Chapter 369: Raising the Stakes

Hyacine's consciousness began to blur, the scene she had just witnessed replaying over and over in her mind. The string of her sanity completely snapped in that moment. She didn't even realize when her hand started moving downward against her will. Her slender fingers slipped past the soft hem of her skirt, brushing against the inner thigh tightly encased in white silk stockings, which had already begun to tremble slightly.

Her beautiful, stocking-clad legs pressed firmly against the cold wall behind her. She knew this was wrong, horribly wrong, but the sounds echoing from the hot spring had trapped her; she was drowning in them, entirely incapable of stopping herself.

In this moment, the pure-hearted healer felt as though she had peeked into an entirely new, adult world she had never known existed. And she was helplessly sliding into the abyss of that very world. Curiosity is nothing more than the desire to explore the unknown, and right now, Hyacine was walking down that path of discovery, exploring the uncharted and satisfying her burning curiosity.

Inside the bath, Aiden's gaze casually drifted toward the door, and through the narrow gap, he faintly caught sight of a familiar shade of pink hair. A knowing smirk flashed across his eyes.

He had sensed someone approaching. Even though he was the only male in the Palais Mermonia, he still maintained his basic vigilance. Initially, he had considered stopping there; after all, he didn't want Tifa to be caught in the act and end up feeling as mortified and desperate to crawl into a hole as Furina once had. But once he realized the person outside was Hyacine, he tossed that thought straight out the window.

Not only did he not stop, but he actually intensified his bullying of Tifa, treating the person outside as if she didn't exist. Given the situation, stopping wouldn't make much of a difference anyway, so he might as well just ignore it.

But when he realized that Hyacine not only hadn't left but had secretly stayed outside the door, even Aiden felt a twinge of surprise. I didn't expect you to have it in you, Darling Hyacine.

Still, he didn't mind. Since it was Hyacine, getting caught by her was no big deal.

When the tempest in the pool finally subsided completely, Aiden tenderly washed the body of the thoroughly exhausted Tifa. He drained the pool, replaced the water, and then wrapped her in a large bath towel. Picking her up in a princess carry, he held her securely in his arms and walked out of the hot spring room.

However, as his eyes swept across the corner and noticed certain things left behind on the floor, a flash of surprise crossed his face. He truly hadn't expected Hyacine to cast "water magic" right there. It seemed Darling Hyacine had quite a lot of nerve after all; she really wasn't afraid of Robin or the others stumbling upon her. If that had happened, she would have suffered true social death. But this made things very interesting. Catching Hyacine's darkest secret would definitely prove entertaining.

As if struck by a thought, the corners of Aiden's mouth curled up into an uncontrollable smirk, finally letting out a low chuckle.

"What are you laughing at?" Tifa looked up suspiciously from his chest. Her voice was still somewhat raspy, and the heavy flush on her cheeks hadn't fully faded.

"Nothing," Aiden lowered his head, pressing a fleeting kiss to her lips. "I was just thinking about how our relationship has gotten so much closer, and it makes me very happy."

Hearing this, intense shyness flashed in Tifa's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by worry. "But... what about Robin and the others..."

Aiden instantly understood what was on her mind and chuckled. "Are you worried about Robin and Furina? Don't you know them by now? It's going to be fine."

Seeing that Tifa still wore an anxious expression, the amusement in Aiden's eyes deepened. He decided it was time to drop some heavy spice into the mix.

He abruptly changed his route from heading to Tifa's room and, instead, carried her directly toward Robin's bedroom.

"Where are you taking me?" Tifa quickly realized they were going the wrong way. Alarm bells blared in her head, and she began to struggle in his arms.

"To a place that will put your mind at ease, of course," Aiden tightened his grip, firmly locking the woman in his embrace.

Though she was an adventurer, Tifa was currently drained of all her strength. Her feeble struggles were like the scratching of a kitten, entirely incapable of moving him even an inch. All she could do was stare with panicked, helpless eyes as Aiden reached out with his free hand and, without a second's hesitation, pushed open the door to Robin's room.

Inside, Robin was sitting on the edge of her bed, holding a music score. The soft light spilled over her silver-purple hair, tracing her serene, beautiful profile. The abrupt sound of the door opening startled her slightly. She looked up, her emerald eyes shifting to the doorway, still bearing a trace of confusion at being interrupted.

But in the next second, as she clearly registered the sight at the door, her confusion froze solid on her face.

It was Aiden. And... Tifa, being held horizontally in his arms, her body wrapped only in a bath towel, her hair damp, her face flushed red, and her eyes utterly panicked.

The air seemed to freeze in that exact moment. Robin's pupils shrank, her brain racing at top speed, and she realized exactly what had happened almost instantly. Her mind blanked out, and a stunned look washed over her face.

Before she could even react, Aiden had already stepped into the room. Then, under Tifa's utterly horrified gaze, he leaned down and gently... dropped her right onto Robin's bed. Or more accurately, dropped her directly into the lap of Robin, who was still sitting there.

As her body tumbled down, the poorly secured towel finally gave out and slipped entirely away.

"Ah—!" Tifa let out a sharp cry of despair. She felt as though her soul had left her body. Her hands flailed blindly, desperately trying to grab something to cover herself, but she only managed to brush against the cool silk of Robin's nightgown.

Warm skin pressed tightly together. Even through the thin fabric, Robin could distinctly feel the lingering heat radiating from Tifa's body, as well as her violent heartbeat that felt as though it might burst from her chest.

"Aiden!" Robin finally snapped out of her daze. She looked up at the instigator, her voice trembling slightly with a mix of shame and annoyance. "What exactly are you doing?"

Aiden merely stood beside the bed, looking down at the two entangled women with the highly satisfied smirk of a man whose master plan had flawlessly succeeded.

"See?" he shrugged, his tone as casual as if they were discussing the weather. "This way, everything is out in the open, so there's nothing left to worry about, right?"

Tifa felt like she was going crazy. She buried her face desperately into the soft sheets, taking in the elegant, unique fragrance that belonged solely to Robin. She whimpered, much like a trapped young beast cornered by a hunter, absolutely terrified to lift her head and look Robin in the face.

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