Chapter 1936: Bro Is Trying His Best Not to Raise an FBI Flag: Part 2

"Aether?" Lily called out when she noticed the strange look in his eyes.

He seemed as though something inside him had suddenly broken.

Aether snapped out of his thoughts and looked at her.

’So... right after I buried her dead body from the previous timeline, she awakened?’

Grace’s voice echoed in his mind as she nodded. ’See... it really is her soul from the previous timeline. And now... because of this incident, her entire life was on the line.’

Meanwhile, Lily’s cheeks turned slightly red as she noticed Aether staring at her so intensely. Feeling a little self-conscious under his gaze, she unconsciously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"A-Aether? W-What happened after my death?" she asked, her expression gradually turning worried.

After all, she had regressed after her death, hadn’t she?

That had to mean...

He had died too, right?

The thought made her heart tighten

Aether took a deep breath before beginning to explain everything that had happened.

As Lily listened to every detail, her expression gradually changed until she was staring at him in complete disbelief.

"B-But... I saw him saving you!" she exclaimed, her voice trembling with confusion. "I saw him protecting you, and you’re telling me that all of it was just an act?"

Aether could only nod.

Lily stared at him, struggling to process what she had just heard.

Jonathan betrayed him in the end. And to make matters worse, the entire situation had apparently been orchestrated by Aether’s father.

The president was actually Aether’s father.

’Damn... does the entire world revolve around one family?’ Lily couldn’t help but think.

The more she considered it, the stranger the whole situation seemed.

A son reborn in another world.

A father who had become the president of the new Earth.

And both of them seemingly destined to fight against each other.

It was really like someone writing a fantasy story.

"So... everyone betrayed us in the end?" Lily murmured, her expression turning dark and hollow.

"We have nobody left?"

Her thoughts drifted towards her father, and the memory of him trying to kill them resurfaced in her mind.

Aether noticed the change in her expression.

"Your father..." he began, choosing his words cautiously. "I don’t think he necessarily wanted to hurt you. Maybe my father was controlling him somehow."

"Maybe?" Lily repeated, shaking her head slightly.

She had seen it with her own eyes. She had witnessed her father nearly killing them.

Aether fell silent.

Unfortunately, he didn’t know what was happening to Allen either. He could speculate, but he had no concrete answers.

Aether gently placed his arm around her shoulders and pulled her a little closer.

Lily stiffened briefly at the unexpected gesture, but she soon relaxed against him, finding comfort in the warmth of his presence.

"Do you believe in me?" Aether asked quietly.

Lily lifted her head and looked at him.

There was no hesitation in her eyes.

She nodded without a second thought.

"Then... I’ll bring your father back," Aether promised.

She didn’t nod, nor did she say anything in response.

Aether noticed her expression but didn’t press her for an answer. Instead, he offered her a gentle smile, hoping to ease some of the weight resting on her shoulders.

"Anyway..." he said, deliberately changing the subject. "Say hello to my mother."

As he spoke, he pointed towards the woman lying on the bed.

Lily blinked.

"Mother? Not Penelope?"

She stared at the unconscious woman, then looked back at Aether.

That was a twist she certainly hadn’t seen coming.

Aether chuckled at her bewildered expression.

"No, she’s my mother."

With that, he moved closer to the bed and knelt before her, his expression softening as he looked at her.

Lily watched him in confusion for a moment before her mind suddenly jumped to an entirely different conclusion.

Wait.

He was introducing her to his mother?

And now he was kneeling?

Her face turned bright red.

"W-Wait! What are you doing?" she stammered, her heart suddenly beating much faster than before.

’I-I’m not ready yet!’ she screamed inwardly, her thoughts spiralling into complete chaos.

Meeting his mother?

Already?

Was this really happening?

Aether smiled at her, his expression filled with genuine gratitude. "Thank you for protecting my mother."

Lily flinched slightly. Her heart, which had been racing moments earlier, gradually slowed down. Although she felt a little disappointed that he had only knelt to thank her, seeing the earnest expression on his face made her feel awkward instead.

"Well... all I did was..." She lowered her gaze, fidgeting with her fingers. "I just made a mess for you, didn’t I?"

If Aether had regressed as she had, then he probably would have saved his mother without needing Lily to intervene. Given his abilities and speed, he could have rescued her without much trouble.

And yet, Lily had stepped in, putting herself in danger and making an already complicated situation even more troublesome for him.

Aether shook his head.

"No, you didn’t." His voice was firm,

"You put your life on the line for someone who was practically a stranger to you. You knew I wouldn’t recognise you, and you had no guarantee that I would ever understand why you did it. And yet, you still chose to protect my mother."

He paused, looking directly into her eyes.

"You put yourself in mortal danger for my sake, even when you had no reason to believe things would work out in your favour. I respect that kind of determination, Lily. Truly."

Lily’s eyes trembled slightly as she listened to his words. She bit her lower lip, trying to suppress the emotions welling up inside her, before eventually giving him a small nod.

[+4000 AP]

[+4000 AP]

[+4000 AP]

[+4000 AP]

[... Are you sure you are not trying to seduce her? Because, to me, it doesn’t look like it. In fact, you’re putting in even more effort.]

"..."

Aether immediately stood up.

Staying here any longer would only make things worse. At this rate, he was beginning to suspect that simply talking to Lily would earn him another few thousand points.

And more importantly, he was running out of time. It was almost time to set his plan into motion, and he couldn’t afford to get distracted.

"Lily, I need you to stay here."

Lily blinked in surprise. She had assumed that he would take her somewhere with him.

However, sensing the seriousness in his tone, she nodded obediently, even though a faint trace of sadness appeared on her face.

"Don’t worry. It’ll only be for a day." Aether softened his voice as he looked at her. "And... could you take care of my mother for me?"

Lily blinked again before nodding eagerly. If there was something she could do to help him, then she wanted to do it, even if it meant staying behind.

Aether nodded in satisfaction.

"Once I finish my work, I’ll come back and get you. All right?"

Lily nodded again, looking up at him with a small, reassuring smile.

"Okay. I’ll wait for you."

Aether turned around and was about to leave when he suddenly felt a slight tug on the hem of his cloak.

"??"

He paused and glanced back.

Lily was staring blankly at her own fingers, which had instinctively tightened around the fabric of his cloak. It seemed that she hadn’t even realised she had grabbed him until he stopped moving.

For a brief moment, she remained frozen, her fingers still clutching the edge of his cloak.

Then, as if embarrassed by her own actions, she slowly released him.

"Be careful, Aether," she murmured, lifting her gaze to meet his.

There was a faint trace of reluctance in her eyes, as though she wanted to ask him to stay a little longer but couldn’t bring herself to say it.

Aether noticed her expression and smiled gently.

"You too..."

He reached out and patted her head. Lily’s shoulders relaxed beneath his touch, and she found herself leaning into his hand ever so slightly before she could stop herself.

Then Aether withdrew his hand and turned to leave.

Before departing, he handed her a few changes of clothes, some food, and other necessities that a teenager might need during her stay.

"Make sure you eat properly," he reminded her. "And don’t go wandering around on your own."

Lily nodded obediently, accepting everything he gave her.

"I will."

With that, Aether finally left the chamber.

The moment the secret path closed behind him, Lily remained motionless for several seconds, staring blankly at the wall.

Then, little by little, a smile began to spread across her face.

"So... he regressed just like me..." she murmured, almost disbelievingly.

A soft giggle escaped her lips.

"Haha..."

Her expression gradually brightened until she looked like a girl standing on the very edge of falling in love, unable to stop herself from imagining what the future might hold.

She had been so worried that she would have to carry all those memories alone, but now she had someone who understood her, someone who shared the same past she remembered.

And that someone was Aether.

Lily turned her gaze towards the woman lying on the bed.

The woman she had initially thought was Penelope was actually Aether’s mother.

"Mother? Huh..."

She tilted her head slightly, contemplating the revelation.

She didn’t know why, but the heavy feeling that had been lingering in her chest seemed to have disappeared.

Ever since she had mistaken the woman for Penelope, she had felt an inexplicable discomfort, especially because she believed Penelope had once been Aether’s lover.

Now that she knew the truth, it felt as though a weight had finally been lifted from her heart.

Lily’s lips trembled as she tried to suppress the smile creeping across her face.

But the more she thought about it, the more difficult it became.

After all, she had just met Aether’s mother.

And Aether had personally asked her to take care of her.

Which meant...

Her cheeks turned an increasingly vivid shade of red as she quietly muttered, almost afraid to hear the words herself.

"Mother-in-law?"

"..."

For a moment, Lily simply stared into space.

Then she buried her face in a pillow and burst into a fit of giggles.

"Hahah..."

She hugged the pillow tightly against her chest, her face beet red as her legs kicked excitedly against the bed.

"Oh, God! Stop it!!"

Unfortunately, telling herself to stop only made her imagination run wilder.

She rolled onto her side, buried her burning face deeper into the pillow, and tried desperately to calm her racing heart.

But the image of Aether’s gentle smile refused to leave her mind.

Meanwhile, Aether had already left the chamber and informed the old man about Lily’s stay.

Although the old man had grumbled, he had ultimately agreed.

With that matter taken care of, Aether made his way back towards the tower.

As he hurried along, however, he suddenly flinched, an inexplicable sensation passing through him.

"What a weird feeling..." he muttered, frowning slightly as he glanced around.

For some reason, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he had raised... an unnecessary flag.

Little did he know that, at that very moment, a certain girl was busy imagining their future together while hugging a pillow and blushing furiously.

Aether shook his head and continued towards the tower.

By the time he arrived, the surrounding area was bustling with activity. Soldiers moved back and forth through the corridors, their footsteps echoing against the floors as they carried out their duties.

Lackey paid little attention to them and headed straight for the elevator.

However, just as he reached it, someone stepped forward and blocked his path.

"We need to talk!"

Aether stopped and looked at the person standing before him.

It was the Commander.

Lackey merely looked back at him with a disinterested expression.

"What?"

The Commander narrowed his eyes.

"Where have you been?"

Lackey shrugged, looking utterly unconcerned by the question.

"I was strolling around the city. Do you have a problem with that?" he asked, frowning slightly.

The Commander’s expression darkened. He clenched his fist, only to slowly relax it as he restrained his anger.

Then, in a cold tone, he finally asked,

"Are you... the one who caused The Zoo’s destruction?"

"...Hehe~"