Chapter 352: Just Lazing Around

Chapter 352: Chapter 352: Just Lazing Around

Chapter 352 – Just Lazing Around

[Why is he frozen like this?] Marvela whispered to Ananke. [He is stressing me out. Darling, blink your eyes if you are still breathing. Your mother is worried.]

Ananke’s lips twitched. [I think you are getting used to your new role a bit too quickly, Marvela.]

[I am Marvela, Marvel of the Eternal Kingdom.] She grinned at her. [I adapt fast. But it’s not like I have a choice here, is it? Now look at him, frozen just because he received a message.]

[That’s his wife, Isolde Amaris.]

[Who cares about her name?] Marvela rolled her eyes.

[You should.] Ananke smiled mysteriously, her mind going back to the past, or rather, to the previous timeline, and her smile deepened. [You definitely should, Marvela.]

"I...I am so relieved." Cassius sighed with deep relief as he slid down to the ground, just outside Sarah’s room.

It felt like some unknown burden had been lifted from his shoulders with only this one message.

Cassius didn’t doubt that it was from Isolde, even though the number was strange. Because only she could possibly know what he was planning for September 1st.

It was her birthday. And it would be the day of their Wedding.

He looked back at the message and smiled such a soft, relieved smile that both Ananke and Marvela marveled at his beauty.

’What an Angel!’ The two of them thought in perfect sync.

"I have 9 days before September 1st." He whispered to himself. "The mission is in two days. And during the mission, I will complete the Quest for my Luck Blessing at the same time." He cocked his head, his determination growing stronger, burning even hotter. "Alright, I will finish these two bullshits in 2–3 days and come back to prepare the Wedding."

[You think you can achieve that in such a narrow time frame?] Ananke asked.

"Definitely." Cassius said, his eyes deathly serious.

At that instant, let a god descend into the mortal world and Cassius would believe he could kill the god.

One message from his wife had dispelled most of his doubts and anxiety. Cassius felt as though he had been made anew, with a goal to look forward to.

His wedding.

"Alright." He said, standing up again and stretching his body. "I might as well start wondering which bastards I will invite and which ones I won’t."

[What are you going to do in the next two days before the mission?] Marvela inquired.

"Nothing at all." He replied, strolling leisurely toward the building, giving a smile or two to the other students. "I have been doing things over and over again lately. I am doing nothing but lazing around until the mission."

Ananke and Marvela smiled, happy that he was finally taking some time to rest.

[Good decision.]

"And I promised Klaus I would visit him today. So let me go see how that bastard is doing."

[Will you not bring him a gift?]

"What?" Cassius sounded outraged, as if he couldn’t believe his ears. "I am the gift, Queen! Me, Cassius Desdemona!"

Both goddesses rolled their eyes.

[...Oh, alright. Let’s say that.]

[My darling is so arrogant. But I love him.]

"You two don’t sound very convinced."

[We are.] Ananke said.

[We are not.] Marvela followed.

Cassius decided to ignore his two goddesses, but not before saying one last thing to Marvela.

"And you, Marvela, when are you going to sleep? You have been awake for way too long now for someone cursed."

Marvela was instantly speechless upon hearing those words.

Ananke’s face twitched as she tried to hold back her laughter, looking at Marvela still inside her Gate, her face aghast.

"What?" Cassius said innocently. "I am just asking."

[I hate you.]

"Thanks. Too many people love me already. I welcome the change."

Marvela clicked her tongue, unable to refute him.

Cassius then walked toward the Health Center of the Academy, his two goddesses watching over him from the Gate.

...

Meanwhile, Raven had managed to get up from his kneeling position inside the Park and found his way back to his room to rest and gather his thoughts after such an event.

He desperately needed it.

What he found in front of his room, however, was Anesthesia leaning against the door, arms crossed, her eyes closed.

She wore tight black pants with high boots reaching almost to her knees, and a white long-sleeved shirt. Her hair was tied into a ponytail, her expression relaxed yet stern.

Sensing his presence, she opened her purple eyes and settled them on Raven.

She needed only one glance to guess what had happened.

"You lost her." She said, more like an affirmation than a question, her voice even.

"I did." He replied, reaching her.

Anesthesia opened her arms and pulled him into a hug, and the Prince allowed himself to melt into her embrace, closing his eyes and saying nothing.

That silence continued for a while before Raven gathered himself enough to speak.

"Shall we go inside?" He said, and Anesthesia nodded.

Breaking the hug slowly, Raven opened the door and stepped into the room. Anesthesia followed and closed the door behind her with a soft click.

As the fourth ranker, Raven’s room was luxurious and more like an apartment. There was a small living room with a couch, a table, and a runic TV just in front of it.

He slumped down on the couch, and Anesthesia sat beside him, staring at him.

"I don’t quite like that you are in such a state because that maid left you." She said, slightly annoyed that Sarah had such a strong effect on her own boyfriend.

"You think this is the time to talk about these kinds of things?"

"What? I don’t have the right to express what I like and don’t like anymore?"

"You do." Raven replied, glancing at her. "But I thought you would be sensible enough to know when and where."

"Oh," Anesthesia rolled her eyes, "your maid left you, you get sad and angry, and decide to dump it all on me, right?"

"Thesia, pl—!"

"How many times do I have to tell you not to call me Thesia?" She hissed before closing the small distance between them.

She grabbed his collar and yanked him toward her.

In one instant, Anesthesia was on her back on the couch while Raven was above her, their faces so close that their noses touched.

"Call me by another nickname, not the one that bastard used to call me."

"Why do you get so worked up just because of that?" His eyes narrowed. "Do you still care?"

"Do I look like I still care?" Anesthesia scoffed. "I threatened his whole damn family and blackmailed that man. Raven, you don’t understand the amount of disgust I have for that man. He is everything a woman wouldn’t want in a man."

"What if he changes one day?"

"Emrys, change?" She sneered. "Impossible."

"That’s not my question."

"It doesn’t change anything." She replied, her hands around his waist. "I am your girlfriend now. And if you don’t fuck up, I will be your wife."

"Me or you?" Raven rolled his eyes. "You know well who is more likely to do bullshit between us."

"I am very sincere and supportive when I am with someone and I love that someone, Prince." She smiled. "I give everything, sometimes even my own dignity. Why do you think I was helping Emrys get more women?"

She leaned a little closer and kissed his left cheek.

"I don’t cheat, Prince. And I learned a lot from my past mistakes. So now do me a favor and drop that sad face after that maid left you. I don’t like it."

"Because I am sad, or because I am sad because of her?"

"Both. This feels like you love her." Her purple eyes narrowed coldly. "And I will correct myself. It’s not that I don’t like it. I hate it."

"Sarah is a good person, Anes." He said, and Anesthesia smiled at the nickname, but then frowned at his words.

"Good for her."

"She deserves better than this."

"Do you regret choosing me, Raven?"

"I don’t."

"Then?"

"I just regret what I did to her." He sighed. "I shouldn’t have done all of that. I am sincerely ashamed whenever I remember how I used to treat her."

"Then I guess we are the same here." She said. "I also regret what I did to Emrys. But compared to you, I regret the fact that I was too good to him. I wish I had destroyed that motherfucker."

Raven chuckled. "Then I guess we both have something to regret about our past relationships."

"Bravo! You just fucking said it." Anesthesia whispered. "Past relationships. It’s in the past. It does us no good to think about it. Now it’s you and me, Raven. Only you and me. I hope you are ready for this."

"I have been ready, Anes."

"Will your parents like me, though?"

"Honestly?"

"Yes?"

"They probably won’t."

"Can I say what I want to say honestly?"

"No."

"I will say it anyway: to Hell with what they think." Anesthesia shrugged, and Raven sighed with a smile.

"You truly want to cause me problems."

"You knew what you were doing by being with me. There is no going back." She replied. "Speaking of problems, Raven, how about we go on a mission, you and I?"

"...Why would going on a mission be a problem?"

"Because I have been ordered, with no right to refuse, to go on a mission with Emrys." Anesthesia grinned coldly. "These motherfuckers think I will accept whatever they want from me. I won’t go, and they can swallow the consequences with their ass. Let’s go together."

Raven frowned. "I didn’t even know about all of this. Who the hell forced this mission?"

"Teacher Kai, that old bastard. My master hates him."

"My aunt?"

"Yeah. And you should see your aunt now, Raven. She has become beautiful in a monstrous way."

"Beautiful? Never thought I would hear that about her again. And you like her?"

"I feel like we get along really well."

"Not surprised. You two are the greediest women I know." He looked at her with judging eyes. "Of course you would like her."

"Yes, thanks, fuck you."

He smiled faintly. "But where do you want to go for the mission?"

"Oh, the mission is only a cover. I need the two of us to get out of this Academy for a while and go somewhere."

He cocked his head. "Where?"

"The Black Market." She said. "Someone owes me money, refuses to pay, and went there to hide." She laughed with quiet anger. "I am not a damn charity. I need my money back."

—End of Chapter 352—