Chapter 83

"!!!" Aether couldn't suppress the shiver that ran down his spine at the mere touch of her slender finger, a potent mixture of excitement and fear coursing through him.

"Could you show me your Arcane Card?" Her request carried a hint of pleading.

"W-Well, I did try before, but Del- I mean, Madam Delphine said I need a little more time to summon the Arcane Card," Aether replied, hoping his explanation would suffice and she would leave him be. Yet, her determination was palpable.

"It's fine, you can do it for me... I can help you," Empress Marisandra insisted, her finger pressing slightly into his chest as if coaxing the Arcane power to manifest.

Aether sighed, resigning himself to her request.... that was a lie, It was more like an Order. With a touch of reluctance, he placed his hand on his chest and uttered, "Arcane Card."

A faint glow emanated from his sternum, just like before. However, inwardly, Aether screamed a silent warning, 'If you come out Arcane Bitch, I'll tear you into thousands of pieces.'

To his glad, the light abruptly subsided, as if something had interrupted the summoning process. Empress Marisandra frowned, her gaze shifting between Aether's chest and his shrugging expression.

'Something is interrupting it,' she thought, her mind already formulating possible explanations.

Her smile returned, sending a shiver down Aether's spine as she caught the hem of his t-shirt, her actions swift and decisive. "Take off your shirt," she commanded, before Aether could protest, his shirt was already removed.

"W-Wait!!" Aether's voice rose in panic as he instinctively covered his chest with his hands, his eyes wide with disbelief. "W-What are you doing?" he managed to stammer out.

Ignoring his protests, Empress Marisandra pushed him gently onto the bed, straddling his hips to prevent any escape. Aether's mind raced with confusion and bewilderment, his thoughts in disarray.

"M-Madam?" Aether was at a loss for words, his usual composure shattered by the unexpected turn of events.

"It's fine, Aether... I am just going to relieve you... " she stated calmly, her right hand tracing the contours of his muscled chest while her left-hand finger played seductively by her lips, a tantalizing promise in her gaze.

'Gulp'

Aether's body tensed up. He could feel her warmth beneath her dress, his heart beating faster with each passing moment. Frozen in place, he sensed a familiar force gently pressing him down.

'A-ah, Log... Who is seducing whom now?' Aether reached a point of utter blankness.

It was evident that she was handling him as delicately as possible, perhaps assuming him to be just a teenage boy. Yet, one misstep and he could either meet his demise now or... die later,

Even more perplexing,

'Come on, Aether, just because she is your type doesn't mean you should allow your emotions to run wild!' Aether screamed inwardly, desperately trying to control his teenage body's reactions.

Clenching his lips, Aether gathered his courage. "I-I don't think it's appropriate for the Empress to be seated upon a Slave," he attempted to appeal to her sense of public decorum.... but,

"Nah, who cares about others? Now, call forth the Arcane Card," the Empress commanded as her fingers trailed along his sternum.

'Ggrr.' Calming his inner beast, Aether took a deep breath. "Once you've failed, you should release me and let me alone"

"Hmm..." The Empress suddenly wore a surprised expression upon witnessing him negotiate in such a precarious situation, resulting in a subtle shift in her demeanour.

+10 Affection

!~Ding~!

Survival rate: 2.1%|

'FUCK!!' Aether screamed inwardly as he observed the sudden, significant 0.5 drop in his survival rate simply because she had started to take a liking to him.

"You really sure I will fail... ah?" She asked a hint of amusement in her tone.

"...." Aether remained silent, realizing that responding to her would only complicate things further. He needed to bring this to a conclusion. Closing his eyes and summoning his resolve, he repeated the familiar incantation,

"Arcane Card"

A small white light shimmered on his sternum, but before he could stop its appearance, his world froze as the Empress practically thrust her hand into his chest, where the light was radiating.

"Huh?" Aether gasped as he watched in disbelief, feeling a sharp pain coursing through his body.

"AARRRRRHHH!!!" Aether's body convulsed with pain as if something vital was being forcefully extracted from within him.

"S-Stop it!!" Aether screamed, but the Empress paid no heed, her hand delving deep into his chest unknown place, searching for something intangible. Her frown deepened as her hand moved around, finding nothing but emptiness until--

'Thud'

"Ah, got it!" She exclaimed, withdrawing something from deep within Aether's body.

"ARRRHHH!" Aether cried out, his fingers clenched, his eyes bloodshot with agony.

As soon as the Empress removed her hand, Aether's pain vanished, leaving him gasping for air, his eyes teary and unfocused. Seeing his distress, she felt a twinge of remorse and spoke softly,

"I'm sorry, but it was necessary," she said, pulling him into a gentle embrace and patting his head soothingly.

Feeling the comforting touch and breathing in her calming scent, Aether's body gradually relaxed, and he unconsciously returned her hug.

Meanwhile, the Empress scrutinized the card she had retrieved.

'A Blank Arcane Card?' She frowned at the fully transparent, standard playing card size.

"So... this is what..... you guys..... are ask...ing for?" Aether muttered, lifting his head from her chest and gazing at the Card with a childlike smile, his expression half-hazy.

"Yes, this is an Arcane Card, but it's not the same one I saw that day," the Empress frowned, recalling the vivid image of a Half Pure, blinding White, and Half Impure, Void Black card from their previous encounter.

"This... isn't it?" Aether inquired with a dreamy look in his eyes.

"No, this is a Blank Card... that means no aptitude," the Empress confirmed, her eyes flickering with arcane energy as she attempted to discern the true nature of the card, only to find it unchanged.

"No aptitude?"

"It means you cannot progress beyond the initial stage..." Empress's voice trailed off as a realization dawned on her. 'But, He's evolved from Zero to One, so...' Empress's face turned even more frown.

"Interesting..." Empress muttered, a smile playing at her lips as she felt a surge of curiosity and amusement toward him. Despite his lack of aptitude, he intrigued her with each encounter, challenging her perception of omnipotence. However, her amusement quickly turned to surprise as she noticed his behaviour.

"What are you doing?" she asked, her tone tinged with incredulity.

"It's comfy~" Aether mumbled in his dazed state, nuzzling against her well-developed bosom.

Empress's lips twitched with a mix of amusement and annoyance. She had given him an inch, and he was taking a mile! Just as she was about to reprimand him--

'Tuck'

The maid entered and began, "Your Majesty, Mr. Velc Frostblade is asking for yo...ur... audience...?" Her voice trailed off as she caught sight of the Empress embracing a half-naked boy in her arms.

Her face flushed, and her words stammered, "S-Sor- I mean, forgive me, Emp- I mean, Your Majesty, take your swea-" Feeling her tongue slipping too much, she quickly apologized "I am sorry!!" She hastily closed the door, leaning against it as a wave of dread washed over her.

"..." The Empress blinked a few times, sighing deeply as she realized her maid had misunderstood the situation. She then turned her attention to the drowsy boy in her arms, preparing to push him away.

"M-Miss... Your... eyes are so beautiful... You smell... warm and... gentle...

Please hold me tight...ly..." Aether muttered unconsciously before succumbing to sleep.

If he had heard his own words, he would have been mortified and would have puked!!

"..." A small red hue tinted her cheeks as she covered her eyes, a small smile forming at the word 'gentle.'

+10 Affection

+10 Affection

+10 Affection

+10 Affection

+10 Affection

+10 Affection

!~Ding~!

Survival rate: 0.9|%

Aether was really pushing his luck!