Ayana frowned as she clearly heard what Brad said even though he only whispered. Even the three women in the front pinched their lips but still were helpless to say or do anything.
Brad had no idea he was surrounded by super-powered beings who could easily pick up if he was whispering at such a close distance.
Viktor realized this and immediately covered Brad's mouth as he said, "Shhh, are you trying to get us kicked out?" Viktor then slightly squinted his eyes to indirectly show Brad that they could hear him.
Brad had a confused look, wondering what was wrong when he made sure to lower his voice. But as he glanced at Ayana's expression behind, he realized that she probably heard him and could feel a cold glare striking his back.
"Ahem, the Fujo Clan surely is a great clan, isn't it? I heard that the patriarch of the Fujo Clan could move heaven and earth. No wonder—-"
"Granda Puto…"
"Yes, son?"
"Please don't overdo it…."
"..."
"Wait a minute...why are you still calling me Puto if these people know who you are?" Brad asked with squinted eyes.
"I don't know. As far as I know, you are my grandpa throughout this journey," Viktor said with a smirk.
Brad harrumphed, clearly feeling that he fell into a trap by pretending to be his grandpa.
*Ring!*
Suddenly the sound of a phone ringing resounded beside Viktor though he was sure it wasn't his since it got destroyed.
"Oh, it's my phone!" Brad quickly took out his phone as he remembered that he might have gotten so many calls while he was resting.
"Oh my god...Taya seemed to have called so many times. How did I not even wake up even after getting these missed calls? She must have been worried sick, let me pick it up," Brad immediately answered the phone, only to hear the voice of a worried Taya, who immediately got relieved to hear that her father was alright and Viktor was beside him as well.
Viktor felt guilty as well since he was sure Taya had tried to call him as well, but since his phone was out of range and also got destroyed, there was no way he could answer her.
"Give the phone to me. Let me talk to her," Viktor gestured.
"Viktor wants to talk to you. Here," Brad handed over the phone to Viktor while wondering if he really rested for such a long time.
"Hello, Taya?"
"A-Are you alright?" A lovely low voice sounded from the other side, puzzling Viktor a bit.
"Of course, I am. Why do you ask that?"
"N-Nothing...I was just...worried since you didn't pick up your phone…" Taya's voice no longer contained the usual coldness he was exposed to before leaving the Snow Mansion. Instead, she sounded just like a shy young girl.
Viktor grimaced slightly as he knew why she couldn't reach him, especially when his phone got destroyed. He felt a bit guilty, thinking she must have got worried, especially since she couldn't reach Brad as well.
However, Viktor felt that something was off as he asked, "Taya, are you having a fever or something?"
"Fever? What makes you think that? I am perfectly alright!" Taya said in a fit of protest though Viktor was unable to see her reddened cheeks.
She then continued, "It's just that...I have something important to say to you…"
Viktor knitted his brows, thinking of what important thing she was going to say to him and said, "Hmm...don't tell me you are going to confess your love to me again?"
"Y-You….Your head is always filled with those things...Anyways, when you come back, you will know, hmph!"
Viktor slightly laughed, feeling happier to hear her talk like this since he felt as if he was talking to the old Taya he fell in love with. Her voice no longer seemed cold and instead was more expressive, just like in the past.
He then remembered something as well and said, "Actually, I also have something important to say to you and...I don't know how you are going to react. I just wanted to warn you ahead in time," Viktor thought about his new fiance, Nyissa, and felt that he should inform Taya about this.
"What is it? Tell me now. I want to know. You rarely got important things to tell me," Taya's tone sounded a bit worried since she was afraid that Viktor was planning to leave again. For some reason, she could only think of that in her mind as the important thing he wanted to tell her.
"No, no. It's not something that can be told over the phone. I should tell you face to face. What about you? Why won't you tell me over the phone?" Viktor curiously asked.
"It's also something I can tell you face to face…" Taya's voice seemed a bit down since she was increasingly beginning to worry that maybe Viktor was leaving because he was angry at her and that maybe this journey might have made him realize that.
Taya also remembered the strange crimson sky phenomenon that took place earlier and wanted to ask Viktor about it but felt that it could wait.
"Look, you definitely should come back fast and can't leave here! Umi is waiting for you. She just asked me about you this morning. Strangely, she looks a bit different...I don't know if it is the side-effect of falling in love with you. But this is just...strange…" Taya's mind drifted off as she remembered seeing Umi today only to get dazed when she saw her appearance.
Even as a woman, she was momentarily enraptured by her pure and radiant beauty. Umi was already beautiful and had an exotic charm before. But now, she seemed to have not only become younger but beautiful enough to spellbind souls.
Taya could only think that maybe Viktor had this kind of effect on her and couldn't come up with any other theory. She also wondered if her eyes were playing tricks on her, and only when Umilia talked to her and told her that she had been trying a new health routine to increase her beauty for Viktor did Taya feel a bit convinced since which woman wouldn't want to doll themselves up for their lover?
Umilia couldn't think of a better explanation in such a short time and could only shake her head inwardly for the inevitable changes that took place in her body and mind.
She felt that later she could tell Taya the truth once things settled down.
Viktor got suspicious hearing Taya talking like this, making him think that he may not have been wrong to speculate things as he did.
He couldn't help but smile again, but then he shook his head, thinking that he should do a 100% confirmation by returning and seeing Umilia with his own eyes.
"Anyway, you better come back fast, at least for her. Okay? Are you listening to me?" Taya had no idea why she used Umilia as an excuse to pull Viktor back towards her.
"Okay, okay! I just have some things to handle here, and I am then flying right back home," Viktor reassured while thinking about something.
Taya was able to end the call with a relieved feeling though she was still anxious about something and was feeling a lot of regrets.
'Should I call Umi now?' Viktor wondered as he looked at the phone in his hand.