Entering the house, the four of them were surprised to see no one inside, yet they didn't dare feel relieved.
"Dad, do you think he's here?" Sophie whispered, her voice barely audible.
Just as her father opened his mouth to respond, the sound of footsteps descending the stairs made them all freeze. To their disbelief, it was Mira who appeared.
"Mira!" Sophie and Desmond exclaimed at once, annoyance immediately spreading across their faces.
Mira was startled to see them as well. "Mom… Dad," she stuttered. "Why are they back so early?" she wondered.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Desmond growled through clenched teeth.
"I…" Mira attempted to explain, but her father's voice cut sharply through the air.
"Is there anyone with you?" he questioned, his tone heavy.
Mira parted her lips to answer, but a gentle voice interrupted, drawing everyone's attention.
"Yes."
All eyes shifted to Aveloria, who stood one step behind Mira with a warm smile. She looked so serene and delicate that it stirred a strange urge to protect her, yet something seems odd with her gaze.
"How can someone be this pretty? Which family does she belong to?" Sophie wondered, jealousy sparking in her chest.
"What a beauty…" Desmond swallowed hard.
Even the parents were stunned.
Aveloria shifted closer and gently held Mira's hand, leading her down the stairs before stopping in front of the family.
"Uncle, Aunty," she greeted softly. "I'm Aveloria, Mira's best friend."
Mira clenched her fists. "I don't want them treating Lori badly," she thought and stepped slightly in front of Aveloria, pulling everyone back to reality.
"She's only here for some books. We'll be leaving immediately," Mira announced and attempted to lead Aveloria away, but the latter stopped her.
"Beauty Lori," Mira murmured with concern, but Aveloria only smiled reassuringly.
The father stared at Aveloria—not because of her overwhelming beauty, but because he could feel a dangerous pressure radiating from her. Harmless as she looked, something about her presence terrified him. A cold shiver ran through him as a dreadful realization crept in.
"Why does her aura resemble that devil's? And her face… she looks a little like him. Wait—could it be…?"
He broke into a sweat and stumbled backward.
"Dad!"
"Husband!"
The three of them rushed to his side.
"Are you alright?" they questioned anxiously, but his gaze remained locked on Aveloria.
"M-Miss Aveloria," he stammered, "may I know your… your last name?"
"My last name?" Aveloria repeated, and suddenly a chilling smile curled onto her lips. Her aura shifted instantly—cold, bloodthirsty. The sinister expression on her face froze their blood.
"Can I skip that?" she smirked, the chilling smile unmoving.
Only Mira felt nothing unusual. The rest struggled to breathe under the weight of Aveloria's presence. That kind of dangerous aura wasn't something ordinary people possessed.
"I—I…" the father trembled violently, unable to form coherent words.
"Uncle," Aveloria uttered coldly, "Mira was injured like this. As her friend, my heart aches. Please take proper care of her." Her gaze sharpened into something deadly.
Mira expression froze and she stare at Aveloria. "She... could it be that she decided to come home with me because of this?" She thought feeling warmth inside.
Instantly, the family of four dropped to their knees. The pressure pouring from Aveloria was far beyond what they could endure. Sweat drenched them.
"We… we were careless this time," the father stuttered. "It—It'll never happen again."
Aveloria's expression softened back into innocence. She turned to Mira. "The books," she reminded gently.
Confused, Mira glanced at her kneeling family before nodding and running upstairs.
The instant Mira vanished from sight, Aveloria's smile evaporated, her eyes turned crisom. She stared at the remaining family with a murderous glare, her irises flashing crimson.
"This Queen detests negotiations," she hissed. "If not for the fact that she don't entirely hate you, I'd have used your blood as wine for my awakening. But…"
Her gaze fixed on Sophie.
"She's an exception." A creepy smile stretched across her lips as she stepped forward and seized Sophie's neck. "Why don't you serve this Queen with your blood?" Her eyes glowed crimson.
"M-Mom… Dad… brother… s-save… me…" Sophie choked out, tears streaming down her cheeks. The others dared not move.
Just as Aveloria tightened her grip to end Sophie's life, dizziness crashed over her. She staggered and released Sophie instantly. Her crimson eyes faded.
She stared at the terrified family in confusion. She opened her mouth to question what happened, but the door swung open.
"Lady Boss," Xander greeted warmly.
"Beauty Lori, here!" Mira's voice followed as she rushed downstairs with several novels packed in her hands. "You should hurry and leave," she urged, pulling Aveloria outside.
Xander cast a cold glance at the half-conscious Sophie, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Decide for yourself how your life should end," he remarked sharply before exiting.
Sophie lay lifeless on the floor, her complexion drained of all color—like someone whose soul had been sucked from her body.
…
Inside the car, Aveloria massaged her aching forehead, frowning. "What happened just now? Did I accidentally hurt them? They looked so frightened....Why can't I remember anything?" she murmured.
"You're tired, Lady Boss. You should rest," Xander suggested gently.
Aveloria hesitated, then looked at him anxiously. "Xander, do you think I'm possessed? You saw what happened, right? What if I'm possessed? Devon won't want me anymore…" Panic filled her eyes.
Xander shook his head. "It has nothing to do with any possession, Young Madam. Your identity as the boss wife is so exalted that no one would dare disrespect you. I believe they recognized you— that's why they reacted like that."
Aveloria nodded weakly. "I only wanted to tell them to stop bullying Mira… but I messed everything up, hope I didn't cause her much trouble" she whispered and slowly closed her eyes, drifting into sleep.
Moments later, a shadow materialized beside her. Devon appeared silently and eased her head onto his shoulder.
"Your Majesty," Xander greeted immediately.
"Drive slower," Devon instructed. Xander obeyed.
Devon carefully tucked a stray strand behind Aveloria's ear, smiling softly. "Seems going out more often will help," he murmured.
"Congratulations, Your Majesty," Xander muttered.
Devon hummed in acknowledgment, his eyes never leaving Aveloria. His smile was genuine—overflowing with affection. As he adjusted her position, he noticed the novels beside her.
He picked one up, his tongue pressing against his cheek as a charming smile surfaced. "Seriously?" he chuckled, unable to contain his amusement.
…
Aveloria opened her eyes and rose from the bed. "We're home," she whispered.
"Rest more, my Queen," Devon's voice echoed as he pulled her back gently, his hand circling her waist.
Aveloria widened her eyes, a shy smile blooming. "I slept all night till morning," she murmured.
Devon opened his eyes and watched her with a teasing smirk.
Aveloria blushed deeply. "W-Why are you looking at me like that?" she murmured.
"Guess what I found in the car," Devon teased.
Aveloria blinked in confusion. "What—" She stopped mid-sentence as realization hit her. Her cheeks flared crimson.
"I—"
"The books are quite a lot… all romance… mostly R-18. What was my Queen planning?" Devon leaned in, brushing a kiss against her ear.
Her heart raced. She instantly dove under the blanket.
"My Queen is shy now, hm?" Devon teased while pulling the blanket down.
"I—I'll get ready for school," she blurted and rushed into the bathroom.
Devon chuckled and rose as well.
An hour later, Aveloria stood before him like a timid kitten.
"I… I promised to buy you something yesterday but—"
"My Queen can buy me anything at any time," Devon uttered affectionately, pulling her into his arms and sealing her lips with a kiss.
Aveloria flushed. "Then I'll go after school today. C-Can I come to your company?"
"My precious Queen is always welcome," he responded lovingly.
A joyful smile spread across her lips. "Hubby, you're awesome!" she exclaimed, hugging him tightly.
Devon froze. "What did you just call me?" Excitement lit up his eyes.
"Hubby," she murmured shyly, burying her face in his chest. "I'll be calling you that from now on."
Devon didn't hesitate—he scooped her up in a princess carry. "Should I get you more of those novels? The R-18 ones should be fine," he teased.
"Devon!" Aveloria shrieked, face burning as she hid again.
Devon laughed. "Alright, I won't tease my Queen anymore," he chuckled and guided her to breakfast.
…
At the school entrance, inside the car—
"I… I'm going to class. Y-You should give me a kiss," Aveloria stammered, face flushed.
"Of course," Devon murmured and pulled her close, claiming her lips in a deep kiss. He only released her when she was breathless.
"T-Then… I'll get going," she whispered and hurried out of the car.
Devon chuckled softly and watched her until she disappeared from sight, then instructed the driver to leave.
…
"Yo! Isn't this the rich beauty who transferred recently? She's really pretty. What's her name again?"
Seven girls blocked Aveloria's path, glaring at her with hostility.
"Rose, her name's Aveloria," another girl sneered. "Just a wild girl who thinks she's a queen."
Aveloria froze, her face draining of color. "H-Hello… seniors," she greeted nervously, stepping back as fear tightened around her heart.