Nothing

The instant they were away from prying eyes, Freya handed Alex the space ring that she received from the soldier seconds ago. "Here. This space ring contains the complete map of the whole city and the location where Lady Talia is staying," she explained, her tone calm yet businesslike.

"Thanks," Alex nodded, taking the ring with a subtle smirk. "I appreciate your help. Truly."

"You are an ally of our family. Such information is nothing special to share with you; you don't have to thank me for it," she replied.

"Oh, you only helped me because I am an ally of your family? And here I thought there was another reason why you're so kind to me," Alex teased, his smoke mask parting to reveal the playful smile curling at his lips.

Freya blushed and lightly shook her head. "Of course it's not the only reason. There is another reason," she admitted.

"And what might that reason be?" Alex asked, a mix of curiosity and mischief in his tone.

"You already know the answer to your question," Freya replied, her lips curving into a gentle smile.

"I want to hear you say it," he replied, the teasing grin on his face growing wider. He was confident that, despite her usual honesty, Freya would find it hard to admit the real reason.

Contrary to his expectations, although the blush on her face deepened, Freya held his gaze with unwavering determination and answered as honestly as she could, "That's because I'm interested in you."

"...."

This time, even Alex couldn't help but feel a flicker of embarrassment at Freya's straightforwardness. Her honesty caught him completely off guard.

'Maybe I should stop teasing this woman,' he thought, though deep down, he was sure he didn't want to.

If he had paid closer attention to her expression at that moment, he would have noticed the faint curve of Freya's lips, a small, victorious smile creeping onto her face as she took in his reaction.

Alex remained silent for a moment before his smile morphed into a playful grin. "I guess I am also... interested in you."

Freya's cheeks flushed a deeper shade of red, but a radiant smile spread across her face. She leaned into him slightly, resting her head on his shoulder as they resumed walking down the corridor together.

Seconds later, they came to a stop in front of Freya's door.

Stepping away from him to face him fully, Freya offered Alex a warm smile. "I had a wonderful time with you tonight, Alexandre. Thank you for that."

"I already told you to just call me Alex," he replied with a soft chuckle. "And you don't have to thank me—I enjoyed our time together just as much. Still..." He took a step closer, closing the distance between them until only inches remained. His voice dropped, his tone laced with a teasing edge. "...Aren't you going to invite me inside so we can continue what we started?"

"It would be unbecoming of a lady like me to invite someone I just met yesterday into my bedroom this late at night," Freya replied, an innocent smile playing on her face.

"I don't think what we've been doing for the last hour qualifies as 'ladylike,'" Alex chuckled as he gently combed his fingers through her braid, loosening it to reveal Freya's hypnotizing visage.

All the more reason to stop there," Freya said with a playful smile, before adding, "At least for today."

Alex would be lying if he said he wasn't disappointed by her decision. His longing for her was so strong that even he found it hard to resist, but he had to admit she had a point—they had only met yesterday, and things were already moving at a pace that felt surreal.

Things were moving fast, faster than he had ever experienced before.

What he didn't realize at that moment was that as he mastered the use of the lust energy, the less time it would take him to attract and seduce a woman if he truly set his goal on having her.

"I understand," Alex said with a slight smile. "Then I'll see you tomorrow."

Both closed their eyes and leaned in, their lips almost brushing, when Alex's sharp ears caught the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps. He froze mid-action.

Not feeling the warm lips she had come to appreciate, Freya opened her eyes only to see that Alex's mask had reappeared, concealing his features. He was already taking a step back, distancing himself from her. Before she could even wonder why he had pulled away, Maya suddenly burst around the corner, running toward them with a grin on her face.

"Mother! Al-Arcanor! Welcome back!" Maya exclaimed cheerfully.

Her excitement was short-lived, however, as she stumbled over her own foot and fell face-first onto the ground with an audible thud, her momentum causing her to slide a few feet further.

"....."

"....."

Alex and Freya simply stood there, silent and stunned, watching in disbelief as the young woman rolled a few times before finally skidding to a stop right at their feet.

"I thought your sister fixed her vision problem," Freya whispered to Alex, her expression filled with concern.

"She did," Alex confirmed with a nod, "but sadly, there's no magic strong enough to fix this girl's clumsiness."

"I see," Freya replied, shaking her head before quickly crouching to help her daughter up. "You're not hurt, are you, sweetie?" she asked, worry evident in her voice.

"I'm fine, Mom," Maya replied, rubbing her reddened forehead with a sheepish smile.

"You shouldn't be running inside the mansion! How many times have I told you that?" Freya scolded her.

"Sorry," Maya muttered, lowering her gaze, then turned slightly toward Alex, hoping for his intervention. Yet, he remained stoic, standing there as if none of this had anything to do with him.

'Seriously?! He's just going to stand there and not back me up? I'm his disciple, after all! He could at least act like he cares!' she thought indignantly, glaring at him while still enduring her mother's lecturing.

There was no telling how Maya would have felt if she realized it was actually Alex who used his smoke ability to make her trip and fall, punishing her for ruining his intimate moment with her mother.

"You should listen to your mother, kiddo," Alex said as he patted Maya on the head—his hand pressing just a little too firmly.

"Ouch! You're hurting me!" Maya exclaimed, stepping back and glaring at him. "And I'm not a kid—I'm 19!"

"Uh-huh, if you say so," Alex replied with a teasing smirk. "Where's my sister, by the way?" he asked casually, shifting the conversation.

"In your room," Maya answered, rubbing the spot on her head where he had patted her too hard.

"I see," Alex said with a nod before turning to Freya. "Lady Freya, I greatly enjoyed our time together," he said, bowing slightly.

Freya smiled warmly. "As did I, Sir Arcanor. If you are free tomorrow, I hope we can spend more time together."

"That would be my pleasure," Alex replied smoothly, his tone carrying an unmistakable charm. He straightened up, giving her one last respectful nod.

"Kiddo," Alex said in a teasing tone, ruffling Maya's hair as she scowled at him, "see you tomorrow, I guess."

With that, Alex left the pair of mother and daughter behind.

As he walked away, he glanced at the space ring Freya had handed him earlier, which contained information about the location where Talia, Celine, and Marina were staying. A faint grin tugged at his lips as he thought to himself, Let's see if Sis is in the mood for a little visit to the girls.

Unfortunately, by the time Alex entered their shared room, Amelia was already soundly asleep. She looked so serene and adorable in her nighties, curled up beneath the blankets, that Alex couldn't bring himself to wake her. Leaning closer, he whispered softly in her ear, "I'll go alone this time around."

A gentle smile, full of warmth and contentment, blossomed on Amelia's face, as Alex placed a tender kiss on her forehead.

'Too cute,' he thought, his gaze lingering on her peaceful expression. He gently brushed a strand of hair away from her face, his eyes softening. 'I won't be long, promise.'

He straightened up and directly teleported outside of the mansion to appear several kilometers away. At least that was what he believed would happen.

However, even after several seconds, nothing happened; he still remained standing in his bedroom.

He attempted to teleport outside once again, fully concentrating on the smokey environment he intended to appear in, but just as the last time, nothing happened.