Her brain, which had been processing things slowly this entire evening, was suddenly fast enough to form the connection in under a second. She had only one best friend. Seris. And Seris had only one mother. Adelina.
And knowing the connection between Jax and Adelina, her mind connected every dot that had been floating around them since that champion’s advent.
The vengeance in his eyes when the other champions hurt her. The attitude of a man who stood opposite to an army all alone with just the energy of ’how dare you touch my woman.’
She thought. ’How did I not notice it?’
Her face went through four stages. Confusion. Suspicion. Horror. And then a fifth stage that didn’t have a na but involved her mouth opening and closing twice without producing any sound.
"You... and... no. No. You can’t be serious."
She pressed both palms over her face.
"Oh gods. Oh GODS."
Jax was enjoying the show. But then Astrid’s mind took a turn that made him question everything he knew about this girl.
She said. "If you marry Aunt Adelina, you technically beco Seris’s father. Or let’s say stepfather."
Jax’s grin faltered slightly.
"And if I marry you—" She coughed violently. Corrected herself. "If I want that, that is. Then I would beco Seris’s stepmother."
Instead of complexity or confusion or horror or any of the reactions a normal human being would have, Astrid showed a grin that made even Jax feel a chill.
"How cool would it be when she cos to asking for permission? Like ’Mother Astrid, Papa and Mama are out of the city so I wanted your permission. Can I go hang out with my friends?’"
She paused for dramatic effect.
"And I reply. Straight no."
She giggled. Actually giggled. Like a child who had just discovered the most entertaining toy in existence.
But her fantasy didn’t end there. "I will make her take my blessings every morning and I will tease her every single day. Every. Single. Day."
She was completely lost in her own world now. A world where she was Seris’s tyrannical stepmother who denied hangout permissions and demanded morning blessings for sport.
That’s when Jax flicked her forehead.
She flinched. Pressed the spot. "Ouch! How can you disturb while—"
She stopped. Because Jax had a defeated expression. The kind of face a man makes when he expected fireworks but got a tea party instead.
He said. "And here I thought you would go insane. Get mad at . Throw so tantrums. Ultimately change your tactics in this ga."
He sighed.
"But I forgot who was sitting in front of ."
—x—X—x—
Half an hour passed and the two shared their stories with one another. So of their secrets. And of course, the list of won who Astrid still viewed as rivals to be systematically eliminated from the competition.
She learned that Nerith was there. The demon realm girl whose bond with Jax she had already suspected. Then the wildcard and most dangerous opponent, Aunt Adelina, had officially joined the list. And there was another woman too. Beatrix. A na Astrid didn’t recognize because she belonged to Jax’s world. But from the way Jax spoke about her, he had made her a promise.
Astrid teased him relentlessly and humiliated him for choosing won who were already married or attached. Called him every synonym for degenerate she could think of.
To which he explained how special each of them was to him.
For Adelina, he told Astrid that she was the first person who showed him this world had more to offer than just what he initially saw. She found him lost and chose kindness to fill the gap.
She taught him that people could care about you without wanting sothing in return. That a touch could an comfort instead of control. That a al shared with soone wasn’t a transaction.
Everything he had beco in this world, every mont where he acted like a human being instead of a strategy engine, it started with her.
After hearing that, Astrid knew. Aunt Adelina was the real rival. The final boss. The one she would have to surpass if she ever wanted to reach the top of his world.
They talked like it was their last day together. Astrid cursed him for every mock while Jax apologized through his humor. But at the end of it, both of them felt the warmth that ca from two people who had finally stopped pretending.
—x—X—x—
Their smiles faded when Astrid suddenly looked at the ti and said. "Shit. We are running late. I had prepared so many things for our date."
She got up. Grabbed Jax’s hand. And dragged him out of his chair. "Hurry up, you slowpoke."
Jax just followed this stupid girl. And when they left the café, the sun had already set. The moon had taken its place above the city and everything around them felt different to Jax. Whether it was because of the current feeling in his chest, or because he had been holding hands with Astrid since they walked out, or sothing else entirely, he couldn’t tell.
[A/N: A reference image of the scene has been attached in the comnts.]
But he didn’t want this mont to end. And neither did Astrid.
But how could one person not intervene when Jax was actually enjoying himself? The universe simply wouldn’t allow it. And she definitely wont.
And so there she was. Roxana. Coming toward them with fast steps and a face carrying both seriousness and panic.
She shouted from a distance. "Professor, there is a problem! You need to co with !"
Before Roxana could get any closer, Astrid stepped forward. "Professor is not going anywhere. So leave here this instant. Otherwise I will make you pay."
But stubborn Roxana kept coming. Which was a bad move.
Because from out of nowhere, thirty people materialized around them and pinned Roxana in place. One had his sword at her throat. Several more had their blades pointed at her from different angles. Others used magic to bind her limbs.
They were from the Order of the Silver Vanguard. The second most powerful military force in the world. Operated by Astrid’s father.
Roxana ca to her senses quickly. But the first thing she noticed wasn’t the swords or the magic bindings. It was Jax’s hand. Holding Astrid’s. And worse, Astrid wasn’t resisting. In fact she was the one doing the holding.
She didn’t know what was happening.
But Jax spoke. His voice carrying that familiar tone of a man whose peace had been interrupted for the hundredth ti. "Why do you always show up and ruin my mood?"
Roxana felt guilty even though she knew she was right. But she gathered her courage and said through the swords at her throat. "Professor. Student Elira and Seraphina are in trouble."
Jax stiffened. "What did you say?"
"They are being questioned and humiliated by their fathers. The two kings are pinning the bla on you. You need to co with ."
Jax’s expression shifted into sothing that made the Silver Vanguard soldiers instinctively tighten their grips on their weapons. Not because of Roxana. Because of the man standing beside their lady.
"How dare those fuckers..." His voice was low. Grinding. "Didn’t my warning reach their ears? I am going to tear them apart this ti."
Then he realized the position he was in. He looked down at his own hand. At Astrid’s hand wrapped around it. At the promise he had made to spend this ti with her.
But Astrid understood even after how pissed she was, how in a good mood she was. Even when she wished she didn’t.
She loosened her grip. and let his hand go while giving the brightest smile and then said....
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