"Where have you been all this ti?" Celeste asked, settling down beside Alicia. "Recovering," I replied, offering her the sa excuse I had given Alicia earlier.
"For two months?" Celeste's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Where exactly?"
"Sowhere safe," I said with a shrug, trying to sound nonchalant.
"You're lying again..." Celeste grumbled.
What was I supposed to tell her?
That I infiltrated enemy lines, killed Valachia Knights, and led Ruvelion's army at Elyen Kiora to massacre hundreds-no, thousands-of Sancta Vedelia's forces?
Sure, I could be honest...
But why wasn't I?
Was it guilt?
Or was I afraid of how Celeste would react if she knew the truth? Maybe, deep down, I didn't want her to hate .
I just couldn't bring myself to be upfront about what I had done.
Ever since my mories rged, I had been trying so hard to steer away from becoming anything like Edward-the Edward from the ga. But so situations left no choice. And whenever I ended up doing sothing that mirrored his actions, I was left with this gnawing
unease.
It was a feeling I couldn't shake, sothing I couldn't talk about with anyone-not even Celeste.
She must have noticed the turmoil on my face because, after a mont of silence, she sighed and let it go, though her expression made it clear she wasn't happy. Instead, she shifted her attention to Levina, who stood a little ways off with her arms crossed.
"And who's she?" Celeste asked.
I turned to Levina and smiled. "The girl who saved my life."
"She's this young?" Celeste muttered, frowning as her gaze swept over Levina's petite fra.
"Well, yeah," I replied with an affectionate grin I couldn't quite suppress, "but don't let her age fool you. She's incredibly capable."
"She's barely over ten..." Celeste gave a pointed glare, the kind that made flinch.
"Oi," I protested, grimacing at her insinuation.
This was Annabelle's fault. Ever since she started spreading that ridiculous claim about having eight wives and counting herself among them, Celeste had been suspicious of every woman I interacted with. Now, even younger girls weren't safe from her scrutiny.
Celeste's attention shifted abruptly to Alicia, who had been unusually quiet, staring at Levina with a peculiar expression.
"What is it, Alicia?" Celeste asked, her tone softening slightly.
Alicia's brows knitted slightly before she looked away. "Nothing."
"She's probably missing her mommy or maybe even her daddy," I said lightly.
Alicia's response was a cold stare. Without a word, she stood up and left.
Celeste turned to , her expression exasperated. "Why are you always upsetting her?"
"I'm trying to make her smile for once," I replied with a sigh. "But, wow, it's like scaling a mountain."
Celeste's glare intensified. "If you keep trying weird things like that to her, you're just going to end up adding her to your never-ending harem."
"Who do you think I am? I'm being genuine here..."
"Hmph," Celeste huffed, crossing her arms with a pout. "I just thought maybe you were interested in... younger girls."
"I am NOT a lolicon!" I shot back, my voice louder than I intended.
Annabelle!
This was all her fault. Thanks to her ridiculous rumors, Celeste had started branding with
the most insane labels. And to hear her calling a lolicon was really hurting.
Celeste just shrugged then hesitantly she asked. "T-Then how many?"
"Hm? How many what?" I raised an eyebrow..
She scratched her cheek awkwardly. "How many won... in your h-harem?"
""
Her question caught off guard.
Why was this suddenly so embarrassing?
'Harem' felt like such a tacky word, as though I had a collection of trophies rather than people
I cared about. Wouldn't 'lovers' or even 'wives' be a better way to describe them?
But how many, really...
There was Ephera-obviously, once I found her.
Mary-no, Persephone. I was determined to see her again, even if it ant going into the Underworld.
Then Layla, for sure.
Miranda and Cleenah ca to mind next, but my feelings about them were... complicated. Miranda... her love for was probably influenced by her past feelings for Amael. The Amael she'd grown up with, not Amael with Nyrel's mories. Could I even call that genuine?
And Cleenah...
I rembered what Athena had told . I wouldn't know for sure until I beca strong enough to face her properly.
Annabelle? She was a different story. I'd told her to co back in three years, hoping she'd find soone else soone better suited for her.
Then there was Samara.
I was definitely drawn to her despite lying to myself.
Unlike Annabelle, I couldn't see her just as a little sister. There was sothing else which was definitely growing dangerously into love but I was holding them back.
Then there was Nevia.
I couldn't be sure if what I felt for her was outright love, but there was definitely sothing there an undeniable attraction. After the deaths of Kleines and Elona, she had been my moral anchor, supporting during my training sessions.
But Nevia... she might not even be alive anymore.
My gaze shifted back to Celeste. She was waiting for an answer.
I quickly looked away.
There was also Elizabeth, but I couldn't jump to conclusions. Not before sitting down with her
and actually talking things through.
That should be it... right?
For a mont, an image of a certain mint-green-haired girl flashed through my mind.
| ||
No.
This was madness.
I must be seeking death just for thinking about it!
I shook my head, willing the thought away along with the mories of our past interactions
in her room.
In the end, I decided to give Celeste an answer that made sense for now. Sothing clean and
simple, given my current situation.
"Three," I said.
Ephera, Persephone and Layla.
"Three?" She repeated, blinking in surprise. Her voice held even a trace of relief. "I thought it
was nine..."
"Why are you even believing Annabelle in the first place?" I grumbled. "And nine was only because she counted you in it."
"T-That's..." Celeste flinched, her cheeks turning a soft shade of pink as she averted her gaze.
Seeing her reaction left at a loss for words.
It was clear now-she had feelings for .
And... I couldn't deny that I felt sothing for her, too.
But there was a knot of uneasiness in my chest.
Her terrified expression the day she saved still haunted .
And then there was Amael.
I was Amael, but who had Celeste fallen for?
Certainly not the man who had just a few days ago killed hundreds of knights from her
Kingdom-including Zestella knights in the allied army.
I sighed and summoned my status screen, my eyes drawn to the Synchronizations displayed
there.
[Amael Idea Olphean Synchronization: 68%]
[Nyrel Loyster Synchronization: 38%]
What did those numbers even an?
At first, I'd assud they represented my mories, both of Amael and Nyrel. But now, I wasn't so sure. It felt like sothing deeper-like a program embedded in my brain, influencing my emotions in ways I didn't fully understand.
It was Nihil's doing obviously.
And, as always, he hadn't bothered to explain a damn thing.
"A-Anyway, you're staying, right?" Celeste asked, a bit anxious.
I could see it in her eyes-the fear that I might leave. And honestly, given the dire situation
here at the borders, I couldn't bla her.
The atmosphere was oppressive. The knights stationed here carried quite air of defeat, their
spirits visibly battered. Even August, who was supposed to be their source of strength, was
still in recovery.
My thoughts began to spiral.
Wait... aren't we screwed?
My expression stiffened. Could the three of us-Celeste, Alicia, and I really hold our own against Navas and Kendel? Annabelle was there too but it wouldn't be enough.
"Amael?" Celeste called uneasy.
"Yeah, I'm staying," I said with a nod.
Her shoulders visibly relaxed, and she let out a sigh of relief.
For now, I had to stay. At least until I could ensure Celeste's safety. But that would only be
possible with Navas dead. He was the greatest threat-a monster that needed to be
eliminated. Until he was gone, Celeste would remain in constant danger.
I ca here to fight, but honestly, I'd expected more reinforcents.
It wasn't like Zestella lacked strong warriors. The kingdom was vast, though, with multiple
borders to defend. The forces had been spread thin, and this particular front had never been a priority—at least not until Kendel Teraquin himself decided to show up.
For years, the Teraquins had largely ignored this border. And with August stationed here, the
higher-ups had grown complacent. But now, the situation was desperate.
"Did you call your brother?" I asked.
If there was ever a ti for Evan to leave Zestel and join the fight, it was now. With him here, our chances of taking down both Navas and Kendel would improve significantly. "Yes," Celeste replied. "But he needs a couple of days before he can leave Zestel and get
here."
Figures.
Evan was likely facing his own set of hardships back at Zestel. The war demanded constant supervision, and I couldn't imagine him entrusting the capital to anyone but his
grandmother.
But even that was complicated-she hadn't fully recovered yet. Leaving the capital to the nobles was a gamble, and not one I'd take lightly. Honestly, I was terrified of leaving Christina alone with those scheming vultures. The only
reason I wasn't completely losing my mind over it was because I'd left Samara with her.
Myrcella, too, had promised to stay by her side.
"Well, everything should be fine now. You should get so rest," I said as I looked at Celeste.
But she shook her head. "No, I'm not really sleepy."
"Want to keep you company until you fall asleep?" I asked with a smile.
"You...!" Celeste's cheeks flushed a brilliant shade of red. She clenched her fists, her eyes
glaring at before she spun on her heel and walked away.
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