Alma 71 The Woman Who Sold the World

When the song ended, they took some time for themselves and moved somewhere a bit more private, where they could speak freely. Reed brought her to his room, the only place he definitively knew wasn't under surveillance at the moment.

The tree-spire's spirit automaton had more pressing matters at hand at the moment, which gave them an opportunity to talk freely for now…

"Is there something you'd like to tell me, Ka'an?" asked Lu'um as she leisurely inspected the room around her in mild interest. "Or did you bring me here for another reason…?" She sauntered over to the bed and sat on it in act of provocation that caught Reed off guard for a brief moment.

This girl, I swear… Never a moment of boredom when she's around…

Reed snorted in disbelief and said, "If only that were true. It'd be a lot easier for both of us if that were the case." He calmly strolled over, sat beside her and gazed into her enchantingly deep, hazel eyes.

"You look beautiful, by the way. Nearly put a stopper in my heart when I saw you. Were you trying to kill me, or something?" said Reed in a joking, accusatory tone.

Lu'um knowingly smiled and said, "You're getting better and better at flattery by the day, Ka'an. I guess you must have had plenty of practice since we've last seen each other, right, my prince?"

She leaned over and calmly whispered, "You were superb out there, you know. Handling all those pretty girls as they clamored over you…" Her voice sounded sweeter than honey, but something told Reed that he was in grave danger. That his senses could not be trusted.

Reed quickly stammered out, "N-No, you're misunderstanding! I-I didn't enjoy that in the slightest, I swear! There was nothing I could do in that situation…! It was all just formality!"

Lu'um crept even closer and her sweet, fragrant perfume wafted around Reed as he nervously inched away from her in unease. She had a primal, intense gleam in her eyes that screamed to him that he was in the presence of a wild predator…

Before he could even react, she had toppled him over like a weak lamb and had pinned him down on the bed as she sat on top of him. Not with physical force, but with her raw, unrestrained aura and dangerously enthralling eyes.

Reed felt his heart pounding out of control and wondered were his strength had gone. He couldn't move a muscle even though he knew he could. Couldn't even think straight, much less form a single coherent thought.

It was a terrifying, thrilling feeling experience — he had been caught in her grasp. There was no escaping her this time...

She slowly nuzzled against Reed's neck as she inspected her prey and said, "You have the stench… of a liar, my prince" and was about do something when...

...…Velvund opened the door.

The wild huntress, her beloved lamb, and the old man dumbly stared at the each other in silence until… Vestel popped out from behind Velvund's back and said, "Grandpa, what is big bro doing with that girl in the dark?"

Please, not like this… not like this… Have mercy, Oh Lady of Fate...

Velvund stared at the two with a complicated expression and said, "They're just playing horsie, dear… the wrong way."

When things finally cooled down, an awkward tension filled the room that could not described with mere words. Reed couldn't even bring himself to look at the old man in the eye, much less Vestel's innocent gaze.

Lu'um, on the other hand, paid no mind to what had happened. She had gotten to work, instead. She easily won over Vestel's favor in record time and had already begun probing her for information about Reed. About what he'd done in her absence, which girls he'd met, and the like…

Velvund chuckled when he saw how hard at work Lu'um had was and said, "Don't worry, young lady, he hasn't gotten into any kind of trouble since you've last seen him. You need not worry about that."

Reed curled into his knees when he heard that and wanted to bury his head into the ground.

"Oh, I'm not worried about that. I just had to make sure whether or not he had broken anything during his stay, Your Highness. He has a particular tendency to break or ruin things whenever he is left… unattended," said Lu'um.

She stood up, performed a small bow and said, "I am Maya Evergreen of the North and I am at your service, Your Highness," pointed at Reed with a smile, "and this is Reed Evergreen, Lord of the Eternal Forest of the North."

Ahhhhh, she did it… She really did it, just like that…

"My, the Lord of Evergreen? I have heard that a… unique individual inherited that special title not too long ago. How intriguing. I'm not quite sure what to say other than… I already knew about everything." 

He looked at Reed and said, "Son, your clever little disguise almost duped me, I must admit. Very impressive technique, might I add." 

Reed popped out his ball and said, "W-What? But how... I thought it was perfect. It was supposed to have fooled everyone."

Lacrima whispered, "To think that I'd been duped, of all people. I guess some of the insects in this place aren't half-bad for what they are…"

"You were close, but there were a couple of imperfections in how you masked your aura. I detected extremely small, yet abnormal surges of Anima in your sleep that could not have been possible for a measly contender."

"You what, now? From me, in my sleep?! That's the first I've ever heard about something like this!"

Velvund shrugged his shoulders and said, "It was the spirit automaton that informed about it. She detected a massive spike in Anima density a couple nights ago in your own room. I went to check on you after that and could not find any trace of a foreign intrusion so the only conclusion was… that it came from you."

"...Son of a bitch!" muttered Lacrima under her breath in frustration. "Sorry, boy, that one's on me, not you… I messed up."

"In any case, I've come to pick him before he causes anymore trouble for you and the East, Your Highness. On behalf of the North, I apologize for any inconvenience that he might have caused and assure you that if he has broken anything, I have complete authority to forward that bill to the Kingscrown family," said Lu'um.

Velvund warmly smiled and said, "I'm sorry, dear, but I'm afraid that's not going to be possible anymore. The decision's already been written in stone since yesterday — he's joined my clan through a blood oath, not a written or verbal contract."

He flicked his hands and a fancy white document popped out of thin air. It was a royal document that had a single red splotch on it in the shape of a thumbprint.

"You see, we, the Avunians, are a race, a family united by the blood we share. And yesterday, Reed signed this document — formally submitting his blood, his lineage into the Goldentree family tree. By law, all who carry his blood henceforth, are by birthright, part of the Goldentree Clan."

Velvund chuckled dryly and said, "He's already a prince, dear. Today's coronation is simply a little formality for the empire and nothing else. Reed is already part of East and there's nothing that can be done about it anymore."

Lu'um calmly turned towards Reed and sighed in annoyance. "You knew about this and still signed it? Everyday you seem to find another, novel way to amaze me..."

"I thought it was just another boring document I had to sign! I didn't know what I saw signing was something like that…" said Reed in a low tone.

He nervously laughed and said, "Hey, why don't you sign one, too? M-Might as well, right, haha..."

Lu'um eyes gleamed dangerously and Reed immediately took the hint. He quickly shut up and twiddled his fingers as he looked down at the ground in fear.

"That's actually not a bad idea, son! Why not do that? We could have you both wed here, if you so wish as Avunian royalty instead of nobility in the North! I'm sure the two of wouldn't want to get married out in some frozen tundra anyways, right?" said Velvund, nodding in agreement.

"...…" Lu'um suddenly went quiet and quickly caught Reed's attention. 

He peeked at her face and saw the slightest touch of crimson on her face as she stared at Reed with an expression that shocked the living hell out him. He'd never seen like that. 

It was a wavering, indecisive expression. One of heightened stress, the kind one made during an important, life-changing decision. 

W-Wait, she's... not actually considering it, right? Right?!

T-There's no way that she could be bought so easily like that, right?!!

N-No way.....

Lu'um closed her eyes for a moment and then said...

Chapter end