"W-Who's that man?"
Mirella's voice pierced the stillness.
Lysette flinched and turned her head.
"I-I don't know."
The underwater cave itself felt incredibly secluded, geographically isolated. The sight of someone sleeping alone within it left her stunned.
"Maybe he's the owner of this underwater cave?"
It was plausible.
Who in their right mind would sleep in such a remote, hidden underwater cavern?
Lysette even believed they were the first to discover this place.
But she was wrong.
Someone else was here.
As she stepped back, an overwhelming pressure gripped her.
Her legs quaked, refusing to move.
She willed herself to flee, but her body betrayed her.
The intense pressure felt like pure chaos.
"W-What's happening? Why can't I move?"
Mirellia attempted to use physical enhancement magic to regain control of her body.
But it was useless.
Mirellia tried again and again. The results were the same.
It did nothing.
The chaotic pressure intensified as the man awoke.
"Huh?"
Hastora rubbed his eyes.
He was still drowsy.
His vision remained blurry.
Yet, he forced himself to sit up.
"Is it morning already?"
He fumbled for his smartphone.
The screen lit up: 2:04 AM.
"What the hell? Only a few minutes?"
He'd only slept for a few minutes, not even an hour.
"Damn it, why am I awake now?"
He wanted to go back to sleep.
Drowsiness crept in, dragging his eyelids down.
Then, he saw them – two girls standing before him, silhouetted against the dim light.
His eyes narrowed.
"Am I dreaming?"
He doubted it, but they seemed too real for a dream.
He rubbed his eyes again, to be sure.
His eyes widened.
This... was real.
The two girls were strangely familiar.
As if he'd interacted with them many times before.
He stared intently.
Now he remembered.
The first had white hair and piercing blue eyes, her figure graceful yet striking. She wore a fine blouse, possibly made of satin or stretch silk, in a shade of blue. At the back, a mock neck extended into a long, semi-transparent organza-like fabric that flowed down to her knees. Her lower half was dressed in loose, A-line shorts that reached mid-thigh. She wore soft, knitted thigh-high socks and sleek blue ankle boots.
The other had navy hair and pale gold eyes. She wore a fitted short-sleeved blouse, neatly tucked into high-waisted shorts ending mid-thigh. A long panel of fabric fell from the back of her blouse, reaching her knees like a half-cape. Knee-high socks and soft leather shoes completed her practical yet striking ensemble.
Both of them...
"Lysette von Asterea and Mirellia Avelora. Why are these two here?"
His face was calm, but his mind raced.
'Damn it! Why are they here!?'
They were from Glazareth, Valeska von Asterea's territory.
Involvement with them meant involvement with Valeska.
Why was he even thinking this?
Lysette was Valeska's older sister; their last name alone would reveal that.
This was bad.
He had to steer clear of them—especially Valeska.
He stood.
He froze as Lysette suddenly spoke.
"W-Why do you know our names? Even our full names... Who are you?"
He'd made a terrible mistake.
His mouth had run away with him.
He'd inadvertently provoked them into investigating his identity.
He bit his lip.
Meeting them had already been a huge mistake. Now this.
The situation was spiraling.
He wanted to escape.
But that would only make it worse.
Lysette was among them.
As Valeska's sister, she was undoubtedly strong.
While not as powerful as Valeska, Lysette was still far above him in strength.
She could easily subdue him if he tried to flee.
In this situation...
There was no other choice.
He needed to think.
To find a way to avoid deep entanglement with them, subtly, without suspicion.
But how?
He'd initially considered claiming he'd heard their names in capital city news.
But the Eldorian Imperial capital never reported on Glazareth.
He was trapped.
He needed a different approach.
He flinched as Lysette spoke again.
"Why are you silent? Answer me, why do you know our names?"
The question cornered him.
His mind was a whirlwind.
Then he felt it—something slipping out.
What the hell...?
His chest tightened.
'Shit. My aura's leaking...'
Panic seized him.
Releasing his aura in front of Lysette could be disastrous.
She could easily defeat him, claiming self-defense.
He quickly suppressed his aura and turned.
He had to answer Lysette quickly.
An idea struck him.
"Some black-hooded guy came to Eldoria a few days back. I overheard him mention your names."
A strong, yet weak, excuse.
The black-hooded man added mystery and strength to his claim.
But it was weak because he was telling it to royalty.
Lysette, Valeska's sister, could easily verify the black-hooded man's existence in the imperial capital.
But that wasn't a major concern.
Lysette wouldn't investigate.
He was certain of it.
Her expression confirmed it.
Lysette's face was a mixture of curiosity, fear, and apprehension.
Something had clearly changed due to the altered narrative.
His curiosity was piqued.
He wanted to ask more, but he didn't want further involvement.
He had to leave.
"Did you two get lost while swimming? If you need to rest, feel free. I'm done here."
He started to leave, but Lysette stopped him just in time.
"Princess! What are you doing?"
Mirellia gasped and grabbed Lysette's hand.
"You shouldn't do that. Stopping someone like that..."
She couldn't finish.
She'd wanted to say it was incredibly rude.
But Lysette was Valeska's sister, the queen of Glazareth.
That was not something she could say to the queen's sister.
She couldn't speak.
She fell silent.
But there was another reason for Mirellia's reaction.
She was afraid.
Hastora emitted a dangerous chaotic aura.
Despite facing numerous monsters with terrifying auras, she'd never felt anything like this chaotic energy.
She feared Hastora would attack them for Lysette's behavior.
But she couldn't control Lysette.
She released her grip and bowed.
"...Sorry."
Lysette was confused.
Why was Mirellia acting like that?
She had no time to ask.
Something needed to be done.
"...Don't go yet." Lysette held Hastora's arms. "If you don't mind, could you help us?"
Seeing Hastora sleeping alone in the ocean had piqued her curiosity.
Could he know about the plant that could cure the curse?
The cure was famous in Glazareth.
It was incredibly rare, found only in the deep ocean.
They'd initially planned to buy it, but it was sold out.
They'd been forced to search for it themselves.
But they hadn't found it.
They'd been searching for days, without returning to Glazareth.
The plant was incredibly rare.
Finding it felt impossible.
Hastora might be a marine expert resting in this cave.
He might know about the plant.
Hastora panicked when Lysette grabbed his arms.
He thought he'd be killed for releasing his aura.
But Lysette's request for help surprised and intrigued him.
He swallowed and answered.
"...I don't mind."
To avoid them, he had to help them first.
After helping, he could escape and never be involved again.
Royalty were often cunning.
They manipulated others for their gain, then discarded them when useless.
That meant Lysette would manipulate him.
But fleeing meant likely death.
To avoid them forever, he had to do this.
He might be discarded by Lysette when he was no longer useful.
He was sure of it.
That was Lysette's nature in the novel.