Arsethya Sienna Arvatra, the [Legendary Heroine] of the [First Game], was an enigma. She was notoriously difficult to conquer due to the extreme difficulty of the game and her late appearance. I had never managed to fulfill the conditions required to encounter her, so this was my first time seeing her in person.
Rumors circulated about Arsethya's personality. She was known to be extremely distrustful, even towards her own family. It was said that she harbored a deep hatred towards the High Priestess of the Monolith of Eden. However, beyond these tidbits of information, I knew very little about her. I couldn't claim to know much about her at all.
Charles Celesta, the king, stood up to greet Zenos Arvatra with a warm smile. "It's a pleasure to have you here, Zenos."
Zenos Arvatra shook Charles' hand and returned the smile. "Likewise, Charles. I hope the alliance between your daughter and my son will be the start of a long-lasting friendship between our two countries." Zenos glanced at his eldest son, Rythvel, as he spoke.
Aurora gracefully pinched the hem of her dress and offered a slight bow to Prince Rythvel. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Prince Rythvel," she greeted him with a warm smile.
Rythvel's cold blue eyes briefly studied Aurora's face, and then he extended his hand to assist her. Aurora was taken aback by the unexpected gesture but eventually accepted his help, expressing her gratitude. "Thank you, Your Highness," she said softly.
Colton, always one to stir up trouble, whispered to him, "Lucky you, brother."
Azeliah joined in with a giggle, teasingly adding, "Colton, maybe you'll have a shot at the younger Princess."
Colton's eyes wandered towards Sylvia, causing her to avert her gaze. He smiled widely, giving away his playboy persona rather than exuding the demeanor of a prince from a powerful empire.
Shaking my head, I took a moment to hydrate, drinking from a glass of water.
Eric, dressed in a stylish red suit, appeared beside me. "You don't seem happy, Edward," he remarked, his concern evident in his voice.
I turned to face him, acknowledging his presence. "Oh, Eric."
He noted that I seemed better than before, to which I nodded in agreement. "Yeah, things have changed slightly. That's all."
Eric filled his glass with water and chimed in, "I know. Jayden is not stable even though he still didn't awaken but keep it low with him for now, Edward."
We both understood the impending consequences once Jayden's awakening occurred. The power gap between us would widen, and it wouldn't be long before that happened.
"I know, Eric," I replied with a groan, fully aware of the challenges ahead.
Eric sighed but managed a smile. "If it reassures you, Jayden isn't my favorite Protagonist. I prefer Victor and Lucius."
I snorted in agreement. "You bet. Those two actually think with their heads, not their... well, you know."
Changing the subject, Eric gestured towards Arsethya and Rythvel. "So, what do you think of them?"
I admitted, "This is my first time seeing them, but it's clear that they are significant characters in the Third Game."
"You…you didn't read what I wrote for you? Eric asked if I had read his writings about the Third Game.
"No. We have time anyway."
"Sigh... Sethya is dangerous," Eric expressed his concerns. "If we leave her unchecked, we might lose the High Priestess."
I reassured him, "We can deal with her later, Eric. Right now, I'm more concerned about what Walter Celesta has planned."
As I stared at Walter, annoyance crept in. "If only we had concrete proof, we could bring down that bastard," I muttered, frustration evident in my voice.
Accusing the king's brother without solid evidence would be an uphill battle. We both knew that nobody would believe our claims.
"Let's keep a close eye on him," I suggested, determined to remain vigilant.
Eric nodded in agreement, understanding the gravity of the situation. "Just a little more than a month, and it will all be over," he stated, the weight of the impending events hanging in the air.
"Everything should go fine. Milleia and Jayden are ready, and we're here to finish Brandon just in case," I stated.
Eric nodded in agreement. "I know, but I'm worried about Layla. She has that look in her eyes like she took the wrong turn in the game."
I glanced over at Layla and let out a sigh. "I tried, Eric, but there's something off with that girl when it comes to Alfred."
"We're well aware of that, Edward. You know her history," Eric replied. "After what happened to her, Alfred..."
"I know, Eric," I interrupted him, placing my glass down on the table.
"She's still the girl we used to play with a lot back then. I don't need to remind you of that. Even before Miranda, you had feelings for her even though fleeting ones," Eric said, his words embarrassing me.
I quickly cut him off, not wanting to dwell on the past. "Eric, it's in the past. Let's not bring it up and save me from the embarrassment."
"Edward, don't take it seriously but I know you quite a bit even with your previous memories and it's really unlike you to do everything you did for Layla so she could end up with Alfred. Milleia I can understand but Layla seemed exaggerated even from you. What were you trying to accomplish? I can't even say if your anger toward her is only for that slap or something else."
"..."
That was a long speech and a pretty accurate one.
"Sometimes, I forget that we've been friends for so long. When did you notice about me liking her in the past?"
Even though I liked her, it lasted only a few months as Alfred's and Layla's talks of engagement were already ongoing at that time. I hardly yet quickly buried them thanks to Miranda though. She is without doubts my first crush. I don't even know how and why I felt that toward her.
"I did not. Lucius was the one who told me. Now John is the one fighting Alfred but back then it was you, Edward. You were trying to pick a fight with him for no reason." He chuckled.
"That guy… it seems even in a coma, Lucius can't stop meddling."
Damn..it's really embarrassing.
I cringed at the memory of all the childish things I had done to get Layla's attention. It was so embarrassing, and I am grateful that she hadn't noticed. Otherwise, she would have teased me relentlessly.
"Lucius has always been a bit of a nuisance," Eric remarked with a smile. "As for who else knows, I would say probably only Miranda."
"Miranda?" I repeated, surprised.
Eric nodded. "Yeah, she figured it out, and she was quite jealous about it, if you recall."
As I thought back, I realized he was right. Miranda had become rather possessive, and it had worked on me since she was my first love. The pseudo-engagement between my father and Miranda's father had been decided soon after that.
"It's just you and Miranda, then?" I asked, hoping there weren't any more who knew.
"Maybe John?"
"I will beat you up."
Not him I beg you Eden.
"Oh, brother and Edward?"
A new girl appeared in a beautiful red dress, and it was Rubina Scarlett.
"Ruby, what is it?" Eric's tone changed as he asked tenderly.
What the hell?
"I'm here to thank you, Edward," Ruby approached and said.
"Thank me? Oh." I glanced at Eric. He might have told her that the guy with the mask was me.
"Don't fret over it," I waved my hand. "At least you're less prickly than before and more lady-like-"
Before I could finish, Ruby angrily threw a cup in my face. "Shut up!"
"..."
ƥandasnovel·ƈom I take back my words.
"R-Ruby!" Eric hurriedly went to comfort his sister.
[<What a lady-killer you are.>]
'I was just telling the truth!'
"Edward..."
"Sylvia? Again?" I said jokingly, but Sylvia didn't seem to be in a happy mood. "What's up?" I could tell that her conversation with her parents hadn't gone well.
"I'm not here to bother you, I... I just need you to introduce me to Jayden..." Sylvia said, forcing a smile.
"..."
I glanced at her parents and noticed that they were also looking at us.
Is this some kind of show for them?
We're talking about Sylvia now?
Their youngest daughter.
I looked at Alfred, and he didn't seem to notice what was going on. He was busy talking with Milleia.
As for Aurora, she was speaking with Rythvel, occasionally throwing worried glances toward Sylvia. She might not even be aware of what her parents were preparing for her sister.
If Lucius was here, he would definitely have caused a ruckus to stop this farce.
Finally, I looked at Aunt Belle. She was patting Orlin, and when she noticed my gaze, she looked at me. She alternated her gaze between me, Sylvia, and her parents, and in a few seconds, she figured out what the problem was—as expected of her. She stopped her gaze and winked at me with a smile.
As expected of Aunty!
I smiled.
Here I was, planning to just stay on the sidelines during this birthday celebration.
I sighed and filled a glass with juice before handing it to Sylvia.
"Eh?"
"Drink it. It's orange juice. Or do you want wine?"
"Wua?! No!" Sylvia shook her head and accepted the drink.
Making a bit of room on the table, I sat down and took a plate filled with pieces of cake. "Here, open your mouth," I said, bringing a forked piece of cake toward her.
"E-Edward...?" Sylvia was completely dumbfounded by my actions.
"Come on, you want me to help you, right?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Y-Yes..." Sylvia closed her eyes tightly, brought her face closer, and closed her mouth with a flushed face. "I-It's good..." She said, while chewing.
"Now it's my turn," I said, handing her the fork.
"W-Whaaaa?!" Sylvia stepped back with a bright red face.
"Do you want my help or not, Sylvia?" I asked with furrowed brows. "Your parents won't be happy."
Sylvia tried to look around her surroundings, but I spoke quickly. "Sylvia."
"...."
"Do you need my help?" I asked again, this time with a different tone, as I stared directly into her emerald eyes with my amber ones.
Nervously, Sylvia forked a piece of cake and brought it toward my mouth.
I closed my mouth and nodded. "Yeah, it's really good."
"Edward."
"Hm?" I turned to my left and saw Jayden. He was looking at me with a conflicted expression.
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