Having notified of being matched against the man called Raven Cross, Scarlet Sunniva walked forward, "Lady Sunniva, may I know where you are going?" Royce Aylmere questioned, abruptly.
Glancing back at him apathetically, "Where I leave for, has nothing to do with you, Young Master of the Aylmere household. You currently are nothing more than a guest in our household, so do not believe that I am willing to be your consort just because my father promised to marry his daughter to your family, centuries ago." Scarlet shot him down, coldly, before walking towards the [Teleporter], which in itself became an explanation as to where she was leaving for.
With a weak smile, Royce glanced away at the words that were left unvoiced by Scarlet.
Thoughts he had fed himself with for over a decade, like poison, after his family and household fell into ruins resurfaced, but having gone a bit numb to it, involuntarily and painfully, he continued to stand tall till date and would do so even in the future, yet hearing it from the woman he is engaged to, hurt.
Of course, she never said those words he told himself inwardly, nor did the words she voiced mean what he thought they meant, but he just couldn't help but believe so instead, since that's what he heard most of the time while growing up among that wanted to use to benefit for themselves.
Either way,
Scarlet Sunniva teleported away.
-
Through an inexplicable haze of mana, an hourglass shaped figure gradually manifested sensually, to take on the form of a woman within an haze before her clothes manifested.
In the face of the beauty of a 'female lead,' Raven merely smiled, gently.
But, inwardly,
As sexy as her clothes made her out to be, far sexier she seemed in his eyes, donning in a comfy set of tomboy like clothes and her hair tied up in a bun such was a charm that only heightened her allure….
Whatever reason it maybe for her don such lust inciting clothes, he believed that the tomboyish image within his mind of hers, fit her perfectly.
"This too has its own charm…." He mumbled with a smile while his intensive stare, traced her figure.
And for whatever reason, for the first time in her life, Scarlet felt proud of her figure, before that very belief made her feel as if her pride had taken a blow, angering her.
'What is this!? I didn't doll myself to look pretty in front of this peasant!' She roared inwardly while her aura flared to reinforce her figure in a dull, hazy golden glow.
While,
"Ho?" Raven watched her channel aura in a way he wasn't aware of, amused.
'Is it like donning a blanket, no, maybe like clothes?' He wondered before trying to 'don' mana like he dons his clothes, and
[DING]-!
[Master's curiosity has been recorded]
[[Ability: Attire (lv:1)] has been acquired]
[[Attire (lv:1)]: Shape and dye mana to alter and don any imaginative Attire] [Default colour code: Black, White] [Defence: +10%]
In an instant, a black full body, skin tight wear with white threads to defining his figure, manifested beneath his clothes, covering everything with the exception of his head, hands, and feet.
"Not what I intended to gain, but cool, I guess….." He mumbled with a shrug before facing Scarlet, who lunged herself at him, while he tested his theory.
With his chin raised slightly and with his left feet a foot behind him, he slightly altered his stance while his right arm reached forward to hold her waist, and in a ballet's stance that was entirely unrelated to their match, he waited for her.
Intending to pull his out stretched arm and punch him in the face, Scarlet reached out for his hand and clenched it, and by the next immediate instant, Raven stepped towards her while he pulled her arm over their heads to alter her stance, as his free palm slithered over her waist to pull her closer and spun with her.
Her golden irises peered into those soft fluffy pink irises that gazed down at her playfully in confusion, with their faces not more than a few inches away while he led that abrupt couple ballet, without music.
Taking a step back at the end of their spin, he pushed her to make her spin under his guidance before he once again pulled her into an hug and with her, who knows when, folded knee raised next to his waist under his lead and support, he made her fall back to finish the show he started out of nowhere.
Then,
SILENCE…..
A deafening silence descended upon the arena they stood upon while their eyes gazed onto the other's, expressing different expressions, "You indeed are beautiful, love~" Raven mumbled.
And it was only then that Scarlet snapped out of her daze and gritting her teeth, she flared her aura, which immediately stiffened within her and as if having been warned, with wide open eyes, Scarlet remained in his arms.
"Hmm, how submissive and obsessive~" Raven mumbled, his words entirely unrelated to the woman in his arms.
"Either way...I forfeit" Raven voiced as he made her stand back onto her feet before he backed away and disappeared from the arena to reappear in the refractory hall, as he casually strode towards the hazy edges of the hall and waited.
With a soft and gentle yet suggestive smile, Raven faced every women in the hall before the mana flared around him to manifest a magic circle that teleported him away immediately, as if urged.
Though he had experienced it before, he still felt a bit strange while under the teleportation spell.
"I bet none would believe me if I claimed that I have been to the detention chamber twice in the same day, without doing anything even close to being punished for, and also before actually being registered in Ipardmerth" Raven mumbled under his breath, audibly enough.
And,
Lynn, who stood in front of him with a crimson tinted cheeks and still moist hair, excluding a scent Raven remembered from a few minutes ago.
"…..Did you change your mind about going the academy?" Lynn mumbled with that trace of hesitation now gone.
"….." Though he didn't answer, Lynn took his silence as an affirmation and continue on with expressing her confusion and the newly sprouted feelings that filled her with delightful and fluffy emotions.
"….. Why?"
"Do you…. want me to remain here?" Raven asked with a gentle smile and noticed her nod her head, subtly.
"I-"
"Even after considering my prowess?" Raven questioned, cutting her off, as he stepped towards her.
At her silence, he patiently kneeled in front of her to sit back on his feet as he reached out for her hand, noticing which, she unhesitantly placed her hand and allowed him to pull her closer and make her sit on his laps with her legs wrapped around him.
With his arms now rested around her waist, he leaned to rest his forehead over hers with a smile and stared into her calming sky blue eyes that were now marred in confusion,
"Lynn, I have yet to reach my limits" Raven explained, softly.
Hundreds of thoughts then flooded her consciousness as the possibilities of his growth stagnating if he joined the academy dawned upon her, with many other possibilities if he remained in Ipardmerth, yet ultimately, she realised that she was searching for an excuse to keep him there, hence she avoided his eyes and faced down instead, resting her head on his chest.
"Can't you stay for a while longer?" She mumbled in a saddening tone, but received no response from him for a while before,
She snapped her head to face him while he leaned back to avoid her head colliding against his chin, as she gazed at him with a bright smile in contrast to her teary eyes.
"Can I come with you!?" She exclaimed, fully knowing she couldn't follow him.
"Lynn…." Raven gently called out for her to explain, but
She leaned to capture his lips before she broke the kiss to stare onto his eyes, "I know, I know, it is unsightly that I am behaving this way even though we have only just met and my feelings maybe a bit burdensome, so you don't really have to answer, I already know the answer to my own questions," She exclaimed.
"But, what can I do? I never imagined I'd be this clingy once I found somebody I want to be with….." She said and she once again avoided eye contact and stared down, while the tears she wanted to hold in began to drip continuously without her consent.
Seconds soon turned into minutes before she managed to wipe her tears away and stare into his eyes once again.
"Have you calmed down?" Raven asked patiently.
Though embarrassed, Lynn nodded her head softly.
"Can I speak?" He questioned with a playful smile, making her chuckle with a nod.
"You are always welcome to follow me" He said, and with wide eyes, she stared at him, a bit dumbfounded while a frivolous blush dyed her face in embarrassment for her actions previously.
"But, not now" He said, while she patiently listened this time, Instead of throwing a tantrum.
"I still have a few things to do before I can afford everything, hence I need some time, a few years at most, and then, when I return, if you still are willing to follow me, then" Raven stated, and "I can follow you" Lynn completed his words.
"Mhm" Raven nodded softly with a gentle smile.
And,
Soon, the room turned silent with Lynn hugging him while he seemed lost in thought, and soon,
"Lynn, what do you wish for in your life?"
"You" Lynn replied as if she had been waiting for it.
Hearing which "Hahahahaha!!" Raven burst out laughing.
With an embarrassed expression, she punched at his chest and pouted, "….. but, where did that come from?" She asked.
"Let's just say that I'm curious"
Him avoiding the question didn't go unnoticed by her, but still, "I just want to live like an old romantic couple in a love nest at the countryside, with a self sufficient lifestyle, with you next to me" Lynn replied.
"Hmm, is that so"
"Why ask about my wish so suddenly?"
"To give love" Raven replied as if it was his well thought response,
"Huh?" Confusing Lynn.
'And to be loved' Raven mumbled inwardly while a strange glint flashed over his soft and fluffy pink irises, which held the experience of a gazillion lives that yearned for love.
--
[AN: Damn, you better believe me when I say this, but the story just refused to progress with the plot that including an academy, that felt as boring, useless, and repetitive as it could ever be, anyway, we will be moving on from now on, with lots of love included, and of course, you people, my readers, are included in my plans for this story, look forward to it, just like I am~]
[Ahem, either way, my apologies for being inconsistent]
[And, thank you [Cruncher09] for sticking with me even though there haven't been much chapters, you are one of the reasons I hastened the outline of my story and decided to go with my initial plan for this novel, even though there are a lot of things that could take a weird turn if I don't focus and steer it in the way I want it to]
[Either way,
As always,
[Peace]