Hmmm… Hmm…
Hmmm… Hmmm…
Crunch… Crunch…
The dining hall was filled with the soft sounds of people eating and the occasional clinking of utensils against plates.
Everyone was eating in a polite, composed manner—except for one person.
Marisandra Naiadia.
She sat there, crunching down on her food with an annoyed and furious expression, her jaw working aggressively as her eyes remained locked onto Aether. He was sitting right beside her, eating his meal as if he didn’t have a single care in the world.
His relaxed demeanour only fueled her irritation further…. Just how many fucking women he fucking around!!! She gritted just remembering the list!!
“Can you bite down quietly? You act like a damn barbarian,” Raven, who sat directly across from her, finally spoke up, her expression filled with mild annoyance as she observed Sandra’s exaggerated chewing.
Sandra’s lips twitched at the comment, and instead of backing down, she—
Crunch… Crunch… Crunch…
She deliberately bit down even louder, making exaggerated chewing sounds just to irritate Raven even more.
Raven’s lips twitched violently, her hand tightening around her spoon, just about to put an end to this nonsense when—
“Wait! Calm down!” Thalia quickly interjected, “You cannot fight while eating!” She sent Raven a warning glance before turning her gaze to Sandra,
“Do you think you’re getting this food easily? There are people out there struggling just to have a single meal, and here you are, disrespecting the food my mother worked so hard to prepare for us!” Her eyes softened slightly as she gave Sandra a pointed yet gentle look.
Hearing that, both Raven and Sandra huffed under their breath before continuing to eat—but this time, silently.
Aether, who had been watching the entire scene unfold, glanced at Thalia with a slightly surprised expression, as if he couldn’t believe she had actually managed to shut them up.
‘Did she really just silence them like that?’ Aether thought, glancing at her again.
Thalia, as if sensing his gaze, smirked at him before giving him a playful wink.
Aether chuckled inwardly before resuming his meal, eating in his usual calm manner. Just then, a voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
/She is your target, right?/
Aether flinched slightly at the unexpected telepathic message before glancing at Raven, who was eating as if she hadn’t just spoken to him telepathically. He then shifted his gaze toward Sandra, who was also eating but had a mild look of annoyance on her face.
/Yes,/ Aether replied after a brief pause.
Raven didn’t respond, simply continued eating as if nothing had happened. Aether followed suit, maintaining his composure. Soon, everyone had finished their meals.
Despite having finished eating, no one left the dining table.
It was clear they were about to discuss something important.
Then, breaking the silence, Sandra pushed back her chair slightly and got up.
“Well then, I will be going,” she announced with a small smile before turning to Emberlyn. “Thank you for the meal. It was delicious.”
Emberlyn simply returned the smile, nodding in acknowledgement.
But then—
“Going? Where?” Aether’s voice cut through the air, his expression hardening as he stared at her.
Sandra let out a quiet sigh as she turned to face him. “Aether, we already talked about this… Please, don’t make me force the issue,” she said, her tone carrying a hint of warning.
Aether chuckled lightly, but then, without another word, he reached for his mask, putting it on. The moment he did, his entire presence shifted…
His voice, now laced with authority, carried a sharp edge as he spoke,
“Woman, you just invaded my Empire… and not only that, you had the audacity to attempt to kidnap the Empress of this Empire.” His cold gaze locked onto her. “Do you even realize how many people are just waiting for the opportunity to tear you apart for what you’ve done?”
Sandra frowned at him, taking a deep breath. “Aeth—”
“Victor,” he corrected her instantly, his tone unyielding. “You are speaking to Victor, the Emperor of this Empire.”
Sandra clenched her jaw.
Victor continued, his voice unwavering, “It doesn’t matter what you think. You crossed a line, and by the rules of this Empire…” He glanced at Raven.
Raven, catching his signal, paused briefly before answering. “Yeah, by the rules, she should be kille—”
“Cough, cough!” Victor cleared his throat loudly, cutting her off.
Thalia immediately stepped in. “By the laws of this Empire, you shall be placed in prison until further orders.”
Victor nodded approvingly. Raven, however, pouted in frustration, her cheeks puffing slightly. She had given the correct answer according to the laws she had been studying—so why was she wrong?
She pouted again, even more exaggerated this time.
Victor chuckled inwardly at her reaction.
“…Are you serious?” Sandra asked after a long pause, her expression unreadable.
Victor simply nodded. “I am dead serious. But since you are the Empress, I will be generous enough to let you stay in a comfortable room instead of a prison.”
“Put her in that ice room,” Raven added with a slightly irritated look, recalling how her husband’s room had turned into an ice-covered disaster. It was going to take ages to melt everything without breaking anything.
Sandra coughed slightly, her cheeks tinged with embarrassment. She hadn’t meant for that to happen… It just did.
Anyway—
She looked back at Victor, her expression growing more serious. “You’re not understanding the gravity of this situation—”
“You believed me,” Victor suddenly interrupted, his voice dropping into something quieter, more intense.
“Huh?”
Victor slowly removed his mask, letting his disguise fall away, revealing his real face as he looked directly into her eyes.
“If you truly wanted to end everything,” Aether continued, his tone steady,
“You could have exposed me right then and there. Told them who I really was, and it would have been over. But you didn’t.” He took a lean closer.
“Even when I told you Aqualina was safe, you weren’t shocked—because deep down, you already knew. You believe in me, Sandra…” He leaned in slightly, his voice soft yet unwavering. “Somewhere in your heart, you believe that I can make the impossible happen. That’s why I am asking—no, I am begging you to believe in me one more time. I will save you… and I will save her. Just give me a chance.”
Silence filled the dining hall.
Sandra stared at him, an unknown emotion flickering in her eyes. She could see the determination on his face, the raw conviction in his voice.
But this wasn’t just some small problem….They were dealing with gods!
Mortals weren’t supposed to challenge them!!
Then, breaking the silence—
“I believe him,” Raven suddenly spoke, her voice firm.
Sandra turned to look at her.
“Not because he is MY husband,” Raven continued, her eyes steady, “Not because he is MY Emperor.” She took a breath before finishing, “I believe in him… because I love him.”
An invisible arrow pierced Sandra’s heart the moment Raven said the words “MY husband” and “MY Emperor.”
Aether smiled softly, warmth flickering in his gaze. But then—
“And also… he’s a weirdo,” Thalia added bluntly, her face scrunched in mild confusion.
Aether’s lips twitched as everyone turned to look at Thalia.
“What? I’m telling the truth! He’s a crazy, depraved weirdo with weird-ass abilities, you know!” Thalia huffed, crossing her arms, her busty boobs slightly bouncing with the movement.
The moment those words left her mouth, a strange silence settled over the room. Then, slowly—
Nod.
Nod.
Nod.
One by one, everyone subtly nodded in agreement. Even Aether, after a brief pause, found himself nodding along as if he, too, had to admit the truth.
‘Well… shit. She’s not wrong,’ he admitted to himself, scratching the back of his head.
Thalia clicked her tongue and flipped her hair over her shoulder before her expression turned serious, “Anyway, what I’m saying is… give him a chance, He might be different,” she said firmly, locking eyes with Sandra, who had remained unusually quiet.
Sandra’s sharp gaze flickered with uncertainty. She lowered her head slightly, biting her lip. The room fell into silence, everyone waiting with bated breath. A full minute passed, the tension thick, until—
“T-Then… I will give him a chance.”
Her voice was quiet and hesitant, but it was enough.
The moment she uttered those words, Raven’s lips curled into a satisfied grin. She gave a small nod, her eyes twinkling with amusement.
However, Sandra quickly steeled her expression again, her voice growing sharper. “But… I cannot stay here. I need to see my daughter.”
Raven was already prepared to reject the idea, her lips parting to speak—
“That’s not possible,” Aether interjected, his voice calm but absolute.
“Aet—” Sandra started to protest, but before she could even fully voice her frustration, Aether simply raised his hand, cutting her off with a silent command to stop.
“I have my ways,” he said, his tone unwavering and filled with quiet confidence. “You will see your daughter. I promise you that.”
Sandra clenched her fists, her nails slightly digging into her palms as she struggled with the internal war raging in her heart.
If she really wanted to, she could use force. She wasn’t weak. She could push past them, break her way out, but… something about him made her hesitate.
Something about him, about the strange and terrifying abilities he had shown, his absurdly powerful titles—something made her believe in him despite her better judgment.
Especially considering he had the power to rewind time itself…. she felt he could do it and yet, they were up against gods.
Could he really do it?
Could he truly keep his word?
What if she loses her mother again?
What if her time was already over?
What if she loses everything?
So many questions!
Her heart wavered, stuck in a deep, uncertain 50/50 split.
Seeing her hesitation, Aether gave a slow nod, “Good… I will promise nothing will happen to her…. Then you’ll be staying here for the time being,” he declared before turning his gaze to Raven. “Make sure no one enters our Empire. Even if they act innocent, no one is allowed inside. Not a single soul.”
Raven immediately straightened her posture, puffing out her chest with pride as she nodded. Then, she turned her attention toward Sandra, eyeing her with a smug, slightly irritated expression.
‘This bitch…’ Sandra gritted her teeth inwardly. The way Raven looked at her—so smug, so fucking pleased with herself—ignited a burning rage inside her. She was going to deal with this damn woman later.
Just as Aether was about to leave—
Cough. Cough.
Everyone turned toward Thalia, who suddenly coughed, her cheeks burning a soft shade of red as she awkwardly rubbed her arms, shifting uncomfortably.
“Hmm?” The group collectively frowned, confused by her sudden behaviour.
Thalia, avoiding eye contact, slowly tilted her head back and started looking up at the ceiling as if something fascinating had appeared there.
‘What the hell is she looking at?’ They all instinctively glanced upward.
Thalia’s lips twitched in pure frustration before she turned her glare toward Aether and coughed again—this time even more dramatically.
“What?” Aether raised an eyebrow.
Thalia, still avoiding direct eye contact, continued rubbing her arm. “Hmm… Hmm…”
‘What the actual fuck is she doing?’ Aether blinked, thoroughly taken aback, before he finally noticed her hand. She was rubbing her forearm in an oddly deliberate way….. Then, realization struck him like a bolt of lightning.
A slow, mischievous grin spread across his face. “Oh? What’s wrong, Thalia?” he asked with innocence. “I don’t understand if you don’t tell me.”
Thalia’s lips twitched violently. She clenched her fists before hissing, “You know exactly what I mean.”
She then shot a quick glance at Raven while rubbing her own forearm again—subtly trying to indicate something.
Everyone except Aether frowned in confusion. ‘What is she trying to do?’… even Raven slowly realized what it was.
Meanwhile, Aether’s lips trembled as he fought to suppress his laughter. “Cut… Ahem… No, I don’t,” he said, pretending to be clueless.
Thalia’s face went completely blank. She bit her lip, utterly frustrated. She couldn’t just say it. She couldn’t outright ask for it.
She wanted a tattoo.
She wanted him to give it to her.
But how could she, a proud woman, outright ask for it? That was the man’s duty—to claim his women, to mark them. And the fact that he had already done it on his own for her sister made it even worse!
She could not ask… HE NEEDED TO DO IT!!
She wanted it.
She needed it!
And yet—
“If you can’t say it, then I’ll be leaving now,” Aether said in an amused tone, standing up.
“W-Wait!” Thalia shouted, reaching out, but it was too late.
Aether had already disappeared from his seat.
He was gone.
Just like that.
Thalia clenched her fists so hard that her knuckles turned white. “That damn pervert! He happily ate my pussy a few days ago, but now—!”
Sandra, who had been observing quietly up until now, nearly choked on her own breath.
Eat what?! Her face froze in sheer horror.
But it wasn’t over.
Thalia, completely unbothered, continued ranting,
“He even teased my asshole while pumping his hot fucking seed into my sister—Grrrrr! Can’t he understand what I’m trying to say?!”
Sandra’s brain short-circuited… no, her entire brain shut down.
‘…WHAT THE FUCK?! HE DID WHAT?!’
Her hands trembled slightly as a terrifying realization struck her like a hammer.
She had already noticed Aether had changed. He was no longer the same innocent young man she once knew.
But this… this was on a completely different level!!
Her mind involuntarily conjured the image of his face—his supposedly sweet, innocent expression.
Sandra’s face turned beet red.
Then, in the very next moment—her whole body twitched violently in rage.
‘FUCKING. ROTTEN. BASTARD!!!’
It was on this day that Sandra came to a profound realization.
Aether was not just some innocent young man….
He was actually a wolf in sheep’s clothing!!
And worst of all? He played the innocent role so perfectly that no one would ever suspect a thing!
But it wasn’t over.
“You should have just asked him instead of running around like an idiot,” Raven said bluntly, watching Thalia with a deadpan expression.
Thalia huffed, crossing her arms, her breasts pressing together. “As a man, he should know his duty when it comes to marking his women. Hmph!”
Sandra, still flustered, frowned. “Marking? What marking?”
Raven smirked as she rolled up her sleeve, revealing the tattoo Aether had given her, “Looks like he hasn’t told you everything yet.”
Sandra’s eye twitched. “What else is that bastard hiding?”
Raven’s smirk deepened, “Well… that’s a secret~”
“THAT’S IT!! FIGHT ME, BITCH!! LET’S SETTLE THIS!!”
Meanwhile, Emberlyn sat in the corner, watching the entire mess unfold with a tired, pitiful expression.
She sighed heavily, rubbing her temples.
‘How in the world is my son-in-law going to handle all of this…?’
Even though she wasn’t directly involved, just being present in the same room made her feel exhausted.
All she could do was… Hope for the best?
