“Here, Princess,” Aether offered a cushioned seat, his tone gentle as he tried to catch her attention.
“Do you find it comfortable?” Aether inquired, concern evident in his voice as he adjusted the seating arrangement.
“How are you feeling, Princess?” Aether continued, his questions aimed at breaking through the Princess’s disinterest.
The Princess, almost amused inwardly, observed Aether’s persistent efforts to cater to her comfort without crossing any boundaries and…. had been trying his best not to sell out.
‘Looks like I’ve found myself a wonderful pet~’ Princess mused, a glint of amusement in her eyes as she glanced at Aether, who was dedicatedly attending to her needs.
The Empress and the Archpriestess occasionally glanced at Aether, noting his unwavering dedication to the Princess’s comfort.
When they ordered him, Aether rejected them without hesitation saying, ‘My Master ordered me to look after his future bride’.
Though they felt something weird in those words, they shrugged and concentrated on the fight that Kai was showcasing his skills for recognition in the Princess’s eyes while Aether was showcasing his bootlicking skills to seduce the Princess.
‘I look like a Simp… don’t I?’ Aether thought as he looked at the haughty princess.
But what could he do? Push her against the wall and seal her lips like a man? His head would roll before even touching the Princess’s lips.
Aether sighed and offered some juice while fanning her with a large feather and looked at Kai’s fight…
“Come on, This is all you’ve got!!” Kai said with an arrogant face as he looked at the opponent.
The opponent was breathing heavily while struggling to stand on the ground.
“Y-You are tough, Young Man,” he said and then…
“Nah, I have more important things than looking at his fight,” Aether clicked his tongue as he averted his eyes from the battleground and looked at the Princess, who was smiling with a cunning face.
‘… Log, are you sure I can seduce this cunning woman?… Haven’t you increased the difficulty level very fast from ‘F’ to ‘SS’?’ Aether asked inwardly but sighed, knowing his system wasn’t going to answer him anyway.
‘Grrrrr,’ Timmy gritted his teeth seeing Aether acting all big. While he was serving other nobles, Aether, who was a slave serving the Princess… It was supposed to be Timmy who needed to serve the Princess, and yet….
“I will make you pay!” Timmy muttered under his breath, then looked at the strong wine bottle. Timmy couldn’t help but leak a sly smile.
“Princess… Do you require anything else?” Aether asked wearily, his expression fatigued as he sought a brief respite for his overworked hands.
“I desire some sweet dishes,” the Princess ordered, her tone expectant yet casual.
Aether breathed a sigh of relief before making his way toward the food court to procure the requested sweets. As he carefully selected the delectable treats,
“Looks like you are tired” Timmy remarked as he positioned himself before Aether, a hint of concern veiled in his words.
“What do you need?” Aether responded without turning to face him.
Timmy’s frustration was palpable as he struggled to contain his emotions, extending a bottle of water towards Aether with a forced nonchalance, “Here,” he muttered, his tone tinged with a hint of reluctant concern.
Aether paused in his movements, regarding Timmy with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion as he accepted the water bottle. ‘That’s unexpected,’ he thought to himself, noting Timmy’s unusual gesture.
“I-I thought you might be feeling fatigued, so I brought this for you… Not that I actually care,” Timmy hastily explained as he quickly retreated.
‘…. What’s with the sudden tsundere mode ?’ Aether wondered silently, casting a puzzled glance at the water bottle before continuing with his task.
‘Sigh, I am also tired….’ Aether thought before opening the cap and sniffing to check if Timmy had done something. To his surprise, there was no smell, and so…
‘gllluuppppp’
He poured the water down into the…. dustbin!
Observing Aether’s actions, Timmy couldn’t hide his astonishment, his failed attempt at deception laid bare before Aether’s discerning eyes.
‘Did you really think… Am I that gullible? Small boys,’ Aether smirked. He had yet to receive any kind of AP from Timmy till now, so there was no way in hell Aether would going to drink whatever Timmy gave him.
‘Ggrrrrr,’ Timmy gritted his teeth in sheer anger. He could not believe his plan had failed, even though he had used odourless vodka!
‘Pat.’ A sudden tap on his shoulder startled Timmy, causing him to whirl around and come face-to-face with his father’s stern gaze.
“F-Father?”
“You still have much to learn, my son,” Alfred admonished, directing his attention towards Selene.
“Hmm?” Timmy frowned and shocked to see…. Selene, who was making her way toward Aether with a water bottle in her hand.
A few minutes earlier,
Unlike Timmy, who had resorted to a flawed strategy, Alfred, the seasoned strategist, sprang into action when he perceived his son’s position under threat from a lowly slave. Leveraging Selene’s concern for Aether’s well-being, Alfred orchestrated a subtle manoeuvre, offering her a drink and planting seeds of worry regarding Aether’s health.
“Surely he works too hard… I fear he may fall ill if he continues to push himself,” Alfred remarked with a disappointed glance in Aether’s direction, subtly prompting Selene to take action.
Without hesitation, Selene, clutching the water bottle, trembled with concern for Aether’s well-being and hastened towards him.
Now,
“That’s how you strategize, my son,” Alfred commended, patting Timmy’s back approvingly.
“…. Alright,” Timmy reluctantly agreed, although he hated involving Selene. However, he understood the necessity for the greater good of their plans.
“Once he consumes that, you must be prepared to intervene and protect the princess, understood?” Alfred instructed sternly, his gaze fixed on Timmy, who nodded resolutely as they observed Selene timidly offering the water bottle.
[+1000 Affection]
“Is this for me?” Aether inquired, his gaze resting on Selene.
“Yes, please drink it. Otherwise, you’ll fall ill from overworking yourself for other women!” Selene’s dissatisfaction was evident as she voiced her concern, fueled by a tinge of jealousy at Aether’s attentiveness to others.
Aether hesitated briefly, eyeing the water bottle before accepting it and consuming its contents without second thoughts.
!~Ding~!
[Survival rate: 4%↑]
“Cough, Cough,” Aether coughed, his eyes widening in surprise as he read the unexpected words.
“H-hey, what’s wrong? Take it slow, you fool,” Selene chided, her worry palpable as she gently patted his head.
“W-What’s happening to me?” Aether muttered, his gaze becoming hazy as a strange sensation enveloped his mind, rendering it fuzzy and unfocused.
“Are you alright?” Selene asked with concern, reaching for her handkerchief to wipe his drooling mouth… But then,
“Kya!”