A moment before Aether and his group arrived at the Empire,
“Aawwww! I cannot believe my mother didn’t let me meet Aether!” Lia exclaimed with a pout, her tone dripping with annoyance as she lay sprawled on the bed. Her face rubbed against the soft pillow while her legs flailed against the mattress in frustration.
They had received the news of Mortimer’s death. Although Lia was not particularly close to that old man, she still tried to use this unfortunate event as an excuse to see Aether again. However, her mother remained firm, refusing to let her go no matter how much she begged or pleaded.
This left Lia sulking, now reduced to lying helplessly on her bed.
“Hmph… That mother of mine,” Lia muttered under her breath, her voice laced with irritation. She groaned and sighed deeply, her hand unconsciously drifting toward her lips.
Her fingers lightly traced over them as a soft warmth surged through her. She couldn’t help but recall the tender sensation of Aether’s lips against hers—their first kiss!!
“He… Hehe… Heheh…” Lia giggled softly, her cheeks tinged pink. She still couldn’t believe that Aether had kissed her. She never thought a simple kiss could feel that magical.
But then, her joyful expression darkened. Her mind wandered back to the terrifying moments when her own friends—no, they weren’t friends anymore—had turned against her.
They weren’t just angry; they had actually tried to kill her!
‘What’s really wrong with those people?’ she wondered, her brows furrowing in confusion. She had never seen them behave so viciously before.
The memory of their hollow, lifeless eyes sent shivers down her spine. It was as if something unnatural had taken hold of Selene and Aria… something terrifying!!
And then there was Aether’s question—the one she had yet to answer. “Arrh… How am I supposed to tell him?!” she groaned, her face heating up as her cheeks flushed a deep red.
She was still grappling with how to respond to him. Aether had been honest with her, confessing that she wasn’t the only woman in his life. That truth weighed on her, and she knew she needed to give her answer carefully. Yet, no matter how much she thought about it, her heart always circled back to one name: Aether… Aether… Aether!!
This feeling was completely new to her.
To be fair, she had loved Kai before—or at least she thought she did. But this… this was different. It was raw and untamed, unlike anything she’d ever felt.
She might not fully understand the change, but deep down, she knew the reason.
Ever since she was a child, she had been betrothed to Kai… Her mind had been conditioned to believe that loving him was the natural thing to do, that loving him would bring happiness to everyone around her.
It wasn’t a choice—it was an obligation, a role she felt forced to play… that she never understood before!
However, when her ties with Kai were finally severed, her mind became free, and for the first time, her heart could decide on its own.
That’s when Aether walked into her life, sweeping her off her feet and unknowingly stealing her heart. Experience tales with My Virtual Library Empire
Lucky Bastard!
Now, for the first time, she felt what real love was—love that came from her heart alone. There were no rules, no obligations, and no pre-made promises.
It was pure and genuine.
Her heart had chosen him—a complete stranger who had somehow become everything to her.
His dazzling smile haunted her thoughts, lighting up her mind whenever she thought of him.
“Arrrhh!!! I hate you!!” she shouted, her face burying deeper into the pillow as she kicked her legs wildly against the bed, her cheeks glowing as red as a ripe tomato.
Suddenly, the castle trembled.
“Hmm?” Lia frowned, her frustration momentarily halted, “What is she up to now?” she muttered to herself, her voice heavy with exasperation. With an annoyed sigh, she dragged herself out of bed and headed toward the source of the vibration… only to freeze in horror at the sight before her.
The Principal, the Vice Principal, her mother, and her mother’s subordinate were locked in a ferocious battle!
“What the heck is goin—” Her words trailed off as her eyes landed on Aether. He stood a short distance away, his expression mirroring her shock and confusion.
[+5000 AP]
“What!” Lia gasped before instinctively took the small mirror and checked her face.
Wait. Vampires didn’t reflect in mirrors, right?
No, that was just a myth. She quickly adjusted her appearance, smoothing her hair and clothes while pulling a few stray strands into place.
Once satisfied, she whispered, “pppsssss”
Aether flinched at the sound, turning to look in her direction. Lia gestured for him to come over, her heart fluttering as he approached her.
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Her cheeks flushed as her gaze darted nervously. “H-How are you, A-Aether?” she stammered, her voice trembling.
“Well… I’m f—”
“W-What are you doing here?” she interrupted him, blurting out her next question before he could finish. Her voice wavered even more, betraying her inner turmoil.
“Well… I—”
“D-Did you eat anything? Are you tired? Do you need to rest? What about my room?” she rambled, her words coming out in a flustered rush. Realizing what she had just said, her face burned a brighter shade of red. “N-No… I didn’t mean it like that! I mean, you must be exhausted after coming all this way. Maybe I should prepare a room for you… or maybe…” she continued to babble incoherently.
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Meanwhile, in the background:
“I will kill you, bitch!”
BOOM!
“You rotten bloody leech!”
BOOOOMMMMM!!
“You slutty succubus!”
SSLLAAMM!!
“Fucking elf who doesn’t even have the ability to catch an old hag!”
BBBOOOOOOOMMMMMMM!!!
But to Lia, all of that chaos faded into nothingness…. Her world was filled with bubbly flowers and a fluttering dance of bats~
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Her surroundings blurred, leaving only Aether as the center of her universe.
Aether, on the other hand, blinked as he watched Lia rambling on like an old lady at a tea party, her words spilling out in a torrent that made little sense. ‘What is she even saying?’ he thought, his lips twitching with restrained laughter.
Her flustered demeanor was both amusing and oddly charming.
Lia nervously tucked a stray strand of her blonde hair behind her small pointy ear, sneaking shy glances at Aether’s face every few seconds. Each time their eyes met, her cheeks turned an even deeper shade of red, and she quickly looked away, her gaze darting around the room as if searching for a safe spot to focus on.
Aether’s lips curled into an amused smile as he watched her struggle to maintain composure. There was something irresistibly entertaining about seeing the usually bold Lia reduced to a stammering mess. With a gentle raise of his hand, he interrupted her runaway train of words. “Lia,” he said softly, his tone filled with both affection and curiosity, “how are you?”
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Lia flinched as if she had been caught off guard. “I… I’m fine,” she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper, as though she was afraid to speak up.
Aether couldn’t hold back his laughter any longer, “Pfff! What’s wrong with you? Haha… You look absolutely adorable~” he teased, his tone dripping with playful affection. Unable to resist, he reached out and gently pinched her cheek.
Lia gasped, her blush spreading all the way to her ears as she glared at Aether.
Her attempt at anger, however, was short-lived as her shyness took over once again. She mumbled something incoherent under her breath, her voice so faint that Aether had to lean in closer to catch her words.
“Hmm? What was that?” he asked, his sly grin widening as his curiosity deepened.
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“H-how dare you pinch… me…” she muttered, her voice trembling and barely audible, as if she wanted to sink into the floor and disappear.
Aether’s grin turned mischievous. Her reaction was too priceless to ignore, and it stroked his ego just enough to make him want to push her buttons further. His gaze remained fixed on her, his expression a mix of playfulness and mischief, like a predator toying with its prey.
Meanwhile, amidst the chaos of the ongoing battle, Mary, who had been fiercely fighting alongside the others, suddenly froze in place.
Her sharp ‘Motherly’ Tingling flared like alarm bells, and her eyes narrowed dangerously when she sensed her daughter’s presence nearby. With a quick glance downward, her gaze zeroed in on Aether, who was leaning far too close to Lia for her liking.
“YOU!!!!!”
In an instant, Mary materialized before them, her red sword raised high and poised to strike down Aether’s leaning head without hesitation.
CLANG!!!
The sound of metal reverberated through the air as the Principal intercepted Mary’s blade just in time, blocking it with her bare hands. The Principal’s piercing gaze locked onto Mary. “I thought we were the ones fighting, bitch?” she spat, her voice cold and laced with disdain.
Mary snorted by the intervention. Without missing a beat, she reached out, grabbed Lia, and yanked her into a protective embrace. Hugging her daughter tightly as if shielding her from the world, she declared with fiery determination,
“She is MINE!!!” Her voice echoed through the castle, brimming with possessive fervor as her sharp glare pinned Aether in place.
!~Ding~!
[Mind Manipulation removed!]
Aether blinked, momentarily stunned by the turn of events, ‘Damn, this bitch… Is she a full-blown daughter-con?’ he wondered.
Meanwhile, Mary was too preoccupied with smothering Lia in affection to notice anyone else. She showered her daughter’s face with kisses, completely ignoring Lia’s protests.
“M-Mom! Stop it!” Lia protested, squirming in her mother’s arms as her face turned an even deeper shade of crimson. “This is so embarrassing!”
Just as the Principal prepared to resume the fight, Aether stepped forward and placed himself between her and Mary with a tired sigh. Raising a hand in a placating gesture, he addressed Mary directly, “Shall we talk now?”
“Grrrr”
Mary growled low in her throat, the sound resembling that of an angered tiger ready to pounce. Her fierce eyes locked onto Aether with a predatory intensity…
Lia, noticing the escalating tension, sighed and gently patted her mother’s shoulder, “M-Mom, you need to calm down first,” she said softly.
Mary’s demeanor shifted in an instant. “Okay, baby~!” she chirped, her tone sweet and doting as she immediately relaxed, her fierce expression melting away like snow under the sun.
Aether blinked again, his disbelief growing by the second, ‘She is definitely a daughter-con,’ he concluded, watching in sheer bewilderment as Mary resumed snuggling Lia like a precious doll, utterly oblivious to the chaos she had just caused.