Last Born Of The Desdemona

Chapter 207: Chapter 207: Farewells [2]

Chapter 207 – Farewells [2]

"Impossible!" Esmeray blurted out in disbelief, looking at Dorian as if he were a monster from another world come to haunt her dreams.

The feeling inside her grew more and more intense, confirming the ridiculous, dreadful thought slowly sprouting in her mind.

’No, no, no! He can’t be him! What kind of nightmare is this?!’

"What’s wrong with you, Esmeray?" Her mother asked, bringing her back to a semblance of her senses. She took a sharp breath, realising she hadn’t been breathing all this time, and looked around her.

All of them were staring at her with puzzled eyes, not understanding what exactly she was doing.

Dorian was even more confused. He didn’t seem to have any idea what had made Esmeray act this way.

However, Raven was looking at her skeptically, his eyes narrowed, as if trying to deduce something from it.

That possibility made Esmeray shudder, feeling like the toll of doom. In an instant, she put on her most shameless, harmless smile and locked her arm tightly around Dorian’s.

"Oh my, did I overreact, hehe?"

’No, they mustn’t find out. And maybe this is all a mistake. I’m simply overstimulated by the Test.’

She hid her wry smile and trembling voice and continued, "I was just so surprised to see you, my dear nephew! How long has it been? It’s been ten years, maybe even more!"

"Nephew?" Dorian’s lips twitched hard as he looked at Esmeray’s young face. "I’m older than you, Esmeray."

"It doesn’t change the fact, though. Call me aunt, like Cassius. He’s annoying, but he’s quite polite."

She could almost hear Cassius rolling his eyes.

"Let go of my hand." Dorian said. "You’re too close."

"Too beautiful?"

’Curse my life! What’s wrong with me?’ Esmeray shouted inwardly, maintaining a perfectly calm face. ’Why am I afraid and excited at the same time? Is it really him? Bliss? The Patron of Bliss? The one who fucked me until I passed out?’

Granted, that last thought was better left unspoken, but she couldn’t help voicing it inwardly and feeling a shiver run down her spine.

She gulped, and Dorian narrowed his crimson eyes.

"Beautiful?" His face scrunched up as if he were facing a rather distasteful dish. "Who?"

’This bastard!’

"Are you—!"

"Now, isn’t this interesting?" Morenna cut in with a smile, looking between Esmeray and Dorian. "You two never got along when you were young. Now look at you, bantering like long-lost friends."

Morenna giggled happily. And Esmeray turned her face away, her eyes quivering.

’If only you knew, mother...’

She was still praying this was a mistake. For that, she needed to confirm it.

’But how?’

"You’re mistaken, grandmother." Dorian replied. "I’m not bantering with her at all. Can’t you see she’s overstepping my personal space? Could you tell her to let go of my hand?"

"Hey, what personal space? Stop acting mysterious and give me your number!" Esmeray said abruptly, taking out the phone the Academy had given her and pointing it at Dorian.

All of them instantly narrowed their eyes suspiciously at her words.

Esmeray did her best to ignore them.

But it was true that her behaviour must have looked deeply strange to them.

After all, the Academy phone only allowed five phone numbers for people outside the school. Each one was therefore important, and she was wasting one on Dorian.

’Argh... I’d be suspicious too.’

"My number? For what?" Dorian said with an arched eyebrow.

"Aren’t we family? Just give it to me. Maybe I’ll need your help in the Academy, who knows? You have quite the reputation there."

"The Twins will help you. No, Cassius will be enough. You don’t need mine."

’This annoying guy! He’s definitely Bliss! Always rejecting a beautiful princess like me, damn bastard!’

"Are you playing hard to get, my dear nephew?" Her eye was twitching, and she leaned in slightly, whispering rapidly under her breath, "You’d better accept before I lose control. I’m sure you don’t want me to say what I want to say in front of everyone."

Dorian frowned slightly at her words, but Esmeray only smiled beautifully, showing teeth so white and well-positioned they looked artificial.

Their families seemed to be growing more suspicious. However, fortunately for her, Dorian was a cautious and decisive man.

He relented, his voice taut. "As you wish."

"Good nephew. Do you want auntie to give you a kiss for being a good boy?"

"Esmeray, let go."

He pushed her away, and Esmeray giggled, half nervous and half excited.

’Ahh... my body’s getting hot. It’s been a while since I did it. Argh. But today is different from my usual lust, where I’d want just anyone. This time...’

Esmeray smiled with hidden horror mixed with a profoundly guilty pleasure.

’...I want my own nephew.’

She was doomed. And she would be even more so when her parents found out.

No...before that, Esmeray was more concerned about how Dorian would take all of this... if he truly was Bliss.

’Stop fooling yourself. He’s Bliss, damn it. I fucked my own nephew. I did the very thing my mother and father forbade me to do...’

...sleeping with family.

She remembered scorning them; what right did they have to forbid it when they had done the same?

But now that she thought about it, she realised that perhaps it was precisely because they had done it that they knew the danger behind it.

However, there was one single problem.

’You certainly can’t blame me if I did it without knowing who he was.’

But then why was she thinking of doing it again?

Esmeray bit the inside of her lip as she saved Dorian’s number and flashed him a smile he ignored.

’Curse my life.’

...

’Strange.’ Cassius thought, watching Esmeray fidget around Dorian.

He tilted his head, not minding his mother and sister caressing his hair and cheeks.

"Did something happen between those two that I don’t know about?" He asked.

"Do you think I know anything about Dorian’s life?" Morgan rolled her eyes.

"As ashamed as I am to say it... I don’t know either." Sefira sighed, wondering why her second child loved to do everything alone.

Cassius shrugged, not particularly caring. He looked at his watch and saw only five minutes were left of the time the Dean had granted them.

Sefira noticed his action and realised it was time for farewells. Her heart quaked with apprehension, but she gathered herself and pushed her eldest daughter away.

"Hey!"

"Quiet, Morgan. I need to speak with my baby alone." She shooed her off, ignoring her grumbling, then took Cassius aside, alone.

"Something wrong?" He asked.

"I just wanted to give you this." Sefira took out two miniature blood puppets that looked exactly like her and Aldrin. "These are my Soul Blood Puppets. As long as they remain intact, know that we are okay."

Cassius immediately felt a sinking bad feeling. "Why are you giving me this?"

"Because your father and I are going to be away for a while." She whispered, kissing his forehead. "This is just to put your mind at ease, okay? Nothing is going to happen to us."

’That’s a bloody red flag right there, mother.’ Cassius cursed inwardly. ’Is this because they want to rank up?’

"Is it going to be dangerous?" He asked, worried. "Tell me... you’re not doing anything that would make the gods angry with you, right? And I mean angry to the point of sending down lightning?"

’I think it’s far too late for that, my baby.’ Sefira mused with a nervous laugh, then said, "We won’t go that far. Just a bit of training."

"Hm. Is that so?"

"Of course, yes."

After talking more with his mother about the situation, Cassius relented and accepted the two blood puppets.

Next, his mother also gave him an artifact: a Tier Four Frozen Heart, an item of the Blood Path.

This was the prize won from Ulrich. Sefira had no use for it, and thought it better to give to her son.

Cassius accepted it gratefully.

He then spoke with his grandmother and grandfather, each praising him and wishing him luck with the Dean as his master.

This continued until the time to depart finally arrived.

Cassius, Raven and Esmeray stood side by side in their uniforms, watching their families with a smile.

Esmeray couldn’t help but steal glances at Dorian. The latter was beginning to grow nervous. And whenever he grew nervous, terrible things happened.

"We’ll be waiting patiently to hear from you again." Morenna said, waving at them. "I expect only the best from you."

"Don’t go easy, Cass!"

"If anyone tries to bully you, tell them I’m waiting for them outside the Academy." Dorian added with a dangerous grin.

Sefira blew him a kiss with tears in her eyes, while Aldrin was absorbing everything to write it down properly later.

The trio nodded with emotion, just in time for a silver runic teleportation circle to appear beneath them.

It glowed with searing light.

<Ready?> the voice asked.

Cassius spared one last glance at his family, then nodded slowly, waving at them at the same time.

And all three disappeared with a soft hushing sound of essence.

The three reappeared high in the sky, amid strange bubble-like clouds, their eyes wide as they looked at the stunningly beautiful city sprawling beneath them.

<Welcome to the Elysia Academy, little monsters.>

—End of Chapter 207—