Akasha’s controlled breathing was the only sound that marked his continued stillness within the luxurious quiet of the VIP room.
Behind the veil of Dreamy Protection, he remained invisible and undetectable, the purple infinity symbols in his eyes turning in slow spirals. At the same time, he regarded Amber’s voluptuous figure with an utterly deadpan expression.
"I know... she didn’t summon me for some damn auction," he muttered to himself.
It was beyond clear that Amber stood in no danger whatsoever, nor faced any urgent crisis...
The calm of the chamber and the unhurried cadence of the bidding beyond the walls proved as much.
If that were true, then she had completely disregarded his single rule—never to summon him for insignificant matters.
In this moment, countless more important tasks waited for his attention: the complete securing of the Star System and most importantly... the final step into the next rank.
His fingers flexed once at his side, the pointed tips of his ears giving the slightest twitch as the thought of simply turning and leaving rose and then, after a longer pause, settled into something sharper.
’You know... this could be perfect.’
Since Amber already had some connection to the Loria Empire, it seemed only natural to set her on the task of dismantling it, freeing him up to finally make that long-overdue visit to Nara and Amaterasu.
The decision clicked into place in an instant, and he acted without hesitation.
In just a few strides, while Amber kept her gaze fixed on the space where the gateway lingered, Akasha quietly moved behind her.
Meanwhile, watching the portal stand open with no one emerging, Amber’s patience began to fray.
"The summon connected... so where the hell is he?" she muttered, her tone low yet infused with that unmistakable, bold warmth that seemed to cling to her no matter the situation.
One hand rested lightly against the arm of a nearby couch, fingers tapping an idle rhythm against the expensive fabric while she waited.
Akasha’s lip gave a slight twitch behind her as he stepped in closer, reaching out to tap her shoulder with two fingers.
In that moment, the natural power of Dreamy Protection faded, and suddenly his sound, scent, and presence flooded everyone’s senses.
"Amber."
The single word left his lips in the same low, familiar cadence she had heard before.
"Akasha... Do you always..."
The half-formed question escaped her lips before she could catch it.
She spun around, long brown hair fanning out, her wide brown eyes filled with genuine surprise.
Then... the smile that had just begun to appear wavered and froze on her face.
Akasha’s voice was unchanged... but everything else was different.
The warm brown of his skin, the slow-turning symbols in his eyes... and everything else.
None of it matched the version of him she remembered.
For a split second, her hand lifted halfway toward her eyes, waving slightly as if to test her vision.
She gave a small, almost involuntary shake of her head, her brown eyes still fixed on him as a quiet thought drifted through her mind.
’Every time I see him... he’s completely different.’
The prince seated farther into the room registered only a blurry outline, an indistinct silhouette standing in space.
Even that incomplete perception was enough to make his posture stiffen by a fraction, shoulders drawing tighter beneath expensive fabric while he kept his gaze rigidly fixed upon the auction floor beyond the private window.
However, after a brief pause, Amber regained her composure with the same bold swiftness that always defined her.
’Well... he’s just become even more of a pretty boy~,’ she mused, as her sweet, genuine smile appeared in full.
She reached out without further hesitation; fingers closing around Akasha’s hand and pulling him down onto the free couch beside her in one smooth motion.
In that moment, her laughter rose, light and unrestrained, as she leaned in closer, the slim curve of her waist and the soft fullness of her figure brushing against the side of his loose shirt.
"Look... I know you’re probably thinking I shouldn’t have summoned you," she admitted, fully aware she had ignored one of his rules.
But truthfully, she didn’t see the harm.
After all, he was a monster, and whether she called him in the middle of chaos or calm, she thought... he could handle it.
Besides, how else was she supposed to get close to him when he was always so busy and distant?
At her words, Akasha arched a brow as she continued.
"But... Wouldn’t an auction be nice?" she asked, tilting her head so that a long strand of brown hair slid across one shoulder.
The playful lilt in her voice made her intent clear... she wanted to close the gap and to melt whatever ice still lingered between them.
"You know... maybe it’s something that lets you enjoy life a little, instead of being some dark mastermind in disguise."
"Eh?" Akasha thought, one brow arching.
A low laugh slipped out, warm yet tinged with genuine amusement.
’I only just came up with that disguise... there’s no way she’s already seen through it,’ he mused, before speaking aloud.
"And what makes you think I’m a dark mastermind?"
Amber’s giggle was soft and knowing.
She kept her fingers lightly curled around his hand, the pad of her thumb tracing a slow circle against his skin as she answered.
"Although I don’t know you very well personally, I’ve been keeping an eye on you ever since you showed up at the Academy," she said, recalling the day he unexpectedly appeared and casually walked into the Headmaster’s quarters.
"And... if you factor in how you’re always moving unseen.... and how you orchestrated an entire plan to have the world to yourself, all while you were off personally securing other matters."
Hearing all that, Akasha paused.
’Damn...’ he thought, tapping his chin once with two fingers.
’Well, it’s good for her... that she’s a member now.’
As the thought crossed his mind, Amber’s smile turned playfully teasing.
"That sounds like a dark mastermind to me~."
"Touché," he conceded, the single word carrying both acknowledgment and quiet amusement.
Across the room, the prince maintained rigid focus upon the auction floor beyond the private viewing window, yet his thoughts tangled with the fragments he had overheard.
’Are... they seriously talking about conquering the world of Loreua?’
There was no way he could have known that neither Akasha nor Amber were actually from Loreua.
As he eavesdropped on their conversation, it all sounded like some scheme to him.
But rather than saying anything, he kept his cool as best he could, focusing instead on the auction happening below.
After hearing her reasoning, Akasha let his attention rest entirely on the woman beside him.
He noted the shapely curve of her hips, the narrow grace of her waist, and the way her guard’s attire hinted at the fullness of her form, taking it all in with a quiet, appreciative gaze.
’I can’t lie... she’s fine as hell,’ he thought, realizing it wasn’t just her beauty that caught his eye, but her curves.
When it came to pure beauty, he never thought he’d meet anyone to rival Luna or Yume, with Liliana being a close second to them.
Amber, though not far behind in looks, stood out because of her figure.
The others, including Liliana, whom he quietly admired, were slim with gentle curves in all the right places.
But Amber?
She was all-out curvy, with a flawless, flat stomach.
As the thought crossed his mind, he made his decision.
"I’ll stick around for a bit," he said finally, his voice calm and steady. "But I’ll have to go before long."
Amber’s brown eyes lit up with clear satisfaction.
She settled more comfortably against the cushions, and together they turned their attention toward the auction floor where the twelfth item was already being presented beneath the auctioneer’s practiced cadence.
----
Outside their room, upon the third floor, the two eastern region guards moved with deliberate purpose along a carpeted hallway.
They had patiently tracked the lingering traces of Amber and the prince, and now, as they headed toward their VIP room, their appearances started to shift.
In moments, brown hair lengthened and darkened; brown eyes settled into place; the disguises that had marked them as Eastern Region guards dissolved into the true faces of Loria members.
Almost immediately, the attendants they passed widened their eyes.
"Why are there so many Loria here today?" many muttered as the two walked on without hesitation, their voices low and carefully measured.
"We speak with her first," the man murmured, fingers flexing once at his side.
"Let’s understand exactly why she is with this prince... If she is already onto us..."
His companion finished the thought with a single, cold nod.
"Then we end her."
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