“Do you feel comfortable?”
“Yes,”
“Do you need water?”
“No,”
“Do you need any juice?”
“No,”
“Coffee?”
“Come on, Aether, you are making your Master angry,” Aria said, her lips curving into a gentle smile in an attempt to lighten the mood. She pointed towards Aqualina, who was staring blankly at Aether, her eyes filled with an inscrutable mix of emotions.
Aether flinched, his gaze shifting to Aqualina. He forced an awkward smile.
Aria settled into the chair, her posture radiating determination and resolve. She locked eyes with Aqualina, her gaze steady and unflinching, while Aether stood behind Aqualina.
‘What’s she going to do?’ Aether wondered, his mind racing with possibilities.
“What business do you have, MISS Aria Zephyr?” Aqualina’s voice was cold yet polite, her smile never reaching her eyes.
“Looks like news travels fast… Well, I haven’t gotten a divorce yet, anyhow,” Aria began, her tone steady and composed.
She had already applied to the Elven court for a divorce, a move that had left Alaric shocked and horrified. Despite his disbelief and outrage, he was powerless; Aria was the chosen one, and any harm to her would prompt the Principal’s involvement, a complication Alaric could not afford.
“…I would like to buy your servant,” Aria stated firmly, her eyes locked on Aqualina.
Both Aqualina and Aether flinched at her words, the tension in the room escalating to a palpable level.
Aqualina sighed, ‘It comes to this…ah’ her frustration evident as she crossed her legs, her movements sharp and deliberate, “I suppose the Queen of the Elves has really fallen for a servant, hasn’t she?” Her tone was laced with sarcasm and a hint of disdain, her eyes narrowing slightly as she studied Aria.
Aria’s expression shifted to one of surprise and shock as she glanced at Aether, who could only manage an awkward smile in return.
“There is no need to be surprised; he is my servant. Of course, he would tell me everything,” Aqualina said, her annoyance seeping through her calm facade. Her eyes flashed with a mixture of jealousy and anger.
Instead of getting angry, Aria’s curiosity piqued, “What did he say?” she asked, her voice low and filled with an edge of anticipation, her eyes narrowing slightly as she leaned forward.
“Hmm… He said how much he loves you and how he would give his life for you,” Aqualina’s tone was bitter, her words dripping with jealousy and anger. Each word was like a dagger, aimed at a wound.
Aria’s heart skipped a beat at Aqualina’s words, a rush of warmth and affection for Aether flooding her senses. ‘So, he didn’t even hide his emotions… What a lovely man!’ she thought.
[+7000 Affection]
“That makes the deal easier then… What do you want in return for him?” Aria asked, her face serious and determined.
Her voice was steady, but her heart was racing. She couldn’t let this man, whom she had grown to care for deeply, fall into another woman’s grasp.
Aqualina smirked, finding amusement in Aria’s boldness. She had never expected Aria to confront her so directly. “Aether, sit on the bed,” she commanded, her voice firm and unwavering.
“…,” Aether hesitated, unsure of her intentions, but as a servant, he complied without question.
With a grin, Aqualina rose from her chair and, to Aether’s shock, sat on his lap.
“P-Princess!!” Aether exclaimed, his voice filled with disbelief and shock. Aqualina’s arm wrapped around his neck, her touch both familiar and possessive.
She looked at Aria, who stared back blankly, processing the audacity of Aqualina’s actions. “He is my servant,” Aqualina stated, and then whispered seductively into Aether’s ear, “My lovely servant~”
“!!!!” Aether flinched, a deep blush spreading across his cheeks, his mind reeling, ‘This girl is really playing with fire…’ he thought as something turned hard but then, his eyes darting to Aria, whose expression had darkened with barely contained fury…. instantly turned off!
“What did you ask again?” Aqualina asked, her face lit with amusement, her eyes twinkling with mischief.
It took a moment for Aria to respond, her voice soft and filled with barely suppressed rage, “Some filthy women trying to touch a man whose heart does not even belong to them… A cheap prostitute… Oh! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean you… I was talking about others in the drama I saw yesterday.”
Aqualina’s expression turned dangerously dark as she glared at Aria, her eyes flashing with a hint of malice.
‘Gulp’
Aether swallowed hard, sensing the imminent danger, ‘Okay, I need to stop this, otherwise two of them are going to kill each other,’ he thought. Acting swiftly, he secretly pinched his hip, causing Aqualina to flinch and glare at him with a red face.
Aether then whispered quietly, “Princess, please don’t hurt her… Please, just for me… I will do anything for you.” His voice was filled with desperation, his eyes pleading.
Hearing his plea, Aqualina frowned but nodded. She knew he had fallen for her too, making it impossible to simply disregard his emotions.
The complexity of their relationship weighed heavily on her, ‘Why the hell I ask him to seduce her first!’ she clicked her tongue inwardly.
“Anyhow… I am not interested in selling Aether to anybody,” Aqualina declared with a serious face, her resolve clear. Her words were final, a statement of unyielding defiance.
“…,” Aria stared at Aqualina for a few seconds before speaking again, her tone calculated and deliberate, “I have something that you want.”
“Hmm?” Aqualina’s frown deepened, curiosity piqued.
“The Trial,” Aria said.
Aqualina’s eyes widened in shock. Without hesitation, she asked Aether to leave the room. Though Aether wanted to stay and hear the details, Aqualina’s urgency left no room for argument.
Seeing his reluctance, she misunderstood, thinking Aether believed she would harm Aria. With an annoyed face, she assured him, “I won’t hurt her, Aether.”
Aether could only nod and prepare to leave.
As he did, he leaned down to Aria, who flinched and whispered, “Please don’t be angry at her… She is important to me.” His voice was filled with sincerity, his eyes reflecting the depth of his feelings.
Aria nodded with a smile, whispering back, “I want you in my room later…” as she winked at him.
[+7000 Affection]
Aether gently smiled before exiting the room.
Of course, Aqualina noticed, her mind still reeling, ‘She is important to me,’ she thought, the words echoing in her mind.
[+6000 Affection]
“It seems he cares for you too,” Aria commented, but inwardly, she thought, ‘Though you are hurting him… What a naive man.’
Aqualina just smiled, saying, “Of course, he cares for me more than others!” Her words were a declaration, a reminder of the bond she believed they shared.
“…”
“…”
A palpable tension filled the room again, the silence thick and heavy.
Breaking it, Aria produced a small wooden box. “The item for this Trial is inside,” she said. As she opened the box, a bright light filled the room, blinding Aqualina momentarily.
“T-This… Where did you find it?” Aqualina asked, her face filled with astonishment. Just as she was about to touch it, Aria pulled it back, grinning, “It’s mine, to begin with.”
Aqualina was taken aback, ‘So the first trial already has a winner before it even started… ah,’ she thought.
“You want to trade this for Aether, right?” Aqualina asked, her voice serious.
“Yes… All I want is him, and you will be the winner of this first trial. A win-win for both of us. What do you think?” Aria asked, her face filled with amusement. She was confident this villainess would accept the deal.
“…,” Aqualina bit her lip, her mind racing with possibilities.
“There is no need to think too much, Aqualina… He is just a servant to you! You can have many more with your mother….. You literally have hundreds of strong warriors as your servants, so why bother holding onto a small servant whose heart clearly belongs to someone else?” Aria asked, her smile almost taunting.
Veins popped on Aqualina’s forehead. She knew Aria was right, but still, ‘There is no one like him…’ she thought.
Two options lay before Aqualina: accept Aria’s offer and secure victory, or let it go for Aether’s sake.
She knew the answer already and what she needed to do. However, she wanted to put this woman in her place and make her forget about Aether.
“I forgot to tell you something important…. He is a slave… An eternal slave!”