CHAPTER 21: 21: NEW TALENT -CHARM

Rose lay sprawled across the bed, utterly exhausted. Her limbs ached in the most delightful way, and her breathing was still shallow despite the hours that had passed. Were all men built like this? she wondered. Or was Aaron just a different kind of monster entirely?

She genuinely didn’t know how many times she’d teetered on the edge of insanity during their carnal battle. The man was relentless—an insatiable force of nature. His stamina felt infinite, and he hadn’t slowed down once. Each round left her trembling, her body crying for rest, but Aaron... he looked as fresh as ever. Calm. Composed. Unfazed.

It was terrifying.

She shuddered slightly, recalling the intensity in his eyes that entire night. That look—controlled, restrained, dangerous. Like he was holding back... as though breaking her was a possibility he had to consciously avoid.

"He has to be a monster," Rose whispered to herself, her voice barely audible. If other men were like this... humanity was doomed. Women would never survive.

Still lying beside him, her body heavy with fatigue and strange satisfaction, Rose turned to face Aaron. Her gaze lingered on his profile, and without even realizing it, a soft smile tugged at her lips.

"He’s... handsome," she thought. "Even more than yesterday, somehow? No, that’s just in my head."

She knew she should look away, should probably get up, do something productive—but she didn’t want to. Instead, she continued to gaze at his face like he was a work of art. Something about him felt more mature than before. That calm demeanor, the subtle tension in his jaw, the subtle shift of power in his presence.

I’m supposed to be older, she mused. Yet somehow, he feels older than me.

While Rose was lost in admiration, Aaron lay on his back, his eyes fixed on the ceiling—or so it seemed. In truth, he wasn’t looking at anything in the room. His mind was immersed in the illusory glow of his personal system interface.

"System, draw," he commanded silently.

A bright, translucent wheel—visible only to him—appeared before his eyes and began to spin with blinding speed. Seconds later, it halted.

[Congratulations! You have received the SSS-rank talent – Charm.]

Aaron’s eyebrow twitched.

"Oi, you lewd system. Don’t tell me you were watching me last night while I was busy," he said inwardly, his tone laced with suspicion.

[...]

[Host should show more respect. The system would never stoop so low as to observe such indecent activities.]

"Oh, so you can watch," Aaron muttered mentally. "That’s not very reassuring, system."

The system didn’t reply. Aaron could practically feel the awkward silence radiating from it.

He smirked and focused on the updated status panel before him:

---

Aaron Highborn

Strength: S

Agility: S+

Vitality: SSS+

Stamina: SSS+

Luck: SSS+

Mana: SS+

Charm: SSS+

Talents:

SSS-rank – Lucky Halo

SSS-rank – Charm

Bloodline: Primordial Hybrid

---

"So basically, you’re trying to turn me into some walking fantasy for your amusement?" Aaron scoffed. "You want me to gather more women so you can entertain yourself?"

He tapped the new talent info:

---

SSS-rank Talent – Charm

The host is the embodiment of beauty. Even the goddess of beauty herself would swoon for you.

• Persuasion: Increases the success rate of convincing the opposite sex. Requests are far more likely to be accepted.

• Mercy: Your appearance deters aggression. Enemies may hesitate to harm you for fear of ruining your flawless face.

• Charisma: With your striking presence, you naturally attract others. People are drawn to your confidence and beauty.

• King Aura: A king is never alone. Your strength increases proportionally to the number of romantic partners you possess.

• Forced Persuasion (Active): Once per day, you can compel someone to accept your condition. The stronger the target, the weaker the effect.

---

It wasn’t a bad talent by any means—but it also didn’t excite him. Not the way an active combat ability or magic skill would.

"System... when do I get something useful? Magic. Swordsmanship. Even fireballs. Anything. Stop tossing these auxiliary talents at me," Aaron grumbled.

[If the host is dissatisfied, the system can always locate a new user.]

Aaron clicked his tongue.

"Tsk. Like hell I’m letting go of the system," he muttered. "Unless I’ve decided to die—which I haven’t."

---

Rose stirred beside him and slowly sat up, her muscles protesting. As much as she wanted to laze around the entire day, she had responsibilities—her job wasn’t going to wait for her post-passion recovery.

"I should grab a shower," she murmured. Then paused as Aaron sat up as well.

"I’ll join you," he offered casually. "I’ll scrub your back."

Rose blushed faintly but nodded, biting back a grin. "Fine. But only if I get to return the favor."

Together, they made their way to the bathroom for a well-earned hot soak.

---

Ding-dong.

The sudden chime of the doorbell echoed through the suite, breaking the quiet ambiance of steam and relaxation.

"It’s already 9 AM?" Rose said aloud, glancing at the wall clock as she stepped out of the shower. Wrapping herself in a plush bathrobe, she quickly towel-dried her hair.

"I’ll go check who it is."

Opening the door, she was greeted by a young woman standing stiffly in the hallway—Lily. Her hand had been mid-knock, and her expression froze the moment she saw Rose.

"Aaron, we need to—" Lily began, then stopped, her eyes scanning Rose’s bathrobe-clad form.

"Uhm... who are you?" Rose asked, blinking.

She’d expected hotel service. The woman standing before her definitely didn’t fit the part.

"You... who are you? And where’s Aaron?" Lily shot back, her tone sharp and eyes narrowing with hostility.

Aaron, having heard everything thanks to his enhanced hearing, stepped into view behind Rose—also in a bathrobe, his hair still slightly damp.

"What’s going on?" he asked, voice even but with a raised brow.

Lily’s mouth opened, then closed. Words failed her. Seeing Aaron standing like that—relaxed, fresh from a shared bath—it didn’t take much imagination to piece together what had happened.

"You..." she whispered.

"Yes?" Aaron said, tilting his head in mild confusion.

Lily’s face twisted into something between heartbreak and disbelief, then she spun on her heel and bolted down the hall without another word.

Aaron stared after her, unfazed. "Weird girl."

He turned and walked back into the room.

"Who was that?" Rose asked curiously, her arms crossed beneath her robe.

"Once a betrothed," Aaron said with a sigh, flopping back on the bed. "She called it off. As for why she’s acting like that now, your guess is as good as mine."

"You were engaged?" Rose blinked in surprise. "And she’s the one who ended it?"

"Yup," he said simply, folding his arms behind his head.

Rose stared at him for a moment longer, clearly surprised. She hadn’t expected someone bold enough to walk away from a man like Aaron.

Then she shrugged. "Well, not my problem."

And just like that, she dismissed it from her mind. Lily’s thoughts, feelings, or regrets had nothing to do with her.