Mesmerizing Aura

Agatha's body stiffened in disbelief as she stared at Liam, her mind racing.

Had she heard him right? Was that truly what he wanted? He had asked her for a date... but it couldn't be. There had to be an ulterior motive. What if this was all a trap? What if he was trying to lure her back to Etherealis?

Agatha closed her eyes tightly and shook her head. She couldn't let that happen.

She shouldn't trust him. She didn't know Liam well, and most importantly, he was a Fae. Not just any Fae, but a Water Fae and a King.

Determined not to make the same mistake again, Agatha resolved to keep her emotions in check. She needed her wits to survive, not just for her own sake but for Aiden's as well. She couldn't let anything happen to him.

"Date me, Aggie..." Liam's voice was unbearably soft as he trailed feathery kisses across her cold cheeks.

A date? Agatha's mind reeled. Was that all he wanted? Not her body, not to make her his mistress or slave? He had kidnapped Aiden just to blackmail her into dating him? It was too much to believe.

"Are you insane?" Agatha screamed, unable to contain her frustration.

Liam groaned and mumbled incoherently, his lips moving down to her throat.

"Date me..." he repeated, his breathing becoming hoarse.

"Date you? You kidnapped Aiden just to blackmail me into dating you?" Agatha's anger boiled over. "What the hell is wrong with you, Liam?"

Her fists itched to punch him, but his touch made her squirm. His soft, gentle lips traced the side of her sensitive neck, his breath warm against her shoulder.

"Mmm?" Liam's voice was raspy, deep as the abyss, and irresistibly seductive. "Date me, Aggie..."

Her resolve melted as his lips reached hers. What were they talking about again? What was Liam doing to her? Was this some kind of sorcery? Was Liam a witch, capable of conjuring charms?

"Answer, Agatha..." Liam whispered between kisses.

"What?" Agatha stammered, forgetting his question.

"Aggie..." Liam's expression grew impatient.

"Yes," Agatha cracked when he sucked her lower lip. She could no longer remember why she was angry. This was bad. Really bad.

"Yes?" Liam pressed, kissing her thoroughly, tasting every inch of her.

"Yes..." Agatha replied absentmindedly, holding on to him tightly.

Liam abruptly stopped kissing Agatha and quickly moved away from her. Before she could even gather her thoughts, he had already instructed the coachman to quicken the carriage's pace.

"What the..." Agatha was at a loss for words.

Realization hit her like a train wreck. Liam helped her sit properly, but she pushed his hand away, feeling a wave of shame. She had let him kiss her and had kissed him back. What the hell? And why had she enjoyed it? That shouldn't have been the case.

Agatha slapped herself mentally. She should've resisted his kisses, should've pushed him away, should've stopped herself from being so vulnerable. Before she could drown in embarrassment, the carriage had already stopped.

Liam soon opened the gold-gilded door.

That was a quick ride, but Agatha didn't question it. She was just glad she didn't have to deal with being alone with Liam in the carriage any longer.

As Agatha stepped onto the grassy ground, Liam immediately enveloped his elegant arm around her waist. The gesture might have seemed sweet to onlookers, but Agatha knew he only did it to prevent her from escaping his grasp.

He was doing it to secure her. At least, that's what she wanted her heart to believe so it would stop beating so wildly.

Agatha tried to compose herself, willing her cheeks to stop reddening every time she thought about Liam's kisses. It didn't help that Liam seemed to know she was thinking about it, with that menacing smile plastered on his handsome face.

That wasn't fair.

"What do you want to do?" Liam seemed genuinely excited for their so-called date.

"I want to see Aiden," Agatha grunted.

Liam's pace was slow and deliberate, allowing Agatha to keep up. Creatures of all kinds shuffled around them. Agatha thought she could easily lose herself in the crowd without much effort.

However, since Liam had Aiden, she dared not act on her impulse.

Liam observed the crowd. "We will see him after our date and have dinner with him," he replied nonchalantly, as if he hadn't taken Aiden from her.

Hesitantly, Agatha could do nothing but obey Liam. Once she got Aiden back, they would escape again. This time, she was determined to be more careful with her plan so Liam wouldn't be able to follow them.

Liam sighed. "So what do you want to do?" he asked, looking around. "Where do you want to eat?" His gaze swept over the countless stores and restaurants lining the street.

That's when Agatha realized they were back at Upper Escrima. She bit her lip as they entered another expensive restaurant. Actually, she had no problem with the place itself. She loved it there—the delicacies, the service, and the cozy interior design.

What Agatha didn't like were the creatures dining there, those who were usually filthy rich.

She was already hating the situation, even though nothing had happened yet. She didn't usually feel insecure because she knew her worth, despite being penniless. But she couldn't help but feel belittled under the judgmental stares of the other patrons, especially the ladies who seemed to have an immediate desire to possess Liam.

It seemed like everyone knew Liam was a King, while Agatha felt like a nobody, just a speck of dust. Their discreet laughter and judgmental stares only intensified her insecurity. Liam, however, appeared unbothered, preoccupied with looking around the place.

Agatha, lost in her thoughts, belatedly realized they were already walking towards their special seat and table.

She looked around, confused. "Why are we the only ones here?"

"I noticed you don't like the presence of others when we eat," Liam answered. "So I rented the whole place. I hope you're comfortable now…"

Agatha stared blankly at Liam's bright face, unable to believe it. She hadn't known it was possible to rent an entire restaurant, nor had she realized that Liam noticed her discomfort from others' stares.

In no time, the food arrived in succession, and they ate in silence. Agatha sensed Liam wanting to speak after every chew, his eyes implying questions. But noticing her engrossment in the food, he kept his questions to himself.

Despite her thoughts drifting back to Aiden, her worries began to fade. Knowing Liam's awareness of her concerns, she felt reassured that Aiden would not be neglected, hungry, thirsty, or sad.

With the restaurant to themselves, Agatha enjoyed the meal more and felt satisfyingly full.

However, irritation crept in as Liam accompanied her everywhere after they finished eating. She thought it was fine for Liam to buy whatever he wanted since it was his money, but it was frustrating that he took her to five different clothing stores.

It wasn't the shops that frustrated Agatha but the ladies who stared at her as if she had committed a sin by walking beside Liam. She gritted her teeth in frustration. She wanted to return home, where no one judged her every move.

Noticing the irritation etched on Agatha's face, Liam let her decide where to go next. Agatha chose a bookstore. Although she might not have had formal education, she had learned to read thanks to her loving parents and Auntie Isa.

They walked around for a few minutes, Liam trailing behind her. She searched for something interesting among the countless shelves of books. When she reached the section on herbals and plants, she looked at the prices.

From behind her, Liam said, "I didn't know you liked books." He stared at her as if he had discovered a secret of the universe.

Agatha opened the pages, the aroma filling her senses. "Not really," she answered. "I don't have much time to read…"

Liam came closer, now staring at the book Agatha was holding. "Do you want to study herbal medicine?"

Without thinking, Agatha nodded while reading the carved title. She bit her lip when she saw that each book cost thirty silver coins.

"Do you want to build a shop for herbal medicines?" Liam wondered.

Agatha paused at Liam's innocent question. The thought had never crossed her mind, knowing it was impossible without luxury, resources, and experience. But if she ever had sufficient funds, she would love to open an infirmary and a pharmacy for those who needed it most but couldn't afford it.

"I actually want it," Agatha confessed, her eyes hopeful. "But I don't think it will ever happen…"

"Why not? We can make it happen," Liam said enthusiastically. "I'll help you build it."

Agatha stared at him. Liam spoke as if making such a dream come true was as simple as snapping his fingers. They were talking about opening a pharmacy, after all.

They would need to build the establishment, secure permissions from the Ministers, hire staff, learn about herbal medicines, and most importantly, gather the money to afford all of this.

Agatha sighed. "Okay…" she answered, feeling detached.

She knew it would never happen. So, she didn't really pay attention to what Liam said and responded quickly. It was simply impossible.

Also, she would have to leave eventually. Nysander remained at large. She couldn't achieve her dreams while her peace was still uncertain.

Agatha wanted to buy many books, but since each one was expensive, she decided to buy only one. She was about to pay when Liam approached her, carrying a dozen books stacked on top of each other, his face shadowed by them.

"I'll pay for hers too," Liam said, placing the books on the counter and pointing at the one Agatha was holding.

Agatha hadn't realized that Liam, based on his observation, also liked to read. He didn't seem like the type who enjoyed reading. He seemed more inclined to fight and lead.

As Agatha looked over the books Liam had chosen, her eyes widened. They were the other books she had been eyeing before, all the editions, but too expensive to purchase all at once.

"Let's go?" Liam grabbed Agatha's hand after he paid, and they started to leave. A staff member from the bookstore brought the purchased books and handed them to Liam's coachman waiting outside.

Agatha thought they would finally ride in the carriage and return home, but Liam led her to a clothing store, most of which sold children's clothes.

Agatha thought of Aiden. She saw many clothes he would surely like and that would complement him. Since she had saved a bit by not buying more books, she still had a few Galleons to buy two pairs of clothes. But as before, Liam insisted on paying and even added a few more items.

"I can pay for myself, Liam," Agatha groaned when he handed his money to the cashier.

Liam grinned. "I know, but I genuinely and unconditionally want to provide for you and Aiden."

Agatha wanted to say more, but she couldn't because of the female Metamorph cashier who bombarded Liam with questions. She was indeed beautiful, with hair that looked like a sheep's wool but suited her well.

After a while, Liam took Agatha to the heart of the town, towards the park.

"Here," he said, handing Agatha a cold dessert that melted on her tongue.

They sat on a wooden bench, side by side. Agatha was preoccupied with the taste when Liam asked, "Where else do you want to go?"

Agatha licked her lips and shook her head firmly. She eagerly ate the ice cream, finding it so delicious and fruity that she couldn't describe the taste.

"Did you have fun?" Liam asked, avoiding eye contact while she finished her cone.

He looked adorable licking his ice cream, catching the attention of passersby who glanced multiple times at them.

"Yeah…" Agatha whispered. Despite her constant worry for Aiden, she found herself genuinely enjoying her time with Liam.

He was so considerate and observant, giving her options and behaving like a true gentleman. These were qualities she hadn't noticed about him until now.

Liam cleared his throat audibly. "Do you want to go home now?"

Agatha nodded quickly. "Of course…"

Liam paused for a moment and sighed. "Alright, let's go home, as you wish."

Liam held out his hand towards Agatha, and she willingly accepted it. Her eyes widened when he suddenly hugged her tight. If the ladies in the park had been discreetly staring at them before, now they were openly observing.

Liam was embracing her in broad daylight, in the middle of the park, where everyone was passing by and enjoying their moments.

"W-what are you doing?" Agatha tried to escape from Liam's embrace, but he just tightened his hold. His laughter echoed through his chest and into hers.

"I thought you wanted to go home?"

Agatha hesitantly grabbed his arm. "Of course I want to go home," she said, trying to suppress her emotions. "I miss Aiden already. But how does that relate to you hugging me?"

"We'll Flash, Aggie…"

Agatha found herself staring at Liam's glistening lips, his words barely registering.

"Flash, Aggie…" Liam repeated, as if she should understand. Then realization dawned. "You don't know what that is?" He was full of disbelief and confusion, still not loosening his embrace.

"Uhm…" Agatha didn't know what to say.

Liam's patience was evident. "You're a Fae, Aggie," he said matter-of-factly. "How could you not know that?"

Agatha looked away. Liam must have sensed her discomfort because he suddenly changed the conversation.

"You want to see Aiden, yes?"

Agatha nodded.

"Alright," said Liam. "Hold me tight then."

Not knowing what to expect, Agatha followed Liam's command and hugged him tightly. She felt him stiffen at her sudden action. She looked into his eyes and saw him swallow quickly and thickly.

"A-alright then, let's go home…" he whispered.

Suddenly, the whole place darkened, like a candle being snuffed out. Coldness embraced Agatha until warmth nestled in her as light approached like a sunrise.

When Agatha's eyes adjusted, she realized they were already in the living room of Slumber Shack. She was still hugging Liam, and he was still holding her tightly.

Liam's face was so close to hers that she felt herself shiver. He looked dazed, staring at her lips, so Agatha unconsciously glanced up at him as well.

Their lips were about to meet when a loud cough emanated nearby. Agatha shot up to look at the source of the noise, her forehead knotting when she saw a beautiful witch with white hair.

Beside her were a Fae who looked like a goddess and an Elven with a mesmerizing aura.

"Alexa, Hiyasmin, Louise…" Liam whispered, out of breath. "What the hell are you doing here?"