“P-Please forgive me, Madam!!” The receptionist’s voice cracked as she sobbed uncontrollably.
Aether, Celestia, and Amara had just stepped outside when she broke down, restrained by the guards.
Amara’s expression hardened as she glared at the receptionist, “You had one job, and yet you betrayed me… Have you ever struggled for money?”
The receptionist cried even harder, desperation evident in her every word, “P-Please! Forgive me… I didn’t mean to… I was forced!” she pleaded, her tears streaming down her face.
Amara, exasperated, shook her head and turned to Aether and Celestia, “Please, don’t mind her,” she said, motioning for them to continue.
Aether shrugged indifferently but then—
“YOU MOTHERFUCKER!!”
The sudden outburst made Aether stop in his tracks. He turned around to see the receptionist screaming at the same handsome man standing beside Julian.
“It’s because of you! I lost my job because of you, you asshole!” she yelled in a voice raw with pain and frustration.
Amara’s frown deepened as she turned to the handsome man, who fired back, “What the hell are you talking about? How dare you speak to me like that!” He then turned to Julian, adding with disgust, “Is this how I’m going to be treated after the marriage?”
Julian’s face paled. He swiftly ordered the guards, “Get her out of here!”
As the guards began to drag her away, the receptionist’s desperate cries echoed through the corridor, “Madam, P-Please! He t-threatened me!… sob, sob… He told me not to let anyone through unless he was allowed in first. P-Please, believe me!!!
He said he’d torture and fire me once he married you… I was t-terrified… Please, Madam!” Her voice cracked with desperation.
Amara’s blank stare shifted between the receptionist and the man, Henry, who looked at Julian with disbelief, “I can’t believe you’re even listening to some random receptionist who’d do anything for money!” Henry spat, his tone condescending.
Julian, sensing the growing tension, tried to calm the situation, “Mr. Henry, please, no one is taking her seriously. Let’s not make this into something it’s not.” He patted Henry’s shoulder.
Yet,
Henry snorted as he looked at Amara and said, “But she seems to taking it seriously?”
Julian looked at Amara and said sternly,
“Amara, let’s not create a scene. We can’t be sure whether she’s telling the truth, but either way, she betrayed you. It’s best to remove her.”
But Amara remained silent, her gaze fixed on Henry, whose smug smile only deepened.
Aether, who had been observing quietly, turned his attention to the trembling receptionist. Her fate now rested in Amara’s hands, and she knew it. His gaze shifted to Amara, then to Henry, and…. a small grin spread across his face.
Celestia noticed this shift and thought, ‘Oh, great. He’s cooking up something.’
Aether stepped closer to Amara and spoke softly, “Ms. Amara, if you don’t mind, could I say something?”
Amara snapped out of her trance and nodded, “Well… Yes, you have every right to speak in this matter.”
Aether walked toward the trembling receptionist, motioning for the guards to move aside. They hesitated for a moment but looked to Amara, who gave a slight nod. Reluctantly, they released her.
The receptionist collapsed!
Thud!
[+10AP]
Before she could fully fall, Aether caught her, pulling her up gently. His voice was warm as he asked, “Are you alright, my lady?”
The receptionist, clutching his shirt for support, nodded weakly, her hope reignited. She looked at him, as though believing he might be her only lifeline.
[+10 AP]
“P-Please forgive me, sir. I-I didn’t mean to be rude to you… It’s just that… I-I was—”
“Hey, hey… Calm down,” Aether interrupted gently, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “I don’t hold grudges against someone who’s been tricked by some loser.”
Henry’s face flushed with fury. “How dare you call me a—”
Before Henry could finish, Aether cut him off, his masked face revealing a small smile. “It’s not like I was talking about you, right?”
Henry, taken aback, swallowed his words and nodded stiffly. “Y-Yes, of course not…”
Aether chuckled softly, then turned back to the receptionist, his voice calm and kind. “It’s alright.” He gave her shoulder a comforting pat before turning to Amara,
“Would you give her another chance?”
[+100 AP]
The receptionist blinked, her teary eyes widening in disbelief. Aether was advocating for her, despite everything.
Amara frowned. “Would you give back the 5%?” she asked bluntly. Financial loss the receptionist’s mistake had cost her, but she wasn’t going to lose this chance.
In the end, everything was business!
Aether’s lips curled into a knowing smirk. He had anticipated this moment, “Yes,” he said, without hesitation, surprising everyone around, including Celestia.
Aether smirked inwardly, he knew this was going to happen, “Yes” he nodded making surprise everyone even Celestia was surprised. Experience more tales on empire
Celestia’s thoughts buzzed with curiosity. /Aether?/
/It’s fine/
Aether smiled as he turned to the receptionist. “You’ve been given another chance, lady.”
The receptionist stood frozen, her mind reeling from the surreal turn of events, ‘Did… did he just give up money for me? E-Even though I was rude to him?’
[+200 AP]
[+300 AP]
[+400 AP]
[+500 AP]
Aether leaned in closer, his voice a soft whisper in her ear, “Make sure you make good use of it. Don’t betray that trust again, got it?” He lifted his mask just enough to reveal a piercing gaze of icy blue eyes that cut straight through her.
Her heart raced, skipping a beat!
‘Ba-dump.’
The intensity in his eyes left her momentarily breathless as she blankly stared at him.
[+1000 AP]
[+1000 AP]
[+2000 AP]
Aether, satisfied with her reaction, lowered his mask back into place and stepped away, turning toward the exit with a cool, confident smile.
Amara and the others watched silently as Aether left, their minds still processing the whirlwind of events. Henry, meanwhile, clenched his fists, glaring at Aether’s retreating figure, anger seething beneath his facade.
…..
…..
Later, as they walked down the street, Celestia turned to Aether with a raised eyebrow. “So, what now?”
Aether’s grin was wide and smug, “First, I want the girl to spy for us.”
Celestia’s eyes widened in surprise, “You’re serious?” as she understood what Aether was thinking.
“Absolutely” Aether’s voice was matter-of-fact, “This is business, Celestia. In a world where money runs everything and it plays very well… we need to be ahead of the game.
Someone might try to stab us in the back any day. We need someone on the inside.”
Celestia listened carefully, understanding the full scope of his plan. Aether continued, “Tell her that all she needs to do is spy on Rosavere household, but don’t mention my name. Say you are doing it’s for my safety—that I’m too naive, too trusting, and fell for her sob story without knowing whether she was telling the truth.
I am just a naive innocent guy~” as he winked at her.
Celestia blinked, stunned by the audacity of his words, ‘Naive?’ She couldn’t help but think to herself, ‘This man is anything but naive.’ even she fell for his innocence before!!
Aether caught her sceptical glance and grinned, “And keep an eye on Henry. I want to know his details…. He’ll be a pain in our butt. Take one of my clones with you”
With a snap of his fingers, a clone of Aether materialized beside Celestia.
“Got it,” she nodded, disappearing into thin air along with the clone.
Aether stood still for a moment, amused by how easily Celestia could vanish, ‘Even at her level, I still can’t sense her movements. It seems power alone isn’t everything that makes someone unique.’
Aether chuckled to himself before slipping into a dark alley. Moments later, he emerged, now disguised as Victor, a completely…
He reached into his coat and pulled out the crystalline black with small white thread debit card Amara had given him. Staring at it with satisfaction, his lips slowly curled into a wicked grin.
“MONEY, MONEY, MONEY… MONEY!!!! HUMMAAAA!!!! HEHEHEHEHEHE!!!”
Aether bellowed with uncontainable glee, his voice echoing down the street. Passersby turned their heads, startled by the outburst, instinctively moving away from the eccentric figure.
“FUCK YEAH, BITCHES!! I’M FUCKING FILTHY RICH!!!!” he continued his excitement barely contained.
He got an enormous generous amount, he surely going to spend to his heart content!!
“Hahaha…”
In the end, Aether had to admit… money really could buy happiness for everyone!!