Aurelia froze. The hand before her was fair and supple, unlike the many pairs of rough ones she had seen in the basement.It felt like there was a halo around the owner of the hand. She was beautiful and gentle, but there was a sense of determination in her gaze. It made people want to get closer to her.It was just that Aurelia knew that “people like her” could not dirty a hand so clean. She looked down, took a deep breath, and stood up on her own.Cordelia took the initiative to hold her hand.Aurelia’s heart felt like something poked it as she looked at Cordelia in a daze. After some time, she asked, “Y-You believe me? ‘People like me’ do everything from tricking to stealing. I might be acting.”Cordelia chuckled and tucked her hair by her ear.“You don’t know how to act. But we actually have an award-winning actor here. You can ask him about acting skills. Who knows? You may be able to use it the next time you encounter the police.”Aurelia paused before a giggle escaped her
Fredric had been transferred to the VIP hospital ward, and Trinity had been taking care of him these days.His trip to Chaiseland this time felt extraordinary. He still felt like he was dreaming. It was just that the dream was wonderful. Each time he opened his eyes, he could see Trinity by his side.“You don’t have to push so hard,” Fredric said softly. “There are doctors and nurses. It’s too tiring for you to stay here every day.”“Why? You don’t want me to keep you company?”Trinity brought fresh strawberries that looked full and juicy. She held one in front of Fredric, but the latter only smiled without moving.Trinity paused. “You don’t like this?”“No.” Fredric looked at her, reluctant to look away for even a second. “Have the sweet tip of the strawberry. I’ll have the top!”Trinity grinned with wet eyes.“Trinity…” Fredric put a hand on the back of hers. “Do you still blame me?”Trinity pressed her lips together and said nothing with a lowered head.“Do you know why I
“Mm, no problem,” Fredric agreed easily.Trinity was then at a loss. ‘W-Why is he not reacting the way he should?’The plot should go like she said she wanted to search his bag, and he would stop her with all his might. Then she would get up and take the bag to rummage it in front of him, and he would panic and grab it. As they pushed and pulled, he would pull her over, and… their lips would touch, and the whole world would turn pink!This was the first time in her director’s career that someone was not going according to the storyline!Fredric smiled. “My bag’s just over there. Bring it over for me.”Trinity blushed and looked at him weakly before passing him the bag.“Open it, the innermost pocket.”Trinity did as she was told.The lawyer’s bag was rectangular, with three pockets inside and three more outside, carrying important case materials.She felt inside as he instructed and suddenly felt a small item with a familiar touch of fabric… She pulled it out to see that it wa
“I know that it was my bad in the past.” Fredric held her hand. “Trinity, you have bloopers and retakes in filming. If the actor isn’t in a good state, they get lots of retakes… Can you let me have a retake too?“I promise, just this once,” Fredric said seriously with a smile. “It’ll be one-take from now on. I’ll be your best male lead!”Trinity fell in a daze as a tear fell, but her smile came back. She pressed a kiss on Fredric’s forehead, and both of them smiled at each other, their eyes shining with happiness.“Okay,” she replied softly. “You’re the only male lead in my script from now on. But you have to listen to the director and can’t change up the storyline yourself, okay?”Fredric grinned. “Whatever Director Trinity says!”…At night, Cordelia lay by Zephyr’s side as she recalled what had happened recently.It had actually only been two weeks since they found out that Fredric had gotten hurt and gone missing to him being saved out of the critical state, but it felt so l
Cordelia and Zephyr rushed to the venue where the new launching would be held despite the night.The event would be held the following day, but the staff had discovered that over ten haute couture dresses had varying degrees of damage to them when they ran the regular check tonight. The holes were not too big, but they affected the appearance, and the garments could barely be used.One would need to glance at the clothes and know that they had been intentionally ruined.Cordelia was calm and carefully went through each piece of clothing before she asked, “Weren’t these clothes delivered three days in advance? Didn’t you all check them properly, then?”“They were sent by the head designer of each brand personally, and the vehicles they came in were bulletproof. Our people checked them in detail when they arrived, and there was no issue!”Zephyr scowled and sent someone to retrieve the surveillance recording.“Cordelia, stay calm,” he told her with an arm around her. “This venue ha
Trinity was shocked and quickly put a hand around Cordelia. “Don’t get too excited. Careful of the baby!”Cordelia beamed and returned to the meeting room to discuss the design changes with the designers.The area of damage on the skirts was not big. Some alteration and the blend of cultural elements might produce an unexpected result.The designers agreed, and their eyes lit up with wonder when the design was completed.The elegance and enigma of cultural elements made the dresses stand out even more.“The draft looks great!” said one of the designers. “But it might be difficult to execute it.”The meeting room went silent.The other designers nodded in agreement.“Yeah, all our dresses are hand-sewn. This part is no exception.”“To embroider in cultural elements here, the idea is great, but we don’t know how to. Will it be in time if we learn now?”Cordelia’s brows locked in place.The area of damage had to be embroidered and sewn. The added pattern had to blend in with th
“You’ve got some guts to be roaming the streets like this, huh? Do you know you’re like a big juicy steak to those people? They could rip even your underwear off you with your outfit!”Neil paused and could not help chuckling.“Is it so serious?”Aurelia looked dead serious. “Isn’t Fredric’s encounter enough for you to keep your guard up?”“But it was nighttime when that happened to him—”“Uncle.” The girl crossed her arms in front of herself. “Nobody cares if it’s day or night when they commit crimes on this street!”“What!?” Neil was in disbelief.He was not shocked about the crimes, but the term of address she had chosen—“uncle”!Uncle!?What did she address Fredric? Fredric!What? Did he look so old to her that she had to call him uncle?Neil’s gaze darkened significantly as he tightened his fists.Aurelia observed his expression carefully and noted that he seemed upset. True, it would be weird if he was happy when an affluent man like him was in the slums!She scratch
Cordelia stood outside the hotel room, worried about what was happening inside.This was Neil’s VIP suite, and Aurelia had been inside for two days.Neil had not entered the bedroom these two days and would only move around in the living room. The bedroom door was tightly shut—he had locked Aurelia inside.He had bodyguards guarding the door and would go out leisurely every day. If he was free, he would sit on the couch in the living room and prop his long legs on the table, swishing a glass of wine. His eyes would be on the bedroom door as he wore a triumphant smile.Cordelia heard from the bodyguards that Neil had only said two things the day he caught Aurelia back.The first sentence was: “Get in!”He then tossed all the dresses and design drafts to her and said the second sentence: “Don’t think about eating if you don’t finish embroidering them!”Cordelia chuckled. Of course, she knew Neil would not starve Aurelia, but she was curious why he was this angry. He was quite comp
"Only Morpheus and Sephy aren't like that. They respect and understand me. Sephy told me once, 'One's appearance doesn't indicate anything. A clean heart is what truly matters!'"Rebecca chuckled dismissively."You're a psychologist, yet you fail to grasp this," Wynn said coldly. "Actually, I pity you. You could have stepped out, yet you insist on dwelling on the trivialities."Morpheus has psychological barriers, a consequence of returning from the battlefield. No one has cured his PTSD except Sephy... It shows that a true psychologist is never just a title."What truly heals everything is love!"-One particular morning a year later, sunlight streamed through sheer cream curtains onto the floor.Persephone was sound asleep when she suddenly felt something pressing down on her... Then, Morpheus' strong arms wrapped around her slender waist. She drowsily opened her eyes to find him sealing her lips with heated kisses.Over the year, his kissing skills had improved, and Persepho
With Morpheus' involvement, the police didn't slack off and quickly found Rebecca.That day, Rebecca was preparing to escape from a small port. The boat she had found was an illegally operating one.As she was about to board, piercing sirens sounded nearby.The boat owner, enraged upon hearing the sirens, grabbed Rebecca by her hair and pushed her into the water.Rebecca screamed for help, but he roared, "I didn't expect you to be sent by the cops!""I'm not..." Rebecca choked on water. "Sir, let's leave now. Your boat is fast. As long as we reach the open sea, no one will catch you!""Dream on!" The boat owner wanted to strangle her. "Do you not understand? These sirens are from the royal guards! Who did you bitch provoke?"Rebecca was dumbfounded. Being a foreigner, she naturally didn't understand the local affairs in the Southeast Aciatic region.The police and royal guards quickly caught up, armed, and surrounded them.Rebecca turned pale and trembled all over, her gaze gr
"You had no choice on the battlefield."Persephone looked at him with her crystal eyes. There was a magical power in them. Even if a devil was tearing him apart, her eyes would always bring him back to light.She smiled and caressed his cheek. "Though you killed your father, you saved the country.""Do you really… think so?"She nodded. "You're not at fault. He was the one who made a mistake. You were just fulfilling your job as a general to protect the country."But I also understand that he's your father who brought you up, after all. You guys must have had happy days before that happened, right?"Morpheus held his head low in silence."You did well as the protector of the country," she said softly. "But as a son, you can secretly pay homage to him."Persephone held his hand. "Reconcile with your father, Morpheus. You'll also reconcile with yourself by doing that, okay?"He was stunned for a long time and felt a lump in his throat.-Morpheus stayed with Persephone in the
"No way!" Christopher smirked, glancing at Morpheus. "To him, you're his only princess! I just got lucky for the princess carry, thanks to you!""Yeah, at least you're self-aware!" Persephone nodded, rubbing her chin."We've known each other for so long! What kind of person do you think I am?" Christopher laughed. "I can be a bit shameless at times, but..."But upon learning that the one she loved was the unbeatable god of war, he willingly stepped back, offering his blessings with a smile."Okay, okay. You two stop crowding around me!" Christopher waved his hand. "Sephy needs more rest, and I'd like to get some more sleep, too! Once we heal, let's go out and have some fun together!""You're still thinking about fun?" Morpheus' deep voice intervened with a wry smile. "With the factory explosion incident, the royal family is furious and will thoroughly investigate it. Many people will probably be coming to talk to you both in the next few days. After all, you two are the most direc
"Let's get out first!""Hey, wait..." Persephone pointed to the other side.In moments of life and death, it wasn't appropriate to laugh, but Morpheus still chuckled. The young Prince Christopher was sprawled on the floor in a very ridiculous pose, and they almost forgot about him!"Don't worry," Morpheus whispered. "I won't let anything happen to him."He had Persephone cling to his back and then carried Christopher.Christopher was a tall fellow, so it took some effort to carry them both to a safe place.Fire trucks, ambulances, and police cars rushed in. Their sirens pierced the sky, startling a flock of birds.The fire was soon extinguished, and Persephone and Christopher received timely treatment. Luckily, their burns weren't too severe, and even more fortunately, their faces were unharmed.When Christopher woke up, he felt bandages wrapped around his head, and his skin had a burning sensation. His heart sank, and he was almost on the verge of tears."Tell me the truth! A
There was fire everywhere. Flames rushed toward Persephone like menacing dragons. Her consciousness grew increasingly blurred, but the searing pain coursing through her body became clearer. She struggled to get up, the agony almost unbearable.Despite several attempts, it was futile...Something was pinning her feet down, and stones kept falling on her. She couldn't even muster a shout.Many images flashed through her mind in that fleeting moment, each frame featuring Morpheus' face…She remembered the times they had spent together in Flinge, how he had initially distanced himself from her, then later had exerted every effort to protect her. She recalled how he would gently ruffle her hair and call her "silly goose"..."Morpheus, I'm afraid I might have to go first..."The fire grew fiercer, explosions resonated continuously, and she could no longer hold on.Christopher, who was nearby, wasn't any better.Amidst the roaring flames, he couldn't see anything clearly, only pulling
"No need, you can go back first." Morpheus glanced at him. "I'll wait here for her a little longer.""Prince Christopher wouldn't do anything to Ms. Hamerton...""Alfred, what are you thinking?" Morpheus couldn't help but chuckle. "I know exactly what Christopher is like, but I just want to wait here for Sephy. Christopher mentioned that she'd specifically designed these fireworks for me. Hah! I'm the useless one. I don't even dare to go inside and take a look.""Sir, don't say that.""If I wait here, will it count as accompanying her in her efforts?"Alfred nodded.Morpheus smiled and sent Alfred back. He continued waiting under the tree.The air in Southeast Aciatic was hot and humid. The shade of the banyan tree offered some relief, but it couldn't completely dispel the oppressive heat.Morpheus took a deep breath, about to move elsewhere, when he glimpsed a suspicious figure swiftly darting through the factory's side gate.The security at the side gate was lax, making it e
Christopher struggled to swallow the bite of the sandwich in his mouth for what seemed like ages. He gazed at Persephone, his mind wandering back…He didn't just know Morpheus. He had been close since childhood to the children of the two prominent military families in Southeast Aciatic.Compared to the Harrises, he preferred visiting the Ortons, especially when he got to spend time with Morpheus. He considered Morpheus a friend, a brother even, having engaged in countless mischief together, much to their parents' dismay.In his memory, Morpheus was someone who smiled a lot, radiating warmth and brightness like the Southeast Aciatic sun when he did.However, from the moment Kaiden betrayed the country, Morpheus never smiled again, gradually growing distant from Christopher as well.It wasn't until that evening at the gates of the palace that Christopher felt like it had been a lifetime."I... I don't know him." Christopher forced a smile. "Where would I have met your boyfriend!"
Morpheus wasn't just an ordinary person!Christopher wholeheartedly accepted his defeat to Morpheus."Then... I'd like to invite you to come over to my place for a while as a friend. That's fine, right?"-A few days later, Persephone finally ran into Christopher, who had been missing in action for days, in the classroom."Hey, you finally showed up!" She dashed over, plopping down in the seat beside him and handing him breakfast. "You haven't eaten, right? Let's eat together!"Usually, Christopher would readily accept, but he waved his hands now. "No, no, no!""What's wrong?" Persephone widened her eyes. "This breakfast isn't poisoned!"Christopher awkwardly smiled. "You have a boyfriend, so maybe... we should keep some distance."Persephone burst into laughter. Then she remarked, "Strange... Morpheus was right!""Uh, what?""My boyfriend!" She chuckled. "He made this breakfast. I asked if he could also make a portion for you, and he said sure, just worried you wouldn't tak