Chapter 107 : Hostage

Chapter 107: Chapter 107 : Hostage Alicia von Crestvale’s arm was cocked back, her fist glowing faintly with mana as it stopped frozen mere inches away from Alex Dragonheart’s devilishly grinning face. She couldn’t move. Not a twitch. Not a step forward. Her eyes widened in shock. "What... the hell?" Meanwhile, Alex stood there, hands behind his back like a gentleman giving a lecture, lips stretched into a grin so smug it should’ve been declared a crime in three empires. Alicia’s whole body trembled—not from fear, but rage. Her instincts screamed at her to move, to punch, to explode—but her body didn’t listen. "You... YOU ASSHOLE! WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?!" Alex tilted his head, eyes gleaming with amusement. "Language, darling. What if someone hears you talking like that to a sweet, innocent commoner?" In a blink, he stepped forward, raising her hands delicately one at a time—and with a gentle click, he latched something cold and metallic around each wrist. Alicia’s mind instantly registered the objects. Anti-Magic Bands. ’He—he actually dared to put these on me?!’ she screamed internally. These were special training tools used to completely suppress the flow of mana—usually employed in mana suppression training to teach close-quarters combat without magical reliance. "Phew." Alex exhaled theatrically, stepping back and wiping imaginary sweat from his forehead. "Now you can’t blast me into a crater with your Master-ranked spells or shatter the floorboards with that monstrous Crestvale strength." He leaned forward again, lips curled into a wolfish smile. "You were wondering what I did, right?" Alicia could only move her mouth slightly, neck frozen in place. She glared at him, nostrils flaring. Alex grinned wider. "Care to take a guess, darling?" Her pupils darted down. There—beneath her boots—etched into the polished marble were faint, glowing lines. Symbols. Intricate, ancient, precise. Her eyes widened. Runes. ’No way... this bastard actually knows how to use runes?!’ And now it made sense. The few minutes he asked to "clean up," the weird casualness, the sudden confidence... he had been setting a trap. Alicia’s jaw clenched. "You... you know runecraft?" Alex clicked his tongue. "Took you long enough to notice, darling." He leaned casually against a nearby post, admiring his handiwork. "You know, I had to set up that trap, or you would’ve turned me into modern art on this marble floor." Alicia hissed, "Release me this instant. And how the hell did you learn runecraft?! It’s barely been a month! You’re telling me you mastered that much in that time?!" At her outburst, Alex’s expression shifted slightly, the humor fading into something more serious. He stepped closer, voice calm. "Do you really want to know, Alicia?" Her eye twitched. "Not this again..." she mumbled. "I SAID NO! I DON’T WANT TO HEAR IT!" Alex gave a dramatic sigh. "As you wish." He raised a hand to his chest, as if reciting a poem. "It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining. The air was crisp. I had just joined a class on runecraft, with my brilliance, my aura restrained so as not to intimidate others and not to show off with my sheer perfection—" A voice rang in his head: [Host, you were definitely trying to show off.] Alex’s eye twitched. "Shut up, useless system." Clearing his throat, he continued. "So, there I was, casting a humble spell, when the professor—bless his poor heart—began screaming ’My genius! My genius!’ and ran at me like a madman." "I had no choice but to flee. Unfortunately, he caught me... and made me his student on the spot." He leaned closer with a wink. "And I used the exact same runic trap he used to catch me, to catch you. Fitting, don’t you think?" Alicia’s face turned red—not from embarrassment but from pure fury. A vein pulsed visibly on her forehead. "RELEASE ME, YOU INSANE BASTARD!" Alex dramatically placed a hand over his heart. "You wound me, darling. You came here to commit domestic violence. Now you’re acting like I’m the criminal." Then he stepped closer. Way too close. His face was now inches from hers, his breath warm against her cheeks, voice dropping low. "Say, darling... aren’t you worried about what I might do to you in this helpless state?" Alicia’s heart skipped. ’W-Wait... What’s he doing?!’ Her mouth trembled as her blush deepened. "I-I-I... I dare you to lay a finger on me!" Alex moved in, slow, teasing. His ocean-blue eyes locked onto hers with a magnetic intensity. The air between them turned electric. Their faces were nearly touching now. And then— Surprisingly, Alicia... inched her face forward. Only the slightest movement, but it was enough. She realized it a second too late— She was expecting something?! Alex’s lips curved upward into a slow, mischievous smirk. He said nothing. Alicia’s mind screamed in sixteen different tones of ’WHAT AM I DOING?!’ Her heart thundered in her chest like a war drum. She tried to retreat but— Still frozen. Alex leaned in, his face slowly inching closer to Alicia’s. The air between them grew tense with anticipation, charged with something electric. Alicia, wide-eyed but unmoving, inched her face toward his in turn—her lips parting ever so slightly, breath caught in her throat. Her heartbeat echoed in her ears. Then—clink. Her lips brushed something cold and metallic. Huh? Confusion etched across her flushed face. ’Wait... why is it metallic? I thought a kiss was supposed to be soft... warm... maybe even sweet. Is this what a first kiss feels like?’ she thought in panic. ’Or... is this just because it’s my first time?’ Alicia slowly opened her eyes. And there it was—Alex’s EtherPad, casually wedged between their faces, its sleek, cold edge now slightly smudged from her lips. Her eyes widened. Her brain short-circuited. Her entire face turned beet red. Her body froze in place, paralyzed with embarrassment, unable to even hide her expression. She stared at Alex with a look of pure betrayal. "W-What the hell is that?!" Alex, grinning like a devil who just won the lottery, chuckled. "Wow, Prez... I didn’t think you’d be so daring. You leaned in so close. If I didn’t have the reflexes of a saint, we might’ve kissed right there while I was busy admiring your... beauty." His eyes flicked lower—very noticeably—and with a smug smirk, he added, "And of course... your bounty." Alicia immediately followed his gaze and gasped, face turning an even deeper crimson. Her voice cracked as she snapped, "Just where the hell are you looking, you shameless bastard?! I’ll gouge out your eyes!" Alex blinked out of his daze and raised his hands innocently. "Relax, honey. Now where were we... Ah, yes. Our wedding." He placed a hand over his heart in mock sincerity. "As compensation for the emotional damage of domestic violence and your upcoming wedding gift, you will personally give me... hmm... let’s say twenty million credits." His grin widened dangerously. "Now cough up... or forget ever returning home." Alicia’s breath hitched. She stared at him like he’d just grown horns and a tail. "You’re joking... right?" Alex’s eyes turned deadly serious. "Babe. In matters of money and my undeniable greatness... I do not joke." He reached forward and tapped her smartwatch. "Here. I’ve activated voice command mode on your watch. With just a single word from your pretty little mouth, you can transfer the funds." Then his smile twisted, and he leaned in ever so slightly. "Or... you can stay here for the night. I’ll keep you company. We’ll take some pictures—don’t worry, I’ll blur your face, so your family won’t kill me. But the headlines? ’Spending the Night with a Student Council Member’—they’ll do enough damage." Alicia froze. Her mind was screaming. ’Is this guy actually insane?! He’s a devil—no, a demon wrapped in silver hair and arrogance!’ With her fingers trembling, and eyes darting around like she was being held hostage (which, to be fair, she kind of was), she whispered the voice command. A notification beeped. Alex’s eyes lit up as he stared at his EtherPad, jaw dropping. "Holy crap..." he muttered. "This... this blackmailing business has real potential. Should I pick this up as a side hustle?" He clutched the device like it was his firstborn child. "Ah, the sweet scent of extorted credits..." Alicia, meanwhile, was still stunned. Her entire worldview was being rewritten thanks to one silver-haired menace. She stared at him, deadpan. "Now can you release me?" Alex tilted his head. "You forgot the magic word." She groaned and muttered, "Please." Alex’s grin widened. "Nope." Before he could retaliate, a strange sound broke the moment—hic. Alex blinked. Another hic. He turned toward her—and froze. Tears. Tears were rolling down Alicia von Crestvale’s cheeks, her shoulders trembling as hiccups wracked her body. Her golden eyes shimmered, filled with frustration and something more delicate. His jaw slackened. "Wait—are you... crying?" ’Oh no. Oh no. Oh crap.’ Guilt hit him like a truck. ’Did I go too far? Did I break her emotionally? Is she about to smite me with emotional damage worse than any A-rank spell?’ Meanwhile, Alicia was thinking, ’Looks like Mom was right... if nothing else works on a man, tears always will.’ "You... bastard," she said, voice cracking with hiccups. "You’re always making fun of me. You’re always teasing me... I hate you..." Her trembling voice hit something in Alex’s chest. His smirk faltered. He hesitated... then sighed and walked to the formation. With a flick of his finger, he shattered one of the containment runes, releasing the seal. Alicia didn’t even wait. She jumped. "You fell for it, you idiot!!" she screamed mid-air, lunging toward him again like a missile. Alex barely caught her, hands gripping her hips. "Oi, oi! Did you forget about the anti-mana bands?" She punched his chest mid-air—but then froze. The realization hit. She was midair. Her legs dangling. Being held by him. Her hand on his chest. "Oh," she said meekly. "Oops." A vein twitched on Alex’s temple. "Yeah. Oops." He narrowed his eyes at her, lifting her slightly. "Also... you’re heavy. Can you come down now?" Alicia’s pupils dilated. CRACK. A punch struck him clean in the gut, knocking the air out of him like a kicked balloon. He reeled back, eyes crossed, and both of them crashed onto the floor with a loud thud, Alicia landing right on top of him. They stared at each other, tangled on the ground. Alex’s dazed gaze met hers. "I forgot the rule... never call a woman heavy," he wheezed. Alicia didn’t move at first. Then, slowly—purposefully—she leaned down, her face just inches above his, a blush blooming on her cheeks again. But this time, there was no anger—just quiet intensity. She lowered her voice to a whisper, right next to his ear. "Alex..." she said, her lips almost brushing his skin. "Listen carefully. I’ll only say this once. I’ve never asked anyone before..." He blinked, stunned into silence. Alicia’s cheeks flared even redder as she pulled back slightly, locking eyes with him. "Will you... go to the ball with me?" --- A/N: So how was the Chapter? Tell me in the comments! Thanks for the golden tickets: @Lilrau, @Fairydragon, @EventfullMars, @Sleepy_R26 @Dawid_4859, @Sharadro, @supersan, @Blackain, @Peacekeepers15, @Berryfield I really appreciate the support ????