I’m Your Biggest Fan

Spying that ravishing man who had been on her mind ever since their first encounter once more, Navya's gaze blurred, her breaths becoming erratic and short. Yet despite this, she still tried to appear as presentable and noble as possible, floating right in front of the seat upon which Theodore was waiting for her, stopping only a few meters away from him.

"I-It's nice to meet you, my Lord! My name is Navya Aatma, and it's a pleasure to finally make your a-acquaintance!"

Somewhat shakily delivering the lines which she had rehearsed over and over again whilst on the way, she nervously glanced at the white-haired young man who was scrutinizing her with an odd look on his face.

'Why... is he staring at me like that? Did I mess up somehow? Is there a wardrobe malfunction? O-Or does he... l-like me!?'

As she was deeply lost in thought, she didn't even realize that she had long been addressed. Only when Vigdis–who had stood at Theodore's side, but been entirely overlooked by Navya–stepped forward and waved her hand in front of her did she finally snap out of her internal monologue.

"My apologies! I was a bit distracted! Could you repeat what you just said?"

In response to her bright, apologetic smile, Theodore showed a flabbergasted, yet not surprised expression. Instead, he couldn't help but recall the bits and pieces of information which he knew about her.

Prior to the Heavenly Succession, the Winter Family had done its best to collect as much intel about any potential competitors as they could find. Naturally, as most truly outstanding Heaven's Chosen would not be introduced to the public, there were many blind spots in the data which they had gathered. Everything was then further condensed down, and only the most notable figures presented to Theodore and his siblings–as there were simply far too many participants for them to remember them all.

Why, then, did he recall Navya in particular? There were two reasons for this. Firstly, the Aatma Family was one of the rulers of the Spirit race, which held significant influence within the Heavenly Court, almost approaching that of a Supreme Pillar. Of course, only if all of their Named Families were added together could they achieve such a thing. Nonetheless, this was still an impressive result which not too many other races could replicate–primarily because most of them were not nearly as united as the Spirit race.

But the second reason was responsible for Theodore recalling Navya in particular out of all of her race's Heaven's Chosen: She had bought merchandise depicting him. And not just a few items.

As a public figure representing the newest generation of the Winter Family, it was no wonder that his image would be monetized by his people. This was merely one of countless ways in which they could accumulate resources, and not a particularly profitable one. Every now and then, someone would design a product with his face on it, and sell it with the blessing of his family, giving most of the earnings to them.

Did he actually endorse any of these items? Of course not, he didn't even know what they were. He also had no idea about which kinds of merchandise featuring him existed at this point–there were far too many.

Never once had he thought that any fellow Heaven's Chosen would fall for this marketing strategy and buy any of them. Yet Navya had done so. According to the intel which he had received, she had purchased enough of them to fill up an entire warehouse. Mind you, she was the only one of his peers who had done such an outrageous thing. Never had he expected to meet her this early–or at all.

"I said: The pleasure is all mine. Thank you for your application. Why would you like to work for me?"

Dismissing his recollections, he didn't dwell on her past or her distractedness, instead remaining as professional as he could. His words made a wave of relief wash over the nervous Spirit girl, who thought for but a moment before evading his gaze with a slight blush on her cheeks.

"It's because... ever since I've seen you from afar at a gathering that we both attended, I've admired you and wanted to follow you. While I'm aware that I'm not necessarily the most outstanding, and might not meet your minimum requirements, I still hope to work for you! Even if it's just as a Retainer, o-or a Slave!"

By the end of her impassioned speech, Navya had fallen to her knees, the pleading in her gaze impossible to overlook. Next to Theodore, Vigdis' eyes widened a little, as she hadn't expected anyone to willingly offer themselves up as a Slave!

"... I see. Considering your background, there is a fair chance that you at least qualify to be a Retainer, so do not sell yourself too short. But that aside, why do you think I should make you one of my people? To put it bluntly: What can you offer me?"

His cold, scrutinizing glare caused a shiver to run down her spine, as the blue hue on her cheeks intensified. She had long prepared herself to be asked a question akin to this one, yet when it finally was time to recall her answer, she drew a complete blank. With no other choice, she had to improvise on the spot.

"A-Anything! There is nothing I won't do! I can cook, I can clean, I can eliminate enemies, I can stand guard, I can wash your clothes, I can carry your shoes, I can give you a massage, I can sing you a lullaby, I can be your chair, I can–"

Before she could list off even more indecent things, Theodore raised his hand to interrupt her, his brows furrowed as he fought the urge to facepalm. If it hadn't been for the fact that he knew there was no way for him to eliminate a Heaven's Chosen from a Named Family at this point in the Heavenly Succession, then he might have considered getting rid of her. This would spare him the headache which this person would indubitably turn out to be.

"Stop, stop! I get it. There won't be any need for you to do some of these. Let me be frank: Despite your peculiarities, I know that you're quite capable–after all, the Aatma Family wouldn't have allowed you to participate otherwise. I am in need of some more competent Subordinates. So tell me: Can you follow orders without causing me trouble?"

Saluting without hesitation, Navya nodded.

"Absolutely! To serve you is all I wish for in this life, my Lord!"

Her eyes were sparkling with reverence almost bordering on fanaticism, causing the right corner of his mouth to twitch virtually imperceptibly. Suddenly thinking about something which might become an issue, he cleared his throat and chose to address it beforehand.

"Ahem, I feel flattered. Just do not expect me to reciprocate this enthusiasm, alright? And promise me not to harass my lovers. I do not welcome undue envy."

Bobbing her head repeatedly, almost in a panic, Navya showed a confident smile. She had never been under the impression that the target of her utterly unrequited adoration would be single–rather, it was the exact opposite. Who could possibly resist this captivating deity of a man?

Noticing that she was getting distracted again, her gaze turning somewhat lascivious and a lecherous grin beginning to form on her lips, he looked at Vigdis, who nodded and flicked Navya's forehead. Recoiling in shock and a hint of pain, she glared at the woman who had minutely hurt her for a moment, then she realized her mistake and hastily bowed until her head almost touched the ground.

"I'm sorry! I'll try not to do it again!!"

Exchanging glances with his secretary, Theodore considered whether or not it would be a good idea to allow a person like this to become a part of his retinue. He had already promised to let anyone who followed his call go without harm, so if he chose not to take her in, then the worst that he could do was to send her away. But he felt that she might become even more of a loose cannon if he did so.

'All things considered, she most certainly is devoted. That means when facing those who would do me harm, she will turn into a stalwart defender. Maybe she will mellow out in the future. Still, what a weirdo.'

Getting his thoughts in order, he eventually chose to keep this ticking time bomb nearby, where he could at least be aware when it was going off. For now, though, he would certainly not make her a Follower of his, merely a Retainer. But considering that she had even offered to become a Slave, she likely wouldn't take issue with this decision.

[ Theodore Winter has offered to become your Master.

Will you accept this offer and become his Retainer?

Warning: Your Heaven's Chosen Level will be transferred to Theodore Winter as a result, causing you to lose the qualifications to be a contestant in the Heavenly Succession. ]

When this notification popped up in Navya's field of vision, she almost tore up and immediately accepted, fearing that her Lord might change his mind. Although she felt the vast improvement in her Standard Attributes, especially her Endurance, all of that didn't fully register with her. Instead, she looked at the Affiliation displayed in her Status Panel and giggled to herself like a madwoman, wiping away tears every now and then.

Speechless at her behaviour, Theodore massaged his temples. Looking at Vigdis, he couldn't help but mutter, barely loud enough for the two of them to hear his words.

"What do you think? Did I make the right decision?"

Remaining silent for a while, the red-head finally responded, a hint of playful teasing in her voice.

"I think so. All things considered, she is at least loyal to you–that seems to be beyond question. And won't she add a little bit of spice to your life?"

Rolling his eyes at her, he showed a minute smirk.

"You're not wrong. I'm just not sure I will necessarily enjoy this flavour."

With this application over and done with, he was about to pull up Navya's Status Panel and inspect it for anything which might be of interest. But before he could do so, the furthest Alarm Array that he had laid out informed him of the arrival of another Heaven's Chosen. So putting this matter aside for the moment, he motioned to the Spirit girl still fangirling on the ground.

"Navya, another applicant is coming this way. Please get up and stand on the left side of Vigdis. Do not interrupt the interview, understood?"

His stern look caused her heartbeat to quicken, yet she quickly reassured him that she would behave and scurried over to the place which had been assigned to her. Whilst they were all waiting for the new arrival, she couldn't help but admire Theodore's side profile and every single expression of his with rapt attention.

"If I remember correctly, the next closest one to here should be Cheong Suhyeon, right? She is earlier than expected."

Ignoring the unseemly 'ghost' hovering next to them, he recalled the only other person who they knew would be coming here today. While he had never met her and therefore couldn't verify whether the one who he was observing via his Arrays was the person in question, she certainly matched his impression of her.

If anyone had asked him what the ideal saintess should look like, then it would be this woman. Clad in pure white, as if untouched by the dust of the mortal realm, she gently trod across the earth, yet her speed was countless times faster than it might appear. Her long, blonde hair elegantly framed her heavenly visage, whilst there was a serene look in her emerald green eyes.

Suddenly, she glanced upwards, directly at the position which he was currently observing her from. A gentle smile blossomed on her lips and she nodded slightly, as if in greeting.

'Oh? This one appears promising. Not like a certain nutcase I just picked up.'