Hearing the insults against Charlie continue to flow from the mouths of those n, Aiz quickly turned and walked away. She knew that if she stayed any longer, there was a chance she would unconsciously draw her sword against them. They were not worthy of staining her blade with hatred rooted solely in jealousy.
"Charlie is not that kind of man... This must just be a misunderstanding..." She whispered to herself, as if trying to calm the growing unease within her chest.
Her desire to buy jagamarukun was instantly forgotten. Now, there was only one goal in her mind—Empyrean Citadel. She wanted to hear directly from Charlie, to uncover the truth behind the cheap gossip.
However, before reaching her destination, her steps halted abruptly. Her golden eyes froze at the sight that made her chest tighten painfully.
In the midst of the bustling crowd, not far from where she stood, Charlie was seen together with a woman. But it wasn't just any woman—it was Aphrodite.
The Goddess of Beauty clung tightly to Charlie, wrapping her arms around his with a perfect body seemingly crafted to tempt anyone who laid eyes on her. A seductive smile graced her lips, her eyes radiating an unmatched allure. From the outside, they appeared like a couple lost in their own world.
*CRACK!*
At that very mont, sothing inside Aiz cracked.
A sharp pain surged through her chest, though no visible wound could be seen. The light in her eyes dimd, and unconsciously, a faint dark aura began to emanate around her.
"...No." Her voice was low, almost a whisper, but carried a dangerous tension.
"Charlie wouldn't do sothing like that..."
"He must be under the charm of Aphrodite-sama... Yes... That must be it."
Her fingers clenched into fists so tight that her knuckles turned white. Her breathing grew heavy as she struggled to control the foreign feeling boiling within her.
"The Goddess of Beauty... no man can resist her charm..."
"It's not Charlie's fault..."
"Yes... It's not his fault."
Her gaze remained locked on the scene, cold and sharp. If anyone had been observing her at that mont, they would have surely felt the murderous intent creeping from her presence.
'Because if Aphrodite-sama truly ensnared Charlie with her charm... I need to find a way to free him!'
'Even if it ans eliminating the source of the problem.'
A dangerous thought crossed her mind. If Charlie kept being surrounded by won, then the only way to ensure he stayed by her side was to capture him and lock him away. That way, no one else could tempt him. No woman could touch him. No one could steal his attention or affection. He would belong to her… only hers.
But logic quickly shattered that delusion.
Charlie wasn't an ordinary man. His strength had grown in ways that defied reason. If this had happened a few days ago, Aiz might still have had a chance to act on her mad idea.
But now? Even if she used all her power, she wasn't sure she could restrain him. Perhaps she could fight him on equal terms, but if Charlie wanted to escape, she wouldn't be able to stop him.
Aiz clenched her fists tighter. Disappointnt and frustration mingled with an obsession that grew deeper with each passing second.
"No... I can't let things stay this way... I need more power... much more..." She whispered softly, almost like the mutterings of a madwoman.
Her once-dull golden eyes now glead dangerously, driven not only by revenge against the One-Eyed Black Dragon who had killed her parents but also by sothing far more personal and profound.
Power.
She needed power to ensure Charlie would never leave her. Power to make sure that he would only see her, only be with her. She had to beco the sole focus of his life.
Aiz stared at Charlie and Aphrodite from afar, her eyes remaining cold and dark.
"Charlie... I'll make you see only ..." She murmured softly, though her words carried hidden danger.
"You won't be able to go anywhere... There will be no place for you except by my side..."
Aiz placed her hand over her chest, feeling her heartbeat quicken. Whether it was from anger, jealousy, or an overwhelming desire—she couldn't tell.
But one thing was clear.
Charlie would be hers. No matter what it took.
◆━??????━◆
"Huh? Malicious intent?"
Charlie stopped in his tracks, his body shivering as if a sudden chill had crept up the back of his neck. He glanced left, then right. For a mont, his gaze sharpened, filled with alertness.
But nothing seed out of the ordinary. It was just the usual hustle and bustle of Orario—vendors shouting to sell their wares, couples laughing, and adventurers passing by with weapons strapped to their backs.
"What's wrong, Charlie? Are you looking for sothing?" Aphrodite asked, tilting her head slightly, her golden hair shimring in the sunlight.
"No, it's probably just my imagination." Charlie replied casually, though his brows remained slightly furrowed.
Aphrodite pouted playfully. "Then let's continue our date! Today, I'm not letting you leave until we're done."
Charlie looked at her blankly. "…Aphrodite, don't say things that could be misinterpreted."
But his words fell on deaf ears. The Goddess of Beauty had already grabbed his hand and pulled him along again, as if she were the one in control.
Passersby glanced at them—more accurately, at Charlie—with envious gazes, hating the young man who seed 'lucky' enough to walk alongside one of the Goddesses of Beauty. Charlie could only resign himself to the situation. He allowed Aphrodite to lead him wherever she pleased that day.
What Charlie didn't realize was that by agreeing to this 'date,' he had awakened sothing that should never have risen in this world.
Sothing even the author of this world hadn't imagined could ever happen.
Sothing terrifying.
◆━??????━◆
In the distance, behind the rooftop of a building, a pair of golden eyes watched them without blinking. No emotion showed on the girl's face, yet the cold aura surrounding her made the air feel as though it were freezing.
A dark aura flowed around her body. Invisible, imasurable, yet enough to send monsters fleeing if they ca too close.
"Charlie..." Aiz murmured, her voice soft but sharp like a blade ready to strike.
'Why are you with a goddess like that? Do you know that the Goddess of Beauty is nothing more than a wanton woman who has slept with countless n? They're worse than vixens—they're just strumpets seeking pleasure.'
Aiz had never known she could feel this way—the burning sensation in her chest, an indescribable tightness, as if sothing incredibly important had been snatched from her grasp.
The world knew Aiz Wallenstein as an adventurer lacking human emotions. But at this mont...
Sothing had changed.
It was all because of Spirit Arts—a magic innate to Charlie, or more accurately, part of Karasuki Rio's template. One of its effects was creating a strong affinity toward spirit beings. And Aiz... was no ordinary human.
She was a Half-Spirit, born from the union of the Great Wind Spirit Aria and the legendary hero Albert Waldstein. To creatures like her, Spirit Arts worked similarly to the natural charm of the Goddess of Beauty—influencing cognitive awareness and nearly impossible to resist.
And Aiz had never tried to resist it from the start.
Charlie reminded her of her father—heroic, full of conviction, and bringing an inexplicable sense of security. But now, seeing him laugh with another woman...
The glow in Aiz's eyes faded. Her heart ached as if pierced by invisible thorns.
"If I... remove all your distractions... you won't leave , will you?"
The girl who was once known for her lack of emotion was now starting to lose control. Her expressionless face remained unchanged, but in her mind...
"I think... an underground cell, far from the light... would be fitting for you, Charlie. At least there, no other woman could call your na so sweetly."
Now, Aiz Wallenstein was no longer the quiet girl rely seeking power for revenge.
She was a girl who had fallen too deeply. And thanks to Spirit Arts, the fall was inevitable.
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