Adrian's declaration hung in the air, leaving everyone speechless. Rosalyn, in particular, felt her heart skip a beat.
The words "I agreed to be her teacher" resonated deeply, igniting a storm of embarrassment.
Memories of their earlier role-play sex as teacher and student flashed vividly through her mind.
Unable to meet anyone's gaze, Rosalyn instinctively lowered her head, her cheeks a vibrant shade of crimson.
As they heard the word teacher, everyone had turned their heads towards Rosalyn as they had come to know of this matter from her mouth, since they forced her to spill beans for stealing a march on Adrian.
The room buzzed with reactions. Isabella's expression was unreadable, though her sharp eyes darted toward Rosalyn.
Sophia squinted, suspicion brewing as she scrutinized Rosalyn's silence. With a soft but pointed voice, she broke the tension.
"Adrian… did you do something to that Countess?" Her eyes narrowed further, her tone laced with implication. "Like you did with Rosalyn?"
The room fell into an even deeper hush. All eyes turned to Rosalyn, who stiffened under the collective gaze.
Gasps erupted, followed by awkward coughs as the women processed the revelation. Adrian, finding the situation both amusing and slightly chaotic, let out a low chuckle.
Sophia's brows furrowed further, her suspicions growing. "Adrian," she pressed, "what exactly did you agree to with that Countess?"
Still chuckling, Adrian decided to quell their concerns. "Relax," he said, raising a hand in a calming gesture.
"No, I haven't done anything like that with Mira. Let me tell you a little secret…" He leaned in slightly, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "That Countess isn't even interested in men."
The declaration landed like a thunderclap. Rosalyn blinked in shock, her embarrassment momentarily forgotten. Sophia, caught off guard, fumbled for words. "Wait… what?"
Adrian nodded, his grin widening. "That's right. She's into women. Apparently, finding out I have such extraordinary beauties like you all as my women piqued her interest. She asked me to teach her the art of seduction—specifically, how to win over women."
Sophia's mouth opened, then closed as she struggled to process the information. "That's… um…" She cleared her throat, searching for something to say. "Impressive, I suppose?"
Seraphina, ever the composed Royal Mage, didn't even bat an eye. "It's not unusual," she said with a shrug, her fiery red hair catching the sunlight.
"Among nobles, such arrangements are far more common than you'd think. In fact, this could be beneficial for our family. An alliance with the Blackthorn family could significantly strengthen our position."
Adrian turned to his aunt, his expression thoughtful. "That reminds me," he said. "Should we tell her the truth about what happened at Mortimer Castle? It might be a good way to gauge her sincerity."
Seraphina tapped her chin, her piercing blue eyes narrowing in contemplation. "Not yet," she replied.
"Let's wait and see how she acts. If the Blackthorn family demonstrates good faith, we can consider it. But if they don't…" Her voice trailed off, a shadow of caution crossing her features.
"There's no need to share our secrets so freely. Don't forget what happened when we attacked Mortimer's castle." New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on NoveI~Fire.net
Adrian's gaze darkened briefly, recalling the intensity of that battle. "You're right," he admitted. "I may have gotten too excited. We'll tread carefully this time."
Isabella, who had been quiet until now, interjected. "How will you gauge her sincerity, Adrian? It's not as though she'll wear her intentions openly."
Adrian smirked, his confidence returning. "Ah, that's where things get interesting." He paused for effect, his sharp gaze sweeping over the room.
"When I appraised Mira earlier, I couldn't read any of her attributes or stats."
Adrian had already informed them of his ability to view other people's stats and attributes. So, it was no surprise that he would try to view Mira's attributes as well.
A collective murmur rippled through the room. Seraphina's eyes widened slightly, her interest piqued. "You mean your technique can't read her stats like mine?"
Adrian nodded. "Exactly. Just like you, Aunt Seraphina, her stats are completely covered with question marks. That means she's a Third-Class Awakened as my technique can only show me stats of someone who is one rank higher than me."
The revelation left everyone reeling once again. Third-Class Awakened individuals were rare, their power leagues beyond the average noble.
To have such a person in their orbit was both an opportunity and a potential threat.
Sophia crossed her arms, her expression still skeptical.
“So, you’re saying she’s a Third-Class Awakened who’s into women and wants you to teach her how to seduce them?”
She shook her head, an incredulous laugh escaping her lips. “You really do attract the strangest people, Adrian.”
Isabella’s sharp laughter cut through the room, drawing everyone’s attention.
Her platinum blonde hair shimmered as she tilted her head, feigning mock offense.
"Oh, Sera," she said with a sly grin, "are you implying that we—your loving family—are also ‘strange people’?"
Seraphina arched an elegant brow, her lips twitching in amusement. "Well," she began, her voice as smooth as silk, "considering our situation, big sister, we’ve found ourselves in, would you really deny it?"
Isabella gasped theatrically, placing a hand on her chest. "Adrian, are you hearing this? Your dear aunt is calling us strange!"
Sophia huffed dramatically, crossing her arms with a mock pout. "Hmph! Aunt Sera, you might be strange, but don’t lump me in with you lot."
She turned sharply, a mischievous glint in her eyes, and marched over to Adrian. Before anyone could react, she latched onto his arm, pressing her breasts against his arms.
"Right, my dear little brother?" she cooed, her voice dripping with exaggerated sweetness as she gazed up at him with a smirk.
Adrian blinked, though a small smirk tugged at his lips. "Sophia," he said, his tone a mix of amusement and exasperation, "what are you doing?"
"Just proving my point," Sophia declared, sticking out her tongue at Seraphina. "See? Not strange at all. Completely normal!"
Seraphina couldn’t help but chuckle, shaking her head. "Oh, Sophia," she mused, her blue eyes twinkling with amusement.
"You call this ‘normal’? Clinging to your little brother and acting like a spoiled child?"
Sophia turned her head away dramatically, though she didn’t loosen her grip on Adrian. "It’s not childish. It’s… bonding. Right, Adrian?"
Adrian chuckled, patting her head lightly. "Sure, let’s call it bonding."
Isabella raised an eyebrow, her lips twitching as she fought back laughter. "Well, I suppose if we’re all strange, at least we’re entertaining."
She gestured toward Sophia with a teasing smile. "Though some of us are more entertaining than others."
Sophia stuck her tongue out at her mother, though her cheeks were tinged with pink.
Rosalyn, watching the exchange, giggled softly, the tension from earlier melting away. "This family dynamic is… certainly unique," she murmured, shaking her head.
Eve who had been silent this whole time, sneaked and took Adrian's other free arm and clinged to him like Sophia, pressing her breasts even harder against Adrian's arm.