,” Aether stammered, trying to find an excuse to escape, but Delphine was having of it. She grabbed him firmly and dragged him inside.
Inside the Principal’s Office,
Aether and Delphine stood before a GIL- ahem, an old lady who sat at her desk, scribbling away on some important documts.
‘ssshhhhssshhh’
The principal continued to write, almost as if she were showing off how busy she was, ignoring their presce for dramatic effect.
That’s what Aether thought, his initial curiosity giving way to boredom. He glanced at Delphine, who maintained her stern, unyielding expression, waiting for the principal’s acknowledgemt.
Just as Aether was about to let his mind wander again,
“If not for you having the real deal, she might have lost her job,” the principal suddly spoke, putting her p down and looking at Aether with a curious, almost amused expression.
“… Pardon?” Aether blinked, completely baffled by her words. ‘Job? Who? Real deal?’ he wondered, his mind racing to catch up.
The principal smiled knowingly and looked at Aether’s pocket with a hint of kill!….. In response, Snowflake, ssing something, flinched, jumped out of Aether’s pocket, and transformed into her normal, larger size, coiling her snake tail protectively a Aether.
“HISSSSSS!!!”
Snowflake hissed, glaring at the principal with fierce intsity.
“Hmmm… What a fierce cute child you have,” the principal mused, her eyes studying Snowflake with interest.
‘What is happing here?’ Aether wondered, feeling more confused than ever.