Chapter 98
There’s light in the orb.
– Arellin!
“Pession.”
– Wow, it’s Arellin.
It’s amazing to see Pession’s face across the communications portal.
Video calling in this day and age is great.
“Can you see me?”
– Yep. Arellin, can you see me?
“Yes.”
It was their first communications portal, and she was nervous. For some reason, she’s more nervous about meeting in person.
‘Am I looking good?’
– Thanks for the gift.
That was a gift from Pession.
He had it custom-made for her, saying that he didn’t want to see it for too long.
Magic communicators themselves have been commercialized and aren’t too expensive, but the Imperial Palace can only communicate with specially made communicators due to the interference with magic caused by the bonds.
He ordered it after he couldn’t come every day.
– I’m glad I ordered it, it’s nice to be able to see your face at least this way.
Pession nodded, satisfied.
– Are you eating breakfast? Are you taking the supplements I sent you? Have you exercised?
Asshole, you didn’t send the comms because you wanted to see me, you sent them to spy on me.’
“I ate breakfast, I took my supplements, I’m working out…”
– You haven’t.
“I’m doing it!”
His pleas fell on deaf ears. Pession crossed his arms and scolded her.
– Keep walking without me. It’s only effective if you walk every day.
“Aaaaah.”
– Let’s just stick to the workout plan. Okay?
‘Are you really going to make me a Swordmaster?’
– You need to get healthy.
“Ah…”
Normally, she’d be so unmotivated that she’d punch herself in the gut, but today, strangely, she didn’t mind the reminder.
Yes, she needs to work out.
She needs to be healthy.
Live longer.
“What did you do Pession?”
– I had breakfast, I trained this morning, and now it’s time for a short break. I’m meeting with my mother and the envoys later.
– The Emperor and Empress meet with different envoys, and today I’m with Empress Ageni.
Pession laughed.
“You’re busy.”
– That’s the norm!
A kid’s schedule is like the schedule of the chairman of a major corporation. Pession was the Crown Prince, and it was at moments like this that she realized that she doesn’t usually realize it.
– It’s so nice to see it like this.
“Of course.”
– Arellin, I miss you.
“I’m watching.”
– Not this. I really want to see you.
She couldn’t help but chuckle at his uncharacteristic complaining.
“You like me that much?”
– I asked.
“What part of me is so good?”
– Arellin is, uh, pretty… warm… curly… breathing… smiling…
“?”
Warm and fuzzy and breathing, isn’t that what all living people are?
Just as she was wondering if this was a compliment or not, she heard Graham calling Pession from across the comms.
– Oh, I don’t want to go.
She regretted it, but she couldn’t hold onto him.
“He’s calling. I have to go.”
Pession looked disappointed, but quickly made another appointment.
– I’ll see you tonight.
“Okay.”
– You must communicate with me in the evening.
“Okay.”
-See you in the evening!
“Yes.”
The light went out on the comm.
She was left alone in the room, blinking and thinking.
Again.
“I miss you, too.”
She said.
***
Day 2 of Gunkuk International.
Everywhere you look, the atmosphere is lively and bustling with festivals and social events, and the Imperial Palace was no different.
Lords from distant lands, ambassadors from various nations, and many other uncommon faces, but there was one who stole the show.
“It is the Archduke of Halbern.”
“Oh, I’ve heard rumors…”
He walked around with his tie nowhere to be seen, his shirt two buttons undone, his jacket slung over his shoulder, and they were speechless, amazed that they had actually seen the real thing.
For all the great minds in the room, the Archduke of Halbern could only stare at him from afar, never approaching him.
Perhaps it was the fact that Valar was scowling today, exuding an unmistakable sense of authority.
“Shouldn’t you be resting?”
Jaren, Valar’s chief lieutenant, asked worriedly.
“I hear you’ve been using a lot of psychic powers. The side effects must be bad.”
“I need to look into something.”
“I’ll look into it for you.”
Jaren said trustingly, but Valar merely glanced at him.
“Go take care of your own business.”
“I said I’d help you out of the goodness of my heart.”
“I don’t trust you.”
“I’m sorry to hear it.”
“You’re going back to Mubisk, after all.”
“Do you want to get mad?”
Jaren grumbled, “We still have a comrade-in-arms who smoked with us for a living, and this is not fair.
“I’ve already gotten my share of the inheritance, so I don’t care if I have to get rid of him.”
“Aren’t you going to marry her?”
“Ah.”
Valar sent his lieutenant away, recalling the story of Jaren’s unrequited love, famous even among the Knights of Saren.
Jaren had tried to stay with her until the end, but she had fallen to the censors at the Imperial Palace.
‘A singularity.’
Suddenly Arellin was a singularity.
How did this come to be in the Imperial Palace while suffering from the after-effects and side-effects of excessive power use.
The only being that could give a hint to this question was in the deepest depths of the Imperial Palace.
***
“Boo.”
“Ahh!”
“Why are you so surprised, I’m going to eat you?”
Wouldn’t anyone freak out if it appeared like that?
She was caught off guard. She hadn’t seen him in a while, so she’d forgotten he existed. She was nervous about her long-lost stalker.
“You don’t have to be so vigilant.”
She thought he’d forgotten her.
“How could I forget you, you’re so interesting.”
‘Interesting?’
“I can see it in your face.”
Her stalker teased her again today, asking me if she’d been eating and living well while she was gone.
“You don’t look hurt. Well, of course you are.”
“?”
“I’ve been through a lot.”
“…”
What do you mean, this.
Then she quickly realized that there was only one thing…
Oh, no. No, no, no.
‘No way, that. That?’
“Yeah. That was me.”
She thought it was similar to Sharit, but it was really him.
“You didn’t notice? I thought my little girl would have noticed.”
“Ha, I mean…”
“I’ve been calling you. Why did you ignore me? I’ve been calling you to get you out of here safely.”
The stalker, who had managed to snatch her hand, smirked as he coyly traced the symbol on the back of her hand.
He’s suddenly attacking her face.
“Are you angry? For taking advantage of me.”
‘Am I angry? I’m shaken, but not angry.’
Not between them.
“It’s just. Can I ask you one question?”
“Sure.”
“You’re a dangerous man, aren’t you?”
The stalker’s smile deepened.
“Usually, yes.”
“Are you going to keep showing up in front of me?”
“Why, do you want me to go away?”
To be honest, it was.
At this point, she didn’t feel like she stepped on a landmine, she felt like she was walking around with a ticking time bomb.
“You should probably give up on that.”
Her hopes are dashed.
The man whispered softly.
“Little girl, you’re a poor fate to be tangled up with the likes of me, whether you like it or not.”
She swallowed dryly and brushed away the chill in her gut.
As she sensed with every encounter, the scent of predator was thick on this man.
Like it’s about to eat her.
“Don’t we already have one in this house?”
“What?”
‘What do we have in our house?’
“And I quite like it.”
“Like what?”
“You.”
“…”
What’s with this guy’s attitude?
