Chapter 446: Everything was different!
“A-Aether, h-how are you? I heard you’ve been unconscious for so long…” Helena’s voice trembled, her face flushed with a blend of worry and bashfulness. She glanced shyly at Aether, who stood before her, his eyes wide as if seeing her for the first time in forever.
Yet, he said nothing, only staring at her.
Helena, feeling her cheeks burn under his gaze, asked shyly, “W-Why are you staring at me like that?”
Aether’s warm smile broke the silence, “I missed you…” he mumbled, his voice soft, a gentle mist forming in his eyes. Without a second thought, he leaned down and placed a tender kiss on her forehead. The warmth of his lips made Helena freeze, her mind spinning as she struggled to process what had just happened.
The gentle, warm sensation on her forehead lingered, and she snapped out of her daze. Her hand instinctively rubbed the spot where he kissed her, her cheeks flushed a deep red. Embarrassed, she quickly pulled the quilt over her head, hiding her face beneath the covers as her heart raced uncontrollably.
[+10000 AP]
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Aether chuckled softly and shook his head, sitting beside her. Gently patting the top of her head through the quilt, he spoke with a comforting tone, “I’m fine, Helena. Really, I am. But how are you? Are you feeling better now? Do you need anything?”
Helena’s heart swelled at his words, warmth flooding her chest. The way he cared for her, the softness in his voice… it was everything she had longed for. She couldn’t help but feel… something was different about him. A little off, yet so comforting.
“You look different…” she murmured, peeking out from under the quilt with a curious expression.
Aether chuckled, scratching his head awkwardly. He had said this so many times, but somehow it always seemed to surprise people, “Suddenly hit puberty!” He winked playfully, his grin wide.
Helena’s heart fluttered, her breath hitching as she felt a strange warmth spreading through her.
This new side of him… so flirty, so care and tender… it was unexpected, but she liked it… A lot!!
[+10000 AP]
Her fingers, almost instinctively, started twirling a few strands of her shiny golden hair. “Y-Yes, I’m feeling much better now that y-you’re here…” she whispered, barely able to keep the bashfulness out of her voice. Her gaze dropped to her hands, and in a voice even softer, she added, “P-Please stay with me forever…”
Those words pierced Aether’s heart, the emotion swelling within him too strong to contain. His lips trembled, and before he knew it, his body moved on its own. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a tight embrace.
“A-Aether?” Helena’s eyes widened in surprise, but as she felt his shoulders tremble slightly, her gaze softened.
Hesitantly, her hands reached for his back, patting him gently in an effort to comfort him.
Feeling her gentle touch, Aether smiled through the emotion threatening to overwhelm him. “I love you,” he whispered, his voice filled with sincerity and warmth, as though every word carried the weight of his soul.
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Helena’s entire body trembled at those words, her heart racing so fast she could barely think straight.
She tried to keep her face from splitting into a huge grin, but it was a losing battle. Her voice was shaky, barely audible as she whispered, “I-I love y-you too…” Her words were so soft that Aether could barely hear them, but the emotion behind them was undeniable.
“Haha… ” Aether laughed softly, his heart light and full of joy.
“W-What are you laughing at?” Helena asked, her face turning crimson with embarrassment. She playfully slapped his back… though it was more of a gentle tap than anything, still too shy to hit him with any force.
Aether laughed even harder, shaking his head, “You’re just so cute.” He paused, then looked at her with a more serious expression. “Helena, once you’ve fully recovered… would you like to go on a date with me?”
Helena’s eyes widened in shock. She pushed him back slightly and stared at him, her heart hammering in her chest. “A d-date?”
Aether smiled warmly, nodding. “You know what a date is, right?”
Helena nodded slowly, her heart still racing. After all, Aether had taught her so much about the world. “In order to get to know each other better… right?”
“Exactly.” Aether reached up, gently cupping her face with his hand, his thumb brushing against her soft cheek. “I want to know more about my lovely Helena,” he said, his voice full of affection, his eyes twinkling as he winked at her again.
Ba-Dump
Helena’s heart skipped a beat, her face flushing even deeper. She shyly nodded, her fingers fidgeting nervously. “O-Okay…” she whispered, her voice barely above a breath as she rubbed her hands together in a shy gesture.
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!~Ding~!
[Helena Sunfire has reached the threshold and is now removed from the Affection List!]
[Remaining AP: 1,578,532]
Aether smiled softly, His eyes wandered to the scarf Helena wore.
Noticing his attention on her scarf, Helena smiled softly, “One of my friends….”
As the continued just like the previous time…
However,
Something different was now!
Helena, her voice barely above a whisper, began, “You know, the Archpriestess visited me a few days ago. She checked my body and said the same thing… that with this tattoo, I’ll be fine even if I use my blessed ability.”
Aether blinked, momentarily taken aback, “You mean… the Archpriestess saw the tattoo?”
“Yes.” Helena nodded, her tone light as though it was no big deal.
Inside, Aether’s mind was spinning, ‘Fuck?!’ he cursed inwardly, his eyes narrowing slightly as he carefully asked, “Did you mention anything about us?”
Helena’s cheeks flushed a soft pink as she smiled shyly, “Yes… She is like my second mother so of course she needs to know this!!”
“…?” Aether’s face paled slightly, his expression frozen in a state of disbelief.
But Helena, blissfully unaware of his growing anxiety, continued without a care. “She said I’m really blessed to have a man like you.”
‘Oh, fuck! She’s pissed for sure!’ Aether thought, already imagining the Archpriestess’s fury behind those calm words. He could feel the looming storm building around him, ‘Tsk, I need to handle Stella first before the Archpriestess becomes a bigger problem… Stella is the only way to calm down Archpriestess!’ His mind raced, but outwardly, he nodded, trying to stay composed. “What else did she say?”
Helena clasped her hands together as though holding something precious, her expression turning serious, “She told me I should keep you safe… otherwise, others might try to snatch you away from me!”
Aether opened his mouth to respond but paused. He already knew who was waiting to “snatch” him away, and it wasn’t just any ordinary person.
‘Then why didn’t she try to hurt Helena?’ he wondered, his mind puzzling over the Archpriestess’s motives, ‘Is it because I completed her mission? Or… something else?’
With a shrug, he pushed the thoughts aside, returning to the moment with Helena. They talked for a while longer, mostly small, light-hearted conversations before he finally decided it was time to leave.
Thud!
As he closed the door behind him, Aether exhaled deeply.
Just as he prepared to move on to his next task, a voice broke the quiet corridor.
“Hey, You!”
Aether’s steps halted, and he turned to find Finnian standing there, a cold expression on his face. ‘Tsk,’ Aether clicked his tongue inwardly. This was the very reason he’d come earlier—to avoid this particular confrontation.
But now, it seemed inevitable.
‘Whatever…’ he thought, not wanting to waste time. “Is something wrong?” he asked, his voice flat.
Finnian stared him down for a long moment, his gaze cold and calculating. “What were you doing inside?”
Aether frowned. “Just talking with Helena.”
“Talking?” Finnian’s tone grew sharp, his displeasure evident. “Who are you to—” He didn’t even get to finish his sentence.
Aether cut him off, his voice laced with irritation, “The person who saved all your asses!”
Finnian’s lips twitched in annoyance, “Tsk, this is why I hate servants who don’t know their place. No Education! No respect!! No decency!!!”
Aether sighed, growing tired of the conversation. He wasn’t in the mood for this, and Finnian’s arrogance was starting to wear thin. He turned to walk away, hoping to end the exchange quickly.
But Finnian’s voice stopped him again. “I didn’t say you could leave.”
“Tsk, what you want?”
Finnian stepped forward, his face inches from Aether’s, grabbing him by the collar. His grip was firm, and his voice was low and threatening. “Never approach the Archpriestess or… Helena ever again.”
Aether’s eyes darkened. Without hesitation, he reached up, catching Finnian’s wrist with a swift motion.
Crack!
“Arhh!”
Finnian let out a sharp cry of pain as Aether twisted his wrist, his face contorted in agony.
“Next time, don’t tell me what to do,” Aether said in a cold, indifferent voice, his gaze piercing through Finnian. He let go of Finnian’s wrist, watching as the man recoiled, clutching his hand in pain.
Without another word, Aether turned and walked away, his footsteps echoing through the corridor.
Finnian stood there, staring at Aether’s back with a deep frown.
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