Chapter 69

'Zzzzzz'

Aether's eyes slowly fluttered open, greeted by the sight of a brown-coloured ceiling adorned with beautiful candelabra casting a warm glow. The softness of the cushion beneath him felt like floating on thick feathers, a comforting sensation enveloping his weary body... Though he knew he was lying in a bed, the details of how he got there eluded his groggy mind.

'Zzzzzz'

As he listened to the rhythmic sound of someone sleeping nearby, Aether turned his gaze to his side, where he noticed a familiar figure.

"S-Selene?" Aether's voice was laced with surprise when he saw the bluish-black-haired girl, Selene, sleeping soundly in an awkward position. Her head rested on the edge of the bed, indicating that she had fallen asleep while sitting in a chair.... likely keeping watch over him.

'Looks like I've been caught...' Aether's thoughts turned rueful, a tinge of pain and annoyance colouring his emotions as he realized the effort he had gone through seemed to have been in vain.

All that for nothing!!!

"Hmmm..." Stirred from her slumber by the sound of her name and sensing movement, Selene let out a soft groan. Her eyes fluttered open, revealing the exhaustion and redness indicative of tears shed during the days and nights.

Upon seeing Selene in such a distressed state, Aether's heart twinged with a mix of emotions.... His heart pained seeing her like that.

"Selene? W-What happened?" Aether's voice carried genuine concern as he sat up slowly, his gaze fixed on her. He forgets to call her with respect.

"E-Ether?" Selene's voice was filled with surprise and relief as she saw him finally waking up, her eyes widening in response.

'Drip, Drip'

Tears began to unconsciously drip from Selene's eyes again, the emotions from the nights and days before still lingering in her heart. Her vulnerability was evident in her expression, a mixture of joy and worry...

"ETHER!!"

Selene's cry was filled with both relief and pent-up emotions as she threw herself into his embrace, her arms wrapping tightly around him as if seeking reassurance and solace. Her tears flowed freely, the weight of her emotions finding release in that moment of closeness.

"Sob, Sob, E-Etheerrr, Sob, Sob.... E-Ethrrr, I thought I-I lostt y-you... sob, sob," Selene mumbled between sobs, clinging to him as if her life depended on it. Aether froze, taken aback by the intensity of her emotions and unsure of how to respond.

+1000 Affection

+1000 Affection

+1000 Affection

'Wow! What was that?' Aether snapped out of his daze when he saw the sudden surge in affection points. It was so much that Aether couldn't help but wonder who this girl really was to him.

"I-I'm sorry, Ether.. 'sob, sob' I should have been with you.. 'sob, sob'.. Y-You must be scared..." Selene's words were filled with fear and regret, her voice trembling with emotion.

Hearing her words, Aether was surprised. How was he supposed to react to a girl who, on the very first day, punched him in the gut and then later fed him cookies, and now was crying in his arms?

But one thing was clear to him: when he felt her trembling body and heard her sobs, Aether's natural response was to wrap his arms around her and offer comfort. He hugged her gently, patting her head reassuringly as he whispered,

"I am fine..."

Feeling his comforting embrace, Selene's tears continued to flow even more, her emotions pouring out uncontrollably and staining the bed pillow beneath her.

After a minute or so, Selene's crying subsided, but she didn't pull away from Aether. She remained in his arms, holding onto him tightly as if she let him... he might disappear again.

"Sele-- I mean, Madam Selen--" Before Aether could say anything, Selene interjected.

"That's Sel," Selene said softly, her voice muffled by the hug but filled with warmth.

"Hmm?" Aether tilted his head slightly in confusion, trying to process the emotional whirlwind he found himself in.... No, He understood what she meant, yet the complexity of their situation made it hard to respond appropriately.

"Call me Sel," Selene continued, her tone gentle as she shifted slightly to look at Aether's face, her eyes glistening with unshed tears but also a glimmer of... affection?

"Ba-Dump"

Aether's heart raced as he felt the proximity and emotional intensity of the moment, his own eyes reflecting a mix of emotions as he gazed back at Selene as if.... as if something inside him had woken up. He was about to touch her tear-stained face when suddenly,

"Are you awake or not?" Someone's voice shattered the tender moment as they entered the room.

"BOOMM!!"

"W-What just happened?" Kai, the newcomer, exclaimed in shock at the scene before him.... Aether lying on the ground, clutching his stomach in pain, and Selene sitting on the chair with an indifferent expression her face was pristine and clear as glass.

"I got annoyed seeing Aunt worried over a slave, so I punched him, and... he woke up," Selene explained with a serious expression, her tone unwavering.

"..." Aether was taken aback by the sudden turn of events, looking at Selene with a mix of confusion and surprise. She had just cried in his arms and asked him to call her nickname or something moments ago, yet now she seemed composed and unemotional.

"Tsk, Tsk... If I had known that's all it takes to wake him up, I would have kicked him a few days ago," Kai muttered in annoyance, clearly frustrated by the situation. He then called his assistant Timmy to inform their aunt about what had happened.

And soon,

"Are you okay, Boy?" Delphine entered the room and approached Aether, sitting on the bed beside him. She checked his forehead, eyes, and mouth, making sure he was alright.

"I-I am fine, Madam," Aether responded with an awkward expression, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the attention.

"Sigh," Delphine audibly sighed, relieved to find that there was nothing seriously wrong with Aether's condition. She couldn't afford any mishaps with him, knowing that any harm to him would ultimately reflect poorly on her in front of her father.

"Now that he is fine... Mind telling us how in the hell you managed to run away?" Timmy's voice cut in with a glare, his frustration evident. "Because of you, our Young Master suffered the consequences... He almost needed extensive healing--"

"Timmy!" Delphine's firm voice silenced him immediately.

Timmy lowered his head apologetically, acknowledging his overstepping, "I am sorry, Lady Delphine. If I am stepping out of bounds, but..." He glanced at Kai, clearly wanting to emphasize the point that Kai had suffered because of Aether's actions and continued, "Because of him, Young Master suffered for that day, he almost reached the point of blank out--"

Yet again, Delphine stopped Timmy and looked at Kai, who also had something to say, but Delphine simply interrupted him, saying, "You guys let him sleep in the slave area, so, of course, anything could have happened, and he ran away. That's because of your sloppy decision... Now leave, I need to speak with him alone."

However, Kai wasn't about to let the conversation end there. He needed to assert his authority over his slave, so he stepped forward and began, "Aunt, he is my slave and I wil--" Before he could finish his sentence, Delphine cut him off.

"You do know that we will be leaving tomorrow, right?" Delphine interjected with a stern frown, emphasizing the urgency of the situation.

"H-Huh? That..."

"You need to level up before leaving, so go and do it faster rather than sitting here wasting your time," Delphine instructed firmly, her tone leaving no room for argument.

Kai frowned, realizing his aunt's intentions. He clicked his tongue in frustration and stated, "I will definitely tell this to Father," as he turned and left the room.

Timmy, equally displeased, clicked his tongue in annoyance, he hoped Ether would already die but some luck bullshit he was alive and clicked his tongue again before following Kai out of the room, leaving only Delphine, Selene, and Aether in the hotel room where they had been staying.