Step. Step. Step…
“Where is she?” Aether muttered to himself, frowning in confusion. He was sure he had followed her closely, but upon reaching the empty corridor, she seemed to have vanished around the corner.
‘What the…?’ His brows furrowed as his eyes scanned the hallway. That’s when he noticed a restroom door at the end.
‘Maybe she went in there,’ he thought, deciding to wait outside. After all, she might need some time alone.
He was about to turn and leave when—
“Caught you~”
Aether felt hands gently cover his eyes from behind.
A chuckle escaped his lips. “Oh, you caught me, huh?” He recognized that playful tone immediately.
“Oh? Then tell me… who am I?” came the voice, teasing and light.
Aether grinned, amused by the sudden shift in mood, ‘And Here I thought she needed some encouragement… Pity me~’ he thought, still smiling, “Of course, it’s my cute little sister, who loves to play games with her big brother~” he teased, quickly grabbing the hands over his eyes and pulling the figure in front of him.
He expected to catch her before she stumbled, but…
Aether blinked when his vision returned, “You’re… not little,” he mumbled, his voice softening in disbelief.
Before him stood not the small figure he anticipated but a full-grown woman, her form shrouded in a mysterious haze-like mist, making it impossible to clearly see her features…. But one thing was clear—she was far taller than him.
“Fu~ Fu~ Of course, I’m little, pretty boy~” the woman purred, her voice dripping with amusement as she floated just above the ground, hovering before him effortlessly.
!~Ding~!
[Manipulation Blocked]
Aether’s lips twitched, “Who are you, and why are you here?” he asked, his tone firm, yet calm.
The woman’s laughter was soft, almost musical, “Hmm~ You really don’t remember me? That’s so sad… We’ve met before, you know,” she said, her voice laced with feigned disappointment.
“We’ve met?” Aether stared blankly at her, fake confusion even though he knew very well who she was.
He’d been cautious enough to learn everything he could after their first encounter…. There was no way he’d let someone with her kind of power slip away unnoticed.
Her name was Mary Scarlet, though most people called her…. Bloody Mary!!
A name feared across the land!
After their first meeting, he made sure to gather every bit of information possible. Celestia had filled him in on the details.
Mary Scarlet came from a powerful vampire lineage, and her nickname was no mere title—it was a testament to her love for blood and the battlefields she danced with blood!
Dangerous didn’t even begin to describe her!!
She was a woman who would not listen to anyone and would do anything she wanted she didn’t care for the consequences and just did what she felt right… She loves to dance in the bloody land.
And then there was her bloodline ability—the Charm. She could manipulate others just by making eye contact or seeing her charming face, which explained the mist that obscured her form. It was a precaution… to keep others from succumbing to her control.
She was second only to the Principal Herself—the Sovereign.
And now, here she was, standing in front of him, playful yet unpredictable. He needed to handle this situation with extreme caution.
She had once been the Arcane Queen and was now the reigning Empress of the Umbrionis Void….. And to top it all off, she was the mother of Aurelia Scarlet.
She was an overprotective Mother and… a little weirdo!!
He wasn’t sure about the second part but the first one… He knew it was a really dangerous one and he fucking knew he need to treat this carefully!
Aether took a calming breath, controlling his expression, “I’m sorry, but I don’t recall meeting you.”
Mary tilted her head and sighed, her tone lightening, “Since you apologized so sweetly… and you’re rather pretty, I suppose I’ll introduce myself~ ” Her eyes gleamed beneath the mist. “My name is Bloody Mary.”
Find more adventures on empire
Aether nodded slowly, his thoughts racing. ‘So she’s using her nickname… I see.’ He waited, expecting more, but she fell silent.
“That’s it?”
“That’s it~” she replied, her tone teasing.
Aether’s eyes narrowed slightly, “That’s all you’re going to say?”
Her lips curled into a smirk. “Want more, pretty boy~?” she asked, her voice dropping to a dangerously playful tone, her glowing, bloody eyes gleaming through the mist.
!~Ding~!
[Manipulation Blocked]
Aether suppressed a sigh, ‘So, she’s really going to keep this up…’ he thought, remaining calm. “If that’s all, then no. I think I’m good,” he said, turning away, and preparing to leave.
But before he could take more than a step—
“Running away again?” Her voice took on a sharp edge as she grabbed his shoulder.
Aether glanced back, unfazed. “No, I’m not running, Miss Mary—”
“Bloody Mary,” she corrected coldly, her grip tightening slightly.
Aether’s lips twitched as he corrected himself, “Right. Bloody Mary.”
Her hand patted his head lightly, “Good boy~” she purred, her tone shifting back to that eerie playfulness.
Aether’s eyes twitched visibly, he gently moved her hand away, “Anyway, Miss Bloody Mary, I do need to leave now,” he said, turning once again to go. But before he could make it far—
“So, who’s this cute little sister of yours~? I didn’t see anyone around,” she asked, her voice still playful, but now laced with a hint of something darker.
Aether didn’t miss the edge to her tone, but he remained calm, “I was following my sister. She ran off after that earlier incident, along with the rest of the crowd. I’ve been searching for her,” he said, nodding as if deep in thought, maintaining a calm and concerned expression.
Mary studied him for a few seconds, before finally speaking again. “Is that so? You’re looking for your sister…?” Her tone was curious, but the danger lurking beneath it hadn’t faded.
“Yes,” Aether replied smoothly.
“Then…” Mary’s voice dropped to a dangerously low tone, “does she have the same voice as me?”
‘Fuck! Both mother and Daughter had the same tone…’ Aether screamed internally, but outwardly, he remained calm, maintaining a slightly concerned expression, “Well, I thought she was just trying to mimic someone, you know… like siblings do. Playing little games to scare each other, right?” He forced a casual chuckle.
“Is that so…?” Mary’s eyes narrowed, her voice growing colder, “I didn’t realize siblings did such things. I never did that to my brother…”
The temperature around them seemed to drop as her tone became icy.
!~Ding~!
[Manipulation Blocked]
Aether kept his composure, staring at her without flinching. Just as things were about to take a dangerous turn—
“Damn these bloodstains!” Lia mumbled as she stepped out of the restroom, rubbing at her clothes with frustration.
She looked up, her eyes landing on Aether, “Aeth—” Her words froze in her throat as she spotted the hazy figure beside him. ‘Shit!’ Lia screamed inwardly, realizing who it was. Without hesitation, she turned on her heel…. ready to bolt!!
But before she could take a step—
“My babyyyyyyyyyy~!” Mary shrieked joyfully, vanishing in an instant, only to reappear right in front of Lia, pulling her into a suffocating embrace.
“W-Wai—” Lia barely managed to get a word out before she was smothered by her mother’s tight hug. Mary planted rapid-fire kisses all over her face, making a loud smacking sound each time.
“~chu~”
“I missed you~”
“~chu~”
“I missed you too much~”
“~chu~”
“You’ve gotten lean, are you eating enough?”
“~chu~”
“~chu~”
“~chu~”
“~chu~”
Aether stood there, watching the bizarre display with wide eyes. Mary’s affection was relentless, raining down on her daughter like a hurricane of kisses, completely ignoring how uncomfortable Lia was.
After what felt like an eternity, Lia’s face was burning red with embarrassment. “M-Mother, what are you—”
“Mother?!” Mary gasped, pulling back to stare at her daughter in horror, “No, no, no. It’s Mommy~”
“~chu~”
“Call me mommy~”
“~chu~”
“Say it. Say it!”
“~chu~”
“Say it”
“~chu~”
More kisses followed as Lia struggled in vain, her protests drowned out by her mother’s overwhelming affection. After what felt like another eternity, Lia finally gasped in defeat, “M-Mommy…”
“Yes! That’s my good girl~” Mary beamed, “Now this for being a good girl~” leaning in for yet another barrage of kisses.
“Noooo!!” Lia whimpered, unable to escape as her mother’s lips smothered her once more.
“~chu~”
“~chu~”
“~chu~”
Aether stood with his mouth slightly open, watching this scene unfold like something out of a surreal dream, ‘I… think I get it now… She really is a motherly weirdo,’ he thought, nodding to himself in disbelief.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of kisses, Lia managed to slip out of her mother’s grasp.
Her face was crimson, both from the embarrassment and the affectionate assault, “W-What are you doing here, Mo—uh, Mommy?” she stammered, stealing a quick glance at Aether, who was grinning with open amusement.
‘Damn it!!’ she cursed inwardly, her embarrassment deepening. ‘He’s going to tease me about this forever!’
Sniff, Sniff…
Hearing the sound of soft sniffles, Lia whipped her gaze back to her mother, who was now rubbing her eyes dramatically, as if about to cry, “I… I can’t believe it… My baby… My precious, beautiful little girl… asking her mommy why she’s here… sniff, sniff…
My heart… I’m going to die… My daughter doesn’t need me anymore…”
‘What the…’ Aether blinked, totally caught off guard by the emotional shift.
Lia rubbed her forehead, sighing softly before offering her mother a small smile, “Of course not, M-Mommy. I would never let you go,” she said, giving her mother a soft hug.
Mary froze for a moment before bursting into joyful tears, “OHHHHHH! My baaabbbyyy!!” she cried, hugging Lia even tighter…. practically crushing her in the process.
Crack!
Something inside Lia—perhaps her spine—seemed to break.
But she bit her lip, forcing herself to stay calm as she awkwardly patted her mother’s back. “W-Why don’t we go somewhere else?” she suggested, hoping to get away from Aether’s amused gaze.
She clearly didn’t want Aether to see this embracing side anymore!!
Mary sniffled once more, her voice still trembling, “Y-Yes… Yes, let’s go have some precious Mommy-Baby time.” Her tone turned cheerful again, but then, her eyes suddenly sharpened as she glanced at Aether. Her voice dropped to a chilling tone, “But before that… when did my baby become your sister, boy?”
!~Ding~!
[Manipulation Blocked]
!~Ding~!
[Manipulation Blocked]
!~Ding~!
[Manipulation Blocked]
!~Ding~!
[Manipulation Blocked]
In a flash, she appeared before Aether, her face inches from his, her bloody-red eyes piercing into his, “What’s your relationship with my daughter, boy?” she asked, her tone ice-cold.
Aether sighed inwardly, ‘Seriously… give me a break,’ he thought.