CHAPTER 29: CHAPTER 29: YOU!

Aiden saw his status flicker suddenly in his vision—shifting, rewriting itself in an instant—though he had no idea what she had whispered to the lord.

One moment the numbers were steady, the next they warped, and his stomach dropped as though the floor had tilted under his feet.

A quiet chill wrapped around his spine. ’What did she say?’

He tried to read the man’s face, but the lord’s gaze was fixed somewhere on the floor, heavy with something sharper than anger—disappointment. That was worse. Disappointment meant judgment without explanation, a sentence without knowing the crime.

"Excuse me, my love... I will be back." Augustus’s voice was gentle enough to fool the untrained ear, but his eyes held the gathering swirl of a storm.

He rose from the sofa in a single fluid motion, the silk of his coat whispering faintly as he moved. The faint scent of his cologne lingered in the air, mingling with the heavier perfume of the room.

Aiden watched him walk away, the edges of his calm starting to fray. He was rarely caught off guard, but watching the lord’s broad shoulders vanish between the pillars without a word to him—without a glance—left a strange heat in his chest.

When he finally looked to Lady Catherine, she was already smiling.

"Don’t worry," she said, her lips curving into something between reassurance and mockery. "He will be back..."

The smile wasn’t warm—it was sharp enough to cut glass.

Aiden bowed slightly, masking his own uncertainty.

"Come on," she murmured, tapping the rim of her glass, "pour some of that here as well."

"Oh... sorry, my lady." He stepped forward, bottle in hand, letting the amber liquid flow into the crystal. The pour was slow, deliberate.

Her scent caught him before he could pull away—a strong, expensive perfume that curled through the air and caught on the back of his throat. It was layered: first the crisp bite of citrus, then the softness of white flowers, then something darker beneath, like sandalwood steeped in smoke.

Heat pooled low in his chest, blooming suddenly.

[Catherine M Leonidus

Status: -------

Bloodline: Dragon half Bloodline (Mid-High tier)

Mana: High

Grade: S+ class

Personality now: Confident/ Extremely Horny/ suspicious

Skills: Dragon (High Tier), Myth Aura (High Tier), Blood control (Ascendant Tier)

Beauty: Very Thick and Voluptuous (Very Very High Tier)

Talent: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐️]

[High amount of Ember detected.]

He lingered, just slightly, filling the glass with the precision of a jeweler setting a gemstone.

The closer he leaned, the more details emerged: her pale skin, smooth as porcelain and catching the light in a way that made the hollow of her neck seem carved to tempt; the golden hair drawn up so the delicate curve of her neck was visible—but only just enough to tease.

Her shimmering dress was a second skin, clinging to the curve of her hips and the enormous swell of her chest. Up close, he realized with a flicker of heat that the fabric was not just tight, but nearly translucent in certain angles of the light.

’...No wonder the lord couldn’t keep his hands off her.’

"Would you like some snacks?" Aiden asked, his tone polite enough, though his mind was still tracing the outlines of her silhouette.

She didn’t answer at first. Her gaze was fixed on him—not on his posture or his hands, but directly into his eyes. Her pupils dilated slightly, as though she were staring too long at a flame.

"My lady...?"

The soft call broke whatever spell she’d drifted into. She blinked once, then smiled faintly.

"Oh... why not," she replied.

Aiden gave a shallow bow and raised his hand slightly. One of the nearby butlers moved instantly, disappearing through the servants’ archway. In less than a minute, he returned with a tray of sliced fruit—apples, pears, figs—each piece arranged in a pattern, drizzled with golden honey that caught the light. The scent was sweet enough to mingle with the perfume in the air.

The honey, he knew, was from the city’s most exclusive apiary—the kind nobles boasted about having in their kitchens.

"Here you go, my lady," Aiden murmured, placing the plate before her with a grace that made the gesture seem almost intimate.

Her eyes didn’t leave him. She took one slice of apple, the honey stretching in a thin thread before snapping, and bit into it slowly.

"You..." she said, the word low, as though weighing its worth.

"Yes, Lady Catherine?"

"I think," she said between another bite, "I now know why my daughter is fond of you."

Inside, his mind jolted as though struck. ’...What?’

But outwardly, his bow was steady, his smile untouched.

He stepped back, forcing his breathing into its usual slow rhythm. He had planned to make his way toward Flora, to pour her a glass of juice, to maintain the soft familiarity he had cultivated.

But Lisa was already there, attending to her needs, leaning just enough to block his approach.

So he drifted instead toward the edge of the gathering, his path bringing him near the returning Lady Sabrina. She moved with the easy grace of someone who had been refreshed—her earlier discomfort replaced with a faint satisfaction.

Akidna trailed beside her, bending slightly to murmur something into Sabrina’s ear. The redhead’s gaze lifted at once, meeting his. A small smile curved her lips—not coy, not formal, but appreciative in a way that made his chest warm.

Aiden dipped his head in a respectful bow.

But the calm was interrupted by a sharp call from the side.

"Wait! You!"

The voice cut through the polite murmur of the room. Aiden turned his head slowly toward the sound.

The young lady beside Flora was pointing directly at him, her expression lit with sudden recognition.

"You... you’re the one who ran away, weren’t you?"

The sound of her voice rang a bell so loud he almost winced.

’No...’His breath slowed. ’Don’t tell me...’

Memory surged—the voice, faint but distinct, the same one that had been there before, the one that had overheard his ’sinful wish.’

Before the young lady could say another word, Aiden’s gaze shifted—sharp, deliberate—to Lisa.

She stood just behind Flora, a polished silver tray balanced in one hand, the other cradling a crystal mug of fresh juice. The amber liquid caught the lamplight, trembling slightly with the tiny movements of her wrist as she prepared to pour.

His mind flicked back to the faint glimmer in his notifications earlier. Lisa... yes. Her name had been there, glowing among the others—already within his net.

His golden eyes narrowed, and in that instant, the air between them tightened. Lisa’s breath caught as her gaze locked onto his.

Focus on me, his eyes commanded—without words, without sound.

[Aura of Allure is being used]

It washed over her like heat spilling from a hearth, silent and invisible. For a heartbeat, her posture slackened, her pupils widened, and every other face in the room seemed to blur into shadow. The redhead, the murmurs, the weight of etiquette—all gone.

Her attention was his alone.

That one second of slagging, was all he wanted, he needed. Then, as if some invisible string had been cut, her fingers slackened. The mug tipped.

A thick stream of golden-orange juice spilled over the rim, arching downward in slow, honey-like ribbons before splashing onto the redhead’s expensive dress.

The pale fabric darkened instantly, the citrus scent bursting sharp into the air, mixing with the heavier perfumes and wine. Droplets rolled down over embroidered patterns, dripping onto the sofa in uneven streaks.

The redhead gasped—half in shock, half in outrage—jerking back from the sudden cold against her skin. Lisa blinked once, as though waking from a deep, strange dream, her mouth parting in a delayed gasp.

"Aaaaa!!"