Chapter 168: A Causal Morning

The next morning, Amon slowly opened his eyes.

He stretched his arms above his head and let out a quiet breath as the stiffness in his body gradually disappeared.

For a few seconds, he simply stared upward before he realized something was different.

’...This isn’t my ceiling.’ Amon blinked before remembering where he was. ’Right, I am living away from home now.’

He pushed himself out of bed and glanced around the guest room.

The morning sunlight was already filtering through the curtains, painting pale rectangles across the polished floor.

After freshening up and taking a quick bath, Amon changed into a clean set of clothes and left the room.

When he reached the living room, he immediately noticed someone standing near the entrance.

Marielle was already ready to leave.

She wore a fitted black sports bra beneath a lightweight jacket, along with dark leggings that allowed her to move freely.

Her purple hair was tied into a high ponytail, giving her a noticeably more athletic appearance than the elegant woman from the previous evening.

Amon walked toward her with a small smile. "Good morning."

Marielle turned toward him. "Good morning."

She smiled, but there was something visibly conflicted in her expression.

"You look good today."

As she said it, her eyes briefly dropped toward his pants before she quickly looked away.

Amon noticed her gaze. ’...So she really was peeking last night.’

He almost smiled, however, he decided to pretend that he hadn’t noticed anything.

"Where are you going?"

Marielle hesitated for a second before answering. "I’m going for a run."

Amon nodded. "Can I join you?"

Marielle looked at him before giving a small shrug. "Sure. Why not?"

She quietly opened the front door and stepped outside.

Amon followed her.

The morning air was cool and fresh, carrying the faint scent of grass and the distant smell of mana-powered vehicles beginning their daily routes.

The two began running through the quiet streets of the upper district.

Unlike Southboon, this part of the city was considerably calmer.

Large houses stood behind stone walls and carefully maintained gardens, while ancient trees lined the roads.

Amon occasionally turned his head to look at the enormous residences surrounding them. ’So many nobles live here.’

Some of the buildings looked more like small castles than houses.

Marielle noticed his gaze. "There are quite a few houses around here that belong to students attending the Royal University."

Amon raised an eyebrow. "Students?"

"Mostly the children of powerful families." Marielle continued running at a comfortable pace. "Some of these houses have been owned by the same families for hundreds of years. Parents, grandparents, great-grandparents... entire generations have lived here."

Amon nodded slowly. "Is your house inherited too?"

"Yep." Marielle smiled. "I certainly couldn’t afford to buy something here with a teacher’s salary."

Amon glanced at her. "Are the prices really that high?"

Marielle laughed softly.

"Even the smallest houses in this district can cost tens of millions of Federal Notes." She shook her head. "And the larger estates can easily reach hundreds of millions."

Amon remained silent.

He looked around at the enormous properties again. ’No wonder this place feels like a completely different world.’

They continued running for several minutes.

Eventually, Marielle glanced toward him. "You’ve been quiet."

Amon blinked. "Hm?"

She looked ahead again. "It just feels like you have something on your mind."

Amon chuckled. "Why do you think that?"

"I don’t know." Marielle shrugged. "It’s just a feeling."

Amon thought for a moment before smiling.

"Actually, there is something I’d like to ask." He said thoughtfully. "How do I make Seraphina happy?"

Marielle’s expression softened slightly. "Seraphina?"

Amon nodded. "I’d like to understand her better."

Marielle thought about it for a while before shaking her head. "I’m not sure what she likes that much."

Amon looked at her. "Then tell me what you like. Maybe there are some similarities between you two."

Marielle hesitated. A small smile eventually appeared on her face. "I really like sweet things."

Amon immediately frowned. "I hate sweets."

Marielle looked genuinely offended. "How can you hate sweets?"

"I just don’t have a sweet tooth."

She stared at him as though he had just admitted to something unforgivable. "Do you have some kind of problem?"

Amon chuckled and for a moment, an old memory surfaced in his mind.

He remembered the body he had once possessed and the problems that had come with it.

"Let’s just say there was a problem."

Marielle looked at him strangely but didn’t press the matter.

"Is Seraphina really your ideal girl?" After a short silence, she suddenly asked. "Or did you start dating her because she’s rich?"

Amon’s eyebrows rose. "Do you think I’m a gold digger?"

Marielle immediately became flustered. "No! That’s not what I meant."

Amon chuckled.

"I know." He looked ahead as they continued running. "I wouldn’t be where I am now without her, that’s true."

His expression became bright. "And I genuinely like Seraphina."

Marielle became quiet for a moment. "So she’s your ideal type?"

Amon smiled. "She’s definitely someone I want beside me."

Marielle seemed satisfied with the answer.

Amon kept the rest of his thoughts to himself. ’My ideal type is probably closer to a mature woman like you and your sister.’

He wisely decided not to say that aloud. The two continued running through the district.

Amon’s expression remained relaxed until his eyes suddenly shifted toward the side of the road.

There were several narrow drainage channels running beneath the streets.

His expression slowly became serious. ’...The sewers.’

The memory of the two strange men from the previous night returned immediately.

He remembered the unnatural sensation surrounding those two men.

Amon’s eyes narrowed. ’If they’re vampires, there might be more entrances than the one I found.’

He continued running beside Marielle without saying anything.

But his attention had completely shifted toward the underground network beneath the city.

---

After completing their run, Amon and Marielle eventually returned to the bungalow.

The moment they stepped inside, Amon noticed Seraphina standing near the stairs.

She had already taken a bath and changed into fresh clothes, with her damp blue hair falling loosely around her shoulders.

Her eyes immediately moved between Amon and Marielle and they narrowed suspiciously. "Where did you two go?"

Marielle immediately smiled. "It’s nothing like what you’re thinking."

Seraphina’s eyes narrowed further. "I didn’t say what I was thinking."

Marielle’s smile became slightly awkward.

"Exactly." She quickly turned toward the stairs. "Anyway, I need to get ready. I’ll take both of you to the university after breakfast."

Before either of them could respond, she quickly walked upstairs.

Amon watched her disappear. "...She’s running away."

Seraphina slowly turned toward him.

Amon looked at her as she walked closer. "Tell me something."

"What?"

Seraphina stared directly into his eyes. "Were you thinking about fucking my aunt?"

Amon’s expression immediately became completely innocent. "Of course not."

Seraphina continued staring at him and Amon maintained the same expression.

She narrowed her eyes. "You look suspicious."

"I’ve done nothing wrong, my lady."

"You always say that when you’ve done something."

Amon smiled helplessly. The two stared at each other for several seconds.

Finally, Seraphina sighed and shook her head.

She turned toward the stairs, but after taking a few steps, she glanced back at him.

"Just behave yourself."

"I always behave." Amon raised both hands innocently. "It’s not like I fucked you infront of your aunt."

Seraphina quickly return and punched him multiple times though they were too light to effect him.

With a deep flush on her face she whispered. "Don’t say stuff like that."

Amon watched her and asked. "Do you want me to fuck you infront of your aunt?"

Seraphina opened her mouth then closed it again.

Like a enlightened sage, she walked away without answering.