Chapter 62: Flirting With Danger [1]
The soft tick of the clock echoed through the quiet room. Outside, the world was soaked in moonlight—silver shadows stretched across the marble floor where the open window let in a faint breeze. The flame under the kettle flickered lazily, casting warm amber glows across the counter.
Kael stood at the counter, one hand resting on his hip, the other carefully holding the kettle as he poured hot water into the teapot. The steam curled upward, dancing for a moment before vanishing into the dark above. He was still in apron, hair slightly tousled, sleeves rolled up carelessly. There was something oddly theatrical about the way he moved—like he was performing for an invisible audience.
Across from him, Seraphina sat at the table, her hands folded neatly in her lap. Her silver hair cascaded down her back, with a few strands resting lightly on her shoulder. She simply watched him—just sat there in silence. Normally, she would have a book in hand during moments like this, but today... she had forgotten to bring one.
The teacups clinked gently as Kael set them on the tray.
"Did you meet Arwyn today?" Her voice finally broke the silence—calm, low, like water slipping across glass.
Kael turned his head slightly, one brow rising. "You mean… that psycho girl? No, I didn't."
Seraphina exhaled slowly through her nose, but her tone remained even. "You've already given her a nickname... How efficient of you." She glanced toward the window across the room, pausing for a brief moment, then shifted her gaze back to him. "But don't ever call her that in front of her. You should know better. She can't even stand the sight of men."
Kael let out a theatrical gasp, placing a hand dramatically on his chest. "She can't stand me, huh?" he echoed. "Yet somehow she surrounds herself with a whole squad of them? That doesn't sound like hate to me. That sounds like hypocrisy."
He picked up the cups and began pouring the tea slowly, the liquid flowing in gentle streams, filling each cup with soft, steady gurgles.
Seraphina let out a small, sharp laugh. It was almost a scoff. "I didn't say it made sense. But her expressions... when she's tolerating their presence… they're almost comical. Like someone smelling something rotten."
Kael turned with the tray, taking his time as he walked toward the table.
"Well, she didn't look like she was suffering when she sat across from me at the coffee house that day," he muttered, setting the tray down and sliding her cup toward her with a little flair. "In fact, she spoke to me directly. Voluntarily. Imagine that."
Seraphina didn't react. She picked up the cup, inspecting the color of the tea like it might hold a secret.
Kael sat opposite her and took his own cup. "So, why're we talking about her now? Didn't expect her name to come up in our lovely romantic night tea."
"Actually, It's about your healing magic training," Seraphina said, raising the cup to her lips. Her voice remained cool, detached. "She's looking for you. Or she will be soon."
He blinked. "Huh?"
"There are things you need to know," she continued, calmly taking a long, slow sip. "Before she finds you. If you irritate her, or even speak the wrong way, she won't hesitate to throw you in the prison."
Kael nearly spit out his tea. "Prison? Are you being serious right now?"
Seraphina gave a simple nod.
"Oh, I get it now," he muttered bitterly. "That's why you're always punishing her. She imprisons people without reason. This isn't justice—it's pure injustice."
She said nothing.
Kael leaned forward slightly, his eyes squinting. "Wait a second. Are you warning me because you care?" He placed a hand on his chest again. "Are you worried about me, darling? Is that concern I see behind those dead eyes? Huh?"
Seraphina lowered her cup. "Forget it."
"No, no, hold on a second." He raised a hand, eyes darting nervously. "Don't get mad all of a sudden. You did apologize to me this morning, remember? That was rare—historic, even. But what's the point of apologizing if you won't even let me skip this training? Especially not when it's with that psycho girl."
She narrowed her eyes slightly. "Again? You really don't learn, do you, loser? You know damn well I don't back down from my words. That apology this morning? It was just that—an apology. Nothing more. I only said it because it didn't feel right how I acted toward you yesterday. I never said I was stopping the training. Not once."
"Okay, fine. I get it, Captain." Kael sighed dramatically, throwing his hands in the air as though surrendering to fate. "There's no way I can escape from you, huh?" He gave her a mock salute, complete with a half-smirk. "I'll train with her."
He paused, then added with a mischievous glint in his eye, "And don't get jealous when I do it with her."
Seraphina's gaze snapped up, sharp as ice.
"I mean training, of course," he said quickly, lips tugging into a grin. "Not just training—I'll be spending time with her too. Just the two of us. Alone. You know... bonding."
He stretched the last word, clearly enjoying every second of her slow-building tension.
Seraphina didn't reply right away. Her shoulders twitched, just slightly, and her lips parted as if to speak—but instead of words, her jaw set tight.
"Don't worry," she said finally, her tone flat as polished steel. "Why would I be jealous of my best friend?"
Kael leaned forward, elbows on the table, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "You sure? Because you know what people call her, right? Adventurers, mercenaries, even that creepy elf at the guild? They all call her... 'the hotty.'"
Seraphina's fingers twitched around the handle of her teacup. Her hand stilled, then tightened. Her eyes narrowed as she brought the cup to her lips again, calm—but a dangerous kind of calm.
"Do you know why they call her that?" Kael went on, not even trying to hold back his grin.
She set the cup down with a soft but deliberate clink.
"Kael," she said, her voice low and cold. "Don't go any further. I won't tolerate my best friend being insulted like this."
"Insulted?" Kael blinked innocently. "What? No, no, no—it's not an insult. It's praise. You know, appreciation. A compliment. They're admiring her—like art."
"A compliment," she repeated, staring at him blankly before looking away. "You really think that's what it is?"
He shrugged, casually. "Well, yeah. And you know what? I agree with them."
Her head turned back toward him slightly.
"She's actually beautiful though," he added with a confident nod.
But as he said it, a single drop of sweat rolled down his temple. His smirk faltered—just for a beat. He didn't quite meet her eyes.
"Wait... why is Seraphina the one showing up in my head right now? I'm talking about Arwyn. Definitely Arwyn. So why... why am I picturing Seraphina instead?"
He looked away, trying to play it off, but his hand rose awkwardly, hovering near his side before he finally scratched the back of his neck with his palm—an attempt to appear casual that only made him look more uncertain.
"Great. Now even my imagination is betraying me. First my brain, now this? I mean, sure—she's beautiful. I won't deny it—not like I can. Anyone would see that... but still..."
He cleared his throat, a little too loudly, and forced a crooked smile as he tried to steer his thoughts in any direction that didn't involve her face lingering in his mind.
Seraphina's voice cut through the silence like a blade. "You really are hopeless," she muttered. "You don't even realize it."
He blinked. "Realize what?"
"That your compliments aren't charming—they're borderline harassment," she said, her tone cool, unreadable. "At least, the way your mind works makes it seem that way."
Kael leaned in again, his grin slowly returning. "So you admit you're imagining what's going on in my mind? My, my... jealous and curious? That's a dangerous combo, Captain."
"Shut up," she snapped, her voice rising—but only a little. Her eyes narrowed as they locked onto his, unblinking, cold. "I'm. Not. Jealous. At all." Her tone was sharp, almost dismissive. She gave a small huff and looked away, chin tilted slightly as if he weren't worth her time. "And for your kind information, I already know I'm beautiful. You don't have to tell me." She crossed her arms, then added with a twitch of her lips, "It's not like I care what an idiot like you thinks of me anyway, hmph."
Kael raised a brow, amused, but the grin never left his face. "Is that so? You truly don't care, right?"
"Forget it." She cleared her throat and turned her gaze away. "We're already out of topics. Back to what I was asking—will you train with her or not?"
"You're asking me so generously now." Kael folded his arms, leaning back slightly. "But even if you gave me the illusion of choice, we both know I don't have one. Fine, I'll do it. But I have a condition. And if you can't agree—deal's off. I won't train."
She stared at him, unmoving, unreadable. Eventually, she spoke. "Fine. What are your conditions?"
"I'll only train with her once a week," he said, holding up one finger like a noble issuing a royal decree. "That's it. I need time for beauty sleep. And inner healing. You know, genius things."
Seraphina's expression didn't shift. Her eyes barely moved. "No one cares about your silly conditions. Especially not her. She'll decide how many days you train. Then she'll tell you. That's how it works."
Kael blinked. "So there's no chance?"
"No." She lifted her cup to her lips. "You can ask her directly if you want. I can't help you." She sipped, then calmly added, "And don't mess anything up. If you do... and she gets angry... she'll imprison you. Like I said before—I don't know you. So, I won't help you."
Kael coughed mid-sip, setting his cup down with a sputter. "You really hate me, don't you?"
Seraphina didn't answer. She gently set her cup back down and said flatly, "Let's move on. There are things you need to avoid if you want to stay out of trouble."
He leaned back in his chair, one arm draped lazily over the side. "Fine. But you know your husband is a genius. A true, radiant genius. I can master anything. Preferably without effort or violence."
"Then listen."
He leaned in.
"First," she said, meeting his eyes, "never mention the word ghost in front of her."
Kael froze. "Ghost? Wait… are you telling me our terrifying lieutenant is afraid of ghosts?"
"She is."
"Seriously?" His mouth was slightly agape.
"If she gets scared, she'll say it's a curse. Her mind spirals—she loses control. That word… she hates it more than she hates men."
Kael slowly leaned back again, the grin returning to his face. "A ghost-fearing man-hating terrifying psycho girl," he whispered to himself. "Now that's a character."
Seraphina didn't even blink. "Say that in front of her, and I hope you enjoy solitary confinement."
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(Chapter Ended)
To be continued...