Chapter 167: Another Scent

Chapter 167: Another Scent

The scent of lotus drifted through the pathways.

Lothe followed it, hands tucked inside his sleeves as he crossed the courtyards. The morning air was sharp. Disciples moved through the courtyards with wooden swords or debated techniques near the training grounds. A few stared, recognizing him as the outsider General Ashford had brought back from the ruins, but Lothe ignored them entirely.

There you are, love.

The corners of his mouth twitched upward.

Then his nose caught something else—a strange, unfamiliar scent mixed with the lotus. One he didn’t recognize, but hated instantly.

His smile vanished. His jaw tightened in involuntary irritation. His eyes narrowed, and he picked up his pace.

Behind him, Nyren kept a steady distance. Her father had asked her to show him around, but Lothe hadn’t bothered to reply before tracking down Seana.

"You’re pushing your body too soon," Nyren noted.

Lothe didn’t answer. He turned a corner, leaving her behind without a second glance.

She followed anyway. She already knew where he was heading. Seana. Of course.

The stone path opened into a quiet garden.

A small timber pavilion sat beside a clear koi pond, framed by snow-draped peaks and drifting petals.

Lothe stopped at the entrance.

Seana sat inside, dressed in fresh crimson robes. Her long black hair fell over her shoulders, and her complexion was still paler than usual. She was recovering, but she was awake.

The tight knot in Lothe’s chest loosened.

Then he saw the man sitting across from her.

Oren.

A small tray sat on the table between them, holding a steaming porcelain cup.

"Drink it while it’s warm," Oren said. "The physician said it should help restore your vital energy."

Seana picked up the cup. "And you’re sure it won’t make me collapse again?" She couldn’t help but joke.

Oren gave her a weary look. "If it does, I’ll let the physician explain himself."

Seana smiled faintly before taking a sip, how can she be poisoned when she was an alchemist herself.

Oren leaned back in his chair. "Better?"

"A little."

"Good. My father would blame me if you collapsed again."

"Your father would blame the weather if it snowed too much."

Oren laughed. Seana smiled.

And Lothe watched the entire exchange from the entrance. His expression remained calm—almost unnaturally so. Only the slight twitch of his nose betrayed his irritation.

Oren was sitting too close. That was problem one. Problem two was how comfortable Seana looked around him.

Then Lothe’s gaze settled on Oren’s hand, resting near Seana’s elbow, ready to steady her if she became dizzy.

He was beginning to dislike the entire garden.

Nyren stepped up beside him, following his line of sight. Her eyes shifted from Seana to Oren, then back to Lothe. She understood instantly, though a faint trace of curiosity entered her eyes. She said nothing.

Lothe’s fingers moved inside his sleeve. A ripple passed through the space beside him.

Nyren’s eyes narrowed. "Lothe—"

SHING!

A flash of purple cut across the garden.

BOOM!

The table rattled. The porcelain cup jumped.

A long black spear appeared between Seana and Oren, its shaft gleaming with faint purple lines. Its tip stopped inches from Oren’s chest.

A thin wave of spatial pressure spread through the pavilion. The water in the pond rippled, and several petals scattered across the ground.

Silence hit the garden.

Oren stared down at the spear, then slowly lifted his eyes.

Lothe stood at the entrance, one hand still resting inside his sleeve. His expression was perfectly composed.

"You’re sitting rather close."

For a moment, Oren seemed unable to believe what he was seeing. Then his face darkened. "Are you out of your mind?"

Lothe glanced at the spear. "Possibly."

"Get that thing away from me!" Oren shot to his feet.

The porcelain cup trembled on the table. CRACK. A hairline fracture spread across its surface. Small stones around the pavilion began lifting from the ground as his telekinetic power stirred.

"Lothe!" Seana exclaimed.

Oren glared at him. "What the hell is wrong with you? I was helping her!"

"I can see that."

"Then why is your spear pointed at me?"

"Because you were in the way."

Oren’s expression twisted with anger. "You’re unbelievable."

Lothe said nothing.

Behind him, Nyren watched without comment. She had expected Lothe to be cold and difficult, but this was something else entirely. He had barely recovered enough to leave his residence, yet here he was, threatening her brother over a woman he clearly couldn’t bear to be separated from.

Nyren’s gaze lingered on him briefly before she looked away toward Seana, having no intention of involving herself in their quarrel.

Then the spear shifted slightly.

"Move away from her," Lothe said.

Oren’s jaw tightened. "Or what?"

The stones hovering around Oren stopped in midair.

"Or I’ll move you."

"LOTHE!"

Seana’s voice cut through the pavilion. Lothe immediately looked at her, the coldness in his expression easing.

"Little Fox."

Seana stared at him, then at the spear. "Seriously?"

Oren’s eyes seemed to fracture upon hearing Seana call Lothe by a nickname. His face returned to a calm mask, but Lothe caught the micro-expression, which made him smirk.

"What?" Lothe asked.

"You’ve been unconscious for three days, and this is the first thing you do after finding me?"

"I didn’t do anything." Oren pointed at the weapon. "Your spear is practically touching my chest!"

Lothe glanced at him. "Then perhaps you should stop standing in front of it."

"Stop it!" Seana snapped.

He fell silent. She turned toward him. "Put it away."

Lothe’s eyes moved back to Oren. "He was touching you."

"I was trying to keep her from falling!" Oren shot back.

"How considerate."

"I said, that’s enough!" Seana’s voice sharpened. "Put it away. Now."

Lothe looked at her for a moment before sighing. "Fine."

He lifted his fingers. The spear vanished in a flash of purple, returning to his Soul Manor. The spatial pressure disappeared. The stones dropped to the ground.

THUD. THUD. THUD.

Oren stepped away from the table, dragging a hand through his hair. "Unbelievable."

He turned toward Seana. "Are you all right?"

"I’m fine."

He glanced at Lothe before looking back at her. "That thing nearly—"

"I’m fine, Oren."

He stopped. His expression softened, but the anger hadn’t left his eyes. Then he faced Lothe. "Don’t point a weapon at me again."

Lothe raised an eyebrow. "Then don’t give me a reason to."

Oren stared at him. "You’re doing this on purpose."?