Chapter 42: Chapter 42: Breaking the Walls

Chapter 42: Breaking the Walls

Draven froze. He had let his murderous intent leak into his expression for just a fraction of a second.

’Oh! It’s Estella! I was not really paying attention to my surroundings.’

She did not move.

Estella looked into his pitch-black eyes. She saw the heavy and suffocating void staring back at her. When she first met Draven, that exact look had terrified her.

But things had changed. She remembered the day he carried her bruised and battered body out of the Cult’s underground base.

Her fear had melted into deep admiration. And over these past few weeks, that admiration had grown into something entirely different.

Whenever she was near him, the constant anxiety of her life vanished. She just felt safe. She felt complete.

"Where are you even looking at, you dumbo?!" Estella asked. She waved her free hand in front of his face.

Draven blinked. The dark aura instantly evaporated. He quickly cleared his throat and stepped back, building his mental walls right back up.

"Nowhere," Draven lied smoothly. He pointed at her glass of water.

"I was just thinking about tomorrow’s classes. How was your girls’ night with Reina? Did you guys destroy the kitchen again?"

Estella rolled her eyes and started walking down the hallway toward their dorm rooms. Draven fell into step beside her.

"We did not destroy anything," Estella defended herself with a light pout.

"We just stayed in her room and talked. We shared some stories and traded some romantic novels."

Draven glanced down at the book she was clutching against her chest. The colorful cover had bold and sparkling letters.

"The Princess is secretly an SM!?!"

Draven almost choked on his own saliva. He stared at the title in pure disbelief. He knew exactly what that meant from his knowledge of the original plot.

Reina was a fierce Berserker on the battlefield, but her deeply sheltered high-society upbringing had given her some incredibly bizarre and extreme quirks.

Reina was actively corrupting this innocent rabbit.

’That is definitely not my problem right now,’ Draven decided instantly.

’She was really into that Master-Slave drama. Should I tell Aegon about this...? No. It is better to keep my mouth shut. Sometimes, some things are to be kept to ourselves.’

He had a highly secure hospital to infiltrate. He did not have the time to worry about Estella’s new reading habits.

Estella watched his face from the corner of her eye. She knew he was forcing the casual conversation.

She could feel the heavy tension radiating off his shoulders. He was hiding something massive.

They reached their adjacent doors. Draven kept talking to fill the silence.

"Anyway, make sure you actually sleep tonight," Draven rambled while pulling his room key from his pocket.

"Aegon is going to be insufferable at morning practice and I am not dealing with him alone..."

Estella did not listen to a word he was saying. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist from behind.

She pressed her face against his back.

Draven completely froze. The words died in his throat. He was entirely derailed by a sudden hug.

He slowly lowered his hand. He placed his fingers gently over hers.

He could feel her warmth. He could feel the genuine and raw emotion pouring out of her trembling grip.

"You are always carrying something heavy," Estella whispered against his jacket.

"You do not have to do everything alone, Draven."

Draven closed his eyes. The weight of his mission pressed down on his soul.

He could not tell her the truth. He could not tell her he was about to go murder the Golden Boy in cold blood.

He squeezed her hand. He gave her the only truth he could manage.

"I am just doing what needs to be done, Est," Draven said softly.

"I am just clearing the obstacles so the people I care about can survive. I promise you... I will never leave you. I will do everything in my power to protect our home."

He gently detached her hands from his waist. He turned around to face her.

"Go to sleep," Draven said. He took a hesitant step backward. The clock was ticking.

Sirius Statanham had already cleared the hospital cameras. He had to go.

Estella refused to let him slip away into the dark.

She lunged forward and grabbed the collar of his jacket. She yanked him down with surprising strength and pressed her lips directly against his.

It was sudden. It was clumsy but fiercely genuine. Draven’s eyes widened in absolute shock.

She pulled back just as quickly. Her face was burning a bright crimson red.

"I will never leave you either," Estella declared with breathless confidence.

"You belong with me. So whatever stupid and dangerous thing you are sneaking off to do tonight... you better come back in one piece."

Before Draven could even process the words, Estella spun around, rushed into her room, and slammed the heavy wooden door shut.

Draven stood alone in the quiet hallway. He stared blankly at her closed door. He slowly raised a hand and touched his lips.

"What...?" Draven muttered into the empty air.

His brain had completely flatlined. It took him a full ten seconds to reboot his system.

He let out a heavy and disbelieving breath. A genuine smile broke through his cold exterior. He shook his head and turned toward the staircase.

"Oh God! I am not ready for this yet. My weak heart just cannot handle the love of a young maiden. Oh what shall I do?"

He was talking to himself at this point.

A kiss.

That is all it takes to make a boy go crazy. But he forgot all his antics were being watched by the System.

And even the System sometimes doubts itself looking at his Klutz self. He was chosen for being the most successful Commander at a young age.

[Host! You have a prior appointment. The System advises you to take this ’appointment’ a bit more seriously as the Fate of the World depends on this.]

"Yes! Yes! Let me have some fun, already."