In the Selise family’s living room.
Aiden sat on the edge of the sofa, his shirt pulled up to his waist, exposing his injured shoulder.
Selise sat beside him, carefully treating the wound with Magic Potion.
The effect of the Magic Potion was remarkable; Aiden could clearly see the tissue around the injury slowly knitting back together, finally filling in perfectly as if nothing had happened.
“Hah~”
Only after confirming the wound was no longer an issue did Selise breathe a sigh of relief.
She packed away the Medical Box while speaking softly.
“Fortunately, the lightning chain was quite thin. If the wound had been any larger, it would’ve been a big problem.”
Aiden moved his arm, feeling only some tingling and a slight sting, but otherwise fine.
He couldn’t help but think to himself: no wonder this is the Magic World — medical care is incredibly convenient here.
“Thank you, Selise. I feel fine now.”
Aiden put his shirt back on while thanking Selise.
“You’re the one I should thank. If you hadn’t pushed me away, I probably would have…”
Selise placed the Medical Box aside, shaking her head, still a little shaken by what had just happened.
“It seems arguing doesn’t get us anywhere. It’s a blessing in disguise that we got through this safely.”
Aiden smiled sheepishly.
Actually, it was more like they helped each other to overcome the crisis together.
“Rufus probably won’t let this go easily. Aiden, you have to be careful. If anything happens…”
Selise nodded, her tone growing more concerned.
After hesitating for a moment, she continued.
“If you ever need help, just come to me.”
“Alright, I understand.”
Aiden blinked in surprise, then returned a warm smile.
After putting on his shirt, Aiden prepared to leave since it was already quite late.
At the entrance hall, Selise stood behind him, her lips parted as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.
“Is something wrong? Do you need anything else?”
Noticing Selise’s unusual behavior, Aiden asked curiously.
“Nothing… just be careful on your way home.”
Selise finally shook her head.
“Okay, Selise. You should rest early too.”
Aiden nodded and left Selise’s home.
As soon as he stepped out of the apartment building, Ruby flew excitedly in front of him.
[Selise’s affection just increased again. It’s broken through the -200 mark! Master is truly amazing!]
[This was earned at the cost of life, after all.]
Aiden rubbed his shoulder, still throbbing faintly, with a bitter smile.
Walking forward, he opened the system interface to check the Task Reward.
This time, the reward was a full 1000 points—enough for one Tenfold Draw.
What skills would come out of this tenfold?
Aiden was looking forward to it.
After the afternoon’s battle, he deeply realized that his countermeasures were still too few.
[Master, have you noticed that Selise’s attitude toward you has improved a lot?]
While Aiden studied the system, Ruby flapped her wings, circling around him.
The holographic specks scattered in the dark night, like fireflies.
[Of course I noticed. I’ve done so much for her. If there wasn’t any change, she’d have to be a stone-hearted person.]
Aiden shrugged indifferently.
Selise—the Ice Calamity Witch destined to destroy the world—was not inherently evil.
It was a series of blows that eventually blackened her heart.
As long as he helped her avoid those blows, her darkening could be stopped.
So far, the progress was going well.
[It seems Selise has a special kind of affection for Master! When you protected her before, you were really manly~ At this rate, Selise liking Master is just around the corner!]
Ruby flew back in front of Aiden, excitedly speaking.
It seemed even more thrilled by this change than Aiden himself.
“Huh?”
Aiden’s finger paused over the system panel.
His cheek twitched involuntarily as he looked at Ruby in disbelief.
“What’s wrong? Is Ruby wrong?”
Ruby blinked her emerald eyes, looking at him innocently.
“Girls don’t fall for someone that easily. Especially a beautiful girl like Selise, who’s naturally anti-male.”
Aiden chuckled and shook his head, continuing to operate the system interface.
“You seem a bit oversensitive. I just did a little thing.”
“What if, though? The hero-saving-the-damsel is such a timeless trope.”
Ruby dismissed it lightly.
“No ‘what if.’ Even if there were, I would avoid it.”
Aiden’s tone was unusually resolute.
His eyes were firm and unshakable, as if he had already come to terms.
“I don’t belong to this world and will eventually leave, so I must avoid such a situation.”
“Sometimes Master really is ruthless…”
Ruby muttered quietly.
Aiden said nothing more, silently staring at the system interface, lost in thought.
At this moment, the bright moonlight stretched his shadow long, casting a solitary silhouette on the quiet street.
Meanwhile, in the apartment building behind Aiden, Selise gazed through the window at his figure fading under the moonlight.
She was a little surprised that as she watched Aiden leave, a sudden impulse to stop him flickered in her heart.
Though it lasted only an instant, it was enough to leave her bewildered.
What was happening to her?
Why had she become so unlike herself since meeting Aiden?
Aiden was like an uninvited guest who suddenly barged into her dark world, with every move pulling at her heartstrings.
Could it be true, just like her mother said—that she had someone she liked?
No, it wasn’t like that.
Selise quickly shook her head, trying to dispel the thought.
After all, none of the men she’d met before had left her a good impression, but Aiden was completely different.
Perhaps it was this stark contrast that created an illusion, combined with some of Aiden’s actions that truly touched her and even shook her established beliefs, making her unusually attentive.
Only after Aiden’s figure disappeared completely into the night did Selise slowly come back to herself.
“Selise, you must stay calm. Aiden is just a Friend.”
She gently tapped her cheek, whispering to herself.
A Friend?
Selise kept repeating the word silently.
How extravagant that word once was to her, yet now it had become reality.
Inside a lavish villa.
Rufus pushed open the heavy oak door with a dark expression, his steps unsteady.
The afternoon’s events had put him in a terrible mood.
“A bunch of useless trash!”
He cursed under his breath, irritably tugging off his tie.
The hired thugs he’d paid for couldn’t even handle a girl from the Magic Academy.
“Aiden… Aiden… Aiden.”
Rufus muttered the name unconsciously, his hatred deepening with each repetition.
How could that transfer student so easily win Selise’s favor?
She had thrown herself into danger to save him.
What did that bastard have that I don’t?
Rufus strode to the bar counter, grabbed a bottle of liquor, poured a glass, and downed it in one gulp.
The burning alcohol scorched his throat but did nothing to quell his fury.
“Bang!”
He slammed the empty glass onto the counter.
The glass shattered on impact, venting his frustration.
“Well, my dear brother, what’s gotten into you?”
A teasing voice came from the living room.
Rufus looked up to see his sister lounging lazily on the leather sofa.
The woman wore a silk nightgown, golden hair carelessly draped over her shoulders.
She held a glass of red wine elegantly, a playful smile on her lips as she looked toward him.
Rufus took a deep breath and sat down opposite his sister.
He recounted in detail his recent failures in pursuing Selise, and how that transfer student Aiden kept interfering.
“My dear brother~ You were too successful with women before, so you’re just not used to setbacks.”
After listening, the blonde woman suddenly laughed softly.
She swirled the wine in her glass, her eyes teasing.
“Sometimes, violence doesn’t solve problems.”
“Then what should I do?”
Rufus frowned, leaning forward slightly.
“You have to learn to leverage your strengths~”
The blonde woman’s lips curved into a meaningful smile.
“Trust me, before long, that girl will be under your control.”