Meanwhile, Aether and Xara were crushed beneath the broken building.
At the same time, not too far from the chaos—near a quiet, almost-forgotten village—a small temple stood. From its worn entrance, Vesperine slowly stepped out, her fingers flexing as she examined her injured hand with a scowl.
“Thank goodness… I finally managed to escape from those old bastards,” she muttered under her breath, her voice rough with exhaustion. “Ugh… I still can’t believe I had to spend nearly a fortune just to get this damn hand healed…” She winced, shaking it lightly, her expression a mixture of frustration and fatigue.
Her clothes were torn and dusty, her figure bearing the marks of a difficult journey. But at least she had escaped the border zone and stumbled upon this village.
“Once I get my hands on Finnian… I won’t need to worry about injuries like this ever again. That sweet little saint would probably fly across the world just to heal me~” Her lips curled into a mischievous smile as she giggled to herself, already imagining how she would manipulate his innocent heart.
“But for now… Victor,” she said more seriously, her tone dropping as her gaze sharpened. “He’s not going to be easy… Hmm… No, definitely not easy. This one might actually put up a real fight.” She hummed quietly, calculating her next move. Then something seemed to click.
“Wait a minute… wasn’t Kai’s sister into Victor?” she murmured, narrowing her eyes as the idea blossomed.
A slow grin spread across her face. “Then maybe I could use her… turn that little affection into something useful…” But then her grin faltered. “Though… they’re already in a relationship, aren’t they? Damn, that complicates things…” She sighed, crossing her arms as she considered the problem. “Still, if I get closer to Selene… if I play it right… maybe I can use her to get closer to Victor. And once I’m close enough—”
Her eyes gleamed with ambition. “I’ll make him mine. Completely. Only mine~ Fu~Fu~” She chuckled, licking her lips slightly as her plans formed.
“Fine then. I guess it’s time to pay a visit to my darling sister-in-law~” she muttered, already turning to leave—
Thud!
A woman bumped into her shoulder as she dashed past.
Vesperine’s lips twisted in irritation. “Watch where you’re going, bitch!” she snapped, her voice sharp. But the woman didn’t stop or even glance back. She was wearing a maid’s uniform and clutching a small suitcase tightly, running as if her life depended on it.
“Wait!! How dare you abandon your post like that?! Do you think you can just leave without consequences, you little bitch!!” a furious old man shouted from behind. He was hobbling down the path, red-faced and breathless, clearly incapable of catching her at that pace.
Vesperine blinked, then scoffed and shook her head. “Pathetic,” she muttered, brushing off her shoulder before continuing on her way. But just a little further down the road, something caught her attention—a small crowd had gathered near what looked like the remnants of a collapsed old building.
“Hmm? What’s going on over there?” she murmured, adjusting her pace and angling herself to get a better view.
And then she saw them.
A man with messy white hair and a woman with black hair, both of them wearing ragged, dust-covered clothes, stumbled out of the rubble and coughing from the dust and debris.
Vesperine’s brows furrowed as her eyes locked on the man’s face.
“Who the hell is that…?” she whispered.
“How dare you enter this broken house!”
“You shouldn’t be here!”
“Who are they? They’re not from this village!”
The crowd was already turning hostile, surrounding the pair and yelling at them for trespassing and apparently damaging what little remained of the old building.
But Vesperine wasn’t paying attention to the noise. Her eyes were fixed on the white-haired man, and her heart skipped a beat.
“So handsome…” she breathed, taken aback. Despite his dirt-covered clothes and the grime on his skin, there was something striking—no, magnetic—about him. She couldn’t look away.
“Hmm…Wait… I’ve seen that face before…” she muttered, narrowing her eyes as she shifted behind a pillar, trying to get a better view without being noticed. “Where… where have I seen him?”
Just then, the man wrapped an arm protectively around the black-haired woman beside him.
And in the blink of an eye—both of them vanished. Gone without a trace.
The crowd gasped in shock. Some screamed. Others stood frozen, staring in disbelief.
“Teleportation?” Vesperine blinked rapidly. “No way… He just teleported them both out of here?” She frowned slightly, her mind racing. “That kind of magic… that’s not low-level stuff. He must be powerful. Very powerful…”
Even as she turned to walk away, the image of his face stayed with her—etched in her memory. She knew she had seen him before, maybe even spoken to him… but the memory was elusive, just out of reach, taunting her.
“Ugh… it’s right on the tip of my tongue, dammit…” she hissed under her breath, clenching her fists before finally muttering, “Whatever,” and breaking into a run.
Meanwhile,
Aether and Xara reappeared within the luxurious comfort of Aether’s room in the Frostblad Mansion.
“Haha… I can’t believe you actually did it!” Xara laughed, her voice light but tinged with disbelief. “You really just teleported us away in front of all those people?!”
Aether shrugged nonchalantly, brushing dust off his shoulder. “What can I say? I don’t like crowds. Besides… we’re not really to blame. That building was old—probably falling apart already.”
Then he turned to her, a sly smile creeping onto his face.
Xara stopped mid-laugh, blinking. “W-What?”
Aether stepped closer, eyes glinting. “Well… even covered in dirt and dust… You still look kind of…” He smirked and winked. “You know…”
Xara had an unbelievable look on her face, her eyes wide with mixed emotions. Her mouth opened slightly, as if to say something—anything—but she stopped herself. She knew. Whatever she said now, he would definitely twist it, use it against her, and she just didn’t have the strength to deal with that teasing smirk of his.
All she needed now… was to escape.
She took a step back, turned slightly, her body tensed to flee—
“Wait… I haven’t heard your answer yet,” Aether said, reaching out and catching her hand in a firm grip, halting her movement mid-step.
Xara froze. She didn’t turn around, her back still to him as she spoke, voice trembling. “I… I really think you shou—”
Before she could finish, Aether gave a gentle but sudden tug, spinning her around. She lost her balance and fell forward—right into his chest. His arms caught her instinctively, and without a word, he leaned in and pressed his lips against hers.
Her eyes widened in surprise, breath catching in her throat. But despite the suddenness, she didn’t resist. Slowly, almost shyly, her hands lifted and wrapped around his neck, drawing herself closer. She kissed him back, soft and hesitant, but real.
When they finally parted, their faces only inches apart, Xara’s cheeks were flushed pink. Her voice was barely above a whisper.
“A-Are you really sure about this…?” she asked. There was fear in her tone—raw, vulnerable. The kind of fear that only shows when someone is standing on the edge, ready to fall, not knowing if they’ll be caught.
Aether smiled warmly, the kind of smile that wrapped around her like a blanket. “I’m sure. I’m really sure, Xara. I just want you to know that no matter what happens… I’m not going anywhere. I’ll never leave you,” he said, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “I want to love every part of you—even the new, dangerous, unpredictable parts. Actually…” His grin deepened, teasing now,
“I think I’m already in love with this insane woman~ Hmm~”
He sealed the words with another kiss.
Xara gave a weak smile through her blush. Her cheeks burned red as her body trembled slightly, her head lowering as though trying to hide her expression. But he saw it—her face, caught between happiness and something darker, something wilder. A part of her was genuinely happy. Another part… loved being exactly who she was now.
Twitch.
Aether’s shaft pulsed—just slightly—but enough to make him grit his teeth. That face… that expression… that mixture of innocence and danger—it was the first thing that had ever truly ignited something inside him… The spark… And now, it was pouring through him again, stronger than ever.
Before he could reach for her again, Xara shoved him back—lightly, but enough to escape his arms—and turned. Without saying a word, she bolted out of the room.
Aether blinked. “Huh…?” He stared at the open door for a moment, dumbfounded.
She didn’t give him an answer.
But somehow… he could feel it. Even without hearing her voice, he knew.
‘She’s really shy, huh?’ he thought with a slight smirk, rubbing the back of his neck.
Then he frowned.
‘Come to think of it… why wasn’t she seduced yet? I’m pretty sure I hit every mark…’
“Log?” he called out mentally.
Of course… his System Log didn’t respond.
Aether let out a sigh, giving up for now. “Whatever…” he muttered, heading toward the washroom. “Might as well clean up before changing. Still… feels like I’m forgetting something…”
He paused, one hand on the bathroom door.
“Wait… I am forgetting something. Or… someone…”
Meanwhile,
Back in the village, beneath the same tree where Aether once stood, a white snake coiled around its roots. Its scales shimmered like frost in the sunless light.
“Master?”
A tiny, curious voice echoed.
“Master?”
The snake tilted its head left… then right… blinking slowly.
And then—
“MASSSTTTEERRRRRR~~~!!”
Snowflake screamed at the top of her tiny lungs, her voice echoing across the village in a mix of betrayal and heartbreak.
Poor Snowflake… forgotten by her beloved master for the very… first time?
