Chapter 382: Nothing about…. Raven Noir
“Hello, Ms. Raven Noir,” Kai greeted with a hint of respect, his eyes narrowing slightly as he watched Raven interact with his servant.
Raven barely acknowledged him with a nod, her demeanour cool and distant.
Kai’s eyes twitched with suppressed irritation. “Do you need something?” he asked, his voice tight.
Raven turned her sharp gaze to Aether, her expression unreadable, “Isn’t he Aqualina’s servant? What is he doing here with you?”
Kai raised an eyebrow in surprise, a flicker of annoyance crossing his features. ‘Why does everyone only talk to me when it’s about Aether?’ he thought bitterly. Grinding his teeth inwardly, he forced a calm response, “Since Aqualina is my fiancee, her servant is also under my command,” he said, carefully avoiding the truth—Aqualina had warned him not to reveal any secrets.
Raven stared at him for a long moment, her gaze as piercing as ever. Before the tension could thicken, a voice cut through the air.
“Come on, Raven!” Thalia’s fierce, feminine voice echoed across the stalls, urgency laced in her tone.
Raven cast one last inscrutable look at Kai before nodding and walking away, joining Thalia without another word.
As Kai and Vesperine exchanged a quick glance before shrugging and resuming their date, Aether frowned, his thoughts swirling. ‘When did those two become friends?’ he wondered, his gaze lingering on the retreating figures of Raven and Thalia.
Meanwhile,
Thalia’s eyes sparkled with a mix of amusement and curiosity as she observed Raven, “It’s rare to see you talk to someone,” she remarked with a teasing smile.
Raven merely shrugged, her tone indifferent. “I was just curious…”
Thalia’s smile faded, replaced by a hardened expression,
“Don’t forget about our goal…
This might be our last time entering this Empire. Next time… I doubt he’ll be so merciful to let ‘traitors’ back inside.”
Raven’s face remained impassive, but Thalia knew her well enough to catch the subtle flinch on her body. With a nod, Thalia felt reassured, sensing Raven’s unspoken agreement.
Just then, Raven’s sharp gaze caught sight of a familiar figure hiding behind a nearby stall. She frowned and walked briskly towards her.
“Aqualina?”
“H-Huh?!” Aqualina jumped slightly before turning around, quickly composing herself as she faced Raven and Thalia.
“What is it?” Aqualina asked, her voice tinged with impatience. She had been tailing Aether, intent on monitoring how much torment those two inflicted on him, so she could later deliver the same torment back to them!
Raven glanced from Aqualina to Kai’s group, then back at Aqualina, her expression growing more curious. “Are you… stalking your fiancee?”
Aqualina’s face turned into a deadpan expression, and she immediately denied it. “Of course not!”
Raven’s frown deepened, but she quickly dismissed it, realizing it wasn’t her place to pry. Aqualina was about to leave when Raven suddenly spoke again.
“You know… there’s something I want to ask.”
Aqualina hesitated, her patience wearing thin as she watched Aether’s group begin to move away. She couldn’t afford to lose them… especially after noticing Helena… who was pathetically disguised and following Aether…. “What is it?” she asked, her voice clipped.
“Just before the entrance ceremony… Did your servant walk from the teleportation station to the academy?”
“…. Well… Yeah…”
…
…..
Victor’s Allotted Room
Raven Noir
Her past was shrouded in mystery… there was absolutely no information about her, except that she had been banished from this Empire.
There were no records explaining why she had been banished—no details about her bloodline, her sources of wealth… nothing at all!
Aether sighed deeply as he read the words written in the notes provided by Aqualina.
He glanced down at Celestia, who lay sprawled across his chest, humming contentedly. She felt his gaze and smirked, already anticipating his question.
“Don’t look at me like that,” she teased, her voice lilting with amusement. “I told you, there’s nothing on her. Without the Dragon Emperor’s permission, not a single soul enters or leaves this Empire. Everything that happens here stays locked inside and rarely sees the light of day.”
Aether’s brow furrowed in thought. “Hmm? Is that Dragon Emperor really that powerful?” he asked, genuine curiosity creeping into his voice. Despite the grandeur and the words surrounding the Dragon Emperor, Aether hadn’t felt any overwhelming presence…. nothing compared to the Principal or Heck… even Alaric.
Even during this pressure to kneel to others… he barely felt because he was already used to the Principal who also pushed him too much.
Anyhow,
Celestia chuckled softly, pinching his cheek playfully, “It’s not just about power, darling~ Dragons are fiercely, almost blindly, loyal to their Dragon Emperor….. to the title itself!!”
Aether nodded, absorbing the information, though it only deepened his curiosity, “But why? What makes them so loyal to the title?”
Celestia shrugged lightly, her tone shifting to one of quiet reverence, “As I said before, without the Dragon Emperor’s word, nothing leaves this Empire. The details are shrouded in secrecy, but their loyalty… it’s absolute! and… sometimes, no most of the time, they act weird like how they forced you guys to come or something like that more happens here”
Aether stared blankly at the ceiling, his mind racing with questions…. wondered how to approach her… His mission tab showed no signs of urgency, no blinking alerts, so he would take it slow.
Celestia’s voice broke through his thoughts, “By the way, the Empress is curious about what her Highness has been up to…” She held up a small crystal ball, identical to the one Selene had used before…. A recording device!
Aether smirked, recognizing the glint of mischief in Celestia’s eyes. He nodded, leaning in close as he murmured, “Let’s wait until we return….”
Celestia’s eyes widened in surprise, a wicked grin spreading across her lips. “Are you finally doing it?”
Aether simply shrugged, offering no explanation, but it was enough to make Celestia’s heart race. She kissed him deeply, a promise of what was to come, “I can hardly wait~” she purred, resting her head against his chest.
Aether’s smile was warm, filled with affection before his hand started to wander….
“Hey!” Celestia fake-glared at him, though her eyes sparkled with playful mischief when she felt his fingers gently squeezing her ass.
“Haha…” Aether chuckled, tightening his grip, the warmth of the moment enveloping them both.
But then, suddenly…. Knock, Knock.
They both flinched, the spell of their intimacy broken. Celestia quickly transformed into Victor, her movements swift and practised.
Victor opened the door, his expression instantly turning to one of annoyance as he found Raven Noir standing there, her face as unreadable as ever. “Do you need something?” he asked, his tone clipped.
Raven shook her head, her gaze drifting past him to Aether. “I’d like to speak with him,” she stated calmly.
Aether’s mind raced, suspicion gnawing at him, ‘What she wants now?’ The thought of spending time with Raven was tempting, a chance to gather information, perhaps even gain some favour. But he knew so little about her…. too little. It was a dangerous gamble, and he was treading on thin ice.
It was like same as Aqualina when he first met her… so he needed to know more before starting his game.
Victor was on the verge of rejecting the request when…
“A-Aether….”
Lia suddenly peeked out from behind Raven, her expression a storm of hesitation, fear, and… guilt!
Aether’s eyes narrowed as he caught the faint curl of Raven’s lips, a smugness…. It was as if she had just achieved victory, and it unsettled him deeply.
‘Damn it!’ he cursed inwardly, realizing he had no choice but to follow.
The night had fully descended, casting the castle in deep shadows…. Yet the castle strangely illuminated enough for the night but not too bright….
Most of the students had already retired… ever since Dragon Emperor announced tomorrow very morning they were leaving for that place!
The corridors were eerily quiet as Raven led Aether and Lia to her room, her footsteps echoing in the silence.
Aether looked around the surface of the castle that illuminated…. ‘Interesting..’ he thought.
A black castle with eerie blue and yellow shades of light…. really mesmerizing!!
As they walked, Lia’s eyes filled with guilt as she glanced up at Aether. She murmured softly, “I’m sorry….”
Aether looked at her, his expression softening despite the situation… He sighed before patting her head.
[+600 AP]
They entered Raven’s room….. None of them noticed the pair of blue, slit-pupil eyes watching from the deep shadows of the hallway, waiting… silently observing.
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