Chapter 146: Twice as strong

The naming ceremony was drawing to a close, with guests slowly filtering out of the grand hall. Cassandra and Lucien were making their way towards the exit, a polite distance between them, when a familiar voice called out."Cassandra! Lucien!" Uncle Harold approached them, a warm smile on his face.

"It was quite a nice and interesting party, wasn't it?" he asked, his tone light and conversational.

Lucien nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, indeed it was, sir."

Cassandra managed a small nod. "Mm-hmm," she murmured noncommittally.

Uncle Harold's smile widened. "I trust you both enjoyed each other's company? It seemed like you two were getting along splendidly."

Lucien's face lit up. "Oh, absolutely! It's been a while since I've had such good company. Cassandra is quite... unique." He cast a sidelong glance at her, clearly expecting her to reciprocate the sentiment.

Cassandra forced a weird smile onto her face, not quite meeting Lucien's eyes. "Yes, it was... something," she said, her voice carefully neutral.

As they continued towards the exit, Cassandra's mind was racing. 'If he calls boring someone with endless complaints about everything around us a good time, then he sure is weird,' she thought to herself.

'Thank goodness this party is finally over. I can go home, have some peace and quiet, and he can go back to his "perfect Lumina."'

Uncle Harold, oblivious to Cassandra's inner monologue, continued to chat amiably with Lucien as they walked.

Cassandra half-listened, her responses automatic and brief, while she silently counted the steps until she could escape.

As they approached the ornate cart waiting to take them home, Cassandra noticed Lucien was still following. Sёarᴄh the NôᴠeFire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

She initially assumed he was simply being polite, intending to see her off before returning to his own transportation. However, her uncle's next words shattered that assumption.

"Oh, Cassandra," Uncle Harold said cheerfully, "I forgot to mention. Lucien has decided to extend his stay in Drakoria for a while. He'll be our guest.."

'Our guest as in where?! My house?!!!' She thought.

Cassandra felt as if she'd been doused with ice water. Frustration flashed in her eyes before she could mask it. She forced a smile onto her face, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Is that so? How... unexpected."

Lucien beamed, oblivious to her discomfort. "I hope it's not an imposition. I'm looking forward to seeing more of Drakoria... and its residents." He glanced meaningfully at Cassandra.

"Of course not," Cassandra managed, her voice strained. "It's... fine."

As they climbed into the spacious cart, Cassandra's mind was in turmoil. 'What happened to his perfect Lumina? Why can't he just go home?' she thought bitterly. 'This is going to be unbearable.'

The cart lurched into motion and flew smoothly towards Beaumont's mansion. Uncle Harold continued chatting about the party and the city's upcoming events.

Throughout the journey, Cassandra couldn't help but notice Lucien stealing glances at her. Each time she caught his eye, he would offer a small smile before turning back to his conversation with Uncle Harold. These furtive looks only served to increase her irritation.

'Does he think he's being subtle?' she fumed internally. 'This is going to be a long visit indeed.'

As the cart wound its way through the streets of Drakoria, Cassandra found herself staring out the window, trying to lose herself in the passing scenery.

She had been so looking forward to returning to the peace and quiet of her own space, away from the suffocating atmosphere of being around Lucien at the party. Now, it seemed that even her home would offer no respite.

***********

Back at Zafron's home, after finishing his meal, he went to his room to rest.

But as he entered, he found himself standing before the mirror once again, his eyes roaming over his body in disbelief.

The rapid healing he had experienced was nothing short of miraculous. Even since waking up just moments ago, the wounds seemed to have healed further. He ran a hand over his abdomen, where a deep gash had been.

Now, it was nothing more than a faint scar, barely visible in the afternoon light.

"The system has done a great deal of work," he murmured to himself, still marveling at his reflection. Taking a deep breath, he decided to investigate further.

He called out one of the helps. 'Aurelia, are you there?'

Suddenly Aurelia's appeared before him, her soft voice responded in his mind. [Yes, my lord.How may I be of assistance?]

Zafron's eyes flickered back to his reflection. 'I've noticed how incredibly effective the system's healing is. It's... remarkable.'

Aurelia replied, her tone pleasant but matter-of-fact. [Indeed It is a gift from Eros to protect his property. You are an important asset, Zafron, and your well-being is of utmost importance.]

Zafron nodded slowly, absorbing this information, "Huh? Property? What in the world does that mean? I'm no one's asset," Zafron scoffed feeling uncomfortable by Aurelia's wordings.

[Apologies, my lord] Aurelia said.

Then, with a note of curiosity in his voice, he asked, 'Aurelia, can you show me my stats?'

Aurelia responded. [Certainly. I'll display your current statistics for you to review]

Suddenly, a translucent blue screen materialized before Zafron's eyes, floating in mid-air. It read:

-Name:- Zafron

-Potency Level:- 3

-Vitality XP:- 40/350

-Physical Attributes:-

- -Strength:- 48

- -Endurance:- 39

- -Agility:- 35

- -Vitality:- 8

-Eros Attributes:-

- -Virility:- 8

- -Pheromone Production:- 8

- -Reproductive Health:- 9

-Social Attributes:-

- -Charm:- 9

- -Confidence:- 8

- -Attraction:- 7

-Eros Skills:-

- -Stamina:- 8

- -Technique:- 6

- -Intimacy:- 8

-Status:-

- -Overall Health:- 55/100

- -Potency:- 60/100

- -XY Virus Resistance:- 35%

Zafron's eyes lingered on his Strength stat. 'The last time I checked, my strength was at 36, and now it's at 48. Impressive,' he thought.

A smile of realization spread across his face. 'No wonder it was easier to defeat those robbers,' he mused. 'I haven't checked my stats in a while, so I didn't notice the improvement.'

He turned towards his heavy wooden wardrobe, eyeing it speculatively. 'I wonder... could I lift that with a single hand now?' He chuckled at the silly thought.

His eyes suddenly dropped to his overall health, noticing it was around 55/100. 'The injury has really taken a toll on me,' he thought.

Suddenly, a knock at the door interrupted him.

"Come in," Zafron called, quickly dismissing the floating stats screen with a wave of his hand.

The door creaked open, revealing Matilda waiting by the door.

He noticed that she had changed out of the clothes she was wearing earlier that morning. After cleaning the dishes in the kitchen, she must have gone to wash up and change.

Now, she was wearing a very light gown that clung to her chest, as if it were barely managing to stay in place. It seemed like the gown was struggling hard not to slip down.

He could see her pink, thumb-sized nipples standing out beneath the fabric. As she walked, he watched the subtle movements of the melons following her every step.

"Matilda," Zafron asked, noticing a slight worried look on her face. "Is everything okay?"

Matilda smiled at him. "Of course, I just brought you something."