Joy's amber eyes narrowed into thin, venomous slits, her golden plush ears pinning completely flat against her head in pure, unadulterated irritation. Before she turned to leave, she slowly raised her hand and flipped Na Tae-man a massive, unapologetic middle finger right in his face.
To Elias, Elicia, and the surrounding Carian patrons, the gesture was a completely unknown, bizarre foreign symbol, but to the Earth-born souls at the table, the message was loud and clear. To top it off, she spat a string of highly colorful, aggressive Delhi curse words under her breath in Hindi before grabbing her basket of fries, spinning on her heel, and storming out of the terrace. Kang Chul-yeong merely let out a cold, unimpressed sigh, adjusting his gloves as he followed right behind her, leaving the wisteria booth to the remaining chaos.
With the background commentary successfully cleared out, Na Tae-man immediately shifted into high-gear romance protagonist mode. He leaned in close next to me on the wooden bench, his face still burning a bright crimson color but his golden-crimson eyes locked onto my single jade-green eye with intense, dramatic focus.
Since we were in public, he forced himself to speak in fluent, dramatic Alatist so he could show off his suave, self-taught charm in front of my family.
"You know, Roxanne… ah, I mean, Lady Eirene, The twilight lanterns in the 7th District are beautiful, but they completely pale in comparison to the radiant glow of your crimson wings. Meeting you here of all places... it must be the work of absolute destiny. Let's share a milkshake again, just like that fateful afternoon." Tae-man murmured, his voice dropping into a low, smooth cadence as he casually pushed the basket of golden-fried potato wedges toward me.
Beside me, Evelyn was practically vibrating with pure, unadulterated mischief. Her voluptuous frame bounced against the bench as she leaned over, poking her fingers into my ribs to tease me while her bioluminescent green hair tips flashed a bright, mocking green.
"Oh wow, big sister! Look at him go! He's using the high-tier romantic dialogue scripts! Are you going to blush again? Is the Crimson Phantom getting defeated by a rookie vanguard's flirting?"
"Evelyn, cease your teases," I whispered back in my chilling, mechanical deadpan, though a very real, intense human blush was already rapidly spreading across my pale, scarred cheeks, my fangs clicking together in flustered irritation.
Across the table, Elicia completely ignored the teenage drama, entirely locked into her sophisticated, academic conversation with Miss Karrie.
"I must admit, Karrie, your sudden resignation left a massive administrative void in Room 1-B, But seeing you so relaxed here in the capital makes me realize how heavy the academy's burdens truly were. Perhaps we can discuss a remote consulting position for Sisiphon City?"
Meanwhile, the true threat to Na Tae-man's existence was sitting right next to Elicia.
Elias had been watching the entire interaction unfold in absolute, heavy silence. His dark eyes had tracked the way Tae-man slid next to me, the way he leaned in, and the distinct, flirtatious tone of his Alatist vocabulary. The overprotective older brother, the legendary 5th-ranked Shadow Walker, slowly leaned forward, placing his heavy, leather-gloved hands flat on the rustic wooden table. A faint, terrifying wisp of pitch-black mana crackled violently around his shoulders, casting a dark, intimidating shadow straight over the teenage gamer's face.
Elias locked his sharp, predatory jade-green stare directly onto Na Tae-man and growled in a low, dangerous, edgy captain's voice:
"Hey. Leather-armor punk. I don't know who the hell you think you are, but you're sitting way too close to my little sister. What did you say your name was again?"
Na Tae-man's entire body went completely rigid. The poetic, light-novel bravado drained out of his face in a single, terrifying second, leaving his cheeks a pale, pasty white as he slowly turned his head to look at the towering mountain of muscle and dark magic sitting across from him.
The pitch-black static crackling around Elias's shoulders cast a heavy, suffocating gloom over our side of the table. To a seasoned gamer like Tae-man, staring into Elias's eyes wasn't just a tough conversation… it was like accidentally aggroing a secret world boss while sitting at level ten.
"I-I... uh..."
Tae-man stammered, his voice squeaking slightly as he clutched his milkshake glass like a shield. He swallowed hard, his South Korean instincts screaming at him to run, but his desire to impress me forced his boots to stay glued to the floor.
"M-My name is Valentine Katt, sir! But my friends call me Na Tae-man! I'm a vanguard recruit!"
"A vanguard recruit, Listen to me very carefully, Valentine. I don't care if you're a Katt, a dog, or a street rat. You're using some pretty bold words for a guy whose posture tells me he couldn't even survive a basic ambush. If I see your shoulder brush against my sister's wings one more time, I will personally introduce you to a level of shadow magic that will make your little light-novel delusions feel like a pleasant dream." Elias repeated, his voice dropping into a freezing, mocking register. He leaned even further across the table, the shadow of his heavy leather duster completely engulfing the boy.
"Elias, stop it! You're completely terrifying the poor boy!" Elicia scolded sharply, breaking her academic conversation with Karrie for a brief moment to swat her older brother's arm. She shook her head, her silver hair swaying with a maternal sigh.
"Honestly, you are entirely too overprotective. Let them have their fun."
Evelyn was practically falling out of her seat with laughter, her head resting on my shoulder as she giggled uncontrollably, the glowing green tips of her hair flashing wildly.
"Oh my gosh, big brother is going full demon mode! Look at Tae-man, he's shaking like a leaf!"
I sat perfectly still, my face burning an incredibly vivid shade of pink that contrasted sharply with my silver hair. Despite my embarrassing flush, I quietly reached under the table and gently tapped the back of Tae-man's hand with my newly healed fingers, a silent, comforting sign that my brother was all bark and no bite.
Tae-man felt the gentle touch and let out a shaky, relieved breath, his eyes darting to my mismatched jade-green and crimson stare. He cleared his throat, trying to regain a shred of his dignity as he looked back at Elias with a nervous, trembling smile.
"R-Right. Understood, Captain Shadow Walker, sir. Just... sharing some quality fast food between friends. Totally platonic. For now."
Elias let out a sharp, deeply annoyed click of his tongue, slowly pulling his intimidating aura back into his duster, though his eyes never left the teenage gamer. With the immediate threat of execution paused, the four of us finally dug into the hot, golden potato wedges, the warm wisteria shade echoing with a chaotic blend of academy gossip, playful sisterly teasing, and the unmistakable, messy joy of a family finally reunited.
I picked up a golden, perfectly fried potato wedge from the basket and popped it into my mouth, chewing quietly as a soft, rare murmur of contentment left my lips.
"The flavor profile is... actually quite nostalgic," I commented in a low, gentle voice, the warm potato bringing back a faint ghost of a memory from a different life.
But before I could even finish swallowing, Na Tae-man's gamer instinct apparently decided to go for a high-risk, legendary-tier maneuver.
Emboldened by my small, gentle gesture from a moment ago, he slid even closer on the wooden bench. With his heart practically hammering against his iron-leather chest plate, he reached out and boldly wrapped his arm right around my waist, pulling my slender frame firmly against his side.
A violent, electric jolt shot straight up my spine, causing my massive crimson wings to snap wide open in a sudden, defensive reflex that scattered a flurry of glowing scarlet embers across the wisteria terrace. My entire face erupted into a vivid, burning crimson color that rivaled my own blood veins. My fangs clicked together in pure, unadulterated shock, and I froze completely solid, my single jade-green eye widening to the size of dinner plates.
Tae-man's face was just as red as mine, but he locked his golden-crimson eyes onto my flustered profile, leaning in so close his breath brushed my cheek as he whispered in smooth, romantic Alatist:
"You know, Eirene... everyone in Caria talks about how terrifying and untouchable the Crimson Phantom is. But sitting here right now, seeing how beautifully you blush under these twilight lanterns... you're not a monster to me at all. You're the most captivating, alluring woman I've ever laid eyes on in either world. I don't care about your wings or your fangs… I just want to be the hero who stands by your side."
The unmasked flattery hit me like a physical blow, making my chest tighten with a dizzying, intense rush of genuine affection. I couldn't even process a proper retort, my brain completely melting from the sheer audacity of his textbook romance lines.
"Oh my goodness! He actually did it! Big sister is completely neutralized! Look at her face, she's practically radiating heat!" Evelyn squealed, slamming her hands onto the table as her voluptuous frame bounced with pure excitement, the bioluminescent green tips of her hair pulsing like a frantic strobe light.
Across the table, the peaceful academic discussion shattered instantly. Elias's jaw dropped so hard it nearly hit his chest plate. For a fraction of a second, the legendary 5th-ranked Shadow Walker looked entirely paralyzed by the sheer, suicidal bravery of the teenage vanguard.
Then, the ambient temperature in the booth plummeted to absolute zero.
"That is IT,"
Elias roared, his edgy captain persona violently exploding into a tidal wave of suffocating, pitch-black shadow mana that caused the wisteria vines above us to tremble. He slammed both boots onto the floor, his dark eyes flashing with a terrifying, murderous glare as he pointed a trembling, leather-gloved finger at Tae-man's hand.
"Remove your arm from her waist this instant, you absolute maniac! I am going to erase your entire lineage from the kingdom's servers!"
"Elias, sit down before you blow our cover and ruin the entire property!" Elicia commanded, her voice cutting through the suffocating darkness with the absolute weight of a grand principal. She reached over, channeling a sharp ripple of divine pressure that forcefully slammed Elias back into his seat, though his dark eyes kept glaring daggers across the table.
Na Tae-man didn't let go. His arm remained locked around my waist, though his entire body was shaking like a glitching game sprite. He looked terrified out of his mind by Elias's murderous aura, yet the stubborn, romantic determination in his golden-crimson eyes didn't waver. He was fully committed to his chosen heroine, ready to take a direct hit from a world boss just to keep this moment alive.
My heart was beating so loudly against my ribs I was certain he could hear it. The burning heat in my cheeks refused to cool down, and my folded crimson wings twitched awkwardly against his leather-armored shoulder. I couldn't remember the last time my cold, analytical mind had been so utterly scrambled.
Evelyn was practically suffocating from laughter, her head burying into the table as she thrashed her legs.
"Ahaha! Look at Eirene! She's totally defenseless! Big brother, your terrifying shadow magic is completely useless against the power of a teenage gamer's cringe romance!"
"It's not cringe, Slime Girl, it's called high-tier charm mechanics!" Tae-man squeaked out in Alatist, deflecting her teasing while trying desperately not to make eye contact with Elias, who was currently cracking his knuckles with a terrifying, rhythmic pop.
I let out a soft, flustered breath, my fangs lightly biting my lower lip as I finally forced my body to move. Instead of pulling away, I slowly leaned a fraction of an inch closer into his side, my newly healed left hand coming up to gently rest over his arm at my waist. It was a quiet, crushing surrender to the feelings blooming in my chest.
"Tae-man, You talk entirely too much... but your timing isn't terrible."
Miss Karrie, who had been watching the entire chaotic domestic dispute unfold from her spot next to Elicia, let out a soft, amused chuckle. She took a slow sip of her milkshake, looking at me with a warm, sisterly nod of approval.
"Well, Principal Elicia, it seems your family dinners are far more lively than any arena exhibition we ever coordinated at the academy."
"You have no idea, Karrie," Elicia groaned, though a deeply fond, beautiful smile graced her lips as she watched us.
Na Tae-man's face lit up with an absolute, blinding grin of pure, unadulterated triumph. Hearing me say his timing wasn't terrible was apparently all the confirmation his gamer brain needed to claim total victory.
He threw his head back, casting a deeply smug, highly boastful look straight across the table at Elias.
"See?! You heard her, Captain Shadow Walker! She basically just said my timing was flawless, and she clearly meant that she super-duper loves me so much! It's practically written in the dialogue scripts!"
A massive wave of embarrassment crashed over me again, my fangs clicking together as my face burned an even deeper shade of scarlet.
"Hey! I absolutely did not say those extra words! Besides... light novels don't even exist in Andromeda. How are you even this good at pulling these ridiculous lines out of nowhere?" I protested quickly, my voice losing all of its usual stoic, quiet composure as I shot him a highly flustered glare with my single jade-green eye.
Evelyn was practically falling out of her seat, her voluptuous frame shaking as she pounded her fist against the rustic wooden table, her bioluminescent green hair tips flashing a wild, ecstatic green.
"Ahaha! 'Super-duper loves him!' Oh my gosh, big sister, your boyfriend is a total dork! I am never letting you live this down!"
Tae-man let out a cheerful, nervous chuckle. Recognizing that he had pushed his luck to the absolute limit for one evening, he finally slid his arm away from my waist. But before I could even draw a breath of relief, his hand traveled downward. His fingers slid smoothly against mine, locking tightly into my right hand, our fingers intertwining perfectly over the table in a warm, public display of affection.
My heart gave another rapid, echoing thud at the sudden contact. Holding hands like a completely normal couple right in front of my high-tier military family was a parameter I hadn't calculated, but the warmth of his palm felt incredibly grounding.
With his left hand securely holding mine, Tae-man casually used his right hand to grab another golden, crispy potato wedge from the basket, popping it into his mouth as if he hadn't just caused a massive domestic emergency.
Across the table, Elias was practically vibrating with a completely furious, murderous rage. His knuckles were white as he gripped the edge of the bench, a dark, heavy shadow crackling fiercely around his leather duster.
"Holding hands... right in front of my face, That is a direct declaration of war, vanguard punk."
"Elias, let it go and eat your fries," Elicia interrupted smoothly, her voice carrying a calm, unbreakable authority as she reached over and firmly patted his armored shoulder. She channeled a soothing ripple of her divine regeneration mana, completely neutralizing his terrifying shadow aura in a single second.
"They are sweet, they are holding hands, and you are acting like a grumpy old grandfather. Sit back and drink your milkshake."
Under Elicia's strict, maternal pressure, the legendary Shadow Walker let out a long, thoroughly defeated groan. His shoulders slumped in absolute resignation, and he finally forced himself to calm down, grumbling under his breath as he aggressively snatched a fry from his own platter.
I looked down at our joined hands, a soft, genuinely happy smile finally returning to my face as the chaotic laughter of Evelyn, the gentle teasing of Elicia, and the frantic grumbling of our older brother filled the warm wisteria shade.
"It's called a passive trait, Eirene, When you spend half your past life reading romance tropes, you automatically unlock the 'Suave Dialogue' skill tree when you meet the right girl. It's basic macro-knowledge." Tae-man whispered back in English, a playful smirk returning to his face as he gently squeezed my hand
"You are entirely hopeless," I murmured in Alatist, though I didn't pull my hand away. Instead, I used my free left hand to dip a crispy potato wedge into a small dish of sweet berry sauce, popping it into my mouth as the cool twilight air fluttered through my silver hair. The simple, sugary flavor finally registered on my palate… or perhaps it was just the overwhelming sweetness of the moment overriding my cold, mechanical senses.
Evelyn leaned her chin on her hands, her sharp jade-green eyes darting back and forth between our joined hands and my burning red cheeks. The bioluminescent green tips of her locks settled into a warm, rhythmic glow, casting a soft light across her amused face.
"You know, You're the first person I've ever seen successfully disarm the Crimson Phantom without a high-tier firearm. If you can survive our big brother's security audits, you might actually make it to the next chapter of this quest line."
"Hey! I'm right here, Slime Girl!"
Elias snapped, though his voice lacked its previous murderous edge. He aggressively sucked down a massive gulp of his berry-blend milkshake, glaring at Tae-man over the rim of the glass like a disgruntled watchdog.
"I am still calculating the trajectory of his immediate termination. The only reason his vitals are still functioning is because Elicia is actively suppressing my operational parameters."
"Oh, hush, Elias, Look how happy Little Ren is. When was the last time you saw her smile like that back in Town Allure? Let the children enjoy their fast food." Elicia chided softly, a graceful giggle escaping her lips as she adjusted her posture next to Miss Karrie.
Miss Karrie smiled warmly, setting her glass down on the polished wood.
"It truly is remarkable. To think that the legendary, cold-blooded bounty hunter who cleared out half the continent's Registry of the Condemned could look so thoroughly defeated by a simple hand-holding mechanic."
Tae-man puffed out his iron-leather chest plate, thoroughly soaking in the validation from a former academy professor and a divine principal. He leaned a little closer to me, his shoulder gently brushing against the edge of my folded crimson wings.
"Hear that, Eirene? The high-tier authorities have officially sanctioned our party alignment. We're practically a dynamic duo now."
I let out a soft, huffed sigh, the last vestiges of my flustered panic melting away into a profound, grounding sense of peace. My massive blood wings gave a relaxed, heavy ripple behind my back, the brilliant jade-green and scarlet veins pulsing in perfect harmony with the glowing paper lanterns of the 7th District.
The dangerous, blood-soaked secrets of the Caria Mines were still waiting for us in the dark earth, and the shifting tides of the High Bureau would eventually demand our return to the shadows. But right here, under the cascading purple wisteria, with my hand firmly locked in his and the chaotic, protective laughter of my newfound family echoing over the table, the freezing void in my soul was entirely gone. For the first time in two lifetimes, I wasn't just surviving the meat-grinder of Andromeda… I was living.