You don’t need to hide anymore

Aster did not ignore Arthur on purpose but he wanted to leave a strong first impression so he turned to see him and simply answered.

"My surname is Drage and as for my relationship with Aria… I'm her boyfriend".

Aria's face turned red as a tomato but she only lowered her head to avoid anyone seeing her current expression.

All the elders were in shock, the first elder looked as if he has eaten a pile of shit but he didn't dare to say anything, hell this kid was probably being protected by someone on the stellar constellation realm or above and he didn't want to die, his only chance to get revenge was taking note of what was happening and inform it to the Rein family later.

Arthur did not feel offended, judging by what the young man in front of him said he did not put the Rein family in his eyes, and he seemed to be on really good terms with his daughter so even if he was probably lying about being Aria's boyfriend, she did not deny his declarations so how could he interfere when he was doing it to protect her.

"And how should I address you?".

"You are Aria's father so you can call me Aster, now if there is nothing else, I had a date with Aria to eat at the Fragrant Pavilion, but this whole thing happened and Aria invited me to come over as a guest I hope that the Ghale family doesn't mind my presence here".

Arthur decided to take advantage of this kid presence to threat the elders.

"At all, if my daughter invited you then I personally expect to see you more often in my Ghale family, unless of course any of the elders have anything to say?":

After a moment of silence, the first elder glanced at the other elders to see if anyone sided with him because it was easier to be brave in a group than alone, but all the ones he looked at only turned their faces doing their best to ignore him so he could only swallow his complains.

Seeing that no one said anything Aster grabbed Alice's and Aria's hands and left the main hall leaving a disaster behind.

Once they left Aria took them to her room, she didn't say anything on the way and as soon as they entered, she left the room with the excuse that she told her uncle to sent someone to get some food from the fragrant pavilion.

While Aria was gone Aster started looking around her room, it was quite big and she actually had her own dinning room probably to avoid her family, Aster sat on the table and Alice sat next to him with a happy smile she loved when he got protective because of her, she was upset about not being able to express her love on public so she got happy when Aster acted like that.

Aster saw that Aria's room was quite simple and there were practically no personal decorations or anything that a young lady should have, in fact it looked like a generic inn room and he felt a bit sad for her.

Aria returned to the room after getting the food from the servant just to fall in Aster's arms.

Her heart almost exploded out of her chest but after a moment she looked at his eyes and asked what was on her mind.

"Y…you why did you tell my family you were my boyfriend?".

Aster looked at her with such love and tenderness that Aria almost melted in his arms, then with the softest voice she has ever heard, Aster whispered in her ears.

"There is no need for you to hide anymore, now that I'm here I will protect you from everything".

Aria trembled a bit as she leaned her head against his chest, Aster could feel her tears getting his clothes wet but he did not care and only caressed her long platinum blue hair that he loved.

Outside the room Arthur saw his normally strong and stubborn daughter acting like a little girl in love and he felt relieved in his heart, his wife died when Aria was only five years old, all these years the guilt he felt for not being able to protect her, made his heart feel pain but now there might be a chance to change everything, that is the reason as to why he came here as fast as the reunion with the elders finished.

Aster felt that Aria's breath slowed down, she actually fell asleep in his arms after let out all her pent-up frustration, "I can't believe that such a good girl had to suffer all these years just because of her own family", he thought.

Aster gently placed her gently on her bed and then he said.

"You can come in Ghale patriarch".

Arthur entered the room and his gaze focused on Aster, for a couple of minutes silence remained on the room until he finally decided to ask what was on his mind.

"I normally don't have the face to interfere in Aria's private matters but I have to know what are your intentions with her and why is it that someone like you who does not seem to care about the big families is doing all this?".

Aster understood that Arthur was worried after all it is pretty well known that there not such a thing as a free meal in this world but… since he was reborn when has he ever acted based on common sense, just by thinking on the way he feels towards Lilia and Alice still makes him wonder if he's wrong but being honest if you had one of the most beautiful women in the world with you every day and she only had eyes for you will you not develop feelings for her?

Aster decided to be frank with Arthur because he knew that even if Aria did not say a thing, she already understood how Aster felt for her and even if now they were still only friends, their relationship was practically confirmed to develop with some time.

"To be honest with you I originally had no intentions with her, I happened to meet her by pure luck and she left a big impression on me so I decided that I wanted to be close with her".

"Did you know she even invented a story about being a commoner and working at her inn to pay the owner a debt, many things happened and we became closer, there is no need to hide anything, I like her so of course I want to see her happy".

"And that is why I'm doing all this, ah I forgot to mention but I gave her a present I hope you don't mind", Aster showed Arthur his daughter's left hand that had a ring he has never seen before.

Arthur was in awe this little kid was too much, "you…you convinced her to wear that?".

"Yeah, but for now it only represents our friendship so there is no need for you to worry about that, hahaha but I'm really waiting to see those idiot's faces when they get to see my ring on her hand, I will make them regret having treated Aria as a trophy".

Arthur wanted to know what was this young man's background since he had the guts to go and spit on the faces of all the ones that coveted his daughter.

"Be honest with me, who on the world are you?".

Aster smiled, "I already told you I'm his boyfriend and just like I told you before my family is the most important thing for me", he saw his future father-in-law being still doubtful and he decided to give him a warrant

"Oh, and if someone comes here looking for troubles then just tell them that Aria is engaged with me now and if they have a problem, they can go to the Fragrant Pavilion to discuss with me I want to see who dares to go and act high and mighty in front of me, the same applies to the elders of your family if they have a complain they can always come to me".

Arthur finally accepted that his daughter found someone to rely on and it seemed to be the young master of some mysterious force, as for the matter of the guards that were sent flying, he attributed it to a hidden expert sent by his family to protect him and since he did not care about the Rein family patriarch it could even be someone on the star tribulation realm or higher after all there are always mountains beyond mountains.

"Now that we have settled that how about you guide me through the Ghale family grounds?".

Aster told Alice to stay and accompany Aria because he wanted to speak alone with Arthur. Alice did not care about the Ghale family so she simply nodded as they left.

Arthur showed Aster some places of the Ghale family, their main income source were a pair or spiritual stone mines that also produced a special type of crystal with wind attribute spiritual energy, apart from that they also had a division that hunted spiritual beasts and gathered herbs on the bloody forest.

Aster was surprised, their income was enough to produce a better cultivator than Arthur so he was not sure about what was happening.

"Ghale family patriarch can I ask you something that is bothering me?".

"You can call me uncle Arthur after all you are already "engaged" to my daughter, aren't you?".

"Heh, seems like we can drop formalities then, from what you tell me the Ghale family should not have problems on having more experts so how come the stronger cultivator is only at the star formation realm?".

Hearing Aster's ruthless question Arthur seemed a bit unhappy but he finally only sighed before answering.

"This is not something to discuss in the outside, let's go to my personal studio".