Chapter 1543: Sweet Words and Fireballs ( 1543 )

Aelius stifled his laugh, his shoulders shaking as he pressed a hand against his mouth. Marcellus let out a loud, booming laugh, his head thrown back as he clutched his stomach. Cedric simply shook his head, a wry smile tugging at his lips.

Javier held the megaphone in one hand and a unique, floating cube device in the other. The cube pulsed with a soft, shifting glow, its surface rippling with magical frequencies. He adjusted his throat with a dramatic clearing sound before speaking into the megaphone again, his voice perfectly modulated through the device into Emeline’s soft, feminine tone.

"He’s handsome... and so, so my type~"

Marcellus collapsed onto the sand, rolling with laughter as he clutched his stomach. Tears streamed from the corners of his eyes.

Aelius pressed both hands against his mouth, his shoulders trembling violently as he struggled to contain his laughter.

Cedric just smiled, shaking his head slowly as he crossed his arms.

"There’s no way that girl... no, any girl would say it like that."

Javier placed both hands on his hips, wiggling his eyebrows at Cedric with a mischievous grin.

"Doesn’t matter~ This will make Heres come running here any minute now~"

Aelius glanced at Javier, still trying his best to calm himself down, his shoulders trembling with suppressed laughter.

"Are you sure this won’t cause trouble for him? With Kliatana, I mean. She’s not exactly the type to let something like this slide, you know."

Javier paused for a moment, tilting his head as if considering the thought. Then he shrugged, a cheeky grin spreading across his face as he rubbed his palms together.

"It’s his fault for charming a girl in that simulation without checking properly if she was real or not~"

He let out a low, mischievous chuckle.

"Besides, Kliatana knows it’s just a prank. Probably. Maybe. Hopefully."

Meanwhile, at the grill, Liana let out a weary exhale, shaking her head slowly as she glanced toward the brothers.

"Young Master is going to be in trouble with Kliatana later."

Athine let out a soft laugh, her eyes warm as she watched the scene unfold.

"Those brothers... they never change. Even with all of them grown up, married, and about to become fathers, they still act like mischievous boys when they’re together, especially when Javier is with them. Poor Heres, always ends up as their target. But..."

She smiled warmly, her eyes softening. "It’s endearing, isn’t it? Seeing them like this. Most families with that much power and responsibility never get to enjoy moments like these. But they do. They always find time to be brothers first."

Liana glanced at Javier, who was laughing with his brothers, his carefree grin bright and warm under the sun. She let out a soft exhale, her eyes softening as she watched him. Her voice came out in a low, gentle murmur.

"Yes... that’s true."

Mimi arrived at Liana’s side, her eyes landing on the huge rainbow fruit resting on the cutting board. She tilted her head, her tail swaying lazily behind her.

"Nya?"

She tilted her head, her gaze darting between the fruit and Liana. Slowly, carefully, her hand crept toward a slice that had already been cut and placed on a nearby plate. She took a small step back, putting a bit of distance between herself and Liana, before crouching down and popping the slice into her mouth.

She chewed once, twice, then her eyes widened. She gulped it down whole, licked her lips, and her tail swayed in pure delight. She crept toward the plate again, her hand reaching for another slice.

Liana turned just in time and flicked Mimi’s forehead.

"Nyaaa! Big sis!"

Liana placed her hands on her hips, her voice calm but firm. "You already took a few slices, Mimi. This fruit is rare, and it needs to be served to everyone. If you keep sneaking pieces, there won’t be enough for dessert, drinks, and a few other dishes I’m planning."

Mimi pursed her lips, tapping her index fingers together in front of her chest, her tail flicking innocently behind her. Her voice came out in a sweet, coaxing tone.

"Nya~ But the fruit is huge! If Mimi takes just one more slice, there’ll still be plenty for everyone~"

Liana let out a weary exhale, shaking her head.

"Yes. But Buddy will surely sulk if there’s not enough left for him."

Just as Mimi was about to protest, a panicked voice echoed from the distance. Heres burst out from the path, sprinting across the sand at full speed. His clothes were torn, his hair a mess, and one eye was swollen shut with a dark, purple bruise.

"K... Kliatanaaa!!! I swear I didn’t mean it! It’s Javier’s fault! He tricked me with the simulation!!"

Behind him, Kliatana walked calmly, her sweet smile never fading. A massive, glowing spiky club dragged behind her, carving a deep trench through the sand. Her aura flared around her body, a terrifying mix of fire and raw pressure that made the air itself tremble.

"Don’t put the blame on Javier~" she said, her voice light and melodic. "You should already know how his inventions work. You know how he always pranks everyone. And yet you still fell for it. Honestly, you’re older than him. You should have checked properly."

Her palm rose, and a fireball erupted from her hand, streaking toward Heres. He yelped and dove to the side, the fireball exploding behind him in a burst of heat and sand.

"Even if he tricked you," Kliatana continued sweetly, "you should not have used those charming words on a girl in the simulator. Whispering sweet things, making promises... What was that, hmm~?"

"I... I didn’t know she was real!!" Heres shouted, his voice cracking as he scrambled to his feet and kept running. Another fireball shot toward him, then another, each one exploding just behind his heels. "I’m sorry! I’m sorrryyyy!!"

Kliatana kept smiling, her eyes curved into pleasant crescents. Her spiky club scraped against the sand behind her, and her other palm never stopped firing. Magic orb after magic orb streaked through the air, and Heres dodged them with wild, desperate movements.

"Really~?" she cooed, her voice dripping with honeyed menace. "Then tell me why... you just told me that you didn’t know she was real. But if you were tricked, how did you know to use those words? That means you planned to say them to a real girl, doesn’t it~?"

Heres’s eyes widened in horror.

"W... wait, that’s not..."

"Ah~ So you did mean it~?" Kliatana’s smile widened, and her aura flared brighter. Another fireball, bigger than the others, aimed toward him. "How wonderful~ Then let me show you what happens when my husband uses those words on someone else~"

( End Of Chapter )