The night in Orario was beautiful. The sky was filled with glittering stars, something difficult to find on Earth due to light and air pollution. Charlie was leaning against his bedroom window, enjoying the view in silence.
*FWHOOSH!*
The night breeze blew gently, swaying the bedroom curtains. He sighed deeply and murmured softly, "It's been a long time since I slept alone..."
Usually, whenever he went to bed, Aishia would always be by his side. However, tonight was different.
The reason why he slept alone wasn't because Aishia or Est didn't want to be with him. On the contrary—both were very willing to warm his bed.
However, Astraea had strict rules.
As the Goddess of Justice, she also had strong moral principles, especially regarding relationships between men and women. She strictly forbade unmarried men and women from sleeping in the same room.
In this aspect, her attitude was even more rigid compared to Goddesses of Virginity like Hestia, Artemis, or Athena.
So, like it or not, Charlie had to sleep alone in his room.
Aishia and Est? They slept in separate rooms.
Moments like this were actually quite rare for him. Although he enjoyed the momentary freedom, there was also a slight feeling of emptiness tickling at the corner of his heart.
"No gadgets to pass the time. Nights in this world are very boring."
Charlie somewhat regretted not bringing manga and books from the World of Gotoubun no Hanayome.
"Haaah..."
Sighing softly, he closed the window and walked toward his bed. Even though the night felt lonelier than usual, at least tomorrow would be a busy day.
With that thought, he laid down, letting himself sink into the splendor of Orario's night.
Or so he thought.
"I can't sleep..."
Charlie stared at the ceiling, a feeling of restlessness weighing on his mind. No matter how he changed his sleeping position, closed his eyes, or tried to empty his thoughts, he remained awake.
"Come to think of it... it's been a long time since I visited the Entertainment District." He murmured softly.
Of course, with Aishia always sticking to him, it was almost impossible for him to go there without attracting attention. Plus, Est as an addition.
"Because of Aishia's presence by my side, I can't bring her to a brothel, can I?"
Memories of passionate nights he spent with beautiful elves in the Entertainment District resurfaced in his mind. The softness of their skin, the tempting whispers in his ears, and the seductive gazes that made his blood boil... all of it felt like memories from another life.
He didn't deny that it was enjoyable at the time. Even now, he could still remember some faces clearly.
"I guess I've been holding back for too long..."
Charlie sat on the edge of his bed, his fingers tapping slowly on his thigh. His mind was conflicted between rationality and desire.
"Aishia and Est are sleeping in their own rooms. Goddess Astraea must have been asleep for a long time. No one would notice if I went out for a while."
After hesitating for a moment, he finally made a decision.
"Yes, I'm just going for a walk. No harm in that, right?" He said to himself, as if seeking justification.
Getting up from the bed, he put on a dark cloak and opened the window. The cool night air touched his skin as he jumped out with an almost soundless movement.
His destination? The Entertainment District!
While jumping from roof to roof, he talked to himself.
"Goddess Astraea would be angry if she knew I went there... Well, better she doesn't know."
He landed lightly on the increasingly quiet streets, his steps casual but purposeful.
"Besides, I just want to enjoy the night atmosphere. Nothing wrong with that, right?"
Of course, he knew exactly where his feet would take him.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
Twilight Manor.
After dinner together, Aiz walked down the corridor with steady steps. In her mind, there was one person she could talk to about what was bothering her—Riveria Ljos Alf.
As someone who had raised her since childhood, Riveria wasn't just a mentor, but also someone she considered a second mother.
Upon arriving in front of Riveria's room, Aiz knocked on the door.
*KNOCK!* *KNOCK!* *KNOCK!*
Riveria, who was reading a book inside, closed the book before answering, "Come in."
Aiz opened the door and stepped in, closing it behind her before looking at Riveria with her characteristic expressionless face.
"Riveria, there's something I want to talk to you about."
Hearing the request, Riveria's eyebrows furrowed slightly. Recalling their last conversation topic, she worried the girl would again ask something she wouldn't know how to answer.
'Don't tell me she still wants to discuss making babies...'
Riveria had prepared herself to face the possibility of difficult questions from Aiz.
If her guess was right, all she could do was explain theoretically. After all, she herself had no experience in that aspect!
"What do you want to talk about, Aiz?"
Aiz didn't immediately answer Riveria. She looked down, then slowly touched her chest, right on the right side. Her finger lightly clenched over her heart, as if trying to feel something she couldn't understand.
"Every time I see that man close to other girls, my heart feels painful and uncomfortable. But when I'm with him, I feel so happy..." Aiz raised her head and looked at Riveria with her clear golden eyes. "I don't understand this feeling. Am I suffering from some disease?"
'Falling in love...?'
Riveria could barely hide her surprise. From the way Aiz described her feelings, there was no doubt—the girl was falling in love.
Aiz, who had almost never shown romantic interest in anyone, was now feeling something so deep toward someone.
'So, that time has finally come...'
As someone who had raised Aiz since childhood, Riveria knew that this girl was not accustomed to complex emotions. If she directly told her this was love, Aiz might become confused.
Suppressing the desire to immediately reveal the truth, she chose to confirm something more important first.
"Who is the man you're referring to?"
"Charlie." Aiz answered without hesitation.
For a moment, Riveria was silent. In her heart, she had already guessed this possibility, but hearing it directly from Aiz's mouth still surprised her a little.
"Charlie Avalon...?" Riveria repeated the name.
She had only seen him once when Bete fought Charlie at the inn. At that time, she accidentally saw Charlie shirtless, which allowed her to see the status on the man's back. How shocked Riveria was when she saw the EX Rank statistics.
Wasn't SSS rank the limit?
What is EX rank? Even Loki didn't know such a rank existed.
"Why Charlie? What makes you feel that way toward him?" Riveria posed an interrogative question.
"He... reminds me of my father." Aiz said melancholically.
"Your father?"
Knowing Aiz's past, Riveria knew that the girl's father was the Strongest Hero from the Age of Heroes, Albert Waldstein.
"In the past, I wanted my father to be my hero. But he said that I should find my own hero. Now... I feel Charlie is a hero for me."
'Aiz really is... so infatuated with Charlie Avalon. Since when did this happen? How could these feelings grow so strong within her?'
This wasn't just admiration or momentary attraction. Aiz's feelings were much deeper than Riveria had suspected.
After thinking for a moment, Riveria decided to tell the truth. "No, Aiz. That's not a disease."
"Then what is this?"
Riveria felt somewhat complicated having to explain something like this to Aiz, who was still naive in matters of feelings.
"What you're feeling is jealousy. And the happiness you feel when you're with him is a sign that he means a lot to you."
"Jealousy...?"
"Yes. It's a natural feeling when someone you care about is close to others, especially if you have special feelings for them. Aiz... you might like this man."
"..."
Not fully understanding Riveria's explanation, Aiz touched her chest again, remembering every moment when she felt that pain—and also the happiness that accompanied it when she was with that man.
"Love..." Aiz murmured, as if trying to understand the concept more deeply.
Observing her expression gently, Riveria knew Aiz was still far from understanding the complexity of human emotions, but this was the beginning of something important.
"You don't need to force yourself to understand immediately, Aiz. Feelings like this will become clearer to you over time." Said Riveria, touching Aiz's shoulder gently. "The most important thing is that you be honest with your own heart."
Aiz looked at her, then nodded slowly. "I understand... maybe."
Riveria smiled. "If you want to talk more about this, I'm always here for you."
Aiz smiled slightly, something rarely seen on her face. "Thank you, Riveria."
However, what neither woman knew was that the man they were talking about, Charlie Avalon, was having fun in a brothel with an Elf whore.
If Riveria knew this, her calm expression would surely break in an instant. She would never approve of Aiz's relationship with such a man. In fact, she might act to obstruct Aiz before the girl's feelings grew deeper.
As for Aiz, her reaction might be more dangerous. With her innocence and sincerity in liking Charlie, if she learned that the man she considered her hero was spending the night with another woman, there was a high possibility she would change.
Not just disappointed or angry—but something much darker.
Perhaps, for the first time in her life, Aiz Wallenstein would show a yandere side that even she herself was not aware of.