Seraphina was rather joyful as she entered the kitchen. With her apron ready, which she wrapped around her waist, she began to think about what to prepare. At first, she thought about making the usual dish she had prepared on the first day, but since Aelion had started training, grilled meat was the most suitable option.
Humming happily a rhythm she had learned from her servants, she went to the cold storage and chose the meat to use. With her strength, slicing and cutting the meat would have been child's play, yet she showed an unfamiliar delicacy and tenderness. Seraphina had always had a taste for cooking; unfortunately, since she had transformed and lost her taste for food, it made her rather sad.
Everything changed when she met Aelion. The kitchen had become a place where she could leave her austere habits and skills aside and pretend to be a new person. She chuckled, recalling the early days when she said she didn't want to prepare any meals for him.
All of this was made possible thanks to one person: Aelion. Every thought of him ignited her heart, which beat faster and faster. Was it love? No, she didn't believe in it. Seraphina was attracted to him—yes, he was rather handsome—but there was something else in his golden eyes when he looked at her: kindness, compassion, and no fear.
Aelion could have taken advantage of many situations to mistreat her and make her do whatever he wanted. That would have been karma, and she would have accepted it. Yet, none of that happened; he only wanted to help her. Of course, skepticism was present in her way of thinking, but Seraphina had simply decided to let herself go for a while.
To enjoy this calm life before plunging into the storm that could sweep away everything she was building. There were supposed to be only two of them, but UGAEL's appearance had disrupted those plans.
The knife she held struck the meat with force this time.
Aelion is mine, mine alone…
It was the first time she had felt this way about someone, a whole spectrum of emotions directed at a single person. Seraphina would not let him slip away. Slowly, this thought became natural in her psyche, and her possessive and obsessive personality began to reveal itself.
Simply seeing him talk to UGAEL and imagining him bonding with another woman, giving her the same look he gave Seraphina, was unbearable.
Aelion had noticed the difference between how she had been when they first met and now. However, it was only a part of her that had never been revealed because she hadn't yet met the right person.
Following the suspicious noises, UGAEL went into the kitchen to observe what was happening. She did not understand what was going on, but the automaton had decided to watch the woman who seemed to be testing her master's patience.
Seraphina felt UGAEL's gaze on her but did not react. She was already thinking about how to deal with her. For now, she needed to regain her levels and reach her former rank, especially since Aelion could be upset if certain limits were crossed.
After seasoning the meat and pre-cooking it, she took out the grill and the wood necessary for grilling. Everything was ready; only the meat remained, which she left under her familiar's watch while she sneaked into Aelion's bed.
---
As planned, Seraphina slipped into Aelion's bedroom while he slept. She made sure not to be disturbed by having another of her familiars stand guard.
Very gently, she slid into his bed and positioned herself facing him. She did nothing but watch him sometimes, touching his cheek, sometimes caressing him, and sometimes burying her face in his neck and on his chest to savor his scent.
Eventually, she decided to rest for a few minutes, turning her back to him. Seraphina wrapped her arms around him without consent and hugged him tightly around her waist. This position was comforting and, curiously, felt safe.
Aelion woke up later due to the familiar feminine scent Seraphina exuded at his side. Her face, tangled in her rose-scented hair, tempted him to drift back into his dreams. However, he could not give in, as the vampire should not be there.
"Seraphina, may I ask what you're doing here?" Aelion asked softly, trying not to be abrupt.
Hearing his voice, she turned toward him, her eyes barely open.
"Oh, I just wanted to rest and see how you were after training," she said, yawning.
"You could have rested in your room and waited for me to wake up… Seraphina, we really need to talk."
"About what?" Seraphina asked, a little surprised.
The young man sat cross-legged in bed. He would have liked a moment to focus on the dream he had had, but Seraphina's incomprehensible behavior was becoming more frequent.
She also noticed that, although he had woken up, he still seemed lost in thought. His mind was elsewhere, somewhat preoccupied, which prompted her to ask a question.
"Hey, what's wrong?"
"Oh, I had a rather strange dream where a man was fighting a dragon… pretty crazy."
"A dragon? They really are impressive. Even I doubted my ability to defeat one when I first saw it! Keep in mind that these creatures can destroy a kingdom in less than an hour! That must have been frightening for you."
Wait… did she just admit she could defeat a dragon? What kind of strength… I give up.
"I… I don't really remember what it looked like. I just remember a giant shadow that resembled it… it's very strange," Aelion continued, trying to recall details.
Finally, he gave up and got up to freshen up, but the door to his room refused to open. He tried again, with all his strength, to push it open, but something was blocking it.
"SERAPHINAAAAAA!"
"Oops, sorry," she said, waving her hand as the bars she had materialized to block the door disappeared.
Before he could step outside, he fell onto a floor strewn with spikes, with blood stalactites hanging from the ceiling. He turned to Seraphina, who was embarrassed, staring at the wall instead of him.
"Are you serious?"
"Sorry… for my defense, I didn't want us to be disturbed during our little moment together," she said with an adorably angry pout. Aelion could no longer stay mad.
"We'll discuss all this later."
This woman is insane. I really need to find a way to discipline her… Ah, I feel like this skill is going to my head.
While he headed to the bathroom, Seraphina went to the kitchen to check the meat, which was almost ready. UGAEL, on the other hand, worked on the mansion's maintenance and discovered something very interesting: a hidden room, separate from where Twin Destiny was located, blocked in another dimension by three mechanisms scattered across each level of the building.
She noted all of this in a report she would share later with her master. She also wondered whether she should activate the moving corridors and fog, knowing that the residents could get lost. However, UGAEL did not decide immediately; her master would make the final decision.
---
Exclusive Quest #1: The Throne of Ira
Description: Claim the right to the Throne of Ira and become the lord of the Ira Mansion.
Conditions for success: Defeat the residual spirit of the current lord.
Complete the succession and coronation ceremony.
Duration: No time limit.
Reward: ?????
---
"Damn, I forgot this quest…" he admitted to himself in front of the glowing screen that had appeared as a reminder.
The problem was that he had too much to do at the moment. Between Twin Destiny, which he hadn't acquired yet, Seraphina, who was becoming possessive for no reason, and the unexpected attack he had received, Aelion had focused on strengthening himself. Moreover, the condition for success was to defeat the residual spirit, while he had only just acquired an offensive skill.
Additionally, he first needed to locate the quest item, because, although he had a complete map, none of the places he had visited contained a vengeful spirit or a throne room.