‘Drip, Drip’
“…” An awkward silence lingered in the hall as Aether, Aria, and Maelona stared at the blood-dripping flesh before them.
Their gazes turned to Liora, who had brought the gruesome offering. She sat before them, haughty and proud, her posture exuding a confidence that suggested she expected Aether to appreciate her gift.
“I-Is this a gift?” Aether asked, his voice tinged with disbelief, unable to tear his eyes away from the still-twitching flesh. His mind raced, trying to comprehend the meaning behind such a macabre present.
No matter how he looked at it, the fresh, quivering meat was unmistakably from something that had been alive only minutes ago. The fur that still clung to parts of it suggested it was a deer or a similar large animal, freshly hunted and brutally killed.
“Yes, how is it?” Liora asked, her eyes gleaming with an unsettling mix of pride and… was that love?
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“…” Aether blinked, struggling to find words, ‘Is she serious? I mean REALLY?’ he thought.
Meanwhile, Aria’s face contorted in realization and anger, “Liora Darkfang… He is soon to be my husband!” she shouted, her voice echoing through the hall with a mixture of possessiveness and fury.
However, Liora seemed oblivious to Aria’s outburst; her sharp eyes remained fixed solely on Aether, unwavering and intense.
Maelona frowned, the gesture’s meaning dawning on her. She turned to Aether and explained, “When a male wolf finds a mate, they court with food… Darkfang follows this tradition.” Her voice was calm.
Aether nodded in understanding, mentally adjusting the “Male” part.
‘Damn this woman, she really wants me,’ he thought inwardly, the weight of the situation sinking in.
How should he respond to such a bold and primal gesture?
Definitely Not ‘Let’s fuck’ Before Aria!
“I am not sur—” Before Aether could finish, Liora stood abruptly and declared, “I will come with another gift then,” her voice firm, before striding out of the hall.
“…” Everyone blinked, a collective thought crossing their minds, ‘What a strange woman…’
“Damn that woman, ruining our house…” Aria fumed, glaring at the flesh. She was about to throw it away when Aether intervened, “There is no point in wasting something quite good… don’t you think?” he asked, unconsciously licking his lips.
Aria and Maelona shook their heads…. Eating it would mean Aether was indirectly accepting Liora’s proposal.
“B-But it would be a waste to throw it away,” Aether protested.
“If you want, we will get a new one!” Aria insisted, her pride evident as she pulled Aether away from the meat. She feared he might succumb to the temptation, and the thought of Liora winning him over was unbearable.
….
…
After their steamy lovemaking session, Aria lay atop Aether, their bodies entwined, both naked and glistening with sweat. Her head rested on his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, a contented smile playing on her lips.
“Why didn’t you reject her?” Aria asked softly, her voice tinged with sadness. She wondered why Aether wasn’t more forceful in keeping Liora at bay. Her fingers traced patterns on his chest.
She was cute!!
However,
Aether, who was feeling her soft, supple curves, suddenly tensed. ‘Fuck!’ he cursed inwardly, his mind racing to find the right response.
“Are you worried that she would go back on her word and start causing problems for our tribe?” Aria asked, her eyes filled with concern.
‘Thank goodness….’ Aether silently thanked her for providing an excuse. His face turned resolute, yet sad. He hesitated before nodding… a gesture that was enough for her to understand.
Her eyes welled up with tears, “I love you~” she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion.
Aether’s eyes softened, “I love you too~” he replied, inwardly adding, ‘I hope I have a place in Hell.’
But then he felt her grinding her hips against his, waking his member, and,
“~ahhh~”
…..
..
Since Aether hadn’t finished the book he was engrossed in, he felt a reluctance to leave the Archive.
He spent most of his time there, absorbed in the texts, losing track of time as he delved deeper into the mysteries contained within. When he wasn’t in the Archive, he was learning the local language from Aria, who was an enthusiastic and patient teacher.
In addition to his linguistic pursuits, Aether had developed a newfound interest in archery. He had been captivated by the sight of Aria fiercely wielding a bow during that day.
She was way cool!!
He wanted to participate in this skill… just for the sake of showing Cool!!!
Yeah, He wanted to be Cool! If in case another target needs that… He already preparing everything for his unknown future.
Maelona watched them closely, her sharp eyes missing nothing. She was surprised to see her daughter displaying a range of emotions she hadn’t seen before, especially….. those dark and dangerous ones!
‘What happened to her?’ Maelona wondered.
And most of all,
“I brought you a gift!” Liora announced as she was dragging a massive bear behind her.
Liora continued her relentless mating selection process.
Before Aether could say a word, “I am not sur—” she cut him off and left, her footsteps echoing in the silence she left behind. But it wasn’t long before she returned.
“I brought you a gift!” Liora shouted, her voice ringing through the hall. This time, she presented a massive lizard, its scales glinting in the light. It was even bigger than her previous offering. And just like before, she left without waiting for a response.
Again, she brought a horse, then a wyvern, and an anaconda…
“….” Everyone was stunned by her resilience and determination. For Aether, it was baffling; each time he tried to speak, she left before he could say anything, leaving him with a growing sense of confusion and frustration.
“Ara~ Did I forget to tell you?”
“….”
“Fu~Fu~ It’s because you need to answer either yes or no. Anything else means you are not satisfied with her gift,” Maelona said with a small, knowing smile.
“You could have told me earlier, Mother-in-law,” Aether mumbled in disbelief. Maelona slightly grinned, “Fu~Fu~ Look at her working hard to impress my son-in-law…” She noticed Liora’s tired expression. “It’s kind of amusing, don’t you think?”
Aether blinked, realizing that this woman was quite cunning. He couldn’t help but comment, “It’s amusing that my mother-in-law is quite a cunning one~”
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Maelona’s cheeks burned red, “I-I am not that bad.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Aether replied with a teasing expression, causing her cheeks to redden further.
Anyhow,
Aether caught Liora’s hand before she could leave, “Do you want to mate with me?” he asked boldly.
Hearing that brazen question, Maelona’s cheeks turned crimson while Aria’s eyes flashed with fury, staring at the hand that held Liora’s.
Liora tucked her hair behind her ear, “Yes,” she said straightforwardly.
Aether nodded, “Why me? I mean… it’s not like I am a strong one or anything, right?”
Liora simply smiled, “I understand where this is coming from,” she then patted Aether’s shoulder, almost cracking it, yet Aether didn’t flinch.
Liora’s smile widened, “I killed my husband not because of you… it’s because the tradition finally changed, allowing me to liberate myself from that useless bastard. I used the duel just for that reason… maybe 60%,” she said with a stern face.
If Kaelen were to hear that, he would be coughing blood because he basically dug his father’s grave!
Liora leaned in closer, whispering in his ear, “I got interested because a weakling like you… playing around with the Emperor. And most of all, the face you make when you get angry…”
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“Damn man, my body gets hot just remembering the day you made me bleed,” she licked his cheek seductively before dodging an arrow and leaving.
“DAMN YOU BITCH!!” Aria cursed, knowing she wasn’t strong enough to beat Liora.
“It seems she’s dead set on you,” Maelona said with a frown.
She knew Liora’s tribe valued strength, and Liora’s pursuit of a weaker man like Aether meant she saw his future potential. Maelona looked at Aether, remembering his devastating attack, and nodded to herself, ‘My son-in-law is best!’
“Make sure to keep up your hard work, daughter!” Maelona could only cheer for Aria.
Meanwhile,
Aether stared blankly into the air with a fucked up expression.
!~Ding~!
[Mission: Save and Seduce Helena Sunfire]
And what’s more, it was blinking furiously!!!
In that moment, Aether understood that not everything revolved around him. Whether he was there or not, the world moved on its own accord.