Aether had never expected this. He truly believed that giving her some space would calm her down. He thought that if he avoided contacting her, she’d eventually cool off. But here she was…
“A-Aether, h-how are you? I heard you’ve been unconscious for so long…” Helena’s voice trembled, her face flushed with a mix of worry and bashfulness as she shyly glanced at Aether, who was seated beside her bed.
Her eyes held a blend of relief and anxiety like she was teetering on the edge of breaking.
Anyone who saw them would have thought this beautiful girl was nothing more than an innocent maiden in love but beneath that gentle facade…
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…..
…
Aether felt a cold sweat forming on his back. He maintained a tender gaze, trying to mask the unease churning inside him, “I’m fine, Helena. Really, I am. But what about you? Are you feeling better? Is there anything….
anything at all… I can do for you?”
Helena’s heart swelled with warmth, a happiness so intense it nearly brought tears to her eyes. The way he worried about her, it was everything she had longed for.
“Yes, I’m feeling well… better now that you’re here…” she murmured, her voice barely a whisper as her cheeks deepened in colour, “You being here is more than enough for me.”
‘Oh~ What an innocent, sweet girl~’
It wasn’t just Aether who thought this; anyone who saw her adorably shy demeanour would have fallen for her…. But if they could see what he saw…
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….
….
‘Gulp’
Aether gulped, his throat dry. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end—not because the girl before him was transforming from a sweet innocent into something more sinister, but because… Helena’s calmness, her composure, was unnervingly normal!!
Unlike Selene, the Archpriestess, and Aria….. Helena seemed calm and collected as if she wasn’t feeling anything…. It was as if she was holding everything back, bottling it up inside… and that terrified him more than anything.
He forced himself to calm down, to push aside the rising panic, and leaned in closer with a reassuring smile. Helena flinched, her eyes widening slightly before she shyly lowered her head, avoiding his gaze.
Aether gently placed his hand on her head, his touch soft and tender. “I love you~” he whispered, his voice carrying all the affection he could muster.
Helena’s eyes instantly welled up with tears. She looked up at him, her lips trembling as she tried to speak, “I-I lov-e you too~” she finally managed, her voice breaking with emotion.
At that moment, their hearts were beating in unison, each feeling the depth of the other’s love, the unspoken connection that bound them together.
Aether’s gaze drifted to the scarf she wore, a thought crossing his mind, ‘Thank goodness, Selene helped me!’ he mused.
Noticing his attention on her scarf, Helena smiled softly, “One of my friends gave this to me… say that it is a good charm or something that helps me heal faster…” she explained, her voice gentle and sincere. But then, her eyes narrowed slightly in curiosity as she reached up, lightly touching the ∞ tattoo on her neck, “Aether… is this your power?” she asked, her voice laced with uncertainty.
Aether nodded, the lie slipping easily from his lips, “Yes, that was my power… a gift from The Mother.”
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Helena’s eyes widened in shock, “Y-You mean ‘The MOTHER’ gave you this power?” Her voice was filled with awe and disbelief.
Aether nodded again, offering her a reassuring smile. “Yes… to protect you.”
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“H-Huh? Protect me?” Helena echoed, her mind swirling with confusion as she tried to process his words.
“Yes. With this tattoo, you’ll be safe, even when you use your blessed ability,” Aether explained, his tone firm yet tender.
Helena’s thoughts raced, ‘S-So, the Archpriestess was right?’ she wondered, recalling the Archpriestess’s words from her visit the previous morning.
“So you need to keep it hidden,” Aether continued, his voice dropping to deadly serious, “If others see it, they might come after me for this power…. They might try to take me away from you…. I will be lonely without you, So Please!”
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Helena’s expression shifted to one of grave seriousness. She could feel the weight of Aether’s words, the danger that came with possessing such a powerful ability. She nodded with a serious and deadly face, she would not allow Aether… to be taken away from her… She would kill anyone for that!!
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Ignoring the danger signs!
Aether watched her, a sense of satisfaction swelling inside him….. She was not even questioning him back…. She just believed him, trusted him completely.
His inner demon stirred, tempting him to push her further. His hand, which had been gently patting her head, slid lower, tracing the curve of her cheek. Helena’s face flushed deeply, her skin heating under his touch. She closed her eyes, leaning into his hand and gently rubbed it… as if she couldn’t get enough of the warmth he offered.
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…..
Aether stifled a chuckle, choosing to ignore the log….. He didn’t need to see it to know that her feelings for him were growing stronger by the second. Any more, and he might start sweating in fear.
Sometimes closing your eyes was best!!
Helena, her voice barely above a whisper, began, “You know, the Archprie—” but before she could finish,
“What’s going on here?”
The sudden, cold voice made both Helena and Aether jump. They turned to see Finnian standing in the doorway, his eyes blazing with anger as he glared at them.
Helena quickly released Aether’s hand, her face flushing with embarrassment as she pulled the blanket over her head, hiding from Finnian’s furious gaze.
Aether blinked in surprise, then chuckled softly to himself.
Maybe it was time to leave.
Finnian’s icy stare followed him as he stood up and walked out of the room, but Aether paid him no mind. As soon as Aether was gone, Finnian turned his full attention on Helena, “I told you not to get close to him!!” he hissed, his voice low and dangerous.
Helena said nothing, burying her face deeper into the blanket, which only seemed to fuel Finnian’s irritation.
Meanwhile, as Aether wandered through the academy, he observed the students hard at work…
‘Thank goodness, I didn’t pull in that shit!’ He thought with relief, just then,
“Aether!”
He turned at the sound of his name and saw Maelona approaching. He nodded respectfully as she drew near, “What is it, Ms. Maelona?” he asked, his voice laced with politeness.
Maelona’s eyes narrowed slightly. She knew he was putting on a show, pretending to be a servant, “I need to speak with you. Alone,” she said, her tone brooking no argument.
Aether blinked, realizing something, ‘Sigh, I told her to keep her mouth shut! Looks like I’ll have to teach this beast a lesson~’ he thought bitterly, resigning himself to what was sure to be an unpleasant conversation.
Meanwhile, in another part of the academy, Liora was in the midst of speaking with her tribe members when she suddenly froze. Her tail stiffened, and a shiver ran down her spine. Something was wrong, ‘W-What happened?’ she wondered, though her body already knew the answer.
Anyhow,
After Maelona led Aether into a separate room that was still under reconstruction, she wasted no time. The moment they were alone, she rounded on him, her expression severe. “Tell me… did you sleep with Liora?” she demanded.
“No!” Aether answered immediately, his face the picture of sincerity. But Maelona’s frown only deepened.
Aether held her gaze, his expression unwavering. He knew he had to convince her, that she had to believe he was telling the truth.
He would rather die than betray his beloved(s)!!!!
Maelona studied his face for a long moment before finally sighing. “Good.” Despite her lingering doubts, she wanted to believe him… needed to believe him.
Aether let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding, relief washing over him.
Just as she turned to leave, Aether called after her, “Where’s my hug from my favourite mother-in-law?”
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Maelona’s cheeks flushed a delicate shade of pink as she turned back to him, a sly smile playing on her lips, “Favorite?”
“Yep!” Aether confirmed, grinning as he walked up to her and opened his arms wide. Maelona chuckled softly before stepping into his embrace.
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As they hugged, Aether couldn’t resist asking, “Have you been taking your medicine properly?”
Maelona smiled, her heart warming at his genuine concern. “Yes. My body feels much better, though I still can’t use any magic… but staying alive is what matters most, right?”
“Haha… Yes…” Aether laughed, but his happiness was short-lived.
Maelona’s expression suddenly darkened as she remembered something. She pulled back slightly, frowning as she asked, “Mind telling me why you’ve been sending letters to Liora?”
‘Ah! Damn it!’ Aether cursed inwardly before quickly blurting out, “I was just trying to keep her calm! You know, so she wouldn’t get any… ideas of jumping on me… haha… ah….”
Maelona’s sceptical gaze told him she wasn’t entirely convinced. Panic began to set in…
“I-I need to pack my things! I’ll be leaving now, Mother-in-law!!” he stammered, hastily retreating before she could ask any more questions.
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As he fled, Maelona watched him go, her frown deepening, ‘Something’s fishy…’ she thought to herself.