CHAPTER 23: CHAPTER : 23 : THAT STUPID, SWEET, HANDSOME IDIOT!

"What!" Lysandra shrieked, her voice pitching higher than usual.

Ivy flinched, covering her ears with both hands, her lips puffing into a pout. "Owwie~ My ears..."

They were all standing under the wooden gazebo in the middle of the clearing, early morning sunlight casting a gentle warmth across the area. The mood, however, had quickly shifted to chaos.

Aiden scratched the back of his head sheepishly, looking far too amused by Lysandra’s reaction. "Yeah... I’m going to clear a dungeon today."

Luna, standing beside him, immediately leaned into his arm, clinging tightly with both hands. "A-and I’ll be with him, so you don’t need to worry~!"

Lysandra blinked. Once. Twice. Her mouth opened, then closed. Her eye twitched.

"You... YOU’RE GOING ON DANGEROUS ADVENTURE WITHOUT TELLING US?!" she finally exploded, pointing a shaking finger at him. Her emerald eyes blazed with frustration.

Aiden tilted his head, trying not to smile. "Technically, I’m telling you now. So it’s not without telling."

Lysandra puffed her cheeks in frustration, stomping her foot like a spoiled noble. "That’s not the point, Sir Aiden! You can’t just—suddenly—announce things like that!" Her arms crossed under her chest, unintentionally squeezing her ample bust upward.

Luna glanced at the display and immediately hugged Aiden tighter, her tail curling protectively around his waist. "Master needs me. He can’t go anywhere without his Luna. Especially after last night..."

Her voice trailed off, face turning deep red.

Aiden raised an eyebrow, amused. "After last night, huh?"

Luna buried her face in his shoulder, mumbling, "D-Don’t tease... I’m still sore..." Her hands clutched his sleeve tightly.

Lysandra froze, her mouth hanging open slightly. "W-what do you mean ’last night’...?"

Ivy, who was still holding her ears, suddenly blinked. "Wait... did you two do something weird?"

"IVY!" Luna shrieked, turning even redder.

Aiden laughed, then turned to defuse the growing tension. "Okay, okay. Back on topic. You want to know where this dungeon is?"

Lysandra narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Yes. If it’s so important, where is it? There’s no dungeon in this forest, as far as I know."

Aiden’s smile grew smug. "Who said it’s in the forest?"

Lysandra blinked again. "W-What does that mean?!"

He turned and began walking down the stone path, hands in his pockets. Luna quickly followed.

Luna clung to Aiden’s side like a needy kitten, pressing against him with every step. "Master is so amazing... opening secret dungeons and hugging me all night long..."

"You’re literally glowing," Ivy commented, pointing at Luna’s flushed cheeks.

"I-I’m not!" Luna squeaked.

"You are," Lysandra added, clearly annoyed.

Aiden reached a spot between the flower beds and suddenly raised his hand. A glimmering key materialized in his palm.

Lysandra’s eyes widened. "W-Where did that come from?!"

He turned and gave her a wink. Then, slowly, he twisted the key into the air—into something invisible.

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[100 FLOOR DUNGEON HAS BEEN USED TO OPEN THE GATE.

*NOTE: ONCE ENTERED, PLAYER NEEDS TO COMEPLETE A FLOOR OR FIND A TRANPORTAION STONE TO LEAVE THE DUNGEON.]

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The sound of a magical lock clicking echoed through the clearing. A rift formed, sparkling with arcs of energy. A glowing portal slowly appeared before them, pulsing like a heartbeat.

"Wooooah!" Ivy’s eyes sparkled. "That’s soooo cool!!"

Luna clapped her hands gleefully. "Master’s the best! Look at that!"

Lysandra took a cautious step forward, her jaw practically unhinged. "T-That’s... not normal magic... It’s dimensional, isn’t it?"

Aiden smirked. "Bingo."

Luna squealed and tackled him from behind, arms wrapped around his waist. "Master, that was sooo coooool~! I love you even more now!"

Lysandra crossed her arms again, biting her lower lip. "Show-off..."

"So," Aiden said, turning toward Ivy. He knelt in front of her and gently patted her head. "I need you to stay behind, okay? Be good for Lysandra."

Ivy’s ears drooped immediately. "W-What? But... I want to go too... Onii-chan..."

He smiled warmly, stroking her hair. "Don’t worry. I’ll come back to you soon. Promise."

Ivy’s lower lip wobbled. She sniffled. "B-But I’m scared when you’re not there... What if you don’t come back like my parents..."

Luna leaned down and wrapped an arm around Ivy’s shoulders. "Don’t worry. Your strong Onee-chan will be there with Master. No one’s gonna hurt him."

"But what if both of you don’t come back?" Ivy whispered, voice trembling.

Aiden kissed her forehead gently. "Then we’ll just have to come back stronger than ever, right? I won’t break a promise to you."

Lysandra stepped forward, her voice more confident now. "I’ll watch over her. Leave her to me, Sir Aiden. She’ll be safe. I... I promise."

Aiden stood and looked at her seriously. "Thank you, Lysandra. I know she’ll be in good hands."

Lysandra straightened up proudly, but then realized he was staring at her and instantly began to fluster. "A-Ah! Of course! I mean—it’s not a big deal or anything, I just—I’ll do my best."

Luna narrowed her eyes at her. "You’re blushing."

"No, I’m not!" Lysandra snapped, clutching her cheeks.

Aiden chuckled again. "Well, we’ll try not to be long. One day at most."

"Just one day...?" Lysandra echoed softly, clearly disappointed.

Ivy tugged at Aiden’s sleeve again. "Onii-chan... You’ll really come back? Pinky promise?"

He crouched back down and offered his pinky. "Pinky promise."

They hooked fingers.

"I’ll count the minutes," Ivy whispered.

With that, Aiden turned toward the portal, Luna right beside him. The pair took a deep breath, then waved one last time.

"We’ll be back soon!" Aiden called.

"Take care of Ivy for us!" Luna added with a wink.

"D-Don’t do anything weird in there!" Lysandra shouted, her cheeks burning.

And with that, the two stepped through the portal and vanished in a flash of light.

Silence.

Lysandra stood staring at the spot where the portal shimmered quietly. Her fingers were curled into fists at her sides, her chest rising and falling faster than normal.

"That stupid, sweet, handsome idiot..." she muttered under her breath.

Ivy stood beside her, eyes locked on the portal.

Then without warning—

"Onii-chan!!" Ivy shouted.

She broke into a sprint.

"Ivy?!" Lysandra gasped. "Wait!"

Ivy didn’t stop. She bolted straight through the portal with zero hesitation.

Lysandra screamed her name, and for a moment, she panicked. Her hands flew to her head, her long blonde hair flailing as she spun in circles. "What do I do, what do I do?!"

She looked at the portal.

"Damn it all!!" she cried.

And without another word, she ran after Ivy.

With a flash, she disappeared into the light.

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END OF Chapter : 23 : THAT STUPID SWEET HANDSONE IDIOT!

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A/N: Comment on your favorite paragraph and help me with power stones.

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