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Chapter 264: Sudden ‘Attack’
Aldrian reappeared on the rooftop of his mansion, his gaze fixed on the front garden that had been left in ruins by the fierce clash between the envy devil and Xin Haotian.
Turning his attention to his companions, he noticed the ladies had managed to stabilize themselves, recovering from the lingering effects of the envy devil’s domain. Without hesitation, Aldrian teleported to Eleine, who was seated in quiet meditation, seemingly working to expel the remaining effects of the curse domain.
The curse domain seemed to leave some aftereffects for her and others, as they directly affected their souls.
However, the lingering effects of the curse domain made it difficult for her to fully meditate, as she seemed to struggle with concentration. From time to time, a frown crossed her face, and beads of sweat rolled down her forehead.
Seeing this, Aldrian placed his hand gently on her back and began transferring his golden energy to help expel the remaining effects. A warm sensation surged through her body, and her expression gradually softened, her tension easing.
After a few moments, Eleine finally sighed in relief and slowly opened her eyes. She saw that Aldrian had already returned and smiled at him. She hadn’t been able to sense his arrival when the envy devil released its domain, as she had been fully occupied defending herself from the domain’s powerful effects.
"Have you done your business already?" she asked.
Aldrian nodded, smiling. 𝘯𝑜𝘷𝘱𝘶𝘣.𝘤𝘰𝑚
"Yes."
After that, he excused himself to visit Baek Ji-Min, who was in a situation similar to Eleine’s, though slightly worse. Her lower cultivation level made her more vulnerable, and the lingering negative feelings had begun to stir an inner demon she had already defeated in the past with the help of Aldrian’s golden energy.
Not wasting any more time, Aldrian did the same for Baek Ji-Min, and she was finally able to calm down. Once he finished with her, Aldrian moved toward Sylphia.
Her condition was the worst of the three. With her cultivation still at the peak Viscount stage, she was the most vulnerable. Though her progress had been impressive since Aldrian first saw her three years ago, her current cultivation was still too low to withstand the effects of powerful adversaries like the envy devil. The curse domain was simply too much for her.
She seemed to feel the negative emotions trying to swallow her, and she struggled to resist them with her own will. Unable to meditate at all, she could only lie on her bed, hugging her body for comfort. It was as though she were in the midst of an internal battle, so intense that she couldn’t even sense Aldrian had already arrived beside her.
Aldrian realized that if she couldn’t hold on, she might be consumed by her inner demon.
Aldrian felt a sharp ache in his heart as he looked at her in this state. Without hesitation, he reached out and gently touched her hand from the bedside. Channeling his golden energy into her body, he watched as the frown on Sylphia’s face slowly receded. Her stiff body began to relax, the tension gradually easing.
After a few moments, a serene expression finally returned to Sylphia’s beautiful face. She looked like a sleeping beauty, free from any worries in the world. Aldrian smiled, relieved that Sylphia was no longer in pain and could finally sleep peacefully. He was about to stand up when he noticed Sylphia’s eyes tremble and slowly open, revealing her stunning blue eyes, almost identical to Aldrian’s.
The first thing Sylphia saw was Aldrian’s smiling face, and it warmed her heart. Without hesitation, she hugged him tightly, burying herself in his sturdy body. She inhaled his scent, as if it were the only thing that could calm her restless mind.
Aldrian, caught off guard by the sudden hug, widened his eyes. He looked at Sylphia, surprised by her boldness. Since the first time he had known her, she had never shown this kind of bold behavior. While their relationship had grown closer over time, and their actions had become more intimate, they had never hugged each other before.
Sylphia’s soft body pressed against him, sending a new, unfamiliar sensation through Aldrian. The warmth of her body was undeniable, but he could also sense the longing and anxiety that lingered within her. A warm smile spread across his face as he gently embraced her in return. For the first time, he could truly feel the fullness of her body in his arms, and he allowed himself to savor the moment.
After a few minutes of serene silence, Sylphia finally released her hug and moved her head away from his chest. Aldrian smiled gently as he looked at her, but he couldn’t see her face since she had lowered her head. However, he could tell that she was flustered, her cheeks flushed with a deep blush as she tried to calm herself.
"How do you feel? Is there any problem with your body or any discomfort?" Aldrian asked, his voice soft and reassuring, making Sylphia’s heart relax. She didn’t answer him, keeping her head lowered. Sensing her hesitation, Aldrian gently lowered his head to try to see her face.
Suddenly, Aldrian’s eyes widened in shock as Sylphia moved her head quickly. Their faces were so close that her sudden movement left him no time to react. In an instant, Sylphia raised her head and, with a swift motion, pressed her lips to his. The only thing Aldrian could feel was the unexpected softness of Sylphia’s lips against his.
He was so shocked that he froze, unable to move when Sylphia’s lips touched his. For several seconds, he remained still. Sylphia closed her eyes, her beautiful face so close to his that it felt like the closest they had ever been since he met her. Only after three seconds did Sylphia finally pull away, opening her eyes. As if she had just realized what she had done, her face turned bright red, and she quickly covered herself with the blanket.
Aldrian also flushed, as this was his first time kissing someone—and it was Sylphia, someone he had known for years and whose presence had slowly made him develop feelings beyond friendship. He couldn’t deny that his feelings for her had evolved, and slowly he saw her not just as a friend, but as a woman.
He found himself enjoying the feeling, and the sudden kiss lingered in his memory as he lightly touched his lips with his fingers, savoring the sensation. He glanced at Sylphia’s cute reaction, a smile forming on his face. Gently, he reached out and touched the blanket where she had hidden herself.
"Sylphia?" he said softly.
But there was only silence, no answer. Aldrian fell quiet as well, lifting his hand from the blanket. He then masked his presence completely, making sure she couldn’t sense even the faintest trace of his breath.
After a minute or so, Sylphia finally braced herself, thinking that Aldrian had already left. She peeked from the edge of the blanket, only to be shocked to see Aldrian still beside her, smiling warmly at her. She couldn’t detect any sign of his presence, even though he was right in front of her. Instantly, she tried to cover herself again, but Aldrian was faster this time. He gently but firmly grabbed her hand, just enough to prevent her from hiding herself.
Sylphia tried to resist with all her might, determined to cover herself again and hide her shy face from Aldrian. However, Aldrian’s strength was far beyond what she could resist. Finally, she gave up, but she still lowered her head, trying to hide her face.
Seeing her avoid his gaze only made her seem even cuter to Aldrian. With a soft smile, he lifted his hand and gently touched her cheek.
"Sylphia, look at me," he said in a soft tone.
After a few moments, Sylphia finally raised her head and met his gaze. Her face, still flushed with embarrassment, only added to her cuteness in Aldrian’s eyes. He stroked her cheek gently and asked,
"What happened to you, to suddenly ’attack’ me, hmm?" His voice carried a playful, joking tone.
Sylphia, still shyly gazing at his face, slightly lowered her head again. After a moment, she adjusted her sit position, leaning against the headboard, though she kept her head lowered. Finally, her voice resounded softly.
"I just experienced something terrible. It felt like I wasn’t myself... the negative thoughts started to influence me, especially envy. I suddenly felt envy for no reason, envy for things I shouldn’t have felt envy for. It’s really hard to explain, but I felt like I was falling into my own negative feelings."
"At the time, I was so scared... scared that I would lose myself, and in the end, lose you. I was afraid of not feeling your presence anymore, not feeling your touch anymore. It was horrible, and then came a feeling of regret. I regretted not moving closer to you, not feeling more of your touch, not experiencing more of you. I feel deeply regretful." Her voice grew smaller and smaller as she spoke, clearly overwhelmed by shyness.
However, as she remembered what she had just felt, it gave her the courage to explain it all to Aldrian. She truly meant everything she said and didn’t regret expressing it to him now. She lowered her head, trying to hide her expression, but suddenly, she was shocked to find her upper body leaning to the side, resting against Aldrian’s shoulder.
She was stunned to realize that Aldrian had already moved to her right side on the bed and was sitting relaxed with his back against the headboard. It was as if he had teleported there from her left side. His hand gently touched her head, guiding her to lean against his shoulder.
"You don’t want to feel any regret, right? Then I’ll make sure you won’t feel that way anymore in the future."
