When Amanda returned to her room and replayed the moments she had spent with Kyle, she realized something shocking.
He had told her twice that if his brother asked about the potions, she must make sure to say that she had provided them.
She had no idea what potion he was referring to. What unsettled her was the fact that Kyle had specifically mentioned Blake asking her about it.
Being regularly involved in the aether world, she knew exactly what had happened a few nights ago. The incident had left Astortia Blake on the verge of death on the battlefield.
He had been fighting for his life, yet everyone knew survival was impossible. After all, no one had ever recovered from circuit damage.
Amanda truly believed that Kyle had misunderstood something, and that thought alone filled her with sorrow. Despite the way he spoke about his brother, she knew he cared about him more than anyone else in the family.
That was why she felt someone must have given him false hope that his brother might recover. However, it turned out she was the one who had been wrong.
"You look horrified."
Hannah, who had joined her with a glass of champagne in hand, spoke in a teasing tone.
With a playful smile, she added, "Were you actually planning to register as one of the Petal members?"
Amanda rolled her eyes. "You know how little I care about those ranks and the authority they bring. Iâm just curious about something..." She paused mid-sentence.
She suddenly realized something.
Whatever potion Kyle had given him had healed a man who was almost dead. He couldnât reveal that he had obtained those potions himself, since Blake most likely didnât even know that Kyle was an awakened. That was why he had asked her to say that she was the one who provided them.
Under such circumstances, she couldnât afford to sound too surprised about Blakeâs recovery, or she might draw suspicion. No, that wouldnât do.
"Amanda?"
Hannah tilted her head, looking at her curiously.
The blue-eyed girl shook her head. "Nothing... well, you tell me. Why did you come here? I reckon you donât enjoy formal gatherings like this."
Hannah was dressed just as elegantly, wearing a skirt and a white shirt that complemented her slightly dark skin tone and short hair.
The girl sighed and shrugged. "Had nothing better to do. Clara usually spends her time crying about how Ethan ignores her. You donât hang out much these days, and Layena has always been out of the question."
Amanda hummed before asking, "Why didnât you try making friends outside our org?"
Hannah gave a wry smile. "I donât need advice on making friends from a sore loner like you."
Amanda snickered. "I donât need friends."
"Because you have your Kyle? But didnât you break things off with him recently?" She crossed her arms and added, "Iâve been curious, Amanda... what exactly is going on between you two? Especially yesterday. He didnât seem as wary of you as he has been lately."
Amanda was the kind of girl who loved gossiping and sharing things that excited her. That was the only reason she was barely holding herself back from revealing that they had a secret meeting on the third floor.
But the rational part of her knew how disastrous it would be if Hannah found out that Kyle had been on the third floor with her.
Hannah might be a close friend, but she was a Nightwalker first. The chances of her keeping such information to herself were slim. That was why Amanda replied, "Maybe itâs because heâs the same as me? He couldnât stay away from me, no matter what happened."
Hannah hummed. "But... would you really be okay with this, Amanda? Youâve already hurt him a lot. And nothing is going to change. Youâre still a Nightwalker."
Amanda gave a faint smile. Things were bound to change now. Because it wasnât just her anymore, Kyle was a Nightwalker too.
At least now, she could finally tell him everything. She could be open about all her secrets. No more hiding. No more guilt when she looked into his eyes.
Haah~
"Miss Maylith. Miss Relwant."
A man suddenly approached them from the side, and from their shared reaction, it was clear neither of them had sensed him coming.
Maylith turned to him. "Good to see you well, Sir Blake," she said respectfully.
Blake gave a faint smile. "You donât need to be so formal with me. You can call me Brother, like always."
They had met several times in the past, both as senior and junior, and as her boyfriendâs brother. Because of that, they were quite familiar with each other.
Hannah added, "Itâs a surprise to see you here. But Iâm relieved to see you in good health, senior."
Blake nodded before asking, "Do you mind if I borrow Amanda for a minute?"
Hannah shook her head. "Not at all. I was just about to get myself another glass." With that, she left the two of them alone.
The other guests were busy chatting, mingling, and sharing stories. Yet, almost everyone, including the Maylith patriarch himself, kept a watchful eye on Blake.
Several had already approached him, expressing their relief at seeing him alive and well.
Blake remained silent for a moment. Then he stepped beside Amanda and said, "I believe youâre not very surprised to see me awake and healthy."
Amanda felt a flicker of nervousness. She knew about Blakeâs ability and how it worked, yet she had to answer in a way that wouldnât expose Kyle.
"Not really," she replied shortly. "But that doesnât lessen the relief I feel."
A lie and a truth. Of course, she was glad that someone Kyle cared about so deeply was alive and well.
Blake hummed, his eyes narrowing slightly as he studied her. "Does your father know about those potions you gave to Kyle?"
Amanda swallowed. This was tricky. Had he already asked her father about it? The two men had been speaking just moments ago.
And if it involved a potion capable of healing circuits, surely the patriarch of the clan would know about it. So... should she say yes?
In the end, she decided not to complicate things further. "No, he doesnât know about it. I arranged it through my own connections."
She glanced at him before adding, "And please keep the matter of the potion to yourself. If it werenât for Kyle, I wouldnât have gone to such lengths or reached out to so many people."
Blake almost scoffed at how smoothly she lied, how convincing she sounded. But his âeyesâ told him everything.
âSo... sheâs involved with Kyle in this, huh? But how exactly did he obtain those miraculous potions?â
Blake knew it wasnât the Maylith heiress who had arranged them. Then who around Kyle could have done it?
Cadet Hannah was out of the question, her clan lacked the necessary resources. And if it had been Hannah or anyone else, why would Kyle lie to him?
âThis is getting annoying for no reason...â
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A/N:- Thanks for reading. Drop a comment if you have been enjoying the story so far.