Chapter 576: Is that all you think of me?

"So, where are we going?" Seraphina asked.

It was afternoon. Eliana and Aisha had already left, deliberately giving Amon and Seraphina some time alone.

"Yeah. Let’s go."

Amon nodded, and the two of them left the academy together.

The streets of Elarith City were lively beneath the afternoon sun. Merchants called out from colorful stalls, carriages moved along the stone-paved roads, and students from the academy mingled with ordinary citizens.

The warm sunlight reflected off the glass windows of the surrounding shops, giving the city a peaceful atmosphere.

As they walked, Seraphina glanced at Amon.

"You really don’t know why Sister Scarlett called me?"

"Actually..." Amon scratched the back of his neck. "She didn’t call you."

Seraphina stopped walking. "...What?"

"I lied." He stood beside her.

She frowned at his reply. "Then where are you taking me?"

A mischievous smile appeared on Amon’s face. "Well, I wanted to spend some time alone with you."

"Hiccup!"

Seraphina suddenly jolted.

"W-Why?"

Amon couldn’t help but smile at her adorable reaction.

He looked at her properly.

Her long golden-blonde hair flowed behind her like a waterfall, gently swaying with every step. Her golden eyes were bright with curiosity, while a faint blush had already begun spreading across her cheeks.

She was wearing casual outfit, trouser and blue color t-shirt.

’Damn it...’

Amon looked away.

’How can I be such a coward? I should’ve taken this step sooner.’

He already knew what he wanted.

"Well... it’s kind of..." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Actually, I just wanted to spend some time with you."

Then, without giving himself time to hesitate, he reached for her hand. Their fingers intertwined.

Seraphina’s cheeks immediately turned a deeper shade of pink.

"A-Amon..."

She glanced at their joined hands.

"Why do you want to spend time with me alone?"

Amon looked toward her.

"Because I want to understand something."

"What?"

"My feelings." he replied in short.

"..."

Seraphina fell silent. She didn’t ask anything else. She simply looked ahead, her heart beating faster.

She understood what he meant. How could she not?

Just last night, she had finally realized that she might actually be in love with Amon. Since morning, even the smallest things he did had been making her unusually nervous.

And now he was holding her hand and telling her that he wanted to understand his feelings. For some reason, that made her incredibly happy.

’Why am I so happy just because he wants to be alone with me?’

Her fingers unconsciously tightened around his.

’I think... I really do love him.’

Her heartbeat grew faster.

’But does he feel the same way?’

She remembered all the times Amon had placed himself between her and danger without hesitation. Amon had protected her without caring about his life.

’Perhaps... perhaps he also have feelings for me?’

She had always assumed Amon was simply joking whenever he talked about having multiple lovers.

But what if he wasn’t? What if he genuinely meant it? Her thoughts became tangled.

’Does that mean... he might try to pursue me as well?’

The thought made her heart flutter for a completely different reason.

But then her expression slowly turned serious.

’Even if I like him... would I really be okay with that?’

She was the daughter of a duke—the only child of the Luminous household and the future Duchess. Her family carried status, reputation, and expectations that she could never simply ignore.

She had never cared much about romance or marriage. She had always believed that if she eventually had to marry someone, either it would be someone she love, if she had no one, she would simply accept any man her family decides.

But now... For the first time, she was actually thinking about what she wanted.

’Do I really want to love a man who might have several women beside him?’

Her fingers unconsciously tightened around Amon’s hand.

’What do I want?’

"Seraphina?"

Amon’s voice reached her, but she didn’t respond.

She was too deeply lost in her thoughts.

"Seraphina."

This time, Amon stopped walking. Because he was holding her hand, Seraphina stopped as well. She finally looked up when she felt his other hand gently touch her cheek.

His palm rested against her smooth, warm skin.

"Huh?"

Her thoughts immediately scattered.

She met his black eyes. There was genuine concern within them.

"Did something happen?" he asked softly. "You’re acting strange. Are you feeling unwell? Should we go back?"

His voice was gentle and reassuring. Something about the way he looked at her made the uneasiness in her chest soften.

For a moment, the bustling streets around them seemed to fade.

The voices of merchants became distant. The footsteps of passing people disappeared into the background.

There was only Amon standing in front of her. And his hand against her cheek.

Seraphina’s golden eyes slowly dropped toward his lips. Those lips she had found herself wondering about them far too often lately.

’What would it feel like... if he kissed me? Or maybe I kissed him?’

Her heart skipped. Before she could dwell on the thought any longer, Amon gently shook her shoulder.

"Seraphina."

"Oh..."

She blinked rapidly.

"A-Amon... I-I was just lost in thought."

Her voice came out quieter than she intended.

Amon studied her for a moment before nodding.

"Okay."

Then a faint, mischievous smile appeared on his face.

"Now, don’t think about anything else."

"Huh?"

"For now, I want you to focus only on me."

"Eh?!"

A tiny, embarrassed sound escaped her lips. Amon chuckled at her reaction and gently tugged her hand.

"Come on."

"Where are we going?"

"Somewhere peaceful."

He started pulling her forward.

"Somewhere without so many people."

Seraphina followed, her cheeks still warm. And despite all the questions swirling inside her mind... She couldn’t help but smile. Her hand held back his palm tightly.

---

"This is perfect, I guess..."

"How did you know about this place?" Seraphina asked.

Amon smiled faintly.

"Well, it’s on the route I used to take whenever I sneaked out of the academy last year."

Seraphina blinked.

They were currently on the same hill where the academy stood. Amon used to sneak out through the forest on the rear side of the academy, eventually reaching this secluded spot.

From here, they had a breathtaking view of Elarith City.

The enormous walls surrounding the city stretched into the distance.

Beyond them, countless houses filled the landscape, separated into different districts. From this height, the busy streets looked almost peaceful, with tiny figures moving between the buildings.

The afternoon was slowly giving way to evening. The sky had begun turning golden-yellow as the sun descended toward the horizon.

A gentle breeze brushed against their faces, carrying the fresh scent of grass and trees. Nearby branches rustled softly in the wind.

For once, there was no noise from the crowded streets below.

No academy students or people, just calm silence.

Amon walked toward a large tree and sat beneath its shade on the soft grass. He patted the empty space beside him.

"Come here. Sit with me."

Seraphina smiled faintly and walked over.

She sat beside him, then exhaled softly as she looked toward the city.

"This is nice..."

Her voice was quiet. The peaceful atmosphere made her shoulders relax. There were no crowds around them, no merchants shouting, no carriages passing by.

Only the gentle wind and the occasional rustling of leaves. It was so calming that she felt she could easily fall asleep here.

"You know, Seraphina..." Amon suddenly spoke.

"Hm?"

"I never thought I’d ever come to this city, let alone attend the academy."

"I know. You’ve told me that before."

"Tch. Me and my mouth."

He chuckled. Then his expression gradually became more thoughtful.

"So many things have happened this past year. Sometimes it feels like I’ve lived an entire lifetime in one year."

He stared toward the distant city.

"It feels like I’ve experienced more in this one year than I did during the first seventeen years of my life combined."

Seraphina turned toward him.

"You’ve been strangely sentimental today."

"Yeah..."

Amon smiled faintly.

"I guess I am."

His smile slowly faded.

"Because I’m in trouble."

Seraphina’s expression changed.

"What kind of trouble?"

"I don’t know how I’m supposed to handle my situation." He lowered his gaze. "This isn’t what I expected my life to become. Not even remotely."

Seraphina quietly watched him. Then, without saying anything, she moved her hand toward his.

Her fingers gently covered the back of his hand.

Amon felt the warmth of her palm. Her hand was soft, yet there were faint calluses across her skin from years of sword training.

He had felt similar warmth before with Scarlett.

"I don’t know what you’re dealing with," Seraphina said softly, "but I’m here."

Amon looked at her.

"You can tell me anything that’s troubling you. If you’re in trouble, I’ll help you."

There was no hesitation in her voice.

Amon smiled. "Why would you do that much for a commoner like me?"

Seraphina froze. The question caught her off guard. She looked away, her fingers still resting over his hand.

"I-I..."

Her cheeks slowly became warm.

"I’m doing it because..."

She swallowed.

"Because you’re my close friend."

Her voice became quieter.

"And... I care about you."

Amon stared at her. There was no teasing smile on his face this time.

There was no mischievous glint, only warmth. He slowly leaned toward her.

Seraphina’s breathing stopped. His face came closer. Their eyes met.

Amon’s voice was barely above a whisper. "Is that all you think of me?"

Ba-dump!

Seraphina froze. Her heart slammed against her chest. She couldn’t look away. She simply stared into his eyes, unable to form a single word.

And suddenly, all those thoughts from earlier returned.

’What do I want?’

Her heart seemed to already know the answer. But her mind was terrified of admitting it.

---

[A/N: Btw guys, I don’t know if you remember it or not, but the Demon King Andhaka I mention in last Chapter is from Chapter 23.]