Chapter 196: Exposing True Colors
The Ice Empress Hector knew was someone entirely detached from the concept of romance. She had always been indifferent, an ethereal figure alien to the messy affairs of love. Her cold demeanor served as a natural barrier, keeping the world at arm’s length; she rarely let anyone approach her close enough to see past her guard, regardless of whether they were men or women.
There’s no way she would actually harbor those kinds of feelings, which was exactly why he had felt so safe tossing out the playful remark in the first place.
But as the seconds ticked by, a peculiar quiet filled the room.
’Wait... why isn’t she saying anything?’ Hector thought, his internal monologue stalling.
His eyes focused on her, and that was when he caught sight of the deep blush already creeping up her neck, coloring her cheeks a vibrant red.
The sight, along with her lack of response, caught him entirely off guard.
Hector stared at her, blinking in sheer disbelief. He was expecting her to push the comment aside by saying something like, "It’s not like that," or coldly insisting, "You are misunderstanding it, Teacher."
Instead, she just stayed quiet, offering no denial whatsoever.
"..Pfft! Hahaha!"
The Emperor burst out laughing, the hearty sound echoing off the hospital walls as his surprise gave way to pure amusement.
"Hahaha!"
Fortunately, he had already set up a sound barrier around the room; otherwise, the entire hospital staff would have rushed in, thinking some maniac had breached the perimeter.
"Y-You... you really..."
Hector could barely force the words out through his breathless chuckles. He pointed a finger at her, his broad shoulders shaking. However, catching sight of Ethea’s increasingly murderous glare, he cleared his throat and tried to rein it in, slowly forcing the booming laughter to a halt. "S-Sorry. I truly couldn’t stop myself."
Ethea turned her head away with a sharp scoff, clearly not buying his apology.
A quiet beat passed as the lingering amusement in the room finally began to settle, the air returning to its usual calm. Ethea adjusted her gaze back toward him, her features smoothing out into an indifferent mask as she got straight to the point.
"Did they send you?"
"No." The old man shook his head, his playful demeanor fading into a more sober expression. "Our meeting here was entirely a coincidence. But... I didn’t expect them to expel you like that..."
"It doesn’t matter," Ethea replied calmly, her tone completely even. "It just exposes their true colors. If anything, I advise you to cut ties with them before you end up in the same position."
Hector went quiet for a moment, staring down at his teacup. "...I’ll consider it." He shifted slightly in his chair, exhaling softly. "By the way, where are you two planning to go next?"
Ethea’s expression instantly turned cold, her eyes narrowing. "What? Do you intend to tip them off?"
"N-No, I wouldn’t dream of it," Hector stammered slightly, raising his hands in defense as he shook his head. "I just wanted to know, in case things get complicated out there. Knowing where you are means I can actually help if you ever find yourself in a tight spot again."
"..." Ethea scrutinized his face for a moment, searching for any trace of deception. Finding none, the chill in her gaze slowly softened, though her expression remained indifferent.
"We haven’t discussed it yet," she replied smoothly. "And you shouldn’t interfere."
"...Alright," Hector said, nodding in acceptance. Then, curiosity got the better of him, and he asked. "Why didn’t you teach him the sword yourself?"
"...There were some circumstances," Ethea replied smoothly, her gaze drifting slightly as the memories surfaced.
In truth, she had never found the right opportunity. Back then, her speech had been too fractured and difficult for detailed instructions, let alone a structured lesson. Beyond that, their relationship simply hadn’t reached a point where she could easily step into that role. While he had sought her guidance with the spear in the past, he had never explicitly requested sword training from her, and ultimately, she had wanted to respect his personal choices regarding his path.
But things were completely different now. Perhaps, once they settled down somewhere, they could finally work on it together.
’I’ll ask him about it later,’ she thought.
Refocusing her attention on the old man, she added, "Just teach him what you want. Just... don’t hurt him too much."
Hector stared at her, completely exasperated by the protective tone. "...I will be careful," he replied, though he couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. ’She really has fallen too deep, huh.’
’Ah, to be young...’
His thoughts drifted for a moment, a trace of fondness lingering in his chest before his perception detected something, prompting him to warn Ethea.
"He is back."
Ethea’s posture stiffened for a fraction of a second, but she smoothed away the tension just as quickly, her features relaxing.
Right on cue, the door slid open, and Soren walked back into the room with a bright smile.
"Everything is sorted out," he announced, his voice carrying an energetic tone. "The doctor gave the formal approval, so we can be discharged immediately after finalizing the paperwork."
Hector nodded, placing his empty teacup back on the side table as he stood up from his chair. "That is good. Then you two get ready. I will pick you up after an hour."
"Understood, Sir," Soren replied, though he hesitated for a brief second before speaking up again. "Actually... would it be alright if one more person came with us? She is completely trustworthy."
Hector paused, resting a hand on the doorframe as he looked back over his shoulder. He didn’t pry into the person’s identity, simply offering a reassuring nod. "Of course. Bring whoever you need to. I will arrange the accommodations accordingly."
With a final nod to both of them, the Emperor slid the door open and stepped out into the bustling hospital corridor, the door clicking softly shut behind him and leaving the couple alone to prepare for their departure.
Soren turned back to Ethea, an apologetic look flashing across his face. "Sorry, but it seems like we can only continue our conversation later."
"It’s alright." Ethea smiled. "I can wait."
"Good. Then stay here and rest. I will take care of everything."
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