“Stella?” Victor called out calmly, despite the unmistakable aura of murderous intent radiating from her. His voice was composed, as though the dangerous energy she was giving off was nothing but a passing breeze.
But it wasn’t Victor who was the real source of that seething rage…it was Stella herself, overtaken by the storm of her emotions.
Victor’s eyes swept over the restaurant. The others were frozen in their seats, terror etched on their faces. He smirked inwardly as his gaze returned to the furious Stella before him. ‘Small and cute, but a jealous woman is always dangerous,’ he thought, shaking his head slightly.
He gently took her hand, his touch light but firm, “Stella,” he murmured, his voice soothing, “calm down.”
Her eyes flickered, her brows knitting together as she came back to herself, ‘Damn it! I let my feelings get the better of me again,’ she chastised herself, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks.
Yet, her anger still simmered under the surface. Her glare, sharp and unwavering, cut through the air between them, “I hope you enjoy your life,” she hissed, the anger in her voice unmistakable.
Without waiting for a reply, she bit down on the last remaining of her meal, pushed her chair back with a loud scrape, and stormed toward the exit.
Victor sighed, watching her retreating figure, ‘At least the food didn’t go to waste,’ he thought wryly, then turned to address the other diners, who were still staring wide-eyed in his direction. He held up his hands in a calming gesture, his voice casual. “It’s fine, everyone. Really, nothing to worry about.”
But the fear in their eyes lingered, their gazes fixed on something…. behind him.
Frowning, Victor turned slowly, already guessing what—or rather, who—he’d find.
Sure enough, there she was. Stella, standing with her arms crossed and an almost childish pout on her face, her foot tapping impatiently. “Are you seriously just going to let me walk out like that?”
Victor chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief. “Of course not,” he said, his tone playful yet understanding. “I know you, Stella. No matter how mad you get, you never truly leave. You always come back to me…. I still remember how you came back again for me!”
She rolled her eyes, though there was a faint smile tugging at her lips. “Hmph. Don’t get cocky,” she muttered, but there was no real anger in her words anymore.
After a beat, she glanced at the table, her voice softening just a touch. “I want another serving… of what you ate earlier.”
“I ate?” Victor blinked, genuinely taken aback, “Wait! you want that again?” He stared at her, his mind racing. ‘Is she serious? Does she actually like that stuff?’ He kept his thoughts to himself, but inwardly, he was baffled.
A faint blush colored Stella’s cheeks, “Y-Yes, I’m serious. You’re the one who ate it first, so… order it for me,” she insisted, her voice growing firmer with each word. Stay updated via empire
Victor let out a small laugh, shaking his head in amusement. “Alright, alright.” He motioned to the waiter, signaling for the same dish again.
As they waited, Victor’s expression shifted, his playful demeanor fading. “I need to tell you something,” he said quietly, his eyes locking onto hers with an intensity that made her pause,
“I’m… on a mission.”
Stella’s eyes widened slightly, ‘A mission?’ Her first instinct was to brush it off as an excuse, but the look on his face stopped her.
He wasn’t joking!!
There was a weight to his words and same expression he had when he saved protected her…. that made her heart skip a beat, ‘He’s serious,’ she realized, her mind racing.
Without a word, she created a subtle magical barrier around them, ensuring their conversation would remain private. Leaning forward, she met his gaze, her voice low but curious. “What kind of mission, Victor? You’re not making this up, are you?”
Victor shook his head, his tone grave. “No, Stella. This is real. More real than you can imagine.” He paused for a moment, as if gathering his thoughts, then began to explain.
His words were slow and measured, each one laced with a seriousness that made her stomach twist. The story he unfolded sounded like something out of a dark fairy tale—seduction, manipulation, life-and-death stakes.
By the time he finished, it felt like hours had passed, though it had only been minutes.
“I hope you understand now,” he said, his voice soft but carrying the weight of everything he’d revealed, ‘Not like your brainwashed sister who will kill others as soon as I finished.’ he thought grimly but kept that thought to himself.
Stella sat in stunned silence, her mind reeling. ‘A mission? Seduction? Death? What the heck is going on?’ She felt as though the ground beneath her was slipping away. ‘What are Arcane and Mother really up to?’ Her thoughts drifted to her sister, Helena, and the strange immunity she had when using her blessed powers.
The pieces slolwy fit, and it left a gnawing sense of unease in her chest.
Despite the heavy weight of Victor’s revelation, her hand moved almost automatically, lifting her fork as she absentmindedly ate while her mind raced through the endless barrage of questions.
Victor watched her, a smirk forming at the corner of his mouth. ‘Does she even notice what she’s eating? Is that really tasty or is my taste buds are fucked up?’ he thought, barely suppressing a chuckle. Just as he reached out to take a piece of food from her plate, there was a sudden—
Thud!
Stella, without thinking, yanked her plate away, hiding it protectively from him.
Victor blinked, utterly dumbfounded. He couldn’t believe what had just happened. Even Stella seemed shocked by her own reflexes. Her face flushed a deep crimson, and she stammered awkwardly, “I-I didn’t mean to… I’m sorry…” She hesitantly placed the plate back in front of him, avoiding his eyes, “G-Go ahead.”
Victor didn’t move. He stared at her, the disbelief still clear in his expression. “You’re a noble, right?” he asked, his voice slow, as if he wasn’t sure he was remembering correctly.
Stella hesitated, then nodded slowly. “Well… more or less.”
“More or less?” Victor frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. “You either are or you aren’t. There’s no middle ground, Why are you acting like you never had this kind of food before?”
She let out an awkward laugh, scratching the back of her neck, “Okay, fine. Yes, I’m a noble. But as an Archpriestess, things are… different. Even though my family has money, I’m not supposed to indulge in extravagant meals. It’s not exactly…
allowed.” Her eyes drifted to the food before them, a small smile on her lips. “For us, a simple loaf of bread is usually more than enough. Anything extra… well, that’s better spent helping others who need it.”
Victor nodded thoughtfully, his gaze steady on Stella. However, after a brief pause, he raised a brow and asked, “If it’s just your sister, the Archpriestess, I can understand her following such rules. But what about you? You’re not—”
“That’s not how it works!” Stella interrupted hastily, her voice rising slightly. She could feel her heart racing, and inwardly, she was sweating bullets, “We’re family, Victor. We follow the same traditions. It’s… a shared responsibility.”
Victor blinked, taken aback by the sudden interruption. He studied her for a moment before giving a slow nod, ‘Family, huh? They even ready to share a husband, so I guess this whole thing is just part of their weird house traditions… or whatever the hell it is,’ he mused, though his expression remained neutral.
Stella, relieved that her sudden outburst hadn’t raised more suspicion, quickly finished the last of her meal. Once they were done, the two of them stood and left the restaurant.
“PLEASE COME BACK AGAIN, YOUNG MASTER!!!” The waiter and chef shouted in unison, bowing deeply as they watched the pair depart.
‘Hell no!’ Victor thought, cringing inwardly at their enthusiasm. On the outside, however, he simply smiled politely, giving them a small nod as he turned to leave.
As they walked down the bustling streets, Stella tucked a lock of her grey hair behind her ear, glancing sideways at Victor. She hesitated for a moment before speaking, “I’m still not entirely sure how to believe all of this, but…” She trailed off, her eyes searching his face for any signs of deception. “Since you’re telling me this… I’ll trust you.”
Inwardly, she wanted to scream that the entire mission thing was bullshit, that it made no sense.
But she couldn’t ignore what she had seen…. The memory of the dark, grinning feminine figure flickered through her mind, sending a shiver down her spine, ‘That black figure… I can’t deny something’s happening,’ she thought grimly, ‘Aether…
He’s caught in a game no one understands, manipulated by forces beyond his control.’ that made her heart sink even further but not knowing she had been manipulating him from the start.
Victor suddenly stopped in his tracks, his gaze shifting to her curiously. “You believe me? Why?” he asked, tilting his head slightly, genuinely intrigued.
Stella’s cheeks flushed a deep red at the question. “W-Why? I-I mean, you should know why!” she stammered, struggling to keep her composure.
Victor, of course, knew why. He had a pretty good idea, but hearing it from her lips was something else entirely. He grinned, stepping closer to her. “Tell me, Stella. Why do you believe me?”
Her blush deepened, and she took a step back, feeling the heat rise in her face, “A-Aether…” she mumbled, her voice barely above a whisper as she retreated another step, only for Victor to move forward again, closing the distance between them.
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Her heart pounded in her chest, and her eyes fluttered shut as she felt him leaning in. Her lips instinctively pursed, waiting for the kiss she thought was coming.
But nothing happened.
Confused, she opened her eyes to find Victor grinning at her mischievously. “Were you expecting a kiss, like the one you gave me before you disappeared?”
[+10000 AP]
Her face turned beet red, and before she could think, she smacked his shoulder with a playful shove. “B-Bad boy! Aether, you’re such a bad boy!” she shouted, her embarrassment only fueling her outburst as she quickly turned and walked ahead, trying to hide her burning cheeks.
Victor chuckled, thoroughly enjoying teasing her. There was something irresistibly fun about watching this normally composed healer turn into a flustered mess. She was so different from her older sister, and that made it all the more entertaining for him.
But more than that, he was genuinely glad to see her like this—to see Stella.
She was, after all, the first woman who had ever made him feel something more. She had been willing to risk everything for him, even when he was nothing but a stranger. That thought alone made him smile gently as he watched her walk ahead… He decided to change his disguise before following her.