Meanwhile, elsewhere in the bustling city streets,
“Just how long is that woman going to keep following us?!” Lia exclaimed, her frustration evident in her voice. She glanced over her shoulder, spotting Raven trailing them like an unwavering shadow.
It was as if they couldn’t shake her, no matter how hard they tried.
Aether, running while holding Lia, shrugged nonchalantly, “Beats me,” he mumbled, dodging a slash attack with practised ease.
‘Is she really after me just because I hurt her last time?’ he wondered, baffled by her relentless pursuit.
Lia, catching her breath, suddenly had a thoughtful expression. Her eyes lit up with an idea. “I have an idea!” she announced, her voice filled with excitement.
Aether’s curiosity was piqued, “Which is?” he asked, his eyes narrowing with interest.
A mischievous smirk spread across Lia’s face, “I’ll show you,” she said, reaching into her bag. She pulled out a single Zenith cash, a significant amount of money, and shouted, “Free money!” as she threw it into the air.
The people around them glanced at the single Zenith and… returned to their activities, uninterested.
Aether stared blankly at Lia, his expression a mix of disbelief and disappointment. His face seemed to silently scream, ‘Are you fucking serious?’
Lia frowned seeing her plan not working, perplexed by the lack of reaction from the crowd.
‘Shouldn’t people be rushing to grab the money and fighting for it?’ she muttered, more to herself than to Aether.
She shook her head in disbelief, ‘If I were there, I would have been the first to dive for it!’
“Tsk, we just wasted money,” Lia said, clicking her tongue in annoyance. Aether, still processing the absurdity of the situation, looked at her with an unreadable expression before saying, “If you don’t grab a whole bundle of cash and throw it in the air, I will literally throw you next.”
Lia jerked in surprise, seeing the seriousness in Aether’s eyes. He looked dead serious, as if he really would throw her if she didn’t comply.
“A-Aether, a bundle? That’s almost 1000ˀ—HIIIKK!” she stammered, her voice rising in pitch. Before she could finish, Aether lifted her slightly into the air and then caught her, as if emphasizing his point.
“Do.it!” he commanded, his tone leaving no room for argument. He dodged another of Raven’s attacks before picking up speed, moving faster than before.
‘Tsk, he’s getting faster,’ Raven thought, her eyes narrowing as she tried to keep up.
Meanwhile,
[+400 AP]
Lia gulped, her hands trembling slightly as she reached into her bag and pulled out a bundle of cash. With a heavy heart, she threw the money into the air.
This time, Aether shouted dramatically, “Oh my goodness, it’s a money rain… Hahahaha!” His laughter was over-the-top, echoing through the street like the maniacal cackle of a villainess.
The street’s atmosphere changed instantly. The sight of cash floating down from the sky caught everyone’s attention. “MONEY!” someone shouted, and the chaos began.
“OMG!”
“It’s mine, bastard!”
“Don’t step on the bills, you idiot!!”
“Hey, lady, that’s my–aarhhh!”
“FUCK YOU, BITCH!!”
The entire street erupted into a chaotic scramble, people diving and pushing to grab as much money as they could. It was like a scene from a wild market brawl, with fists flying and curses being hurled.
“Tsk!” Raven clicked her tongue in irritation as the crowd thickened, blocking her path. It became increasingly difficult to pinpoint Lia and Aether in the midst of the chaos. ‘I will definitely get you!’ she vowed silently, her frustration mounting as she turned away.
[+1 AP]
Meanwhile, in a quiet, empty alley…
“H-Ha-Ha-Ha…” Aether panted heavily, pulling off the criminal-like mask he’d been wearing. He leaned against the wall, trying to catch his breath.
Lia, on the other hand, was practically bouncing with glee, “Hahaha… Aether, we got the money!” she exclaimed, her eyes shining with excitement.
Aether’s face twitched, torn between amusement and disbelief. He looked at Lia with a stern and slightly disappointed expression. Lia’s exuberance faltered, her face turning awkward. “Haha… ahem,” she coughed, trying to compose herself. “Wait here, I’ll bring some wate–”
“I am sorry,” Aether interrupted with a heavy sigh. His voice softened, filled with genuine regret. “I’m sorry for not telling you… I won’t ever do this again.” The sincerity in his words was palpable, his apology heartfelt.
[+400 AP]
Lia’s eyes widened, her expression softening.
She finally smiled gently, her eyes misting slightly, “You finally said it…” she murmured, walking towards him and hugging him tightly. Her voice trembled with emotion. “You might not understand this, but I was really sad and hurt when you left me without saying anything…. I know what I did now was not right, and I’m sorry for that, but still, you’re my only friend.
How could you leave me like that?”
Feeling the genuine emotions radiating from Lia, Aether felt a pang of guilt. He realized how deeply she cared about him, how much his actions had hurt her. He gently stroked her hair, his voice soft as he said, “I’m sorry, Aurelia Scarlet.” He used her full name, acknowledging her feelings.
[+400 AP]
They stayed like that for a moment, a silent understanding passing between them.
Lia’s crimson eyes flickered with a strange light as she inhaled his scent. Her nose twitched, her throat going dry. Abruptly, she pulled away, a faint blush creeping up her cheeks.
[+500 AP]
‘Cough’, Lia coughed, trying to cover her embarrassment.
“Ahem, are we good now?” Aether asked, patting her head gently, a small smile playing on his lips.
“M-Maybe,” Lia stammered, still flustered. Her eyes darted away, avoiding his gaze.
“Maybe… huh? How am I supposed to calm down my little sister?” Aether teased, pinching her cheeks playfully. Lia’s face turned an even deeper shade of red, and she swatted his hand away, shouting, “I am not your sister, jerk!!”
“Yeah, yeah…” Aether responded, grinning at her reaction. His amusement was clear, and Lia’s frustration only grew.
Unable to meet his eyes, Lia muttered something under her breath, but it was loud enough for Aether to catch, “Kiss,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper….. Realizing what she had said, her eyes widened in shock.
“Hmm?” Aether blinked, unsure if he had heard her correctly.
Lia’s mind raced as she tried to think of a way out. Her eyes darted around before she pointed to her cheek, her voice shaky as she clarified, “On the cheek… Yes- I mean, kiss me on the cheek.”
Aether chuckled softly. “I see…” he said, nodding. If a kiss was what she needed to feel better, he was more than willing to oblige.
As Aether leaned down, Lia’s heart pounded in her chest. As her blood rushed every inch of her body….. Her body slowly turned cold due to her Vampiric nature, her breath came in shallow gasps, and her cheeks were beet red. She closed her eyes, anticipating the touch.
“~chu~”
‘Ba-Dump’
[+600 AP]
The kiss was soft and warm, a gentle peck on the cheek. Lia’s heart skipped a beat, her breath hitching.
It was the first time a man had kissed her cheek, and the sensation was surprisingly pleasant. ‘It’s warm…’ she thought, touching her cheek where his lips had been.
Meanwhile, Aether touched his lips, a puzzled frown on his face. He felt a strange coldness when he kissed her cheek, but before he could voice his confusion, Lia cleared her throat loudly.
“Ahem, now we’re even!” she declared, trying to sound confident. Her face, however, was still flushed with embarrassment.
Aether sighed in relief, glad the tension between them had eased. However, his relief was short-lived.
“Hehe… we’re filthy rich, Aether,” Lia said, her voice filled with glee as she held up the bag of money. A sly grin spread across her face, and she seemed to relish the sight of the cash. Continue your journey on m|v-l’e m,p| y- r
“… Are you… are you really a noble?” Aether asked, his voice tinged with disbelief. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. And the money… it had to be illegal, given the circumstances.
Lia puffed out her chest with pride, “Of course, I belong to a noble family!” she declared, her tone dripping with arrogance. But her actions told a different story as she buried her face in the cash, inhaling its scent with a satisfied sigh, “I love this smell.”
‘I am really not a thief!’ Aether screamed internally, feeling a mix of guilt and amusement. His lips twitched as he tried to process the absurdity of the situation.
Still, money was money, and technically, they hadn’t stolen it. It was rightfully his, as he was the person on the wanted poster… or so he told himself to ease his conscience.
Just as they were about to leave, Lia suddenly asked, “You haven’t told me why she’s after you.”
Aether sighed, recounting the events leading up to their current predicament, “Well, it started when I first came here…” he began, explaining everything to Lia as they walked toward the academy.
Lia listened attentively, her expression shifting from concern to fury.
She wasn’t just angry at Raven, who had nearly sliced Aether, but also at the source of the problem…. Kai.
“I cannot believe that jerk made you walk such a long distance and then wanted others to hunt you… That bastard… grrrr,” she grumbled, clenching her fists in anger. But then she frowned, her mind racing. “But that doesn’t explain why she’s so dead set on finding you.”
Aether shrugged, just as clueless. They continued walking until they reached the academy gates, and…
“Fuck!” Aether cursed under his breath, pulling Lia to the side. “Hmm? What happened?” Lia asked, confused.
Aether pointed at….. Raven, stood at the gate with an air of calm determination.
“Why is she…?” Lia’s words trailed off as she realized the answer. “Oh, fuck!” she exclaimed, her face paling which amused Aether.
The duo had forgotten one important thing….. Aether had been wearing a criminal-like mask, but Lia had shown her face. And since Raven was in the same class as Lia, she knew where Lia would be.
“What should we do now?” Aether asked, frowning. It was clear they couldn’t get into the academy without confronting Raven.
Suddenly, Lia’s eyes lit up with an idea. “She only knows me. I’ll take care of it, and you… take this money and wait for my signal.”
“Hmm?” Aether tilted his head, confused. But Lia just winked at him with a smug grin before heading towards the gate, her expression transforming into one of exhaustion and sadness.
Aether watched, curious about what Lia was planning. Suddenly, a notification popped up in his vision,
!~Ding~!
Aether frowned, looking at the mission notification. Helena’s mission started to blink slowly.
Just then, he spotted Helena and Finnian walking out of the academy and heading away.
“…” Aether hesitated, holding the bag of money. He glanced back at Lia, who was putting on an Oscar-worthy performance…. pretending to swim, fight, and crawl in front of Raven. Aether wasn’t sure what the hell she was doing, but Raven seemed to be listening intently.
Seeing that things were under control, Aether clenched his fist, He decided to follow Helena.