The soft murmurs of competing bids drifted through the private viewing window as the twelfth item of the auction rotated slowly beneath polished lights.
Its surface caught the glow in muted flashes, painting the VIP room in shifting gold.
Upon the couch, Amber and Akasha sat side by side, the baggy fabric of his long-sleeved shirt brushing against the curve of her hip whenever either of them shifted.
Akasha’s purple eyes stayed half-lidded as they lingered on the distant stage, his voice drifting out in a low, unhurried tone.
"Tell me... why do you believe attending this auction is worth the time?"
Amber tilted her head slightly, a playful spark lighting her eyes as she let out a soft giggle.
"Well, aren’t you supposed to be our new leader?" she teased.
"Auctions are perfect for discovering the most valuable materials and resources. And besides... you never know what might catch your interest."
"Well... that would matter," he replied with a chuckle, the corners of his mouth curving upward,
"if I wasn’t capable of creating anything I desired."
The smile lingered as his gaze slid toward her.
"What I think... is that your connection to the Loria Empire is far more important."
At the mention of the Empire, Amber’s eyes narrowed instantly.
Across the room, the prince sat rigid and tense, a slight sheen of sweat beginning to form at his temples.
’Their plans... will they ruin ours?’ he wondered, as every snippet of the conversation felt like something he was never meant to hear.
The longer he listened, the clearer it became that the Guard he had hired might be meddling in far greater schemes.
Click!
Before Amber could speak further, the door of the VIP room opened.
Two figures stepped in, both with brown hair and eyes, unmistakably carrying the mark of Loria blood. When the prince saw them, a subtle wave of relief seemed to wash over him.
’Good...’ he thought, ’But what are they doing here?’
The two Eastern Region guards paid him no mind, their carefully friendly expressions reserved for Amber as they caught sight of her.
"Cousin," the woman called, voice warm and practiced.
However, as they looked at her, both pairs of eyes drifted toward the radiant figure seated beside Amber.
For a brief heartbeat, the two newcomers froze.
’Who the hell is he?’ they both wondered almost at the same time.
Still, on the surface, their composure remained intact, polite smiles firmly in place.
Seeing their features, Akasha chuckled at the sheer irony.
’Maybe this is happening because of my racial trait?’
He knew that the trait ’The Lucid One’ subtly shaped events to align with his expectations, weaving reality to fit his unspoken desires.
Though it was something he could easily control, much like his beauty, he let it run its course.
[Ineffable Affinity]
HUMMM!!!
With a quiet sense of amusement, he lifted one hand in an easy, casual wave, as though acknowledging the unseen currents bending in his favor.
Instantly, dream essence wove an identical couch from thin air, and it settled opposite them.
The two guards arched their brows at the effortless creation, yet they maintained their calm and took their seats without comment, turning their attention toward the auction stage as though nothing unusual had occurred.
For a short while, the five of them watched in apparent silence.
Amber’s gaze, however, never fully left Akasha.
She leaned in, her breath grazing the pointed tip of his ear, her voice lowering to a private whisper.
"Alright, pretty boy... what’s going on? Don’t treat me like some pawn. If you want something from me, ask."
At her words, Akasha’s smile widened.
He turned his face until the bridge of his nose brushed lightly against hers.
Amber’s cheeks flushed a soft rose, yet she did not pull away; the boldness of her posture held steady even as the proximity sent a quiet shiver through her.
He closed the gap between them, leaning toward her ear.
"Hmm... I don’t know all the details," he murmured, admitting he hadn’t really looked into it much.
"But I’m certain you’re tied to the Empire of this world... and I want you to take care of it. Whether that means controlling them... or killing them—it’s your choice."
In that moment... those words sent a bright rush moving through Amber...
It felt like two of her worlds were colliding at once—adventure and the first tangible pieces of her own origin arriving in the very same moment.
She drew back just enough to meet his eyes, then offered a quick, knowing wink.
"Okay... I gotcha, Lord Dream~."
Akasha’s faint smile was still in place when the male guard finally spoke again, voice carefully conversational.
"How has the auction been treating you, cousin?"
In this moment, Amber slipped into character without missing a beat, her tone light and slightly bored.
"Well, it’s been pretty boring, honestly. But the final item is rumored to be quite special."
The woman laughed, the sound polished and deliberate, before her gaze sharpened.
"Indeed..." She said, then she bit her finger, looking at Akasha and Amber.
"Do you mind telling us why a daughter of the Empire is posing as a guard for an Eastern Kingdom?"
Amber kept her smile steady and tilted her head, reflecting the question.
"I could ask you both the same thing." She said, "Weren’t you two... just at that political nonsense before this?"
Both guards laughed it off with practiced ease.
"We’re on a mission, of course," the man replied, his gaze drifting toward Akasha and lingering there.
"Though to me... it doesn’t seem like you’re on a mission at all," he added, noticing how close they were and finding something to tease about.
"Hmmm... is that your boyfriend?"
Amber arched a single brow, the full curve of her figure shifting as she leaned back against the cushions.
"Uhh, maybe he is... or maybe he isn’t. Who cares?"
Between the two Loria members, a private exchange sparked.
’Why... does something feel off about her?’ the woman asked, unable to shake the sense that Amber wasn’t truly a Loria at all.
The man’s expression tightened slightly. He scoffed, the sound low and decisive.
’Regardless... we have a lead. Either she joins our cause, or she and the man die.’
Akasha’s eyes swept over the pair, quickly sizing them up. Inwardly, he reached out to Amber through his divine sense.
’Well... both are Cosmic Union experts, Tier twenty-one, but nothing remarkable,’ he noted, gauging their combined strength at only Tier twenty-seven.
’And... it seems they’re leading a plot to overthrow the Empire.’
At the revelation... Amber’s smile in response was subtle, edged with keen interest.
The male guard leaned forward slightly, voice dropping into something colder.
"You know... it’d be a real shame if the Emperor—or any of the Imperials—" he said, glancing back at the auction, "found out you had a lover outside our bloodline."
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