"I can't believe it!"
Auria's excited voice echoed through the vast chamber, a room so grand it could rival those of royalty. The high, arched ceilings were adorned with intricate carvings, and golden chandeliers cast a warm, flickering glow over the luxurious furnishings. Silk curtains billowed slightly from the evening breeze drifting through the tall windows, adding an almost ethereal charm to the scene.
At the center of the opulent room, Auria practically bounced on the plush bed, her golden eyes gleaming with excitent. She resembled a love-struck maiden who had just t the hero of her dreams, her hands clasped together as if trying to contain the thrill surging through her.
Across from her, Ariah watched with a mixture of amusent and understanding. She sat on the bed, gracefully leaning against a mound of soft pillows, her silver hair spilling over her shoulders. Unlike Auria, she wasn't particularly shaken—after all, she had long since grown accustod to Nathan's presence.
The two of them shared this room for both security and comfort. Ariah had never liked sleeping alone, a habit ingrained from years of sharing a bed with her older sister, Azariah. Now, with Auria as her closest friend, the arrangent felt natural.
Auria's exhilaration was impossible to miss. She had been waiting for this mont ever since Nathan had been summoned, and now that she had finally t him, she was practically glowing with excitent. Ariah could understand—after all, when she herself had first t Nathan, especially after his transformation following the Trojan War, she had been just as awestruck.
His presence had changed drastically since then. Everything about him—his appearance, his strength, his very aura—had evolved into sothing both commanding and undeniably captivating. The power he exuded was unlike anything she had ever witnessed, and even she, despite her usual composure, had needed ti to adjust to the sheer force of his existence.
So it made sense that Auria, who had longed to et him from the very beginning, would be overwheld now that her wish had finally been granted.
"He looks even more handso than I ever imagined!" Auria gushed, pressing her hands against her flushed cheeks. "No, at this point, he looks like a god! I've never seen anyone like him in my entire life! How can you stay so calm in front of him, Ariah?"
Her voice was laced with genuine wonder, her golden eyes wide with admiration.
Ariah chuckled softly, shaking her head. "I see Samael quite often at the palace in the capital," she said, a knowing smile playing on her lips.
Auria gasped dramatically. "I am so jealous!" she declared, grabbing Ariah's hands and squeezing them tightly. "You absolutely have to introduce properly! Please, Ariah, I beg you!"
Ariah blinked, montarily caught off guard. "Didn't you already introduce yourself?"
"I... I did," Auria admitted, a hint of shyness creeping into her voice, "but I want to do it again! I don't want the Lord Commander to ever forget . I need to leave a lasting impression tomorrow!"
Her expression turned serious, determination burning in her gaze.
Ariah let out a soft sigh, shaking her head in amusent. Auria was truly hopeless when it ca to this. But then again… perhaps she understood more than she was willing to admit.
"Alright, I'll ask Samael for you," Ariah said, her voice carrying a note of reluctant amusent.
"Thank you! Thank you so much, Princess!" Auria exclaid, her golden eyes sparkling with excitent. Her cheeks were already flushing red at the re thought of eting Nathan again, as if her heart could barely contain her anticipation.
Ariah watched her friend with a small, knowing smile, but after a mont, a more serious expression crossed her face. She tilted her head slightly, regarding Auria with curiosity.
"It's fine, but… are you sure it's a good idea to get close to Samael?" she asked aningfully, her voice tinged with innocent concern. "Your father won't take it kindly, and you are a duke's daughter. Won't that cause problems for you?"
What she left unsaid lingered in the air between them. Ariah understood how noble society worked—Auria's reputation and future marriage prospects could be affected if she beca too entangled with a man like Samael. A duke's daughter was expected to marry well, to uphold her family's honor, not to chase after a man already surrounded by powerful won.
Auria, however, rely giggled at Ariah's words, her laughter light and full of confidence.
"You really are so innocent, Princess," she teased, shaking her head. "You worry too much. I won't have any problems if I manage to claim the Lord Commander for myself."
Ariah's breath caught in her throat. Her pale blue eyes widened in sheer disbelief as she stared at her friend.
"A…Auria?!" she stamred, utterly flustered.
Auria blinked at her, confused. "What? Is that wrong?" she asked, genuinely puzzled. "Any woman would wish to be with the Lord Commander."
"T-That's true," Ariah admitted hesitantly, fidgeting slightly. "But… Samael already has a lot of won, believe ."
She didn't elaborate further, but she didn't need to. She might have been a bit naive at tis, but she wasn't stupid.
She had walked in on far too many compromising situations—tis when she had accidentally stumbled upon Samael and her older sister, Azariah, locked in monts far too intimate for her innocent mind to process. She had always turned on her heels and fled before she could see too much, but the truth was clear: Azariah was not the only one.
Samael's relationships extended beyond her sister. His three knightly companions—Semiramis, Helen, and Astyno—had all shared his bed as well. It was no secret, and if anything, it seed inevitable that others would soon follow. Clytemnestra and Briseis were already lingering close, their interest in the Lord Commander growing with each passing day.
Auria, however, remained completely unfazed.
"I've heard the rumors," she said with a confident grin. "But is that really a problem? He is the Hero of Darkness, after all."
Her red eyes glead with unwavering determination.
"It's only natural for a man like him to have many won," she continued, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "But that won't stop . I wish to be among them."
Ariah could only stare, completely taken aback.
Auria leaned closer, clasping Ariah's hands in hers, her expression turning pleading. "Could you help , Ariah?"
"H-Help?" Ariah echoed weakly, her mind scrambling to process what she was hearing.
"Yes!" Auria said eagerly. "You're one of the Lord Commander's won, aren't you?"
Ariah nearly choked. "W-What?!"
Auria ignored her friend's shock, her red eyes shining with excitent as she pressed forward. "Could you speak to him on my behalf? Tell him about my desire to be with him?"
She tilted her head, giving Ariah the most devastatingly effective pair of puppy-dog eyes she could muster.
Ariah's entire face turned bright red.
"I-I am not—!" Ariah tried to protest, but the words caught in her throat, refusing to co out.
Truthfully, she couldn't quite define her relationship with Nathan. It was a complicated tangle of emotions, unspoken monts, and quiet gestures that set her apart from others in his life. She knew—without a doubt—that she was among the small, exclusive circle of people he cared about. That much was clear. The way he treated her was different. Softer. More considerate. And that alone filled her heart with warmth.
But to go so far as to say she was his woman? That felt like a stretch, a dream too distant to grasp.
A nagging doubt always lingered at the back of her mind. Was she truly soone he saw as a potential lover? Or was she just a fragile little girl in his eyes, soone who needed to be protected, cared for—but never desired?
The re thought sent a pang of sadness through her chest.
Because the truth was, Ariah loved Nathan.
She had loved him for a long ti—far longer than most. Longer than her older sister, even.
From the very mont he was summoned, she had been drawn to him. The way he carried himself with quiet confidence, the way he faced the world with an unshakable strength—cold yet undeniably composed. And in those rare monts when his kindness slipped through, hidden beneath his stoic nature, she had found herself falling deeper and deeper.
Talking to him had been a joy. A privilege.
And as he slowly beca more open, letting his barriers down little by little, her feelings only intensified. But no matter how much she loved him, she was painfully aware that he likely didn't see her the sa way.
She had loved him first. Before anyone else.
Yet, as ti passed, all the won who had co to love him after her had already secured their place by his side. They had beco his lovers, his partners. anwhile, she remained where she always had been—watching from the sidelines, longing for sothing that felt just out of reach.
She had tried to be bold. To make him notice her. But it never seed to be enough. No matter what she did, it felt as though he was blind to her feelings.
A sad smile crossed Ariah's lips as she finally spoke.
"I think he only looks at like a sick girl who needs help," she admitted, her voice quiet, almost resigned.
Auria, sitting beside her, studied Ariah's downcast expression, struggling to find the right words. She could see the sorrow in her friend's eyes, the quiet yearning buried beneath layers of doubt and insecurity.
"But I'm happy like that," Ariah added, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.
And yet, in that mont, Auria reached forward and clasped Ariah's hands more firmly, squeezing them with determination.
"Don't give up, Ariah," she urged, her voice carrying an undeniable spark of resolve. "Co on!"
Ariah blinked in surprise. "Auria?"
"Leave it to ." A smirk curved Auria's lips, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "I'll make sure the Lord Commander sees you as a woman. And not just that—I'll make sure you beco one of his won!"
"A…Auria?"
Hearing those words, Ariah's cheeks flad a deep shade of red. A part of her wanted to brush off Auria's bold declaration as a joke. But another part—hidden deep inside her—felt the first flicker of hope. A tiny spark of anticipation.
Could it really happen? .
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