CHAPTER 98: _LIKE HE HAS AN AUDIENCE

Elian’s POV

*****

[SYSTEM ONLINE... Host regaining consciousness.]

His eyes fluttered open weakly, his head throbbing with a sharp pain that made him grit his teeth.

Gosh, the system was right... He has been fainting a lot these past two days.

He tried scanning his gaze around when he realised he was lying on a floating bed elevated by a few feet, surrounded by guards wearing golden armour.

Lunarian soldiers.

The bed in question was floating outside, a few birds flying in the clouds above catching his attention as well as the midday sunlight.

The surrounding area was scorched grass for hundreds of square meters, as well as a large manor that looked like it’d been standing there for centuries.

Another sharp pain split his skull as he remembered the last thing he witnessed before passing out.

The explosion. Then... Lucian and Axel!

"Hey, hey, easy." A sweet voice spoke beside him just then, followed by a hand on his shoulder.

He swerved his head to the source, his shoulders relaxing when he saw Aurora standing with a sweet smile.

"I’m so glad you’re okay." To Elian’s surprise, she wrapped her arms around him gently, her silver hair falling over his shoulder.

’What the heck is happening right now?’ Elian blinked, managing to place a hand on her back.

[Affection from your future sister in-law—who’s actually sane compared to the other one. Get used to it.]

There the system goes with that ’in-law’ shit again.

Marriage with Lucian was a jarring concept he didn’t even want to think of right now.

"I should’ve never led you out of the palace," Aurora said, finally letting go of him. "I was just so pissed at Magnus and Estella and I wanted answers—"

"It’s okay." Elian forced a smile, waving casually even though the movement seemed to make his headache worse. "At least we made it out of it alive. Speaking of which... Where are my mates?"

Aurora sighed, her expression becoming serious. "Soon after you lost consciousness, they left you in my care and went on to slaughter the traitor soldiers. But Magnus and Estella escaped somehow so they’re searching for them."

Elian’s heart skipped a beat when he heard that, his head getting hazy all over again.

"They escaped?!" He panicked, attempting to step out of the floating bed as a first instinct.

Unfortunately, he fell face-first on the ground, sending pain through his right elbow.

[What were you hoping to accomplish with that move? Eat grass?]

’Shut it.’ Elian snarled mentally, fisting the grass while Aurora helped him to his feet.

His eyes flicked to a few guards standing nearby who gave him judgmental looks, causing his face to heat up with embarrassment.

[You should add "expert at making a fool of himself" in your résumé. Right next to "dramatic fainting".]

"You need to rest," Aurora said softly, helping him sit on the floating bed. "They’ll be back any minute now but in the meantime, I think it’s time to head back to the palace."

She swerved her head to one of the guards while Elian’s mind went to something else.

His heat symptoms... Why couldn’t he feel them again?

[Oh, right. Your pheromones threatened to be an environmental hazard—literally, so they had to slip a heat suppression pill into your mouth. That should keep you from having any symptoms until your cycle this month comes to an end in two days.]

Elian’s eyes lit up with relief while Aurora spoke up to a guard.

"Hey, can you take us back to the palace? Or, at least open a portal capsule." She asked, tilting her head at the guy.

The guard hesitated for a heartbeat before shaking his head. "Sorry, your highness. We can’t do that just yet. Due to this incident, your father has called for a mandatory security watch in the palace. To make sure there are no more spies or whatnot."

Elian blinked, he and Aurora exchanging a brief glance before he decided to chime in.

"Pardon." His voice was smooth, his smile even smoother. "Does this mean we wouldn’t be sleeping in the palace for an uncertain amount of time?"

The guard smiled, much to Elian’s surprise. "Well, hopefully that doesn’t become the case. But if more rats are discovered... Phew. It’ll be a purge that could take days."

Elian swallowed, speechless.

Before his rebirth, he rarely ever left the palace, let alone sleeping out. He quite literally grew up behind its golden walls and political atmosphere, even though he had been just a servant.

"This is unbelievable." Aurora rubbed the bridge of her nose, letting out an exasperated sigh. "So what do we do now? Book a hotel?"

The guard parted his lips to speak when a deep familiar voice broke through.

"I already made the reservations."

Elian whipped his head to the source of the voice, his eyes widening when he saw Lucian and Axel walking side by side. Their respective outfits were smeared with blood—definitely not theirs.

The sweat on their faces and the small tears on Lucian’s fabric, as well as their musky scent... All of it made Elian’s throat water up faster than a dam.

[You’re never beating the slut allegations.]

’Says the system giving me missions with sexual undertones like I have an audience.’ Elian snapped back at the system, which let out the mechanical equivalent of a snigger.

[Wouldn’t you like to know...]

Elian ignored it, wearing a smile when Lucian and Axel finally got to them.

"Well?" Aurora stepped toward them, her arms folded. "Did you get Magnus and Estella?"

Elian’s brows furrowed, also eager for an answer.

They glanced at each other briefly before Lucian let out a sigh. "No. I know how much you wanted them to get punished, Aurora. But—"

"Damn right I do!" Aurora snapped with frustration. "They chained me up, electrocuted me, and belittled me. Magnus... Magnus..."

She croaked and even though her back faced Elian, he could almost see the deep sadness and regret on her face.

But also heartbreak.

"Magnus ripped my heart out." She finally found the strength to say, shaking her head.

Lucian stretched his hands forward, attempting to console her, but she brushed him off, covering her mouth and walking to another part of the large field.

"She’ll be fine," Axel muttered, his golden eyes locked on Elian.

His whole expression softened as he parted aside strands of Elian’s blonde white hair, his touch sending sparks through Elian’s body.

"Let’s go to this hotel. We all deserve a drink or two after that hell of an experience." Axel finally tore his gaze away from him and glanced at Lucian.

The Alpha Prince had a conflicted look in his silver eyes, a vein throbbing on his temple with what seemed like annoyance.

[Or, straight up jealousy. Why don’t you three get a room and settle it with a—]

’I swear, if you suggest a threesome...’

[You said it, not me.]

"Fine then." Lucian managed a smile, obviously fake. "First rounds of drinks on me..."

Axel patted Lucian on the shoulder but the latter stiffened, glaring daggers at him.

Just when Elian’s lips cracked into a smile, however, the system glitched in his mind, flickering an invisible screen only he could see.

[New mission loading...]

[MISSION UPDATED. Survive your first night outside the palace. Reward is +5 boost to all of Host’s current stats.]

Elian’s eyes lit up when he saw the reward... But dread hit him when the system added:

[Failure to complete mission = Death.]