At those words, some of the amusement in the redhead's eyes was replaced by calm.
He nodded slightly, "Sure, right here?"
"A little private," Flora shook her head, her gaze passing momentarily to his left hand.
Understanding the message, he calmly switched to Creeping Hunger's Nightmare Mode. In a second, the simple black glove on his left hand changed to one made of red leather with black straps.
"Wouldn't you like to sit down first?"
"I prefer to do it this way; it'll be easier afterwards." Flora didn't explain herself and just looked at him calmly, waiting to enter the dream.
"If you say so." Rolling his shoulders a little, Adryan boredly clenched his fist and soon fell asleep.
Soon, the room they were in became blurry and filled with a strange mist. It was as if the colors that defined it had been painted over with a brush while still wet.
Blinking, his vision immediately sharpened, and he sighed a little, "Better?"
"It's more suitable," Flora nodded lightly, walked over to the sofa, and took her favorite spot.
Looking at him, she extended her hand to the sofa in front of her, inviting, "We don't have all day. Come on."
"This is my home too," Adryan laughed a little and did as he was asked, sitting opposite the white-haired woman.
With that done, he crossed his legs and rested his cheek against his right palm, looking at the elegantly seated Flora before him.
The Jacob returned his gaze, breathing calmly, and closed her eyes briefly before opening them again.
"I know what the Scarlet Monarch is looking for."
"And what is that?" Adryan kept a slight smile as he said this, his expression unchanged.
The woman's response was much quicker than he had expected.
"War," Flora said, without blinking and in a calm voice.
"What led you to that conclusion?" Without denying or confirming what she said, the redhead asked with interest.
"I'm just going by history," Flora explained without haste.
"When the Blood Emperor rose to power, he wasted no time starting battles and guerrilla warfare throughout the Northern Continent. And during the War of the Four Emperors, He was the first to attack."
A small smile formed on her face, but it did not break her calm demeanor.
"Since They are both from the same path, it is clear that sooner or later, the Scarlet Monarch will bring war to this world.
"That is precisely why He is interested in reuniting the angel families that supported the Blood Emperor in the now distant Fourth Epoch and uniting them under His banner. The Tamara Family has declared its loyalty; only the Jacob and Abraham families remain.
"The Antigonus Family has already been completely wiped out, and there is no need to mention the Other Family." Flora pressed her lips together slightly at the end, a visible shiver running through her, but ignoring it, she continued.
"Considering the little interest the Scarlet Monarch has shown in the Abraham Family and how weak they are now, they don't even have a demigod, unlike the other families, I doubt He will take them under His banner.
"Besides, you said it yourself when you tricked that salt fish into reading the honorific name of The Fool. Her destiny is not with the Scarlet Monarch, and since she is now a student of Abraham, doesn't that include them as well?"
Adryan looked at his beloved worm in silence. After a few moments, the corners of his lips rose slightly, and he nodded.
"The Marauders are scary, there's no doubt about that." Keeping that smile, he asked curiously.
"Do you have a problem with the Scarlet Monarch preparing for war?"
Flora snorted amusedly, as if she had heard a good but bad joke. "Seriously? War is already looming with the Intis Republic and the Loen Kingdom launching attacks in plain sight. What's one more?
"Besides..." The smile on the woman's face turned into a smirk. "I'm watching how the Scarlet Monarch is moving. In this coming war, He won't be a force to be reckoned with; rather, He'll use the chaos to move behind the scenes."
"What makes you say that?" Adryan asked calmly.
"The fact that he is so interested in the Jacob and Zoroast Families is proof enough. Since the end of the War of the Four Emperors in the Fourth Epoch, we have managed to hide and not be found by the Seven Orthodox Churches. That ability to hide and move is of great interest to Him.
"If the Scarlet Monarch really wanted to participate in the war directly, He wouldn't go after us, but after the Sauron Family, who still want to regain the power they lost with the rise of the Emperor. They are far more powerful than us and have no angels. With that hunger for power, it wouldn't be a problem for Him to get their support."
Pausing for a moment, Flora raised a hand and, looking at her palm, closed her fist tightly. "The weakness that will come after the war that ravages the world... That will be the moment He will make His move.
"The ground will already be prepared for His advance, and He will reap the reward after a fruitful sowing."
Observing the slight smile on the woman's face, Adryan laughed softly.
'Once again, the Marauders are scary. With just a few details, she managed to figure out most of my intentions... Hehe, this is also the disadvantage of hanging out with smart people. One mistake on your part and all your plans will be exposed.'
However, Flora had failed in one thing, which resulted from the seeds he had sown from the first day he met her and his subsequent actions.
'The Scarlet Monarch is sitting in front of you right now~'
No matter how much he wanted to stay under the waters of chaos, he had to rise and bathe in that chaos to progress.
There is no rest for the wretched after all.
Smiling back, Adryan nodded to the woman.
"You're right."
"I'm always right, Princess. I am a Jacob after all." Arrogance dripped from the lady who laughed softly.
After a moment, he asked curiously, "Aren't you upset about that?"
"Why would I be?" Flora replied, genuinely confused.
However, understanding what he meant, she burst into giggles.
"Wait, you seriously think I'd be upset about something like that?! Who do you think I am, Adryan? This is nothing."
A red eyebrow rose, and he waited for the woman to explain herself.
Seeing that he still didn't understand, Flora sighed in exasperation and shook her head.
"Really? I thought you, of all people, would understand. Mmm, never mind, it's pretty simple anyway."
Leaning back a little and copying the redhead's pose, with her legs crossed and her cheek resting on her palm, the woman narrowed her eyes in satisfaction.
"Even in the days of the Blood Emperor, when we were still in power and could be considered Dukes without the title, we always took advantage of opportunities to gain more power and influence, regardless of the danger. There's a reason we agreed to follow a Mad God.
"Comparing what the Blood Emperor ordered us to do with what the Scarlet Monarch plans, it's paradise compared to hell.
"Moving under the noses of our targets, infecting them, and destroying them from within are things we do much better than direct combat. This is nothing.
"Ever since I was little, I was always told that I never knew when to stop.
"I'm hungry, Adryan, a hunger that won't be satisfied until everyone in the world knows what the Jacob surname means once again."
"You really are ambitious, Flora. Has anyone ever told you that?" A big smile lit up the redhead's face, one that the white-haired woman copied.
"What do you want me to say?" Rolling her shoulders a little, she laughed happily, "When opportunity knocks, I never stay behind."
"Fufu~ Amen to that, dear." Nodding at such wise words, Adryan tilted his head more to one side.
"There's still a long way to go, so let's enjoy these quiet days we have. I'm sure we'll miss them in the future."
"Ohoho, I'm enjoying them, believe me." Flora smiled, relaxed as she sank into the sofa.
"..." Smiling at the woman, Adryan closed his eyes and copied her movement, sinking into his sofa.
At that moment, he felt a sudden weight on top of him.
Opening his eyes, he found himself face to face with an expressionless Flora who was now sitting on his lap.
"In dreams, stealing distance is not a problem," she said calmly.
"That's why it's called Dream Stealer, isn't it?" he said, looking into her eyes, making no move.
They stared at each other in silence for what seemed like an eternity.
Silently, Flora took his left hand and placed it on her cheek, closing her eyes and enjoying the contact.
Moving his finger, he gently caressed her cheek.
After a moment, she opened her eyes and looked at him deeply.
"What are we, Adryan?"
This question already had an answer, but Adryan still took a few moments to think.
He couldn't help thinking about another big difference he had with Klein at this moment.
The Fool never formed deep relationships with people to avoid getting hurt even more when he found his way home, which became pointless once he discovered he had never left home.
By the time he realized that, it was too late to fix his mistake. Any deep relationship he had would only put his loved ones at risk, so he could only bury his pain and move forward in silence and solitude...
Adryan wasn't like that, no matter how despicable or heartless he sounded. When he realized where he was, he gave up on finding a way home.
His goal became not only to survive but to enjoy his new life, no matter how much it hurt inside or broke his soul.
With this truth in his heart, the redhead finally answered the question.
"It's obvious that we crossed the line from just friends a long time ago." The redhead said calmly, a small smile forming on his face.
"To be honest, Flora... I like this. How about you?"
"I feel the same way..." Jacob murmured, a similar smile on her face.
Adryan raised his other hand and held the face of his beloved worm with both hands. Closing his eyes, he pressed his forehead against hers.
The woman's pupils trembled, "A-Adryan?"
"It's too early to say that what I feel is love. But I do not doubt that I like you. What about you?"
Her ears began to burn quickly, and the Jacob couldn't take her eyes off the man's suddenly deep red eyes.
"You're an extremely annoying and troublesome princess... But I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel the same way."
Smiling slightly, he lifted the woman's head, leaving her no choice but to look him in the eyes.
Narrowing his eyes ever so slightly, Adryan smiled faintly, "Then I hope you don't mind finding out how far we can go. What do you say?"
Flora froze, "W-wait, you mean?"
Laughing at how cute his worm looked, he nodded with a slight blush on his cheeks, "Come on, is it that hard to understand?"
"Do you or do you not want to have a relationship with me?"
"..." Not trusting her mouth to say anything, she pressed her lips together and nodded slowly.
Adryan's smile grew to show all his teeth.
"I'll wait for you outside, don't take too long!"
"Wait—Adryan!"
The redhead's figure disappeared from the dream, causing Flora to fall onto the sofa with a slight thud.
"Urghh! Don't think you can get away after that!" Grunting with rage, Flora also abandoned the dream.
The next moment, with the sound of glass breaking, the dream shattered, and she returned to her body.
Her eyes moved to where the redhead was, her mouth opening to reprimand him for his earlier movement.
"Adryan—mm!"
Whatever she was going to say was cut off abruptly, his soft lips silencing any complaint she had.
"Mh~" A small moan escaped Flora, who stepped back a little at the suddenness of it.
However, she couldn't take more than half a step before the redhead's arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her close to his body.
Fed up with games and barely noticing the window, Adryan closed the short distance between them and kissed the white-haired woman softly.
Being not only a Jacob but also a demigod with pride to uphold, Flora would say that she was initially outraged by such treatment and lack of respect. That at first, she fought and resisted with all her might...
The truth?
Hands grabbed the collar of the man's shirt tightly and pulled. Flora deepened the kiss even more and pressed her body closer to his.
She could no longer contain herself.
With what seemed like a deadly hunger, they devoured each other, Flora tightening her grip on the collar of his shirt while Adryan deepened the embrace.
After what seemed like a happy eternity, but couldn't have been more than four minutes, they slowly separated.
"Huff, huff..." Out of breath and feeling her ears melt from the heat, Flora tried but failed to keep the smile off her face.
"Huff... Huff... Hehe. Come on, Princess~ Don't you know it's wrong to play with a lady's heart?"
With his cheeks pink, Adryan smiled broadly, "I was trying to be patient, but I never thought you'd be so slow. Are you part turtle too—mmm!"
Not willing to listen to any more nonsense at this point, Flora forced the man's head down and cut off his words with her own tongue.
Adryan's arms wrapped around the woman's waist, tightened a little more, not to the point of hurting her, but making it impossible for her to escape. Flora, for her part, wrapped her arms around his neck, refusing to let him go.
Separating again to take in some precious air, but this time with their foreheads pressed together, a thick string of saliva still connected their lips.
"Huff... fufu~"
Laughing softly, Adryan licked his lips, "You taste sweet."
Without a doubt, his beloved worm had sweet teeth~
The Jacob narrowed her eyes flirtatiously as she bit her lip, "Oh? Really? Do you want to eat me?"
"Isn't that what I'm doing right now?" Adryan smiled slyly.
Taking advantage of the short pause, he separated his left arm from the embrace and held the woman's cheek, caressing it gently and slightly moving some hair out of the way.
Instinctively, Flora closed her eyes and brought her face a little closer, waiting for the sensation of other lips against hers.
Scriiiich!
Instead, the sound of buttons popping reached her ears.
Before she could react, the hand holding her cheek let go, taking her right hand and forcing it against something large and soft.
Badum! Badum!
The unmistakable sensation of a heart beating against her palm was accompanied by the feeling of something round and cold against it, like metal.
"This is it!" Even though her mind was a little clouded by the previous games, Flora would recognize this softness anywhere...
After all, she had been using it as a pillow for the last few weeks.
With the melting heat now lashing her cheeks, she slowly opened her eyes, believing that this would soften the blow.
But despite her mental and physical preparation, her brain and eyes froze at the heavenly image before her.
His fiery red hair was completely loose. A considerable blush adorned his cheeks, and his scarlet eyes were sensually half-closed, with a gleam that stole the air. His thick lips were raised in a sideways smile.
"Gee, Flora, remember to cut your nails a little shorter next time. They're quite sensitive after all~" With a voice as lustrous and thick as honey, Adryan pressed the woman's hand even deeper into his chest.
As she had expected, his shirt was gone, thrown to one side along with the popped buttons, but that was the least of it...
"I—I." Flora stammered in a daze, not knowing what to do or where to look.
The man's prominent chest was exposed, and her hand sank into the softness of one of them. While this was already paradise for her, her gaze was still unable to stay in one place.
The old, damaged spearhead-shaped necklace seemed to point the way, but that didn't help at all!
Her eyes always returned to the man's bouncing pink nipples, which were eye-catching and a part of her wanted to bite them, very much so, but what froze and stunned her brain were the golden rings that passed through them.
'Piercings?! But when?!'
Her mind immediately jumped to their recent visit to the home of the strange duo, Fors and Xio. In particular, she remembered the reaction of the former when the princess's bird soldier arrived and handed him something.
"Since you like them so much, I thought you might like a little 'makeover'..." Smiling a little more, Adryan sank her hand a little deeper.
His eyes sparkled a little more, and he bit his lip softly.
"Fufu~ I'll take your reaction as a yes~" He purred.
"..." With her eyes wide open, Flora lowered her head and looked at the floor, her hair darkening her face.
At that moment, Flora's right hand shot up from his chest to his neck and held him tightly. She wasn't cutting off his air but holding him still.
Smiling even more at this, Adryan raised an eyebrow in interest, "Oh?"
"... huff... huff..." Agitated breaths escaped the woman, who finally looked up. Her pupils were extremely constricted, and her gaze was capable of cutting steel. Her face was burning bright pink.
"You asked for this," Flora muttered gravely, before releasing the man's neck and grabbing a handful of his long red hair.
Turning around, she quickly advanced, pulling the man by his hair.
"Miss, where are we going?" Adryan asked innocently, pretending to know nothing.
Flora did not answer but stopped in front of the door of what was now practically her bedroom and opened it forcefully. The door hit the wall, but she not go straight in.
Turning around and pulling the man's hair so they were eye to eye, she looked at him seriously and deeply.
"My body is not as strong as a Hunter's, so you'd better be gentle," Flora said without hesitation, the blush on her face shining brightly.
"Of cour-"
Adryan's words were cut off again by the woman, who pulled his hair hard.
Without wasting a moment, and as soon as he was within reach, Flora brought her mouth close to his neck and bit down hard, almost drawing blood.
"Mm~" A small moan escaped from the redhead, but he only moved his head to one side, giving the woman more space.
After making sure she had left her mark, Flora slowly pulled away, but not before lightly kissing his neck, leaving a hickey.
Licking her lips, her eyes shining, she said, "But that doesn't mean I'll be gentle~"
"..."
Taking a moment to respond, Adryan reached into his pocket and, using the shadows, pulled out two dark blue boxes.
Showing them to the woman, he shook them with a mischievous wink.
They were boxes of condoms.
"Good thing I brought protection, huh?" Adryan said with a small laugh.
He already knew this day was coming, so he had prepared accordingly. He didn't want to ruin the moment by having to go to the pharmacy to buy some.
"..." Her gray eyes only lingered on the box for a moment before returning to his face.
They looked at each other silently, but less than seven seconds later, Flora threw herself at him.
Her hands held the man's face, and her lips connected with his, her legs wrapping around his waist.
Without complaining and returning the kiss as best he could, Adryan held the woman by her waist with one hand and pressed her against him. His free hand quickly removed her dress, careful not to damage it; it was expensive, after all.
With Flora in his arms, he entered the room and, using his threads, closed the door with a loud slam!
---
Honestly, I got a little lost writing this chapter; I almost wrote beyond the door.
Here's the picture I promised of Adryan a few days ago.
Oh, and this is also why Flora reacted that way; you can take it as her POV. Check this paragraph.
Or go check it on AO3, and you can see it there! Webnovel never shows my comments when I post them, so I really recommend this if you can't see it.
https://archiveofourown.org/users/AontherAnon
It was done by @exocorpse, give them love~
Those who follow me on Twitter will have already seen it, and those who haven't, well, enjoy.
Oh, by the way. This week I'll be posting the symbol of the Scarlet Monarch/Fire of Destruction, so stay tuned~