Chapter 218: Aria makes her move!
“Don’t worry, I won’t hurt your ‘dear’ Aria… definitely!” Aqualina said with a gentle smile, her demeanour calm and serene as if she was mercifully letting a bug go just for Aether’s sake.
Aether blinked for a moment, processing her words before nodding slowly, ‘Yep, Aria is her first target…’ he thought to himself, feeling a sense of urgency creeping in.
He knew he needed to take swift action before things spiralled out of control and caused even more complications.
Aether stood before her, lowering himself to one knee like a knight before his lady, and gently took her hand in his.
She remained silent, not even frowning at him for touching her without her explicit permission. This gesture alone spoke volumes about how deeply she had fallen for him.
Others might dismiss this as a trivial act, but Aether understood the profound significance. She had surrendered both her body and soul to him, entrusting him with everything. All he needed to do was accept this for what it truly meant.
“Princess, these hands should never… ever be stained with blood again!” Aether declared, his voice imbued with solemnity as he looked earnestly into her mesmerizing purple eyes. He added, “Please, I don’t want to see you get hurt again,” his voice trembling with a hint of pain.
“I… I will think about it then” Aqualina lied.
Aether smiled beautifully.
Aqualina bit her lip, her gaze softening as she looked at the man who loved her so deeply.
[+6000 Affection]
She didn’t want him to kneel before her; she desired to be treated equally, just like how Aria treated him.
She patted the spot beside her on the bed, “Sit.”
Aether hesitated for a few moments, uncertainty flickering in his eyes before he finally sat down beside her. The air around them suddenly turned silent, an almost tangible tension settling in.
Aqualina, now seeing him up close, took in the sight of his shimmering black hair, his sharp gaze, and his alluring red lips. Her heart skipped a beat as she lowered her head, her thoughts racing, ‘H-He is quite handsome…’ she admitted to herself.
[+6000 Affection]
Slowly, Aqualina mumbled, “You know…”
“Hmm?” Aether responded, his curiosity piqued.
“An empress can take consorts,” Aqualina said, her face turning an even deeper shade of red.
Aether was taken aback, his mind racing, ‘What? An empress taking consorts? When did this happen?’ He needed to know more details immediately.
He couldn’t allow another man to have her. The thought of the dominating woman he desired being with someone else was unbearable. He wanted her all to himself and couldn’t fathom letting others have her.
“Empress? Is your mother marrying again? Who is he? What level is he? How old is he? Is he trying to deceive your mother?” Aether bombarded her with questions, his concern evident.
Aqualina was taken aback by his barrage of questions. She covered her face with embarrassment, realizing he had misunderstood her words.
‘I messed up…’ she thought but then frowned, “Why are you asking so much about my mother’s affairs?”
“I-I was worried about what kind of father you will have, so…” Aether stammered, trying to justify his curiosity while sweating inwardly. He couldn’t let his true emotions slip.
Aqualina’s expression softened, touched by his concern, ‘Even now he’s thinking about me… ah,’ she thought before clarifying, “I-I meant… myself. You know I will be Empress later.”
“OH…” Aether sighed in relief, feeling the tension ease. He had almost thought he needed to take drastic measures again, but then he stopped and blinked, realizing Aqualina was staring at him with a red face, her toes twirling on the ground, a clear sign of her shyness.
‘Ah! Fuck! She proposed to me!’ Even Aether wasn’t entirely sure how to respond to her.
He knew he could reciprocate her feelings, but considering her determined nature, he was certain she would do anything to get what she wanted.
He decided to maintain his act….. Dense Act!!
With gloomy eyes, he said, “I-Is that so?”
Hearing his sad voice instead of the expected happiness, Aqualina frowned and looked up, seeing Aether’s gloomy and hurtful expression, ‘W-What did I do?’ she wondered, confused.
She was sure she had accepted his feelings.
“He must be a lucky one. Who is he?” Aether asked, his voice tinged with resignation, the weight of his emotions making each word heavy.
“…” Aqualina frowned, her frustration building as she processed his response. Soon, realization dawned on her, and she clicked her tongue inwardly in exasperation, ‘Tsk, this idiot! Can’t he tell I’m talking about him? Hmph!’ She puffed out her cheeks in anger, feeling a mix of irritation and disappointment before finally speaking,
“Yes, he would be the luckiest person in the world to marry me, and yet, he is an idiot not to understand my hints!” Her voice was filled with unmistakable annoyance, each word dripping with her frustration.
At this moment, she couldn’t simply marry Aether directly, as much as she might wish to. There were numerous problems in their lives and countless obstacles strewn across their path.
Each challenge required careful consideration and strategic planning. She needed to meticulously orchestrate everything, ensuring that their union could happen with the least amount of trouble and opposition.
After deducing all possible outcomes, she realized that the only feasible way she could marry him with minimal complications was as a consort.
Seeing her grumpy expression, Aether giggled inwardly, finding her frustration endearing. ‘She is cute sometimes…’ he thought, his heart softening at her display of emotion.
But then he noticed something. Without thinking, he subconsciously moved closer and gently touched her cheek.
“!!!” Aqualina flinched slightly when she felt him getting closer to her face. She immediately closed her eyes, her heart pounding in her chest, each beat echoing her vulnerability and anticipation, she thought he was dense tsundere but it seemed he knew when to take action!
‘Cute!’ Aether screamed inwardly, charmed by her reaction then he gently rubbed the dark circles under her eyes.
“Have you slept well?” he asked with genuine concern, his voice soft and filled with worry.
Aqualina was startled by his question, ‘Tsk, I should have known,’ she thought, as she slowly opened her eyes and stared into Aether’s piercing blue eyes.
Though a part of her felt a twinge of disappointment, seeing his concerned expression reassured her that he still cared deeply for her, his affection unwavering.
[+6000 Affection]
“Kind of…” Aqualina’s answer trailed off, her voice barely above a whisper.
Due to their closeness, they found themselves locked in a gaze, the intensity of the moment building between them.
If he was dense then she needed to overcome her shyness and push otherwise she would lose him sooner or later… so,
“A-Aether…” she whispered gently, her breath mingling with his, the proximity making her voice tremble with emotion.
“….” Aether thought he needed to act dense and yet….
As if an unknown force was drawing them together, their breaths intertwined, creating a palpable tension.
Aqualina parted her lips, and Aether gazed at her, his mind torn between his desire and restraint.
Though he wanted to stop himself, the situation suddenly turned more intense, and seeing her cute reaction, he couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming urge to kiss her.
Aqualina’s heart raced wildly, each beat amplifying her sense of anticipation. She felt as if she was about to do something forbidden, even though she had kissed him before, but that had been out of necessity for CPR.
This, however, was different. It was a real kiss, her first kiss! Their lips were just about to touch, the moment charged with a mix of longing and hesitation, Aether controlled himself and just about act a dense character…
When,
Knock, knock.
A sudden knock jolted both of them, snapping them out of the moment.
She saw Aether kneeling down like a knight, immediately as if he acting his servant duty!
Aqualina immediately rushed to the door, her annoyance flaring as she opened it, “What?” she demanded, her expression reflecting her frustration at the untimely interruption.
Whoever it was, they surely knew how to ruin the perfect moment!
“Hello,” Aria stood there, wearing a nightie, her expression friendly yet laced with mischief.
Crack, crack
Aqualina almost broke the door in her frustration, barely able to contain her irritation, ‘Of course, this thieving bitch!’ she screamed inwardly, her mind racing with anger before asking with an annoyed face, “What do you want?”
“I’d like to have a chat with you, Ms. Aqualina,” Aria said sweetly, her tone dripping with false innocence, though her eyes were fixed on Aether, who was looking at her with a gentle smile as he waved at her happily!
[+8000 Affection]
As if on cue, his gentle smile suddenly disappeared, replaced by horror.
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