Chapter 50: The Flustered Scarlet

Chapter 50: Chapter 50: The Flustered Scarlet

The exact moment the supreme ruler of the empire finalized his grand speech, every single noble scion, parent, and attendant inside the reception hall bent their knees, dropping onto one knee in perfect, synchronized harmony as their voices echoed through the room.

"Your Majesty!"

Emperor Drakon raised his right hand through the air, his imposing, deep voice carrying a remarkably calm cadence.

"You may all rise."

In unison, the gathered families stood up, straightening their postures as they respectfully directed their focus toward the members of the Royal Family.

Emperor Dragon turned his sharp, piercing gaze toward his daughter, a warm look softening his features as he spoke softly.

"Elysaria, why don’t you introduce yourself to the young scions of the ducal houses while the adults step aside to discuss some matters?"

Receiving the clear verbal signal, Princess Elysaria gracefully stepped down the final flight of the grand staircase, heading directly toward the private section of the hall where the young children of the ducal families were gathered.

At the exact same moment, the four distinct young prodigies shifted their positions, marching forward to converge near her path.

Alex Storm led the group on the left. The young scion had grown significantly over the past five internal years, transforming into a remarkably handsome man who commanded a towering, 180-cm tall frame.

He was clad in an elegant, perfectly tailored blue suit that matched his short blue hair, his eyes shining with a vibrant blue light filled with deep curiosity and a delighted expression as he looked at his peers.

Walking right next to his shoulder was the daughter of Duke Aurelius, Anastasia Crownshield. She stood at a towering height of 178 cm, her long, silky blonde hair cascading gracefully down her back.

Her beautiful brown eyes occasionally snuck subtle, curiosity glances toward Alex’s posture, while a faint, elegant blush lightly flashed across her smooth cheeks.

Positioned next to her frame was none other than Sophia Solaris.

Over the course of the past five years, she had fully transformed into a breathtakingly beautiful, yet intensely fierce and volatile maiden.

She possessed long, vibrant red hair paired with a set of sharp red eyes, commanding a statuesque, towering frame of 183 cm.

Today, she was dressed in a magnificent, highly elegant crimson gown that perfectly complemented her lineage.

Yet, despite her fierce reputation ahe has earned in the bast 5 years, her slender hands were currently fumbling together in a state of intense shyness and embarrassment.

She was desperately stealing non-stop glances toward Aeon’s position, her entire face flushing a deep, brilliant crimson the exact second she processed the reality that this magnificent young man was indeed the Aeon she remembered.

’He has changed so much.. Just look at how incredibly tall he has grown!’ Sophia’s erratic thoughts screamed inside her own mind, her inner voice completely frantic.

’Look at those broad shoulders! That breathtakingly handsome face! And those captivating cosmic eyes... Ooh, he has literally transformed into the perfect prince. I love you, Aeon! I love you so much! I love you, I love you, I love you...’

Cough! Cough!

Aeon suddenly let out a series of forced coughs, his cosmic eyes widening in absolute surprise as his mind processed a cascade of sentences he was fundamentally never supposed to hear. ’

Holy shit... Girl, you need to stop screaming "I love you" over and over again inside your head,’ Aeon thought to himself, a sudden shiver passing through his body. ’

You are literally giving goosebumps right now.’

A moment ago, the chaotic waves of Sophia’s thoughts had completely bypassed his mental barriers, ringing clearly within his consciousness.

This anomalous of hearing a beings thoughts was the direct, passive/active ability of his Soul Path cultivation.

Telepathy—an ability anchored within the higher-tier ranks of soul mastery—a practitioner can effortlessly read the active thoughts of a designated target, regardless of whether those thoughts reside within their deep subconscious or their active, conscious awareness.

Standardly, this level of mind-reading was a high level ability even the most talented Spiritual Path masters could not execute until their Infant Soul had successfully achieved the full physical development of an Adult stage.

However, even though Aeon had sealed most of his powers at D-rank, it still allowed his mind to effortlessly intercept the thoughts of any entity sitting up to two major ranks above his current current, spanning a staggering radius of approximately 100,000 kilometers.

He found himself both deeply shocked and intensely amused by the sheer magnitude of Sophia’s frantic inner thoughs.

Turning his eyes, he casually glanced in her direction, catching her completely off guard right as she was attempting to sneak another peek at his face.

The sudden eye contact left her thoroughly flustered, her hands shaking as she rapidly looked away.

Walking right next to Aeon’s side was Damian Darkmore. The gloomy scion possessed the defining ancestral characteristics of his house, bearing deep black hair paired with a set of cold black eyes that mapped a pale, unmoving facial structure.

His eyes were tightly crooked from years of constant frowning, radiating a thick, heavy layer of unyielding arrogance.

Within moments, Princess Elysaria successfully reached their designated section of the hall.

In accordance with imperial culture, all the young ducal dragons bowed their heads in deep respect.

She slowly extended her right hand forward, presenting it toward the group.

This was the traditional, signature greeting routine many places, a formal custom where the young males of the master houses were required to gently take her hand for a brief second to execute a light kiss against her knuckles.

Witnessing the presentation, Aeon stepped forward first, a smile playing across his face.

’Heh... I was honestly wondering what kind of scenario I would have to come up just to physically touch her and bond with her.’

Aeon mused in deep internal gratitude. ’I have to send my at most thanks to whomever initially established this greeting custom.’

He brought his towering frame to a halt right in front of the golden-haired beauty standing before him.

The young princess slowly lifted her head, her beautiful golden eyes locking straight into Aeon’s cosmic pupils.

She stood at a graceful height of 179 cm, clad in a breathtaking royal gown that perfectly showcased her absolute majesty.

The exact moment their gazes met, a soft, radiant blush instantly painted her cheeks. Aeon smiled smoothly, gently taking her slender hand in his grip before bending down to press a light, flawlessly polite kiss against her skin.

Right on cue, the crisp chime of his system echoed inside his mind.

[DING]

[You have successfully touched a tourget]

[Do you wish to initialize the Boundless Bond]

Aeon didn’t waste a single moment, and immediately responded. ’Yes.’

[DING]

[Binding target, Elysaria Drakonius]

[Binding Successfully]

[You have successfully bonded with the target.]

[Do you wish to initiate 100× return]

’No. Not now.’ Aeon commanded internally, planning to save the return for a more private setting.

Having flawlessly secured his primary mission, Aeon smoothly released her hand and stepped back into his original position, allowing Alex and Damian to smoothly step forward to complete their respective greetings.

But the exact millisecond he kissed Elysari’s hand, his telepathy violently flared again, and he nearly choked on his own saliva as a fresh wave of screaming thoughts hit his mind.

’No! No, no, nooooo!’ Sophia’s internal thoughts shrieked in a bloodcurdling mental panic, her thoughts completely fracturing.

’Why on earth did you kiss her hand?! I was supposed to be the only girl allowed to hold your attention! If I ever discover the person initially created this greeting tradition, I swear I will slaughter them regardless of the consequences! I will literally tear their soul into pieces...!’

Listening to her non-stop, unhinged mental threats, Aeon felt a wave of genuine goosebumps mapping his skin.

He couldn’t help but blink, a deeply amused thought crossing his awareness. ’Where exactly did my shy, quiet, and beautifully innocent little girl disappear to? Well... on the bright side, this hidden, possessive side of her character is actually incredibly cute.’

He found himself genuinely liking this intense, fiery facet of her personality, a soft smile appeared across his features.

Deciding to play along, he casually lifted his right hand, gently resting his palm against the top of Sophia’s crimson hair, softly stroking her head.

"Hey there, cutie," Aeon murmured in a low, teasing whisper, deliberately targeting her to shatter her remaining composure.

"What exactly is running through that mind of yours right now? Don’t tell me... are you thinking about me?" He shameless said as he pointed a finger at his chest.

Sophia’s entire body went completely rigid from the sudden physical touch and the smooth cadence of his voice.

Her mind short-circuited entirely, causing her face to flush a deep, explosive crimson color that far outscaled her previous blush.

When she finally attempted to vocalize a response, her words came out staccato and broken, sounding exactly like a broken record.

"N... N... No! I... I wasn’t! I was completely thinking about a entirely separate matter!"

Aeon maintained his smooth smile, clenching his teeth to forcefully hold back a sudden urge to burst into laughter.

"Hmm. Is that so? That is truly sad," he sighed aloud, deliberately shifting his eyes to showcase a beautifully feigned, deeply disappointed expression.

"I was honestly hoping that you were thinking about me."

Witnessing his crestfallen expression, Sophia’s body temperature skyrocketed past its physical boundaries. Her head turned a solid, burning red, and a literal, visual wave of imaginary steam began to drift over her hair.

The extreme rush of blood pressure to her brain completely overwhelmed her, and her nose violently erupted.

Puff!

Seeing a sudden stream of blood escape her nose, Aeon was taken completely aback, his mind short-circuiting for a second.

’Holy shit... wasn’t a sudden, massive nosebleed from pure aesthetic overload supposed to be a signature reaction for perverted male characters in the anime?’ Aeon said frantically in his mind, instantly stepping forward to close the distance as genuine concern filled his posture.

"Sophia! Are you alright? Here, use this immediately," Aeon stated urgently, extending his hand to firmly grip her shoulder to stabilize her balance while pulling a silk handkerchief from his breast pocket.

Sophia reached out her trembling hand to claim the silk cloth, lifting it up to wipe away the blood. But the exact econd the fabric drew near her face, and her sharp senses siphoned the pure odor of Aeon’s scent locked within the fibers...

Puff!

A vastly large of crimson blood gushed straight out of her nose, her eyes rolling back into her head as her balance completely failed, causing her body to fall straight backward onto the floor.

Moving fast, Aeon darted forward, catching her limp body securely in his arms before she could impact the marble tiles, staring down at her unmoving face with deep concern.

’Alright... I should definitely stop teasing her this intensely from now on,’ Aeon thought to himself, completely making a hard rule for himself.

’But damn... she really is too cute.’

Standing across them, the other young ducal scions stared blankly at the chaotic scene.

Alex and Damian held expressions of total, wide-eyed confusion and deep concern, while Princess Elysaria and Anastasia Crownshield shared a quiet, knowing, and deeply amused look with one another.

Concurrently, over at the opposite side of the reception hall, the gathered adult ducal leaders looked across the space and let out a series of low, hearty laughs, perfectly understanding the romantic nature of the situation.

"Hahahaha!"

William Storm shook his head from side to side, a wide grin mapping his face. "Kids these days "

Amelia Solaris chuckled softly beside him, though she kept a motherly, attentive eye on her daughter’s form.

"Look at that boy Aeon. I bet that he deliberately did that on purpose just to fluster my girl."

Standing right beside her posture, the towering, muscular frame of Ignis Solaris burst into a loud, booming laugh.

"True! The kid undeniably knows his way around romantic maneuvers. It makes me wonder if he is just as incredibly proficient when it comes to a real fight." He gently stroked his jaw, his eyes flashing with an intense martial desire to test the boy’s strength.

The exact second the battle-hungry words left his mouth, a heavy hand slammed squarely against the back of his skull.

BAAM!

Amelia forcefully slapped the back of his head in deep annoyance, glaring at her husband with an unmasked, murderous intent that sent a chill through the air.

Ignis instantly broke into a nervous sweat, lowering his shoulders as he frantically raised his hands in an immediate apology.

"Okay! Okay, my bad, dear! Rule number one of house gatherings; zero talk regarding combat or training duels in public spaces. The lesson is duly noted."

Witnessing the chaotic domestic dispute between the Solaris leaders, the remaining adults broke into another wave of deep laughter—the lighthearted atmosphere even causing the Emperor himself to chuck softly, throwing away his standard, rigid royal posture as the entire hall filled with warmth.

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