A subordinate entered and told Aster that a 'guest' was making a commotion outside and asked him how they should deal with this person. Aster looked like he knew who his subordinate was talking about, so quickly got up to his feet and followed his subordinate outside.
Keira was curious about the events currently transpiring. Nevertheless, she could not do anything about it as she was still stuck in Aster's room. Keira stood up and looked out the window. The sky was clear and the sun was bright outside. One could say that a weather like this is good to take a leisure walk, but in Keira's situation, she could only look down and peer at the guards who were currently stationed even outside her window.
Bored, Keira asked the system, "How many of Aster's people are currently guarding me right now?"
System 999: [5 elite guards outside, 2 in the hallway, and two more shadow guards who are currently watching you.]
"Where are the shadow guards situated?"
System 999: [One is on a tree on the right side, and one is languidly sitting on the shrubs.]
"Interesting." Keira said while a smile formed on her lips. She looked in the direction where Elly informed her. Of course she could not see the silhouette of the shadow guard, but her action alone would give the shadow guard sitting on the tree a fright.
The shadow guard was indeed frightened. Keira was directly gazing in his direction and he was unsure if Keira could actually see him or she was just casually looking in the direction of the tree. But goosebumps soon formed from the shadow guard, as he saw Keira smile in his direction and give out a wave.
System 999: [Host, why did you wave at the shadow guard?]
Keira: [Hehe, nothing. Just messing around.]
System 999 thought that its Host must have lost more brain cells if she contained any.
Keira soon removed her gaze from the tree and the shadow guard inwardly sighed. This shadow guard was only second in rank, yet Keira could detect him. 'That innocent looking woman is scary!' Just remembering her smile the shadow guard sent a shiver on his back.
Keira continued to peer outside the window, letting the gentle breeze of morning air move her soft black hair. She then heard murmurs from down below. It was coming from the hallway.
"Hey, have you heard? Lady Guinevere and His Highness Aster were having a heated conversation about something. They were neck on neck with each other."
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Hearing those words, Keira's ears perked up.
"Yes, I also heard from a friend of mine when she came to serve tea to Lady Guinevere earlier, that the thing they were fighting about pertains to her Saintess."
"What? Is the Saintess really back?" Disbelief was evident in her tone.
"Yes, I came to serve her breakfast yesterday. She does not have the same face as the Saintess we know though, but I could clearly tell from the feeling she brought, and the aura she possessed that was that of Saintess Keira. And His Highness Aster and the other knights already confirmed this, did they not?"
"That is true..."
"Let us go, the head maid will scold us dawdling here."
The voices then became smaller and smaller until it was no longer coherent. But with those brief gossip of the place maid, Keira was able to obtain a lot of information.
"Isn't Aster the one who invited Guinevere over? What are they fighting about?" Keira murmured to herself.
After a while, Aster returned to the room with a haggard face. Dealing with Guinevere was no easy feat even though he himself is king. Keira let out a mocking smile.
Seeing Keira smile, Aster felt that all he did was worth it. He thought to himself, 'Even if you're mocking me right now, or think that I must be out of my mind, everything is worth it just having you by my side.'
Aster moved toward Keira and wrapped her in a hug. His head was resting on Keira's shoulder and soon moved to the crook of her neck where he usually likes to nestle in. He closed his eyes to take on the moment and feel Keira's warmth. Keira just stood still, not resisting nor hugging him back.
Eventually, Aster finally let go and looked directly into Keira's blue irises. His heart hurt, as he could see the indifference those eyes contained but he held those emotions back and smiled at Keira.
Aster, "I need to go out again after lunch, wait here for me okay?"
Keira scoffed but still replied, "Why should I wait for you?"
Hearing those words caused Aster's heart to hurt more, but for some reason, when faced with this indifferent Keira, he felt like his soul was crushing. He could not understand why he holds this person so dearly in his heart and could not even let her go after passing away for 5 years. But his soul is screaming at him that she was his and he was hers to the point it drives him crazy.
He knows this was beyond what people perceived as normal and it was safe to say that he is already obsessed with the woman in front of him. Although he clearly knows he shouldn't be doing any of this, for some unknown reason he could not help it. It was like 'something' is driving him to be this way, but what this 'thing' is? Is a question that Aster could not answer.
Aster let out a smile and pat Keira's head, "I'll bring Fritz over so you won't feel bored staying here."
Keira sneered, "Maybe I won't feel bored if you just let me out, or just give me the Manpasikjeok to play with."
Aster retained his smile and left the room just like that, not even responding to Keira's retort. Keira glared at Aster's back, wishing she could drill a hole in his head and understand how his thought process works. However, she knew that she could never understand Aster's obsession nor could she drill his head as the main system would give out a serious penalty for killing the male lead of this world.
Not long after Aster left, Fritz came just as Aster promised.
"Keira, what happened?" Fritz looked worried and distressed.
"What do you mean?" Keira questioned Fritz in return.
"Aster told us that you were influenced by a dark attribute." Fritz's response astounded Keira.