Soon, the party started with only a few people, most of whom were still slightly confused by the earlier events. However, one person seemed completely unbothered.
“Oh? What’s this?” Thalia’s eyes widened as she spotted a large chunk of meat placed at the center of the table, surrounded by an array of delicious-looking dishes and drinks. She reached for it without hesitation, taking a big bite.
“Hmm… this is really good,” she said, nodding in satisfaction, her expression soft with pleasure. Then, her gaze shifted to her sister, who was hesitating, eyeing the food with uncertainty. “Come on, just eat it already!” Without giving Raven a chance to protest, she shoved the piece of meat into her mouth.
“Mfff!!” Raven let out a muffled sound of protest, her glare sharp as she shot daggers at Thalia. But then, the rich, meaty flavor hit her tongue, and her eyes widened. She chewed, savoring it for a moment, before quickly taking another bite on her own.
Thalia grinned, leaning back smugly. “See? Told you it was delicious.”
Raven, still chewing, gave a small nod in agreement.
Meanwhile, Thalia’s attention drifted toward Maelona, who was carefully picking up a small bowl. Her movements were a little awkward, as if she wasn’t entirely comfortable with the situation. Still, she quietly partook in the meal, ignoring her daughter’s occasional glances.
Aria, on the other hand, ate her food calmly, though her eyes would occasionally flicker toward her mother. There was no direct suspicion or doubt in her expression, but something lingered in her gaze—a silent curiosity, a hesitation, as if she wanted to ask something but was unsure if she truly wanted to hear the answer.
Liora, as usual, didn’t say much. She simply continued eating while piling up meat on Aether’s plate, making sure he had enough.
Aether, however, barely reacted. His attention was fixated on Dora, who sat there completely unfazed, gracefully eating her meal as if she hadn’t done anything unusual.
Aether narrowed his eyes before leaning toward her and whispering, “You’re really gonna sit there acting like you didn’t do anything wrong?”
Dora didn’t even glance at him. Instead, she shrugged, the slight smirk on her lips showing just how little she cared. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she replied casually, continuing to eat without a hint of guilt.
The atmosphere in the room shifted. Slowly, the tension from earlier started to fade as everyone got lost in the food and conversation. It was almost as if they had begun to forget what had transpired before… until—
“You know… for a moment there, I almost thought you really loved him or something,” Thalia suddenly commented, her voice carrying a mix of seriousness and surprise as she chewed on her food.
Aether flinched, a vein almost popping in his forehead. ‘This girl…’ He exhaled sharply, rubbing his temple as if trying to ward off an oncoming headache.
Maelona, however, remained entirely unbothered. Unlike before, she didn’t look flustered or embarrassed. Instead, she simply smiled, her expression cool and composed. “That just means my acting was flawless,” she said smoothly. “You see, being the temporary ruler of the tribe requires me to conceal my emotions quite often. It comes naturally to me by now.” Her words carried a certain pride as she glanced at Dora, almost as if expecting praise.
Dora raised an eyebrow before giving a small nod. “Hmm… I see.”
Thalia blinked. “Well… we’re definitely impressed,” she admitted, exchanging a look with Raven, who nodded furiously in agreement.
Raven had also been nearly fooled by Maelona’s act.
For a brief moment, Raven felt a twinge of unease. She didn’t know why, but she had been… worried. Worried that Maelona might have actually been interested in Aether.
Liora, who had been silently observing, frowned. ‘Was that really just acting?’ she wondered to herself. While she didn’t know Maelona inside and out, she knew enough about her to understand what she was capable of. And knowing that… something about this didn’t sit right. It was hard to believe that it was all just an act.
Still, she kept her thoughts to herself. Some things were best left unspoken, especially when it came to Aether!
Aria gave a small nod. “Yeah… I have to admit, Mother, I’m impressed too,” she murmured, her gaze lingering on Maelona a little longer than usual.
Dora, noticing this, smirked slightly. ‘Looks like my job here is done,’ she thought to herself.
Just then, Aether suddenly flinched. Without a word, he stood up and took a few steps away from the group.
Everyone paused, their gazes turning to him in question.
“Is something wrong?” Liora asked curiously.
Aether forced a small smile. “It’s nothing. Just some information I need to deal with. Don’t worry about it—just continue without me. I’ll be back soon,” he reassured them before quickly making his way to the balcony.
The others exchanged brief glances before ultimately shrugging it off. The momentary interruption passed, and soon enough, they continued enjoying the feast, the lively atmosphere returning once more.
Meanwhile,
Aether frowned. ‘What do you mean? Kai and Leon are being hunted?’ He was taken aback as he received the information from his clone, who had been following Kai and Leon.
Somewhere in the forests of the Zephyra Empire…
“I cannot believe they’re trying to kill us, even after we told them who we are!” Kai muttered as he sprinted through the dense woods, his breathing ragged from exertion.
“Kai, from the looks of it, they seem to be from the temple…” Leon said hurriedly, his sharp gaze catching sight of the white robes of the men who were relentlessly pursuing them.
“You have defied the god!”
“How dare you steal what was meant to be given to the chosen child!”
“Blasphemy!!!”
The enraged group of pursuers shouted in unison, their voices carrying the fervor of religious zealots.
Kai gritted his teeth in frustration. “We can’t just keep running! We came all this way to see our beloved Vesperine! There’s no way in hell I’m turning back now—let’s take them all down!”
Leon shot him a look, his brows furrowing. “Are you insane? There are at least fifty of them! If we kill even one, we’ll have the entire Aurora Empire on our backs! Those lunatic followers won’t stop until we’re dead!”
“Then what the hell do you suggest we do?!” Kai shouted as he barely dodged a stream of holy flames shooting toward him, the scorching heat grazing past his skin.
Just then—
Thud!
An arrow suddenly struck the ground just inches from Kai’s side. He flinched, his movements halting for a brief moment. “What the—” His head snapped toward the direction it had come from, only to see another group of people emerging from the shadows of the forest.
Kai’s expression darkened. “Who the hell are you?”
One of the men smirked, stepping forward with an air of confidence. “Looks like we’ve found our target.”
Another man, his eyes gleaming with twisted delight, ran his tongue along the edge of his sword. “Remind me—whose head were we supposed to take?”
“Our target is Kai Frostblade.”
Kai stiffened. “W-What?” His eyes darted between them, quickly assessing the situation. From their demeanor, they weren’t religious fanatics like the temple followers.
No, these guys were different. Mercenaries… or just lowly hired thugs working for money.
Leon tensed beside him. “Kai? Why the hell would they be after you?”
One of the men let out a low chuckle. “Sorry, lad, but that’s just how it is. Don’t take it personally—we’ll make sure to end your suffering quickly.”
Without hesitation, he lunged straight for Kai, blade gleaming under the moonlight.
With the situation escalating rapidly, Kai and Leon had no choice left. There was no more room for hesitation—if they wanted to survive, they had to fight!
To make matters worse, the temple followers had caught up, and now, both groups—religious zealots and mercenaries—were launching attacks at Kai simultaneously.
Meanwhile, hidden in the dense woods, Aether’s clone observed everything, relaying the situation back to the real Aether.
Back at the Party…
Aether pinched the bridge of his nose, ‘This is definitely Stella’s doing…’
He wasn’t entirely sure about the mercenaries, but the temple followers? There was no doubt in his mind—this had Stella written all over it.
‘Or rather… should I say the Archpriestess?’ Aether groaned inwardly, debating his next move. He ordered his clone to intervene only if Kai and Leon were on the verge of death. As reckless as Kai was, Aether didn’t expect him to die so easily, especially considering the strange weapons he carried.
They would most likely survive—probably?
With another sigh, Aether muttered to himself, ‘Looks like I need to have a little chat with Stella…’ He turned to head back to the party when—
“Darling~”
Raven stood before him, her face flushed as red as a blooming flower. Her eyes were hazy, sultry, carrying a seductive allure that made Aether instinctively gulp.
For a brief second, his thoughts screeched to a halt.
But then, he noticed the glass she was holding—wine.
Aether blinked. “Oh, hell no!”