Chapter 285
The lower part was a straight skirt that fell to below the knees.
The cut was extremely simple, falling straight down without any curves or accents at all.
There were no dramatic folds to catch the eye, no effort whatsoever to beautify the silhouette or highlight the shape of the body.
As Aldraya moved closer to Theo, her movements were so calm and controlled that the skirt swayed only minimally, a visual personification of the concept of stillness.
She arrived without sound, without ripples, a striking contradiction amid the clamor of the amusement park.
Theo fell silent, and he felt his throat grow dry.
He had just compared, unintentionally, Erietta—who from a distance appeared captivating with her light and dynamism—with Aldraya standing before him in total simplicity.
And in that comparison, an almost embarrassing realization struck him.
Erietta's beauty, no matter how radiant, suddenly felt like something external, a kind of performance.
Meanwhile, what he saw in Aldraya was an intrinsic, nearly indisputable beauty, hidden behind plain fabric and a flat demeanor.
Aldraya's supple skin, which shifted gently as she lifted her right hand and waved it in front of Theo's stunned eyes, seemed to stand as tangible proof.
Theo truly swallowed, transfixed, and in his most honest heart, he knew that in his subjective view, Erietta's charm still paled in comparison to the silent perfection emanating from the silver-haired girl before him.
"I'm fine, Aldraya. I just lost my words for a moment."
Foooooh!
"Your appearance… is very captivating. Even compared to Erietta."
Theo's awareness snapped back in haste, drawn by Aldraya's gaze which, though flat, still radiated a silent question.
He realized that his long reverie had been noticed, and a vague concern—or perhaps mere curiosity—began to hover in the air between them.
To dispel the awkward silence and soothe whatever worry Aldraya might be feeling, Theo slowly shook his head.
It was a small gesture of reassurance, meant both for himself and for the girl standing before him, that everything was all right.
His voice then followed, trying to sound light even though it was still weighed down by the admiration he had just felt.
He stated that he was fine, a claim that might have sounded unconvincing given how spellbound he had been moments earlier.
Yet those words became an opening, a bridge to express what was truly filling his thoughts.
Without much further thought, perhaps driven by impulsive honesty or a desire to steer the conversation away, the compliment slipped from his lips.
He praised Aldraya's appearance, declaring it highly captivating.
And not only that, he explicitly compared it, stating that Aldraya's beauty, in his present view, surpassed even the charm of Erietta whom he was observing from afar.
'With just a little attention, everything is easy to read.
So amateurish.'
Although Aldraya's expression remained a flat, unreadable painting, a porcelain mask without cracks or shifts in line, a subtle transformation occurred around her, a change in atmosphere perceptible only to those who truly paid attention.
Before the compliment was spoken, the air between them had felt neutral, perhaps even slightly cold with uncertainty.
But after Theo's words hung in the air, a faint warmth began to emanate from Aldraya.
It was not a smile or a flutter of lashes, but a deeper calm, a comfort that seeped into every pore of her presence, softening her rigid and defensive posture just a little.
And beneath that calm and comfort, there lay a greater turbulence, an emotional wave so powerful it could barely be contained behind the walls of her indifference.
Feelings of love, or a deep and complex devotion, churned within her with explosive intensity.
That explosion did not emerge as shouting, tears, or an embrace.
It was restrained, compressed, yet still radiated outward.
That radiance could be seen.
Not through a smile.
Not through words.
But through her eyes.
Aldraya's eyes, which usually reflected light like the surface of a frozen lake, now held a different depth.
When she looked at Theo, behind that flatness, there was a warm glimmer, a silent acknowledgment, a gentle light responding to his praise.
The glimmer was brief, almost unreadable, yet for Theo, who had learned to read Aldraya's silent language, it was equivalent to a declaration.
"We're running out of time. If we stay here too long, we could lose their trail."
After that heavily charged moment of silence, Theo moved.
With a gesture that suddenly took on the nuance of graceful courtesy, almost like a prince from a fairy tale, he shifted his stance.
His right hand extended toward Aldraya, palm facing upward, a clear yet polite offer.
The gesture was not forceful, but inviting, creating a choice for Aldraya to accept or refuse.
Behind the seemingly theatrical act, there was a practical urgency that he immediately voiced.
His voice, which moments earlier had been filled with softness as he praised her, now turned firmer and task-oriented.
He reminded Aldraya, and himself, of the reality they were facing.
Time, he said, had already been wasted.
That moment of contemplation and intense exchange of glances, though precious, had eaten into their observation window.
Every second spent here, while Erietta and Ilux continued moving through their date itinerary, was a risk.
The risk of losing the trail, losing crucial moments, and ultimately failing the surveillance mission that was the very reason they were in this amusement park.
'Exactly as planned.'
Without hesitation or a pause for consideration, Aldraya's response came immediately and directly.
Her slender, pale left hand moved forward, touched, then clasped Theo's still-extended right hand.
Her grip was not strong, but it was firm, a silent acceptance and agreement to act at once.
That skin-to-skin contact became a signal for them both.
The moment their fingers interlocked, their bodies turned in unison, and their feet began to move at full speed.
They burst forward like two arrows released from the same bow.
Theo pulled Aldraya along at his side, passing through the outer gate of the amusement park they had crossed earlier, and slipping straight into the maze of rides and crowds.
Their run was fast yet measured, not drawing unnecessary attention, but swift enough to close the gap.
Theo, guided by his memory of the layout and the last direction he had seen the targets, took the lead.
Aldraya followed obediently, her steps light and silent, as though producing no sound at all amid the heavier thud of Theo's stride.
They were not running blindly.
There was a purpose.
Close, but not too close.
Fortunately, Theo had prepared for this from the start.
He had purchased two entrance tickets upon arriving earlier, so they did not need to stop or draw attention at the ticket booth.
After running roughly a hundred steps, weaving through the crowd and skirting the edges of the game paths, Theo's instincts signaled him.
He gradually slowed down, tugging the hand he still held as a sign to stop.
They halted right behind a busy food stall, granting them natural cover.
Theo's breathing was slightly labored, but his eyes were already sharp, fixed ahead.
And there, about a hundred meters away, in front of a massive swinging pirate-ship ride, Erietta and Ilux came into view.
They were no longer standing stiffly, but engaged in a conversation that looked fluid and full of laughter.
To be continued…