“You really saved all these people, Aether…” Isadora murmured in a soft, almost wistful tone as she stood on the palace balcony, gazing down at the lively crowd gathered below the mountain, their joyous laughter and cheers filling the air.
After their brief discussion about selling thrusters, Isadora and Aether had found themselves needing a more private conversation.
Aether stood beside her, offering a simple yet knowing smile… though deep down, he carried his own agenda… Yes, they were his responsibility… as a ruler, after all.
Dora glanced at Aether, her eyes subtly tracing his features. He had grown even more powerful, and she could feel it. She let out a deep sigh before speaking,
“You know, it’s only been a few months, and yet… you’ve almost reached a level on par with Alaric. Sigh… If he ever found out about this, he’d probably hang himself from sheer frustration. The poor guy worked his ass off for centuries just to reach that level, and here you are, catching up in no time.”
Aether chuckled, the sound low and rich. “Well, what can I say? I suppose I’m just built differently.”
Dora opened her mouth, wanting to rebuke him, but the frustrating part was that—he was right. Instead, she exhaled, her lips curving into a reluctant smirk. “Yes… You are.”
Aether’s grin widened as he caught the slightly dazed look in her eyes. Without hesitation, he leaned in, closing the distance between them ever so slightly. Dora flinched, her breath hitching as a faint blush crept up her cheeks.
Her heart… oh, she could feel it falling deeper into this dangerous attraction she had toward him… And that was a problem—no, a disaster!!
Noticing her reaction, Aether smirked even more, relishing in the effect he had on her. Slowly, his hand moved toward her hips, teasingly close—
Until—
“So, tell me, did the Saintess and the Archpriestess come as part of your package deal or something?”
Aether stiffened at the sudden voice, his fingers freezing midair. He quickly averted his gaze, awkwardly scratching the back of his head as he let out a forced chuckle.
Dora simply raised an eyebrow, watching his reaction with clear amusement. “Wow. So, you’re not even going to deny it, huh?”
Aether sighed, shaking his head with a wry smile. “What’s there to deny? You’ve seen most of my mess firsthand. Besides, it’s not like you’re the type to get all yandere over it.”
‘Yandere? What?’ Dora scoffed, shaking her head with an amused glint in her eyes. “I still can’t believe this. A brat who’s not even thirty years old somehow has most of the strongest women on his side…. If someone had told me this a year ago, I would’ve laughed in their face.”
Aether smirked, pride glimmering in his expression as he crossed his arms.
Dora’s expression twitched…. Oh, how she wanted to slap that smug look off his face! She wasn’t even complimenting him!
But arguing with him would be pointless—especially considering the calibre of the women he had somehow managed to seduce.
These weren’t just powerful figures; they were women with strong ‘Weird’ personalities, impossible to manipulate…. And yet, somehow, he had them wrapped around his damn fingers.
Just what kind of black magic was this man using?
Dora let out another sigh, feeling a headache creep in. “At this rate, the only one missing from your ‘little’ harem is Scarlet.”
Aether chuckled, and this time, he didn’t hesitate. His hand smoothly found its way to her hips, his grip firm yet teasing. Dora flinched, snapping her gaze up to him with a sharp glare.
He, of course, remained utterly unfazed. With a casual shrug, he smirked and said, “I’m not actively collecting powerful women, Master. It just so happens that the women I like turn out to be powerful. That’s all… Dora.” His voice dipped lower as he playfully winked at her.
Dora blinked, momentarily thrown off. For a fraction of a second, her heart skipped a beat—
Shit!
She quickly masked her reaction, keeping her expression neutral. She knew all too well that the moment she let any of these emotions slip, she would be utterly doomed… or fucked up by him!
Not wanting to indulge in whatever ‘romantic atmosphere’ was brewing between them, she immediately switched topics. “Anyway, I need to le—”
Before she could even finish her sentence—
Aether suddenly spoke. “Do you know… anything about this woman?” the important matter he wanted to discuss!
He pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to her. The sketch on it, drawn entirely by hand, was rough—definitely not at an artistic level—but still detailed enough to make out the person’s features.
Never forget… Aether enrolled in extracurricular activities in his previous life!
And his school was not some random, it was the finest one in the world (Earth)!!
He was quite good with everything! But not mastery level!!
Dora suddenly stumbled, her body stiffening as if she had just seen a ghost. Her breath hitched for a moment before she quickly snatched the picture from Aether’s hands, her fingers gripping it so tightly that the paper crumpled slightly under the pressure.
Her voice was calm, almost indifferent, but there was an unmistakable sharpness to it as she asked, “Where did you get this?”
Aether remained composed, his face unreadable, as he responded casually, “I drew it.”
Dora’s brows furrowed. “Why?”
“Because I wanted to know something about this woman,” Aether replied, his tone steady, giving nothing away.
Dora’s frown deepened, and her fingers clenched the edges of the picture as if she were trying to tear it apart in frustration. “And why exactly do you want to know?” Her voice carried an edge of suspicion, her instincts telling her that this wasn’t just idle curiosity.
Aether clicked his tongue in mild irritation before exhaling and meeting her gaze with a more serious expression. “Just tell me if you know her or not.”
Dora stared at him blankly, searching his face for answers he wasn’t giving. After a long pause, she finally spoke. “I know who this is…”
“That’s gre—”
“But first, I want to know how you know her,” she cut in sharply, not giving him a chance to shift the conversation away.
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Aether took a slow, measured breath before replying, “Well, I just happened to see her images on the wall, like she was some kind of celebrity or something. That’s why I got curious.”
Dora narrowed her eyes, watching him closely. His answer didn’t sit right with her. No one—absolutely no one—would randomly take such an interest in a person just because they saw a few portraits. What kind of ridiculous excuse was that?
Then, a sudden realization struck her like lightning… Her entire body tensed!
‘Don’t tell me… he’s from the future again?’
The thought alone sent a shiver down her spine… It wasn’t impossible!
In fact, given everything that had already happened, it was a terrifyingly real possibility. His unnatural, almost monstrous growth—it was just like before.
Everything was starting to connect, piece by piece, and the situation was quickly turning into something much bigger than she had anticipated.
Meanwhile, Aether stood there, waiting patiently for her response, completely unaware that there were already two—no, three—women who had started to piece together the truth about his abilities.
Finally, Dora exhaled, her shoulders sinking slightly as she spoke, “She is the Chosen One of our era.”
Her grip on the drawing tightened, knuckles turning pale, as she turned her gaze toward the sky, her expression unreadable. “A saintess… the purest, most naïve woman I have ever seen in my entire life.”
Aether nodded slowly, processing the information, ‘That explains the nun outfit… hmm’ His eyes flickered toward Dora, waiting for her to continue.
Dora’s lips trembled slightly before she spoke again, “She is the one who saved us all… by sacrificing herself.”
A deep silence settled between them before she finally uttered the name.
“Her name is Luna Ashwood…”