“….”
“….”
Aether and Helena stood in the dimly lit room, an awkward silence hanging between them.
After separating from the others, Selene had sneakily pulled Helena into her room, insisting it was important. It seemed like a good idea to be alone with Helena, who had been avoiding Aether’s gaze.
It was indeed a good idea…. If not Selene was lurking behind the bathroom door, her eyes fixed on them with an intensity that was hard to ignore.
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Aether felt Selene’s gaze like a physical weight and sighed telepathically.
/I thought I said alone, right?/
Selene flinched, her tone defensive as she replied telepathically, /Come on, Aether, what if she tries to escape? That’s why I’m guarding the door./ Her voice was filled with righteous determination, but Aether knew better.
‘Guarding the door? Which door?’ He really wanted to ask but sighed again, thinking, ‘Well, let’s make the best of this.’ He decided to turn this into a lesson, a way to show Selene how hard he was working and perhaps gain her support in the future without her becoming Yandere mode…. He turned to Helena, trying to break the ice. “Hello, Miss Helena.”
“…”
“It’s been a while since we talked, right?”
“….”
“Looks like you don’t want to talk to me anymore. I wonder why?”
“…..”
Selene, who had been watching quietly, couldn’t contain her frustration, “He’s talking to you!!” she snapped at Helena, her voice laced with impatience. ‘Just fall for him, bitch!’ she thought, gritting her teeth.
She was really unreasonable now!
Aether shot Selene a blank stare, and she quickly lowered her head in silence. He turned back to Helena, his tone softening. “Did I do something wrong?”
“….”
The silence from Helena was palpable. Aether studied her, noting her avoidance. ‘Looks like the Archpriestess must have influenced her,’ he thought, deciding to change his approach. Aether’s expression turned pained, and he spoke in a low, vulnerable tone, “You know, it hurts when you don’t talk to me… like I’m some kind of sick person.”
[+500 AP]
Helena’s eyes widened in surprise, her defences momentarily dropping. “Y-You too—” she started but quickly covered her mouth.
Aether grinned inwardly, sensing an opening. ‘It was the Archpriestess, after all,’ he mused. He continued with a sympathetic tone, “You too? You also feel this way? It must be painful, right?” He placed a hand on his chest, feigning a wince.
Helena nodded vigorously, her eyes shining with shared understanding. ‘Y-yes, it was really painful!’ she thought, though she didn’t say it aloud.
Aether grinned inwardly seeing Helena slowly answering him though not by words, still, it was a great improvement.
Aether pressed on, “I see… You know, I’ve felt this sickness ever since that day I helped you…” He let the sentence trail off, watching her reaction.
[+500 AP]
Helena’s eyes widened even further, “Me too—” she began, then clamped her hands over her mouth again.
“You too?” Aether echoed, feigning surprise. He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, “So, you have the same problem as me, and it started at the same time…” then his expression turned horrifying as he added, “Maybe we got sick together!”
Helena’s eyes widened in shock and realization. “It is possible,” she murmured, nodding a few times, her mind racing to piece together the situation.
Aether smirked, pleased to see her finally speaking as her hands lowered.
Her mind raced through various possibilities, ‘If we got the same sickness, it might be because of that time when he helped with my bathroom shower and we both got drenched… Maybe the sickness came from that.’ But then she frowned, ‘But I used purification, and even the Archpriestess used purification…
Yet the sickness is still here…’ Her frown deepened as she considered the unsettling possibility that this disease was a new variant she had never encountered before.
“Maybe we should inform the Archpriestess together. She might be able to identify this sickness before it spreads to others!” Helena’s voice grew increasingly urgent, laced with worry for the potential spread of this unknown ailment.
“…” Aether’s lips parted, but no sound came out. ‘Inform the Archpriestess? You’d be dead in a matter of seconds, and She will matter me in a matter of seconds,!!’ he screamed inwardly before shaking his head with a wrily smile. He quickly said, “Did you ask her about this sickness before?”
Helena nodded, her expression turning serious. “Yes, I told her everything, and she said I should avoid you and stop speaking…” Her eyes widened in horror as she clapped a hand over her mouth.
She couldn’t believe what she’d just done… Going against the Archpriestess was blasphemy!
She needed to confess and atone for her sin immediately!
Meanwhile, Aether was equally stunned by her admission. ‘Everything? Damn! She really told everything to that crazy woman!’ His eyes suddenly felt heavy and tired, the situation became far worse than he’d anticipated…. evenmore worse than the ghost that appeared out of nowhere.
As Helena prepared to leave and seek atonement, Aether quickly intervened, “But it didn’t work, right?”
“Huh?”
“I mean, when you avoided me, the pain only increased… It never subsided until now,” Aether said softly, his tone gentle and reassuring.
Helena’s expression turned thoughtful as she realized she no longer felt the pain in her chest that had plagued her before. “Yes, the pain in my heart disappeared…”
Aether nodded and carefully added, “I think the Archpriestess might have been wr—” He stopped himself when he saw Helena’s furious expression.
He gulped, quickly altering his words, “It must be because she never encountered this problem before…”
Helena calmed down almost immediately, thoughtfully agreeing, “Yes, that might be possible. If we give her enough time, she should be able to figure it out!” Her tone carried a hint of pride and conviction.
Aether nodded along, echoing her sentiment, “Yes, the mighty and one and only Archpriestess could figure it out in the future.”
Hearing that, Helena nodded in satisfaction.
[+600 AP]
“However…”
“Hmm?”
“I have an idea…”
“What is it?” Helena asked, her curiosity piqued.
Aether’s face split into a sly smile, a mischievous glint in his eyes, “Why don’t we find the cure before the Archpriestess does and surprise her? She would be overjoyed to see her saintess taking the initiative to do this without her help and might even praise you!”
A devilish suggestion whispered into the ears of an angel.freeweɓnvel.com