Aidan hesitated for a moment, his curiosity piqued by Aunt Violet's unusual request. She had always been distant, lost in her own world, never engaging in deep conversation with him—or with anyone in the family. And yet, here she was, asking for his company with a soft smile—something he had rarely seen on her face, which usually looked like nothing in the world could interest her.
He followed the servant toward the small garden seating area. The late morning sunshine kissed his skin, and the air carried the gentle scent of blooming flowers. Aidan found himself momentarily entranced.
Her violet eyes held a strange, unfamiliar warmth. Her long, flowing purple hair shimmered faintly under the light, and when she smiled—eyes squinting slightly, her white teeth showing—it was… perfect.
A strange dizziness washed over him. His thoughts slowed, caught in that smile like a web spun just for him.
His vision blurred at the edges, narrowing until all he could see was her. For a heartbeat, he couldn't look away—didn't even want to.
Aidan blinked, startled, his awareness snapping back. He glanced around, wary. Nothing seemed off. No servants watching. No strange presence. He looked at Violet again—his aunt—but the sensation had passed. Shaking his head, he wondered, Had I imagined it?
Aunt Violet tilted her head slightly, her smile still lingering—soft, unreadable.
"Sit with me, Aidan," she said, her voice smooth and deliberate. "There's something I'd like to discuss with you."
Aidan sat on the other bench, to her right. She seemed different today. The usual boredom etched into her features was gone—replaced by something… alive. Almost vibrant.
His eyes drifted to her slightly bulging stomach. Six months pregnant, he remembered.
And even then, her body remained just as alluring. A strange thought. One that shouldn't have surfaced—yet it did. And vanished just as quickly.
Violet caught his glance and chuckled. The sound was soft, but carried something beneath it—something like amusement, something like a test.
"Do you want to touch the baby?" she asked, her tone light and teasing—too smooth, too enchanting.
Aidan nodded absentmindedly, still focused on her stomach. Her smile widened as she reached for his hand.
Aidan recoiled before he could stop himself. Her hand hovered between them, fingers poised like spider's legs. Something primal in him snarled: Don't let her touch you.
"It's okay, Aunty," he said, forcing a smile. "I'll meet him directly."
Violet withdrew her hand with a soft pout, placing it over her stomach. "How cruel," she murmured with a playful sigh. "I was only trying to share a moment with you."
She looked up, meeting his gaze. Though her lips still curled into a smile, there was a glint in her eyes—something that made the air feel heavier.
"But I suppose… that also work doesn't it."
The warmth in her face faded like mist under the morning sun. The familiar boredom crept back into her gaze.
She rose with a graceful motion and turned slightly, glancing back over her shoulder.
"Well then," she said, her voice cool and distant, "if you're not interested now, I suppose there's no point in continuing this conversation."
Her words hung in the air—curt, dismissive, and tinged with something unspoken. She gave him one last smile before walking away. This time, her teeth weren't visible.
Aidan remained still, stunned. He couldn't quite grasp what had just happened—how everything had shifted in just a few moments.
He didn't understand why he'd been having such strange thoughts about her. Why did she seem so beautiful? Something felt wrong?
But he wasn't sure what and his head was hurting for some reason now
He rubbed his face and head, trying to shake off the lingering haze. Maybe it all because of those vision I haven't been able sleep later. Maybe that's why his mind felt so muddled hr thought.
Either way, his brain felt exhausted. Aidan needed rest. He decided to return to his room and visit library later, sleep it off, and clear his head.
Then, maybe, he will able to sense of everything.
Violet made her way toward her room, the soft click of her heels echoing as a servant trailed silently behind. Her bored gaze remained fixed ahead, fingers brushing her temple as if dispelling a faint irritation. After a moment, she muttered under her breath—her voice low, but laced with something far more dangerous than boredom. A spark of dark interest.
"To think that brat would have such a strong mind... No wonder he's already training to become a Ranker."
Aidan's face flickered in her thoughts, and her lips curled. He'll make a good one pity he stepped back with a subtle gesture, she summoned the servant forward; he stepped into a bowed position, matching her stride.
"Has security become lax?" she asked idly.
The servant's expression twitched, uneasy. "No, Lady Violet. It remains unchanged."
She dismissed the thought with a wave. "It doesn't matter now." Assassination was no longer her goal—she wanted him to her, bound to her will. She licked her lips her anticipation visible.
Stepping into her chambers, she shed her outer coat with grace before reaching for the decanter on the table. Amber liquid filled the glass to the brim as she drifted toward the balcony, taking a seat on the chair near there.
She sip the liquid in the glass. Slowly steadily.
She glided toward the seating table, her each step gracefully Lowering herself onto the chair, she crossed one leg over the other.
It had been so long since anything had truly interested her. The days blurred together, a quiet haze of indifference.
But after meeting him She was able to smile, she had giggled she had laughed even chuckled.
Just beside the chair lay a small hand size mirror she looked in it.
Her reflection met her gaze. For a moment, her lips curled. A smile—small, almost shy—before she even realized it.
Then it vanished.
The corners of her mouth dropped. Her eyes dulled. She watched herself return to that same blank stare she saw every day, the same empty expression she had forced to wear.
Frustration prickled beneath her skin, but she could not show it.
It was the prize a flaw of her distorted attribute.
Her flat face remained expressionless, her gaze drifting elsewhere.