Chapter 239. Black Seele: Watch My Play!
"Hold on, you two???!!!"
Veliona watched the spot that should have been hers get snatched away, and it was like a green hat dropped from the sky and smacked down on her head. For someone as forceful as her, how could she possibly accept that.
Usually, inside the mental world, every time that idiot Seele got put in her place by Bronya, by Elysia, and later even by Kaguya, Veliona would resent her misfortune and rage at her failure. Every single scene of Seele getting humbled was vivid in Veliona's mind, something she could recite like a treasured catalog. She often thought that if she were the one out there, she would win them all.
Now Sirin's provocation was right in front of her, and she had to consider whether this might be the only chance in her life…
Facing the ultimate insult from another woman—idiot Seele, watch closely!!
Watch her teach you with both forehand and backhand!!
While Veliona spent ages brewing her momentum, ready to give Sirin a show of force, Sirin by this point was already blushing like crazy. Looking at the slightly dazed Xander Masato, Sirin took a deep breath, her face red as she continued, "I don't want to be just ordinary friends with you, got it?!!"
"Th-then… what kind of friends?"
Xander, whose brain had short-circuited a little, asked on reflex.
"You idiot, don't make a girl say something this embarrassing!!!"
"Sirin, wait a second," Veliona cut in, but Sirin didn't notice her at all.
Face burning, Sirin rose up on tiptoe and pressed her lips to his again, biting down hard like she wanted to make sure Xander would remember it. The stab of pain made Xander furrow his brow. He finally came back to his senses, hissed through his teeth, looked at Sirin, and said, a bit speechlessly, "Your way of confessing really leaves an impression."
It honestly felt like his lip had been bitten through. It hurt like hell.
"I said wait a second, look at me!" Veliona spoke up again, but still nobody paid her any mind.
"What else did you expect, for a blockhead like you to finally wise up?!!"
"Hey? I'm not that bad."
Seeing his slightly aggrieved expression, Sirin thought about it and realized she had been a bit too laid-back, but of course she couldn't admit that. Face red, arms crossed, she huffed, "F-forget it. As long as you get it, from today on, you're the boyfriend of Lady Sirin, got it?!"
"Ah, can I refuse?" Her tsundere look amused Xander, and he couldn't resist teasing her.
"No!!"
"Hey, I said pause!!" Veliona was starting to overheat.
Sirin still didn't look at her and just stared Xander down.
"Alright, alright, I'll grudgingly accept."
"What do you mean grudgingly!! Being the boyfriend of Lady Sirin is an honor, got it? Be properly grateful, you scumbag!!"
"Sirin!!!!"
Veliona finally exploded, and the full-gauge roar finally drew Sirin's attention. She turned her head, and when she saw the furious Veliona, she blurted out on reflex, "Huh, Seele, why are you here?"
That response left Veliona feeling suffocated. Her eyes went wide, and she stared at Sirin in disbelief, grinding her teeth as she forced out each word, "I—was—here—from—the—start!"
"Ah… r-right, oh, sorry…"
Having finally gotten what she wanted, Sirin quickly recalled what had just happened. It seemed she really had pushed Veliona away just now. At that thought, her momentum instantly shrank back. Noticing the volcano-level fury across from her, she got so spooked she edged closer to Xander.
"Ha ha, w-well, you two keep playing, I-I won't disturb you…"
With an awkward laugh, Sirin spoke as she shuffled backward. Once she'd retreated far enough, she bolted. "Sorry, Seele, this is absolutely the last time!!!"
Just now she was so shy she didn't dare stay by Xander's side, and on top of that she'd angered Seele, so Sirin, without a shred of hesitation, chose to flee.
"You jerk, stop right there!!!"
Seeing Veliona about to give chase, Xander hurriedly set the guitar aside and wrapped his arms around Veliona's waist. She wasn't the timid Seele—she would really throw hands. If Sirin got a real beating, that would be bad.
"Hey, let go of me!!"
Feeling she had lost face in front of "White Seele," Veliona was at full fury, determined to claw her dignity back no matter what. Unfortunately, with Xander holding her, she couldn't break free. If she used force, she was afraid of hurting this guy, leaving her stifled to no end.
"So you're taking her side?!"
Turning back, Veliona glared into his eyes, and in those stubborn eyes, tiny points of tears even glittered.
"Of course not. I just think, rather than doing something that only wastes time, we might as well enjoy this rare moment for two." Holding her even more gently, Xander said softly, "It's still early now. I want to spend it with you, Seele. Is that okay?"
"You…"
Veliona knew he was deliberately comforting her, but she shamefully felt moved. On certain things, she was even worse than White Seele. Her struggles slowly faded. She leaned back into his arms. As the fireworks played their symphony, her mutter drifted to his ear, "If you don't make me satisfied, I won't let you off…"
…
"You, where did you just run off to!"
The moment Sirin returned, Kiana nabbed her, tone full of dissatisfaction.
"I… forgot something."
She'd originally wanted to say "What's it to you," but when she met Kiana's concerned eyes, Sirin didn't think she could say something like that.
"Forgot something? We clearly all left together. I don't remember you leaving anything behind," Kiana said, frowning and eyeing her suspiciously. "You didn't go looking for Xander, did you?"
"H-how could I!!"
Sirin's heart lurched, and she denied it on the spot.
"Oh, so you did go looking for Xander."
Kiana nodded with certainty, and that attitude made Sirin blush instantly.
"D-don't slander me out of nowhere. Why would I go looking for Xander for no reason!!"
"Mm-hmm, got it, got it. I'll just go ask Bronya and the others and see if they believe you."
"Don't!!!"
Sirin hurriedly grabbed Kiana, face red. "I did go look for Xander, alright?! J-just don't tell them yet…"
"You two made it official?"
"Mm…"
Seeing Sirin all shy and flustered, Kiana didn't need any more to understand. Before she could say anything, Sirin blurted out in a panic, "Just keep it to yourself for now, don't tell them!"
"Why? It won't stay secret for long anyway, and everyone already knows what you're thinking. No need to hide it, right?"
"D-don't worry about it. Just don't tell them!!"
Sirin knew all that perfectly well, but she'd already used up all her courage just now. Right now she didn't dare to say it out loud at all. Seeing Kiana frown a little, Sirin hurried to add, "Keep it secret for me, and I'll give you a present!"
"Trying to buy me off again? I'm telling you, that's imposs—"
"Xander's singing-and-playing video!"
"Deal!"
Kiana's eyes lit up. She darted a glance back at the others. Seeing that everyone's attention was still on the fireworks, she quietly pulled Sirin into a corner, held out her hand, and said expectantly, "Can I sample the goods first?"
Sirin also snuck a look around and lowered her voice. "It's not very convenient here. I'll show you a screenshot first."
"No problem!"
Very quickly, Sirin unlocked her phone, picked one of the screenshots she'd carefully selected from that video, and held the phone up in front of Kiana.
"Here."
On the screen was a familiar sight. Kiana recognized it at a glance: the festival street they'd just walked through. The street in the image was empty, with only one person standing in the middle of the road. He had a guitar in his hands, his back to the brilliantly colored night sky bursting with fireworks. His fingers lightly plucked the strings as he closed his eyes. The bright light fell across his face, outlining that gentle smile. A boy singing and playing under the fireworks. That beautiful scene made Kiana's throat bob, and she couldn't help blurting out in surprise, "You've had something this hot and didn't say so sooner?"
"Just say yes or no!"
"Yes, yes, yes—of course, no problem. Don't worry, I absolutely won't spill it!!" Kiana patted her chest and promised immediately.
"This is just the start. Tomorrow when we're back, come to my room. I'll show you the full video. It's miles better than this still!!"
Sirin's voice carried a hint of disdain, like she was mocking Kiana for not having seen the good stuff. Kiana didn't care at all. She rubbed her palms together in anticipation, already thinking about how to get back faster.
The half-hour fireworks show ended quickly. Before long, the girls saw Xander Masato and Seele returning. Since everyone would be heading home tomorrow, they had decided in advance to throw an all-night party tonight at Xander's old house. That house, full of good memories, had been kept up by hired help. When they got back, it was as clean and tidy as when they left.
Ludo, Monopoly, UNO, and all sorts of party games—the whole big family played to their hearts' content all night. Aside from Mei, who kept feeling a bit out of place, everything else was fine. Not long after dawn, everyone set out on their separate ways.
…
"Phew~"
Yawning, Xander Masato shuffled out of his little room. He'd slept the whole flight, then couldn't help but sleep through the afternoon as well. Only when dusk fell did he groggily get up. The kids in the yard greeted him cheerfully, and he smiled back. He ruffled a few little carrot-tops and coaxed them to go play on their own, then looked left and right. He didn't see Seele and the others anywhere.
Even Elysia had come back this time. When he'd been sleeping, all three had squeezed into his little room to chat, but now there was no sign of them. Rubbing his slightly hollow belly, he wandered toward the kitchen. The light in the kitchen was bright, and inside, besides the roaring sizzle of hot oil, there was also Kalpas's booming laughter. Thinking about it, he turned back around.
Bored, he unlocked his phone and immediately saw a string of messages in the chat app. Most were from Sirin and Kiana. Kiana being clingy was nothing new. As for Sirin, probably because they'd just made it official, starting from the afternoon she'd sent almost one message every five minutes. Scrolling through all the basically content-free chatter, he replied to each one at his own lazy pace.
Very quickly, Sirin grew lively on the other end and excitedly kept the conversation going. She talked about what was going on at home, how her stinky old man was annoying, and how her big sister was amazing. The bubbles in the chat never stopped, like she wanted to blurt out everything she'd bottled up for three years in one go. Xander didn't find it annoying. He followed along with her topics and replied in turn.
Only when Sirin said Cecilia Schariac wanted to invite him over as a guest did he hurriedly swerve the topic and cut the conversation short. Speaking of that, he was a little panicked. He'd tricked away both of their precious daughters. If he went over, would he get torn limb from limb…
Head down and uneasy, he didn't notice and ran straight into someone coming the other way. The soft bounce made him take a step back. He looked up and saw Aponia in front of him.
"Sorry, Aponia. I was thinking and forgot to watch where I was going."
He apologized, and Aponia gently shook her head with a smile. One hand rested over her chest, which that hand couldn't possibly cover. "I was walking a bit fast too. Don't mind it."
"Where are you going, Aponia?" Walking naturally at her side, Xander asked curiously.
"I want to discuss some things about the children with Ms. Cocolia. Want to come? Seele and the others should be there too."
"Sure. It's still early before mealtime anyway."
Chatting simply about the children, they soon arrived at Cocolia's bedroom. Before they even went in, Xander heard the familiar laughter inside. He knocked lightly, and when Cocolia called, "Come in," he opened the door.
In the room, Cocolia, Elysia, Seele, and Bronya were sitting around a small table. They must have been talking about something funny. Even on Cocolia's face, which usually held stern dignity, there was a gentle smile at this moment.
"Finally awake. Seeing how dead you were to the world, I thought we'd need a passing princess to kiss this 'Sleeping Beauty' awake," Bronya teased at once when she saw him.
"I-I-I can be that princess!" Elysia shot her hand up, thrilled.
"Seele can do it too…" Seele snuck her hand up and said weakly.
"So if I wake up by myself, I'm getting the short end of the stick?"
Smiling back, Xander looked at the three girls from different angles. He thought for a moment, then went to sit by Seele. In her delighted expression, he squeezed in next to her.
"Ah, looks like our princess has been chosen already~" Elysia said regretfully.
Held by him, Seele blushed and giggled without saying a word.
Cocolia had been called out by Aponia to talk. Looking at the three left in the room, Xander drew Seele onto his lap, buried his face in the sweet fragrance of her neck, and rubbed comfortably. Only then did he ask, "What were you talking about just now? I could hear you laughing from outside the door."
"Hmph-hmph, that's a maiden's secret. Do you really want to pry, Xander?" Elysia sang.
"Then I'll pass."
Because they were in Cocolia's room, Xander only properly stroked the soft, silky white stockings on Seele's legs. After a bit of small talk, he saw Cocolia walking back over.
"Just in time you're here. There are some things to discuss with you."
Seated at the head, Cocolia's tone turned a bit serious.
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