“Hmm, is something wrong?” Aether’s brows furrowed in mild concern as he noticed the Archpriestess staring at him intently during their dance.
“Nothing, young man, just a curious sense of…. familiarity,” the Archpriestess replied casually, though her eyes betrayed a deeper intrigue as she unconsciously closed the distance between them.
As they danced to the slow beat, Aether’s hand rested on her slim hips while the Archpriestess’s hands found a place on his shoulders, their movements syncing effortlessly with the rhythm.
“You too?” Aether’s surprise was evident in his expression, mirroring the familiarity he also felt toward her.
“Hmm?” The Archpriestess’s curiosity was piqued, her grey eyes sparkling with hidden secrets.
“Yes, there’s something about your eyes that reminds me of someone,” Aether muttered, his tone tinged with a hint of melancholy, memories from a tumultuous night flashing through his mind.
He would never forget that one night in his life, ever again!
“Who might that be?” Archpriestess inquired, though inwardly she couldn’t contain her happiness, ‘W-What should I do, If h-he finds out!! I-I need to prepare for the Wedding, right?’ she screamed inwardly.
“Well… She’s a bit of a naive little fool, utterly useless most times,” Aether’s words carried a touch of exasperation, a pain-in-the-ass expression momentarily clouding his features.
“…” The Archpriestess felt her veins throb with annoyance, her hand trembling slightly as she fought the urge to give him a powerful punch.
“But then again, she’s the one who changed my perspective on many things… and she’s kind of cute when she tries her best,” Aether’s voice softened, a gentle smile gracing his lips as he spoke of Stella.
The Archpriestess’s face turned a deep shade of red, her gaze shifting downward as her lips trembled, struggling to contain her emotions.
“You bear a striking resemblance to her,” Aether remarked, his eyes studying her whitish-grey hair and grey eyes with a newfound curiosity.
‘Don’t tell me…’ Aether’s thoughts raced as a realization dawned upon him.
‘Shit! He figured it out! I need to kinda–‘
“You must be Stella’s sister,” Aether’s voice held a mix of shock and revelation.
It all made sense now; why this beautiful woman had chosen to dance with a mere slave suddenly became clear to him, ‘She did mention having a large and influential family’ he nodded to himself, connecting the dots inwardly.
The Archpriestess stared at Aether as though he were an idiot, though beneath her annoyance was a tinge of happiness mingled with disappointment that he hadn’t recognized her. With a forced smile, she replied, “Y-Yes, I am her sister. She asked me to look after you.”
“Look after me?” Aether’s surprise was evident, his smile growing gentle, “Well, some things never change… She truly is a wonderful girl.”
‘Ba-Dump, Ba-Dump’
The Archpriestess’s heart skipped a beat, her face turning bright red, and her stomach tingled with an unknown sensation as she stammered, “S-She mentioned she’s in love with you…” Her eyes widened in surprise at her own slip of words.
Maybe she was having a hard time controlling her tsunami of emotions when she was this close to Aether.
She had been controlling herself for many days so as soon as she heard his lovely voice, she couldn’t control but tell her true feelings…. Even if her Mother goddess against her love, she would do anything to protect him!!!
Affections started to work very fast!… And he going to get raped very soon!!
Aether halted momentarily, he looked at Archpriestess his expression shifting to one of realization mixed with sighing, ‘I guess she mistook my CPR as a kiss…’ he thought before resuming their dance, choosing not to address her revelation directly.
Observing Aether’s nonchalant response, the Archpriestess felt a twinge of pain in her heart, her gaze searching his face for any sign of acknowledgement.
A pang of disappointment tugged at her heart as she mumbled, “D-Do you have an answer? I shall deliver it to her. S-She might get over the cloud, you know!”
“My answer? Do you expect a slave to have one?” Aether’s response was swift.
“W-Well, as long as she’s happy with our family, no one will interfere with her love life,” the Archpriestess replied awkwardly, feeling uneasy referring to herself in such a manner.
She was really desperate!!
“Hmmm…” Aether offered no further response, instead quickening the pace of their dance….. No, He wasn’t ready to address those questions just yet.
He knew that once he stole a woman’s heart, he needed to open his own heart; otherwise, it would only lead to disaster.
The Archpriestess frowned as she noticed Aether’s lack of response, his attention still focused on the dance.
Trembling with inner pain, the Archpriestess lowered her head, recognizing the need for some time alone to process her emotions.
“Thank you for the dance,” the Archpriestess said softly as she separated from Aether.
“It was my pleasure to dance with you, Milady,” Aether replied respectfully, refraining from probing further into the situation.
As the Archpriestess settled back into her seat, the Empress glanced at her, sensing something amiss, “What happened?” the Empress inquired with a puzzled expression.
“…. Nothing much, just feeling a bit broken,” the Archpriestess replied casually, though her voice betrayed a hint of shakiness, ‘I-I need to do something….’ She thought.
“Hmmm…” The Empress tilted her head, her curiosity deepening at the Archpriestess’s cryptic response.
The party continued without a hitch, though not for Aether, the lively atmosphere contrasting sharply with the tension brewing around Aether.
“So, you’re a slave?” The overweight woman, her corpulent frame almost bursting out of her dress, inquired with a disdainful sneer directed at Aether… She was the one who had been watching Aether silently.
“Yes, Madam,” Aether replied calmly, his eyes briefly flitting toward Delphine’s group where murmurs and glances were exchanged in hushed tones.
Yes, the inquirer was none other than Delphine’s close friend. While Delphine excused herself to the restroom, her friends saw an opportunity to confront Aether.
“It appears someone was making quite an effort to carve out a living here. So, tell me, how much for your services?” The overweight woman’s words dripped with condescension, her friends joining in with judgmental looks.
“I’m not entirely sure what you’re insinuating, Madam,” Aether responded with composed dignity, refusing to be rattled by the accusatory tone.
“Oh, don’t play coy with us! We know you used your charms to seduce our shy Delphine, didn’t you?” Another woman chimed in, her voice laced with accusation.
“Madam, I must correct you. I haven’t engaged in any such behaviour,” Aether stated firmly, his demeanour unwavering despite the mounting hostility.
“So, you’re implying that just because I’m overweight and chubby, you’re not interested in offering your… services?” The overweight woman’s indignation was palpable, her tone heavy with disdain and entitlement.
Aether’s mind raced with confusion, ‘What the hell is she talking about? And why is she making a scene?’ he wondered silently before speaking aloud, “I’m sorry, could you clarify what you’re referring to?”
The three women stared at Aether for a brief moment before the rotund woman accidentally knocked over her wine glass, shattering it with an abrupt
‘Trrrr’
“Clean this mess, slave,” the woman demanded sharply, her tone leaving no room for argument.
Aether hesitated for a moment, his gaze shifting from the broken glass to the woman’s expectant face. With a resigned sigh, he began to pick up the shards, his movements deliberate and cautious.
However, his efforts were met with another sharp sound as the woman’s foot stomped down on Aether’s hand, causing a searing pain as the glass cut into his skin.
“trckkk!”
“Oops, my apologies, my foot slipped,” the woman remarked callously, a cruel smirk playing on her lips as Aether clenched his teeth against the pain.
Despite the agony, Aether maintained his composure. Swallowing his anger, he continued to clean up the mess, his hands now bloodied from the encounter. With a forced smile, he addressed the woman,
“Whether you’re chubby or not, a woman is always beautiful when she has a beautiful heart.”
Leaving the hall with a hurried stride, Aether left behind three stunned women, especially the overweight one who had caused him harm.
“O-Ouch,” Aether couldn’t help but let out a pained expression as he carefully removed the remaining glass pieces from his hand.
After washing his hands in the restroom, Aether glanced at his reflection in the mirror. His face bore a weariness that mirrored the exhaustion he felt within.
‘I guess I’ve been a bit paranoid about seduction and all,’ Aether mused to himself, unsure of why he felt so drained by the ordeal.
It was then that a concerned voice broke through his thoughts, “Are you okay?”