Meanwhile, back at the Frostblade Mansion…
After the grand announcement about Aether, the restless atmosphere finally settled. People calmed down, returning to their homes with a sense of relief washing over them. Seeing their true Arcane King finally freed from his shackles brought an overwhelming sense of peace. They had upheld their Saviour’s words, and that alone filled them with joy and pride.
Everything seemed to be heading toward peace and happiness—except inside a certain room, where two figures sat facing each other, their expressions unreadable, yet tense with unspoken emotions.
“…”
“…”
They locked eyes as if waiting for the other to speak first. But no words came out… The emotions swirling between them were too overwhelming, too tangled to be easily put into words.
Xara, her gaze sharp as a blade, was visibly furious over Aether’s actions.
Meanwhile, Aether remained calm, almost eerily composed, as if revelling in the moment, as if enjoying the sight of Xara, no matter what expression she wore.
That only made her anger burn hotter!
The silence stretched between them, thick and suffocating. Seconds felt like minutes, minutes like hours. And then—Xara finally exhaled sharply, rubbing her forehead as if trying to ease the headache this man was causing her.
Aether sighed inwardly… He knew he had pushed things too far. He had crossed lines he probably shouldn’t have, but there was no time for patience, no time for hesitation.
He had to act!
The only way to save Sandra—the only path that made sense—was to seduce Xara. She was the key to all of this….
Or, perhaps, the key to saving himself, given what he had deciphered from the missions he had received so far.
Xara might be the answer to everything.
He had no other choice but to force his way through this situation. Once she was his, he could take things slower, and handle everything carefully. But right now… it was a race against time.
Breaking the silence, Aether lowered his head slightly before speaking in a quiet but firm voice,
“I’m sorry.”
Xara blinked, momentarily caught off guard by his unexpected apology. Her brows furrowed as she tilted her head slightly, “For what, exactly?” even though she knew.
Aether exhaled, scratching the back of his head with a rare moment of awkwardness. “You know… for pushing things too far. I… I just wanted to let you know that.”
Xara blinked again, her sharp gaze softening just a fraction. His apology, though simple, was enough to chip away at her initial rage.
‘At least he has some awareness,’ she mused. She had been truly livid with him earlier, but now… that anger was dissipating, fading into something more manageable.
But then—
“Still, I mean every word I said,” Aether added, his voice steady, unwavering. His hand reached out, gently clasping hers, his fingers warm and firm around her own. His deep, piercing eyes locked onto hers, “I’m serious about this, Xara.”
Xara let out a long, tired sigh, already feeling another headache creeping in. She narrowed her eyes, studying his face carefully, “Tell me, Aether… Do you love me that much?”
“Yes,” he answered without a shred of hesitation.
“Do you want to marry me?”
“Yes,” he repeated, his grip on her hand tightening slightly.
“Do you want to have a child with me?”
“Without question,” he said, his voice leaving no room for doubt.
Xara hummed, leaning back slightly, her expression unreadable. It almost seemed as if she was calculating something in her head. Aether frowned, sensing something off, but before he could question it, she spoke,
“Alright,” she said casually as if deciding what to have for dinner, “Let’s get married then.”
Aether blinked, stunned.
However, before he could process her words, Xara’s lips curled into something unreadable—neither a smirk nor a smile. She leaned toward him, her voice lower, her eyes void of any warmth, “But tell me, Aether,” she murmured, her fingers lightly tapping against his hand, “What exactly do you have to offer me in return?”Her words sent a shiver down his spine—not out of fear, but something else.
Something more dangerous!
Aether was momentarily taken aback by her question, by the sheer lack of emotion in her voice.
“What do you mean?” he asked carefully, his body tensing just slightly.
Xara tilted her head, her lips curving into something resembling amusement. “Do you even know why I married that pathetic man.. Velc?”Her tone was laced with something dark—something unreadable.
And for the first time since this conversation began, Aether realized that this was not Xara he knew, “…You mentioned something about mutual interest?”
“Yes.” Xara’s voice was firm, almost dismissive, “The only reason I married that useless thing was because I needed something from him… or rather, from his family. That’s all there was to it. He didn’t marry me out of love either—he had his own agenda, just like I did. For nobles, marriage is nothing more than a tool, a means to an end. And I am no different,” she stated coldly before leaning in slightly, her piercing eyes locking onto his.
“So tell me, Aether… what exactly can you offer me?” Her tone was sharp, and calculated—like a professional trader negotiating a high-stakes deal, sizing up her opponent before making a move… there was no Motherly aura she had before… completely different!
Aether frowned slightly, taken aback. He hadn’t expected this turn of events, but he couldn’t afford to hesitate. He had to act quickly, “Of course, I can offer you my love,” he said confidently, keeping his voice steady.
“Pfft—Hahahaha!” Xara burst into laughter, her amusement evident as she leaned back, covering her mouth with the back of her hand. “Love? Hahaha… you’re serious?” Her laughter echoed through the room, dripping with disbelief and mockery. She looked at Aether as if he had just told the most ridiculous joke in existence, as if the very idea was beneath her.
Aether’s lips twitched, but he forced himself to stay composed, keeping up his act.
Xara smirked, her expression shifting to something more arrogant, almost predatory, “Aether… brat…” she said, her voice lowering, “This ‘love’ you speak of? I have no interest in it. I don’t care what love is, nor do I have any desire to learn. My life has always had one goal, and I will never stray from it—not for love, not for you, not for anyone.” She leaned in closer, her gaze sharp enough to pierce through steel,
“And let me make one thing perfectly clear… even if, by some twisted chance, I were to marry you…” She paused, enunciating each word slowly as if hammering nails into a coffin,
“I. Will. Never. Love. You. Or anyone.”
Her tone was final, filled with an unwavering certainty, her eyes daring him to argue.
Aether was truly taken aback… The difficulty of this situation was escalating at an alarming rate,
‘Fuck you, Log. Was this why you selected her?’ he cursed inwardly.
[…Oh? Then please explain to me why you’re grinning?]
Grinning?
Aether blinked, realizing too late—he was grinning.
A wide, unexplainable smirk had crept onto his face, something even he hadn’t noticed…. And, surprisingly, Xara had caught it too.
Her brows furrowed as she observed him closely. She had been sure her words would cut deep, would wound him because they were nothing but the truth. But instead, he was… smiling?
What the hell was wrong with him?
Aether coughed inwardly, quickly adjusting his expression to something more sorrowful, “I-Is that so? B-But I will try my be—”
“Wait a second!” Xara cut him off immediately, narrowing her eyes.
Something felt off.
That grin… that damn grin!
It was unnatural… No, it wasn’t just unnatural—he had liked what she said.
He was actually happy about it!
And now, he was acting sad?
No way in hell was she falling for that.
“What are you hiding?” she asked, her voice dropping to a lower, more dangerous tone, her sharp gaze analyzing every microexpression on his face.
‘Tsk… Did I give myself away?’ Aether clenched his jaw.
[…Of course.]
Log chimed in, annoyingly unhelpful as always.
Aether’s lips twitched before he cleared his throat, quickly regaining his composure, “I’m not hiding anything…” he said smoothly,
“I’m just happy that you’ve never loved anyone before.” He leaned in slightly, his voice turning deeper, more intimate, laced with something almost intoxicating.
“That means I’ll be your first love. Isn’t that right?”
Xara blinked, her mind processing his words… Then she shook her head, almost in disbelief.
This brat… no, this man… there was something wrong with him.
She had just told him, with absolute certainty, that she would never love him.
That love meant nothing to her!
And yet, here he was delusion–
“You probably think I’m an idiot,” Aether murmured, his voice unwavering, smooth like silk, “or maybe that I don’t understand. But…” His fingers curled around her hand, tightening his grip as he gazed into her eyes with an intensity she had never seen before.
His expression was raw, almost predatory… almost Possessive!
“Believe me when I say this, Xara—I love you. I truly mean it.” His voice dropped lower, darker, filled with a quiet obsession that caused her to hold her breath, “And no matter what…” His grip on her hand tightened, his dark gaze locking onto hers,
“I will be your first love. I’ll make you feel something no one else has ever made you feel.”
As he stared into her dark, unreadable eyes, a thought formed in his mind, one he wasn’t willing to let go of, ‘That expression…’ That look she had given him before—that flicker of something he had never seen in her before…. He was going to own it.
No way in hell was he letting it slip through his fingers!!
Possessiveness burned in his gaze as he released her hand and stood up, turning toward the door, his movements slow, deliberate.
Xara sat frozen, her mind trying to process everything that had just happened. She watched him as he reached for the door, her expression unreadable. But just as he was about to leave, she spoke in a voice that carried no emotion,
“I am not what you think I am,” she said flatly. “Whatever you believe you saw in me… it isn’t real… You’ll be disappointed soon enough.”
Aether chuckled, not even bothering to turn around, “Hehe… And I’d love to own that unknown part of you too,” he murmured before stepping out of the room.
Xara remained seated, her hand still trembling—no, shaking furiously. She quickly clasped it with her other hand, forcing it to steady.
Yet… her face.
The face that Aether had glimpsed for just a second—the one no one else had ever seen… No words to express her current expression.
The image of Aether’s possessive eyes burned in her mind. That raw, intense expression… She had never seen anyone look at her like that before.
Her breath hitched!
Her pulse quickened!
Her entire body felt strangely warm, her skin tingling in ways she couldn’t explain.
They were so deep that made her…
“W-What is this f-f-feeling?” she muttered to herself, her heart pounding faster than it ever had before.
Now, both of her hands were shaking uncontrollably, her fingers curling slightly as she struggled to suppress the strange, overwhelming sensation washing over her.
______________
[Author’s Note: I know I’m jumping between scenes, and I hope this doesn’t annoy you. I just wanted to give you some insight into what the Master is trying to do and how the characters are connected. If you find it confusing or bothersome, please let me know. I won’t entertain this style of scene-shifting if it’s off-putting. However, I still believe that switching between scenes like this can create a sense of immersion and curiosity from a reader’s perspective. So, please feel free to share if you like this approach or not!]