Chapter 50 – Kassandra Torres

"Don't you believe me, Abigail?" Kassandra feigned an offended expression, putting her hand to her chest as if she had been hurt.

"It depends... What do you classify as 'talented'?" Abigail replied with a deprecating smile, her eyes half-closed in suspicion as she looked at Hélio.

Hélio looked up for a moment before lowering his gaze again, as if he were measuring the situation. His silky red hair shone under the lights of the room, framing his small, rounded ears, discreet but unmistakable.

His face blended fine, masculine features, with expressive eyebrows and a slightly angular chin. Despite his slender build, his body carried the latent strength of an Ursinus, compact muscles and a naturally firm posture.

Her hands, elegant at first glance, hid sharp claws beneath her fingertips, and when her lips parted for a brief moment, slightly elongated canines could be seen. There was something calculated in her movements—a mix of refinement, caution, and gentleness—like someone accustomed to moving among high society.

"Heh, I guess we're used to different standards of talent." Kassandra chuckled softly, crossing her arms teasingly. "But you should be more humble, Abigail. Our Young Lord Crimmont here is practically a miracle of Aura…"

With an intimate, seductive smile. "Hello, Young Lord. I'm Kassandra Torres" she turned to Edgar and reached out toward his face.

"Don't touch him. And don't refer to him as 'our.'"

The movement was abrupt—Abigail caught Kassandra's wrist before her hand could reach Edgar, her eyes flashing with warning. The touch wasn't rough, but it was firm enough to make Kassandra take a step back.

Before the situation could escalate, Inessa rolled her eyes and erected a double barrier around them, isolating them visually and acoustically from the rest of the room.

"Aren't you being overprotective, Abigail? If I didn't know better, I'd say you're the one who's linked to him." Kassandra teased, her tone taking on a slight edge of acid.

"That's none of your business. And besides, I know very well what your intention is in touching him…" Abigail stood her ground, her expression hardening.

"Really? And what would that be?"

Kassandra took a step forward, using her height to assert herself. Her eyes locked with Abigail's, her face inches from hers, provocation dripping from every detail of her posture.

"Have you no shame?" Abigail frowned, her voice low and full of reprimand.

"Abigail, let me handle this." Edgar intervened, gently tugging on Abigail's hand and pulling her away from the front line. His expression was curious, slightly amused, as he turned his attention back to Kassandra.

"Oh? He's already put a collar on you?" Kassandra laughed, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "And you still have the nerve to doubt my character, when you're practically begging to form a Link with him… Who has no honor here?"

Abigail clenched her fists, the retort boiling in her throat, but before she could retort, Edgar cut her off.

"It seems like you two have known each other for quite some time." His tone was neutral, but there was a hidden interest in his words.

"Maybe…" Kassandra shrugged. "I don't usually count. But even so, she's still as annoying as the day I met her. She'd rather fight and argue than bargain and make friends."

"I totally agree." Edgar smiled, relaxed.

Kassandra blinked, surprised. "Really? I thought you would defend your suitor."

Now, she was looking directly at him, his attention fully captured.

"I would, if she hadn't caused a fuss over something so trivial. There's no accounting for taste. If you liked him, it would be an offense to judge him."

He glanced briefly at Hélio, who remained motionless, calm and cold.

"I don't like him. What I said was that he won my favor." Kassandra quickly corrected.

"And isn't that the same thing?" Edgar tilted his head slightly, his expression innocent, almost cute.

"No, definitely not."

Kassandra smiled at the corner of her mouth, her tone becoming more intimate. She knelt down gently, leveling herself with Edgar's eyes, and raised her hand to touch his face again.

Abigail reacted immediately, but Edgar raised his hand, stopping her before she could speak. His gaze showed confidence and genuine curiosity.

"You have courage... Do you really want to know what happens?"

Kassandra stopped her hand inches from Edgar's cheek, her voice full of satisfied charm, almost as if she were grateful for the opportunity.

"Of course. I like new experiences."

His smile was light and amused, completely sure of himself.

Kassandra's smile widened—and then she touched him.

The next moment, they both closed their eyes and entered a deep trance.

As Kassandra's fingers touched Edgar's skin, a subtle aura began to gather in them. Her smile widened as she sent her aura into his body, beginning a probing with the dexterity of someone who had done this countless times before.

Her aura gently snaked its way through the sensitive points of Edgar's aura, flowing like a river exploring a new course. She guided her own essence with precision, mapping his innermost features, sensing the fluidity and density of his energy, the quality and efficiency of the core that pulsed at his center.

Her control was absolute—each strand of aura was manipulated to test its compatibility, its resistance, and its limits. However, as her analysis deepened, Kassandra noticed something strange.

Edgar's core wasn't just absorbing the aura she sent into his body; it was beginning to pull more and more aura from within the veins of her aura—a force that shouldn't be there. Her previously controlled flow became unstable when she realized that her energy was being swallowed, sucked into that unknown core.

She tried to stop the process, to pull back her aura, but it was useless. Edgar's core had already established control of this aura cycle and would not let her leave without his permission. Edgar's core consumed her aura as if it were hungry, devouring it without ceremony, not allowing her to withdraw. Imprisoning her to Edgar's whims like a snake coils around its prey.

And then, at the height of despair, when a significant amount of her aura had already been taken from her, she felt something different. Something unexpected. An aura returned to her. Not her own, but Edgar's. It was like being touched by something divine.

The purity of that energy was absurd, immaculate, intense. The sensation hit her like a hot and overwhelming wave.

"Mmmnnnhgg"

A shiver ran down her spine, and before she could stop it, a scandalous moan escaped her lips. Her body trembled, her legs weakened, and without any resistance, she fell to the ground sitting down.

Her gaze remained blank, fixed on an undefined point, her mind completely taken over by the experience she had just lived. The heat of that aura still pulsed inside her, leaving her breathing ragged and her body too light to react.

Edgar tilted his head, observing her curiously, and then approached. Gently, his small hands touched Kassandra's face, turning it towards him.

"Hey… Are you okay?" His voice was soft, filled with genuine concern. "I hope I wasn't too hard on you…"

Kassandra's eyes were still unfocused, her expression lost between surprise and the residual sensation of that overwhelming aura. For the first time in a long time, she didn't know how to respond.

"I…" She seemed lost, still sitting, her eyes glazed over as she tried to organize her scattered thoughts.

"You?" Edgar tilted his head slightly, his voice soft, almost provocative.

"I want more…" The confusion gave way to a hungry glint in his gaze. His chest rose and fell with his ragged breath, and an involuntary smile formed on his lips, trembling with excitement. "I need to feel this again."

But before she could move to try to relive that feeling, Edgar gently moved away, leaving space for Abigail, who, firm and impassive, blocked any approach.

"Humph… Get up. And don't even think anything stupid, Edgar is not for you." Abigail grabbed Kassandra's arm and pulled her back to reality with a cold look. "That was just him taking pity on you. And making it clear what kind of Socius Inessa and I are used to."

Kassandra hesitated, still stunned, before finally standing up. But her body was shaking—not from weakness, but from frustration. Her pride and composure seemed to hang by a thread.

"I'll pay." She gasped, her hands clenching around her body, as if fighting the withdrawal of something addictive. "Just once. I just need to feel this one more time… I'll pay whatever you want, please…" Her voice was thick with desire, bordering on desperation.

Abigail's eyes narrowed, her expression dripping with judgment.

"Get a grip, Kassandra." Her tone was sharp, authoritative. "Do you realize how shameful you are being? You brought an Amasius to the Torment Fairs and didn't hesitate to offend Inessa's Nexus Mate? What kind of Dragon Lady acts like that?"

Kassandra bit her lip, still breathing heavily, as if the weight of Abigail's words were crushing her dignity.

Edgar, for his part, absentmindedly fixed his clothes and messy hair, completely indifferent to her emotional breakdown. Then, in a calm and casual tone, he announced:

"Tomorrow we're going to stroll around Avaris. I want to see the city and do some shopping." He paused briefly, a slight smile on his face. "If you want, you can come with us."