Northern finally opened his eyes and realized that he was inside a room.
'Did she carry me here? What for?'
He tried to move but suddenly, he realized that he had been bound. His hands and legs were tied so he would not move.
"Don't bother moving, you won't be able to escape here."
The same feminine voice.
Northern raised his head and saw the girl that had taken him sitting at the age of the room, her legs crossed so that her thighs were visible.
Northern tried not to look but the more he did, the more he found himself looking. Even, his eyes wanted to see beyond the thighs.
Aria giggled. "Do you like what you see?" She asked him. She began to trace her long fingers on the exposed part of her skin. "If you want, I can let you see everything."
Northern, a virgin he is almost got tempted but remembering his main purpose here, he shook his head.
"What do you want from me?" He asked Aria, trying not to look at her.
Seeing how he was really trying not to look at her, Aria chuckled in excitement.
"It's not funny and you know it! First, you kidnap me in the middle of a fight, you bring me here, wanting to seduce me... And you are laughing like it's nothing!"
"Are you angry?" Aria asked, rising to her feet. She began a slow steps towards Northern. "Have you forgotten what you promised me?"
Northern blinked. "What?"
Aria chuckled. "You promised to help me obtain the map of the Ice valley, have you forgotten?"
Northern gasped. When did he ever make such a promise.
He closed his eyes and soon, memories began to pour out — memories that belonged to the real owner of the body.
The memories poured into Northern's mind like a flood breaking through a dam. Images flickered before his eyes—faces, laughter, and drunken nights filled with perfume and vanity.
The real Lucas… was the definition of a disgrace.
He saw himself or rather, Lucas—flirting with multiple girls at once, whispering the same sweet words in different ears, making empty promises just to get what he wanted. Lavish parties, flowing wine, and an endless parade of women who adored him for his name, not his worth.
'So this is the guy whose body I took over,' Northern thought, his expression twisting in disbelief. 'A useless playboy who can't keep his pants closed…'
Then another memory surfaced.
Lucas stood before Aria, the very girl now standing before Northern, her beauty just as radiant as now, her eyes bright with hope. Lucas was smiling slyly, his tone dripping with confidence.
"Aria, I'll help you get the map of the Ice Valley. In return, you'll spend one night with me. Deal?"
Aria's face in the memory flushed red, half in anger and half in humiliation, but she had agreed reluctantly. "Fine. A deal is a deal."
The memory ended.
Northern opened his eyes again, staring at the girl now just a few steps away from him. His heart sank. 'So that's what this is about.'
He sighed quietly. "So, the previous me promised you that."
Aria tilted her head, her expression unreadable. "Previous you?" she repeated, her tone edged with amusement. "What are you talking about, Lucas?"
He looked at her calmly. "Let's just say I've changed. I'm not that same fool anymore."
Her lips curved into a small, mocking smile. "Oh really? The great Lucas, suddenly reformed overnight? You must think I'm an idiot."
"I'm telling the truth," Northern replied, his tone firmer now. "I don't remember much, but I can tell you this—I'm not the man who made that promise. So if you brought me here expecting me to flirt or play games, you're wasting your time."
Aria's playful expression faded for a moment. Something in his eyes, his tone, perhaps—felt… different. He wasn't bluffing.
But she quickly masked her surprise with a laugh. "You really are strange today," she said, crouching in front of him. Her long hair brushed his knee, her perfume faint and sweet. "But you know what? I kind of like this new attitude."
Northern frowned. "Untie me, Aria. I don't want to hurt you."
"Hurt me?" she repeated, laughing again. "You couldn't even beat an ice mage in the arena. What makes you think you can hurt me?"
"Don't be deceived by my mere looks. As they say, do not judge a book by its cover," Northern said, rolling his eyes.
"Aren't you even more shameless," Aria scoffed. "What do you say about our deal?"
Northern fell silent for some time. 'She's pretty strong and for now, I do not stand a chance against her. I have to come up with a plan.'
"Hey, don't keep me waiting!" Aria said, her voice rising a bit.
"You know what," Northern said, "I will agree but first, release me so we can talk about this amicably."
"Do not think you can run away from me," Aria said before untying him with a wave of hand.
"This is better," Northern sighed and rose to his feet. As he rubbed his wrists, he continued... "As I was saying, I will help you find the ice valley but on one condition."
Aria narrowed her eyes, she was trying not to get upset. "You made the promise yourself and you still dare to ask me for conditions?"
"You know what... It's not a do or die affair," Northern said, further agitating her. 'Sigh. This isn't her fault though but that of this stupid person. I can not blame her... Still, I have to benefit from this, she seems pretty interested in this ice valley!' "I won't ask you for much."
Aria narrowed her eyes. "What condition?"
"You'll have to be my girlfriend."