"Hmm?" ke looked at Aether with a quizzical expression, his gaze probing. "Is something wrong?"


    "O-Oh, no... It''s just that I didn''t hear about this before," Aether replied awkwardly, feeling slightly doubtful.


    "Yes, even I didn''t know that the Empress was conducting a tournament for her daughter''s engagement," Ste added, her brow furrowing with doubt as she processed the unexpected revtion.


    "Well, it''s not announced to the public. Only a select few members were called for the tournament.... It''s a test for the person chosen for her daughter''s hand," ke exined, shedding light on the ndestine nature of the event.


    "I see..." Ste nodded thoughtfully, absorbing the new information. Meanwhile, Aether couldn''t help but stifle augh inwardly, ''You''ve really gotten yourself into something, Kai. Your future mother-inw is quite the character!... hehe'' he mused silently, struggling to suppress a grin.


    "Those who win against the Empress''s future son-inw will receive 1000 gold coins and a job in the royal house," ke continued, his voice tinged with excitement at the prospect.


    "1000 gold coins?" Aether''s curiosity was piqued as he tilted his head, contemting the significance of such a sum. However, the gleam in ke''s eyes hinted at the wealth and security it could provide, sparking Aether''s imagination.... Aether understood it might be enough for their entire life to live luxuriously.


    "That''s quite a substantial amount," Ste remarked, her surprise evident in her expression as she processed the implications of the reward.


    But then, ke''s demeanor turned somber as he muttered, "That''s why we came here to level up... but never in hell did we think we''d run into a Silver Star Monster."


    A heavy silence descended upon them, filling the space with an air of tension.


    Aether couldn''t help but ponder, ''Two Silver Stars mean... Mid-Level Aptitude with a Level 30 Monster, right?'' He hesitated, wanting to ask about the monster''s level, but the sombre expression on ke''s face dissuaded him from voicing his question.


    After a few moments, ke broke the silence with a query, "So, why are you guys here?"


    ''It seems like it''s our time to answer,'' Aether thought to himself, but he remained silent, deferring to Ste to handle the situation.


    "We are here to level up, but we somehow got lost in the woods and didn''t know the way out," Ste said, her voice tinged with a hint of nervousness as she tried to maintain her facade.


    Aether observed Ste''s attempt at deception with a mixture of taken back and frustration. ''Damn, girl, you really need to work on your lying skills,'' he screamed inwardly.


    and it seemed ke had noticed something was amiss.


    "I see..." ke nodded, his expression growing more serious. Then, he posed a direct question that caught both Ste and Aether off guard. "So, do tell me, why was that ve mark blinking red?"


    Hearing ke''s question, Ste and Aether exchanged a quick, apprehensive nce before turning serious.


    "It looks like someone has strayed away from their master?" ke''s frown deepened as his hand slowly moved towards his weapon, his suspicion evident.


    Aether was about to interject, but before he could, Ste spoke up unexpectedly.


    "Yes," she said, surprising Aether with her response.


    Aether was taken aback, he had disbelieving eyes controlling his anger, and he cursed himself for cing trust in a stranger. Seeing ke''s hand inching towards his weapon, Aether prepared himself for the worst. However, Ste continued speaking, catching Aether off guard once again.


    "Since we got separated from our group," Ste exined with a hint of sadness in her voice.


    "Separated?" ke''s expression softened slightly as he lowered his guard, his curiosity piqued.


    "Yes, we came here with a group of four," Ste began, her voice carrying a weight of regret, "but we got separated when we stumbled upon a cliff and fell into the river. We lost contact with the rest of our party members and His Master was among them..." Her words echoed the pain of their predicament, emphasizing the gravity of their situation.


    "I see... now" ke nodded in understanding, his expression softening as he offered a reassuring smile to Aether as he lowered his guard.


    Aether nced at Ste, feeling a mix of relief and disbelief towards the girl who had just yed with his life.


    As ke departed to attend to other areas, leaving them alone once more, a tense silence settled between Aether and Ste.


    "..."


    "..."


    Aether red at Ste, who seemed determined not to meet his gaze, as if suppressing augh that threatened to escape her lips.


    "You really pulled some shit now..." Aether muttered, his tone heavy with frustration.


    Hearing his words, Ste couldn''t hold back herughter any longer. She burst into giggles, unable to contain her amusement, "ppffft.... Hahaha... I mean look at you...ahaha... you looked like you almost...ahahaha... shahah..


    shit yourself...ahahahaha"


    Aether clenched his fist and gave Ste''s head a soft, yful tap. "You are not cute at all, littledy," he muttered in an annoyed tone. Despite herughter, Aether found himself feeling irked by Ste''s teasing. After all, he was a man in his previous life, approaching his thirties, and being teased by a teenage girl was more annoying than endearing.


    "H-huh?" Ste''sughter came to an abrupt halt as she felt the gentle tap on her head, her cheeks flushing a bright shade of red.


    Aether tilted his head in confusion, unsure why Ste had suddenly stoppedughing.


    Ste found herself unable to tear her gaze away from Aether''s blue eyes, her blush deepening by the second. It felt as though she were staring at a rare and precious sight.


    "C-Could you take y-y-your hand of me?" Ste stammered, her voice barely above a whisper, her embarrassment evident in her flushed cheeks.


    "O-Oh? Right," Aether responded promptly, withdrawing his hand. As he observed Ste''s flushed face and shy demeanour, he couldn''t help but feel a pang of sympathy. ''It must be ufortable for her...'' he thought, realizing the impact his actions had on her.


    [+1 Affection]


    Aether''s gaze softened as he recognized Ste''s happiness at his respectful gesture. He made a mental note to always be mindful of her boundaries.


    However, Ste shot a few quick nces at Aether, her heart skipping a beat when she heard him call her ''cute.''


    After an awkward silence, Ste mustered up the courage to speak. "I-If you don''t have anyone, you c-c-can follow m-me," she stammered, her face flushing so deeply it seemed smoke mighte out of her head.


    Hearing her offer, Aether turned to look at Ste with an incredulous expression. "Are you serious?" he asked, his tone filled with disbelief.


    Ste nodded, though her eyes remained fixed on the mes dancing in the fire.


    Aether paused for a moment, contemting why this girl would suddenly extend such an invitation..... He recognized the danger in blindly letting a stranger, particrly a male. Acting as a Mature and responsible man, he reached out and gently grasped Ste''s shoulder.


    "W-Wha---" Ste''s face turned even brighter red as Aether leaned in closer to her.


    "Listen, girl," Aether interrupted firmly, his voice tinged with concern. "It''s good to have a beautiful heart, but you shouldn''t let a stranger follow you, especially a male. You might not know what kind of snake you are inviting into your room."


    Ste took a moment to process Aether''s words, her face burning with shame. "Y-You!!! What the hell are you talking about?" she eximed, flustered and embarrassed by his warning.


    "Of course, Sex--puffff!!" Before Aether couldplete his sentence, Ste''s fist met his face with a resounding thud, a mix of shame and anger fueling her blow.


    "You jerk!!" Ste''s voice echoed with indignation as she spun on her heels and stormed away, her steps brisk and purposeful.


    Aether stood there, momentarily stunned by the unexpected assault. Rubbing his cheek where Ste''s punch hadnded, he couldn''t help but feel a mix of confusion and frustration. "What just happened?" he muttered to himself, bewildered by the sudden turn of events. He had only been attempting to offer some well-intentioned Elder''s advice, yet it seemed to have backfired spectacrly.


    "Though, it''s not as painful as Selene''s," Aether couldn''t help but think back to the girl who had offered him a cookie, a faint smile tugging at his lips at the memory.


    Pushing aside his thoughts, he decided to follow Ste. She was his best chance at avoiding trouble with others in this unfamiliar ce.