"... Well..."
Delphine let out a slow, tired sigh as she shook her head, already knowing she had no real power over his seduction.
This was not sothing she could help... they really didn’t have a choice there!
This path was sothing he had to walk, and she had accepted it the mont she accepted him, flaws included.
Her voice ca out calr than she expected, steadier than the storm of thoughts still swirling inside her.
"Like I said before... she’s not my mother, Aether," she said quietly, "Don’t worry so much about it." She paused for a mont, then added with honest bluntness, "But if you’d told all this before everything happened... I would’ve absolutely lost my mind."
Truthfully, the mont she chose to accept Aether, even with Selene involved, she had crossed a border there was no returning from.
Adding Xara to that already pushed her limits, sothing she was still struggling to fully process.
Compared to that emotional chaos, the Prophetess felt almost insignificant in scale.
If she could endure two figures so painfully close to her heart, then enduring a stranger, even one bound by blood, felt... survivable?
Aether smiled softly, relief flickering in his eyes, and leaned in to press a gentle kiss against her cheek, careful and sincere, as if afraid to break the fragile calm she had found.
"I don’t fall for your pathetic attempt to calm ," Delphine muttered, though the corner of her lips lifted slightly.
Still, she couldn’t deny it. Her expression softened despite herself.
This new family of hers... it was going to be one of the most exhausting, chaotic sses she had ever witnessed in the history of everything she knew.
"Also," she added after a breath, her tone turning serious as she reached for his hand and held it firmly, "don’t make the sa mistake again."
Aether shook his head imdiately, his response instinctive. "No. I’d never make a mistake that would hurt you—"
"No," she interrupted, locking eyes with him. "Not just . Every woman who’s here for you.
Don’t betray their trust and... Don’t die... Please!"
The words struck deeper than anger ever could. Aether smiled, sothing warm and genuine spreading through him as he realised she was no longer thinking only of herself, but of everyone bound together in their impossible reality.
Unable to hide his happiness, he leaned forward and kissed her, guiding her gently back onto the bed with him.
"Mmh~" Delphine let out softly before pushing him back just enough to breathe.
"Wait. Let finish."
"Okay," Aether said easily, nodding as he gave her ti, his gaze never leaving her face.
Delphine exhaled slowly, collecting her thoughts before speaking again.
"I don’t know how many people will be part of this in the future, or... when all of this will finally end. But I don’t want you hurting anyone anymore.
Not them... Not yourself... Not in the na of love or seduction."
Her eyes narrowed slightly, seriousness cutting through her fatigue. "And stop lying. You hear ?"
Aether paused, the weight of her words settling fully into his chest, before nodding with quiet resolve.
"I will. I promise."
He leaned down and kissed her forehead gently, not playful this ti, but sincere, grounded, and full of intent.
He finally understood where he had gone wrong.
Delphine’s lips twitched despite herself. "I can’t believe I actually said all that," she muttered, clearly annoyed at her own softness.
No matter how much she accepted reality, one thing remained unchanged.
She still hated him seducing other won.
They all did.
And none of them truly had the power to stop it.
Aether chuckled softly and leaned in again, his voice warm and steady. "My love for you would never decrease."
Delphine blinked, then reached up to remove her glasses, setting them aside before wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Then... don’t stop now. Fill again~AAAHHHH~"
The world outside slowly faded as the night stretched on, the palace finally settling into silence around them.
****
**
By the ti dawn arrived, the sky had begun to glow softly with early morning light. Steam filled the bathing chamber as Delphine and Aether stood beneath warm water, still unable to separate, lingering together like newlyweds unwilling to let go.
Delphine gently washed Aether’s back, her movents slow and unhurried.
"So... what did you an when you said, ’If I saw what you saw... I would never get closer to her’?" Aether asked curiously as he glanced at her.
Delphine smirked faintly, eyes narrowing with mischief. "What? You want to know?"
The mont he noticed that smirk, a bad feeling crept up his spine.
"On second thought... no!" Aether rejected imdiately, lifting his hands in surrender. "Let just imagine it instead.
A sexy GILF under a hoodie. Who knows? Maybe she looks like you. After all, she’s your blood mother, right? Maybe she’s packing sothing really hot, just like her daught—"
SPLASHH!!
Cold water ca crashing down on his forehead like sudden rain stone. Delphine stood there, veins visibly popping on her forehead, and she stared him down dangerously.
"Next ti you call her daughter while saying those disgusting words... " she said coldly.
She didn’t even bother finishing the sentence as she just motioned scissoring motion!
Aether blinked rapidly, water dripping down his face. ’M-Maybe I went overboard,’ he admitted silently before nodding quickly.
"Okay... okay."
Delphine continued staring at him for several seconds, long enough to make him genuinely uncomfortable, before finally nodding in approval.
"Good."
Then her lips curled upward again, that sa dangerous smirk returning. "Also... sexy GILF, you say?" she mused lightly.
"Oh my... I’d love to see your face when you actually see her."
She let out a wicked giggle, "It’s going to be hilarious... Absolutely priceless~"
Aether gulped instinctively.
Was it really that serious?
Would his so-called plot armour not work on that GILF?
Watching Delphine smile like that, almost delighted by the idea, only made things worse.
Delphine took his hand and gently guided him toward the large bathtub. They settled in together, warm water surrounding them as steam rose quietly around their bodies.
Her gaze drifted down to the ring on her finger, and a shy smile slowly ford on her lips.
"Hehe... I got married,"
She murmured softly, almost to herself.
Aether chuckled... She looked absurdly cute in that mont.
Then Delphine frowned slightly, her smile fading as another thought surfaced. "What about the others?"
"Huh?"
"I an... It’s obvious, isn’t it?" she continued calmly.
"The mont they see wearing your ring, they’re going to get jealous."
She said it as a simple fact, as if there was no reality where that wouldn’t happen.
Aether chuckled again, far too relaxed. "Don’t worry," he said confidently. "I’ve prepared everything."
He winked softly at her.
Delphine let out a quiet sigh.
Aether glanced at her expression and spoke gently, "Just to be sure... don’t force yourself to accept everything. If it becos too much, it’s fine not to—"
"No," Delphine interrupted softly but firmly.
"A burden is sothing you’re forced to carry against your will."
"I... I freely chose to be part of your life.
And that ans... You aren’t a burden to ."
Aether’s lips trembled slightly as emotion welled up inside him. He leaned in and kissed her forehead, slow and affectionate.
"I love you... Del."
"Mmm..."
They stayed there together quietly, and soon they... did sothing naughty again and washed again before getting out of the bathroom.
While Delphine help changing clothes for Aether.
Aether frowned slightly, "Co to think of it..." he muttered, "...where is she?"
Delphine tilted her head. "Who?" who was buttoning his shirt.
"Nightfire," Aether said after a brief pause, his brows knitting together as the na finally surfaced in his mind.
"I haven’t seen her since I woke up."
There was one more person staying in the house, soone important enough that her absence should have been noticed imdiately. It wasn’t that he had forgotten her deliberately. Things had simply spiralled too fast.. woke up, Details, Truth, Danger, emotions overheating, events crashing into one another.
So he didn’t focus entirely.
"Where is she?" he asked aloud, "Is she on a mission or sothing?"
He knew Nightfire was not soone who, the mont she knew he was awake, would co to him instantly!
The mont Delphine heard that na, her eyes widened sharply as if she realised she should have said it sooner,
"Shit!"
"What?"
****
Aerionis Zephyra Empire
PPPP~~ PAAA~
The loud yet gentle horns’ music echoed around the Empire.
Today was the day. After an entire month of postponent, anticipation, and restless waiting, the long-awaited official engagent had finally comnced.
The capital blood with flowers and celebration. Streets overflowed with people wearing expressions that mixed solemn reverence with unrestrained joy.
Citizens handed flowers to strangers, offered sacred water, and exchanged blessings as they moved toward the massive platform constructed near the palace.
The platform itself was enormous, carefully built to accommodate nearly a million people at once. Streets had been widened to manage the overwhelming crowd, and visuals were projected across the empire so that even those unable to attend in person could witness the event.
No one was ant to feel excluded on a day like this.
Standing atop the grand platform was a white-haired man dressed in elegant robes woven with intricate white and green embroidery that represented the mixture of nature and light.
His posture was relaxed, almost casual, and his smile radiated confidence as he shook hands with an Elder whose face glowed with genuine happiness.
"Hello, I am Aether," the black-haired, handso man said cheerfully, gripping the elder’s hand with enthusiasm.
Then, without any warning or restraint, he added,
"But I don’t have a dick. Hahaha!"
The elder froze mid-smile.
His expression twisted into sothing deeply confused and profoundly uncomfortable. Slowly, he withdrew his hand, muttering sothing under his breath before turning and walking away with hurried, almost panicked steps.
The black-haired, handso man waved after him, entirely unbothered. "I’ll see you again! Don’t forget, it’s really ... Aether. Yours truly, but without a dic—"
His words ca to an abrupt halt as a sharp, murderous glare slamd into him from the side.
He stiffened instantly, swallowed hard, and slowly turned his head toward the source of that pressure.
Aria stood there, staring at him blankly with a dead glare.
He gulped nervously.
"Sorry—"
BOINK!
Aria struck his head without rcy.
"OUCH!!"
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