Something was wrong… definitely wrong with Xara Seraphine!
She had always carried a motherly and warm aura before, embracing those around her with a comforting presence, but now… Aether felt something was off. No, not just off—completely wrong. That warmth, that gentle, nurturing energy… it was gone.
Vanished!
In its place, something unsettling lurked beneath her surface. Something dangerous… He couldn’t quite put it into words, but he was certain of one thing—this was not the same Xara he had known before.
‘Come to think of it… didn’t Delphine see a vision of me standing alongside Xara… destroying her entire family, even Xara’s own children?’ Aether’s brows furrowed deeply.
Xara—the woman who had always exuded that protective, motherly aura—would never let her own children suffer.
Never!!
And yet… in that vision, she hadn’t just stood idly by.
She had helped him… She had taken his side!!
That didn’t make sense. Unless…
“Whatever you believe you saw in me… it isn’t real… You’ll be disappointed soon enough.”
Her words still echoed in his mind… It was as if she had been telling him outright that everything he had believed about her was nothing more than a carefully woven illusion… a mask.
The real Xara—the one Delphine saw in her vision—was the truth!
‘So she was pretending this whole time… and the Xara in Delphine’s vision was the real one?’ Aether mused, his mind a tangled mess of theories and possibilities. His thoughts were too scrambled to make sense of it all, but there was one thing he was absolutely certain about–
That expression he had seen on her face that day…
He wanted to see it again!
That look—so dark, so raw, so intoxicating—had made his heart skip a beat.
No, it had done more than that.
It had made him want her…. Right then and there.
It was mesmerizing… dangerously so!!
Now, was he being a simp? No, of course not! …Well, maybe for the time being, he was acting a little bit like one, but that was beside the point.
‘If you wear the dog’s coat, then you need to bark,’ he reasoned. That’s just how things worked.
Still, this wasn’t about infatuation or obsession. It was about something far more intriguing. That expression on Xara’s face… he had never seen anything like it before, especially not in a MIL—ahem—a mature woman.
It was cute… and yet, undeniably hot.
He couldn’t quite put it into words, but once he saw it again—clearly, properly—maybe then he’d be able to describe it.
For now, though, his focus was on something far more important—getting into Xara’s heart. A heart that seemed utterly indifferent to love or anything remotely sentimental.
‘This is going to be tough…’ Aether sighed internally.
[Just like Nightfire?]
Log’s voice chimed in curiously.
Aether shook his head with a smirk, ‘Nah, Nightfire is already seduced.’
[???]
[When did that happen?!]
Log was practically dumbfounded. If anyone had been seduced, Log would have been the first to know! There was no way something like that had slipped past it.
Aether let out an amused chuckle. ‘Heheh… It’s a secret,’ he murmured, grinning to himself. Only he knew the truth of how Nightfire had ended up tangled in his web.
Well… technically, he hadn’t fully seduced her yet, but still, he had reached the point where she was unknowingly his.
That was all that mattered.
Anyway—
‘I need to learn more about Xara…’ Aether mused, a frown creeping onto his face. But before he could delve deeper into his thoughts—
“Argh! Come on, Aether, don’t move!”
A sudden voice erupted, dragging him back to reality. Aether blinked and looked up—only to find Selene perched on the bed, her hands buried in his hair.
Selene was suddenly sitting cross-legged above him while Aether rested on the ground, leaning back as she played with his hair, twisting and pulling it however she pleased.
“Ssshh! Hold still! Almost done,” she murmured, coning her fingers before spiking his hair upwards.
Aether glanced at the mirror and… well, his hair now resembled a bunch of tiny cones sticking out in all directions. He opened his mouth to say something, but then—he saw her expression.
She looked so carefree, so happy and lost in her own world of amusement. He sighed and let her continue, ‘Well, whatever… if it makes her happy, I’ll let her do as she pleases.’
“So… does your mother like anything?” Aether suddenly asked, shifting the conversation.
“Hmm?” Selene blinked, looking down at him curiously.
“I mean… does she have anything she loves? Something that can calm her down when she’s in a bad mood?”
Selene frowned, tapping her chin in thought. “Hmm… it’s not easy to calm my mom down once she’s pissed off… If anything, it’s nearly impossible.”
Aether let out a tired sigh, ‘So there’s no way, huh? Looks like I’ll have to figure something out myself…’ he thought.
But then, suddenly—
“AH!” Selene gasped, her eyes lighting up. “I know something! There’s one thing she absolutely loves! A gift that always calms her mood, no matter what!”
Aether immediately perked up, his eyes filled with hope. “Really? What is it?!”
Selene grinned mischievously, “It’s a flower she loves… she always says it reminds her of who she truly is or something…..”
Aether’s curiosity deepened, “What flower is that?” he asked, leaning in closer, eager to hear the answer.
Selene’s lips twitched as she placed a hand near her mouth, leaning even closer. Her breath was warm against his ear as she softly whispered the name of the flower, her voice barely audible but carrying a strange weight to it.
Aether blinked, processing the information for a brief second before his lips curled into a knowing grin. He straightened up—then, in a blink, he was gone.
Selene’s cheeks puffed out in an exaggerated pout.
He just left her like that?!
Without even saying a word?
Flopping back onto the bed, she crossed her arms over her chest, her lips forming a tiny scowl. “I can’t believe he just vanished! He didn’t even ask me what I like—”
Before she could finish her sentence, something soft brushed against her cheek.
A small violet petal!
“Huh?”
And then… more petals followed.
Before she even had time to react, a wave of violet flowers cascaded from above, swirling around her, and filling the room with their intoxicating fragrance. Within moments, the entire bed was covered in them, the petals surrounding her in a breathtaking display of magic.
Her eyes widened in awe, “What the…”
She turned toward the doorway, and there stood Aether, leaning casually against the frame with his arms crossed, his expression smug yet undeniably amused.
Before she could utter another word, he winked at her.
“I know my wife,” he murmured, his voice smooth, deep, and utterly confident.
Selene’s face turned an intense shade of red. Her heart pounded erratically, her hands instinctively clutching at the petals around her.
He was too much!
Just too much!!!
How was she supposed to resist him when he pulled something like this?!
Just ignore the obvious fact that he seducing her mother…
She bit her lip, feeling the warmth spread through her chest, unable to contain the overwhelming emotions bubbling inside her.
And before she could stop herself—”I love you~!” she squealed, practically launching herself at him, her arms wrapping around him tightly as she buried her face in his chest.
…
…..
Dining Hall
“Where did that brat run off to now?!” Xara huffed, her brows furrowing in irritation as she glanced around the dining hall.
Breakfast was already served, yet Aether was nowhere in sight.
She scanned the room, even throwing a glance at the servants, looking at his usual stance, But no—he wasn’t there.
Not even a trace of him.
Selene, meanwhile, was happily munching away on her food, while her lower lips were already filled with enough proteins!! Her lips curled into a teasing grin as she spoke between bites, her voice carrying a playful lilt, “Aether said he wanted to surprise you, so he left the mansion. He won’t be available for a while!”
Xara blinked in surprise. “H-Huh? A surprise…?”
…..
Meanwhile, Deep in the Forest
Aether stood in a clearing, surrounded by thick trees and an unusual mixture of creatures—birds perched on low branches, deer standing still with alert ears, squirrels watching from their burrows, even lizards blinking up at him with curiosity and many more animals…
Every single animal had its eyes fixed on him as if trying to understand why a human was called them boldly.
Clearing his throat, Aether clasped his hands behind his back and spoke with a tone of absolute confidence.
“Alright, listen up, guys. I came here to make a deal. As long as you do what I tell you… I won’t steal your wives, daughters, mothers, or any females in your race.” His smirk deepened as he added, “Sounds fair, right?”
Hearing that… the animals like… ‘What the fuck, bro?’
A long silence followed.
Then, a sudden eruption of chirps, growls, and screeches broke out among the animals.
“Chirp!” = “Has this guy lost his damn mind?”
“Krrkk Kiirrkk!” = “Maybe he hit his head too hard… his mama must’ve abandoned him.”
“Grrrrll!” = “We should just eat him. He looks weaker than my last shit.”
“Nrrrrppp” = “Look at his hair… Haha… funny human!”
Aether didn’t need to understand their words to know he was being mocked. The sheer disrespect in their expressions, the way they eyed him with barely concealed amusement—it was enough to piss him off.
Still, his professional smile remained intact.
“Looks like you don’t believe me…”
“Krrk!” = “Well, duh.”
“Grrrrr!” = “Let’s eat him!”
“Chirp!” = “Why does his face annoy me so much?”
Aether let out a slow, amused chuckle, his smirk widening.
Then, with a single motion, he lifted his hand—and the illusion covering him melted away.
Silky white hair cascaded down his shoulders, flowing like liquid moonlight, his ice-blue eyes glowing with an almost hypnotic intensity. His perfectly sculpted face exuded an unnatural, breathtaking beauty—one so overwhelming that it left the entire gathering of creatures stunned.
But he wasn’t done.
With a slow, deliberate movement, he raised a hand, sliding his fingers through his hair before casually flipping it back. His motion was effortless, yet the way his silky strands shimmered in the dappled sunless light was enough to make even the wind pause.
And then—he smiled. A dazzling, heart-stopping smile.
To top it off, he winked.
And just like that—Kuuuuyyy!!
As if struck by arrows straight through their hearts, every single female animal froze, their eyes turning into heart shapes.
[+10 AP]
[+10 AP]
[+10 AP]
[+10 AP]
Meanwhile, the male animals…
Their faces turned as pale as death.
Aether grinned amusingly before he reached into his storage space and pulled out several large sacks filled with mysterious contents. He tossed them onto the ground in front of the stunned creatures, watching their eyes flicker between him and the unknown treasures inside.
“Alright, here’s the deal. Do the job properly, and these are yours.”
…
…..
After issuing his orders, Aether dusted off his hands, watching as the creatures scurried off, each one carrying a sack of goods as if their lives depended on it.
“Good. Make sure everything’s done before I return.” His voice carried an undeniable weight, laced with authority.
“Chirp!!!” = “YES, MASTER!”
“Kkirrrr!!!” = “YES, MY LORD!”
“Grrrlll grrll—rrr!!” = “I’LL DO ANYTHING FOR YOU—JUST PLEASE DON’T SEDUCE MY MOTHER! SHI—OUCH!!”
“Chirp!!” = “MASTER!!”
“Gr!” = “Oh, right—MASTER!”
Aether nodded in satisfaction, smirking to himself. Whatever they were actually saying, he still didn’t understand—but honestly, it didn’t matter. As long as they obeyed, that was all that mattered.
His expression darkened slightly as he turned on his heel,
“Now… it’s time to make my move.”