Reincarnated As The Villainess's Son

Chapter 157  [Blood Of Fallen] [13]

The water flowed quickly, its surface filled with ripples as the current pulled them further downstream.

Small snowflakes fell from the sky, filling the area around them.

Walking on the road opposite the waterfall on the side of the river, Oliver looked at the lamps illuminating the area, a thoughtful expression on his face.

The wind whipped through his black hair, carrying with it the scent of the river.

"What are you thinking?" Aaliyah, walking beside him, asked, her red hair tied back.

"About my mother," Oliver replied, glancing at her, a longing look on his handsome face. "Just want to see her all of a sudden."

"She must be busy," Aaliyah replied, not knowing the right words to comfort him.

She knew something wasn't right with his family situation, but she didn't know what.

"Yeah..." Oliver replied, his voice monotonous as he looked back.

They were already a few hundred meters away from the bridge, but the roar of the waterfall still rang clearly in their ears.

"About your mother—"

"One day," he cut in, glancing at her with a small smile, "One day for sure."

Aaliyah nodded, not forcing him to reveal things he wasn't comfortable with.

"Why are you so tall?" She grumbled, tiptoeing to match his height.

"Heh, shorty," he joked, making her glare at him.

Walking a little more, they reached the deck where a few boats stood.

"Oui, want a ride?" A man sitting on a boat asked, looking at them.

"How much?" Oliver asked, walking closer to him.

"A thousand for a round trip," the man replied, smiling as he opened the gate for them to walk in.

Oliver nodded, finding the price reasonable for the nighttime as he helped Aaliyah onto the boat.

He jumped in as the man moved to the back, starting the engine.

"You must earn a lot, don't you?" Oliver asked, looking at the boatman.

"It's a historical place, boss," the boatman replied, chuckling. "They say it's the closest man-made thing to paradise."

"In short, you earn a lot," Oliver concluded, making the man chuckle.

"You don't get any customers at night?" Oliver asked the man again, placing his hand on the railing and gripping it.

"...No one moves around at night, boss," the man replied, eyeing both of them. "The ones who take rides at night are always couples."

Saying so, he turned around looking away, the handle on the engine in his hand, taking them away from the waterfall.

"...What's that supposed to mean?" Aaliyah mumbled, glancing at Oliver, who stood close to her.

He leaned towards her, his breath tickling her ear, "....Alone in the dark night, what do you think couples will do?"

Her cheeks turned red as she looked at him. Leaning in, she whispered back, "...What?"

'Is she always horny?' He wondered, looking at her now blushing face.

"Wanna take a bath?" Oliver asked, pushing her, making her yelp in surprise.

She grabbed his arm firmly as she yelled, "What are you doing!?"

Regaining her balance, she grinned before she tried to push him over the railing as well.

The boat creaked as they played around until Oliver got serious and picked her up by placing his hands around her armpits.

She wrapped her legs around his waist, holding tightly onto him as she yelled, "Wait, wait, I'll catch a cold!"

Oliver grinned as he looked at her panicked face.

BOOM!!

But their banter abruptly halted as a loud explosion echoed, illuminating the dark night.

They both shifted their gaze towards the bridge that was now burning, their pupils shrinking in fear.

"What happened?" Aaliyah asked, her voice filled with panic as she landed on the ground.

"Hey!" Oliver yelled, turning back to look at the boatman.

But...

All he found was a headless body.

Beside him stood another man, whom Oliver instantly recognized from the coffee shop, his sharp, extended teeth and nails dripping blood.

"Indeed, you are a nice couple," Flair commented, kicking the body into the river.

Silence lingered as Oliver walked forward, shielding Aaliyah.

'I didn't sense him at all,' Oliver grimaced, heartbeat increasing, adrenaline rushing through his body.

The boat was cramped, only a few meters wide, slowly getting pushed towards the waterfall.

Anything but an ideal place to fight.

"Oh, I should introduce myself," Flair mumbled, turning his body towards them. "My name is Flair Jean Francois, second executive of Lady Ishtar."

He looked up, his smile twisting.

"And your death, Oliver Von Castia of the Highbloods."

"Eye of Horus," Oliver mumbled as soon as he heard his full name.

His pupils flickered golden, the light in his eyes shifting from concern to a flat, dead-eyed stare.

***

***

"Mama, can I jump?" Standing at the edge of the railing, Willis asked, glancing at Olesia.

"No, why do you want to jump!?" Olesia exclaimed, wrapping her hands around his chest and pulling him back.

Christina, with an umbrella in her hand, stood beside them, her vacant expression crumbling as she looked at Olesia, grumbling, "Aren't you taking his childish words too seriously?"

Olesia glanced at her as she replied tiredly, twirling Willis around, "I am just learning a few things... Might help that idiotic woman later on."

"Hmm, what?" Ashlyn, who was standing with them, couldn't help but ask.

Christina glanced at her before turning towards Olesia as she asked, "Should I tell or do you want to hide it?"

Olesia sighed, shaking her head in response, "I would rather not tell anyone about it."

"Is it personal?" Blinking golden eyes, Ashlyn asked, looking at her.

Olesia nodded, making Christina comment, her voice sarcastic, "Is it now?"

She glared at her while placing Willis down as she asked, "Why are you using an umbrella?"

Christina looked up, glancing at the umbrella as she mumbled softly, "...I just hate snow."

Olesia just looked at her quietly, nodding, while Willis once again reached for the railing towards the waterfall.

"Hey, Willis, don't go there," Ashlyn complained, walking behind him.

Left alone, Olesia looked around, observing the twenty or so guards standing on the sides.

Christina glanced at her as she asked softly, "When are you returning to Akasha?"

Olesia sighed, her eyes shifting towards the moon, "When someone is here to take me back."

"You know it's hard given the current situation," Christina commented, looking at the moon as well.

"I don't care," she replied, shrugging as she looked at her, "By the way, about your fiancé."

Christina's ears pricked as she asked, "What about him?"

"His name is Azariah, right?" Olesia asked, and she nodded, "But when you are with us, you always call him—"

"Qais?" Christina interjected, a gentle smile tugging at her lips.

"....Qais," Olesia nodded, repeating the name slowly, "Is that his nickname?"

"Not really," she replied, gently shaking her head, "...As far as I know, no one else calls him that."

"Then why?" Olesia asked, frowning.

"I just like the name," Christina replied, shrugging. "It just suits him quite well."

"I see," Olesia mumbled, nodding as Willis ran back to her, Ashlyn right behind him.

"Mama, can I jump down?" He asked, his eyes pleading for her to say yes.

She pinched his cheeks, stretching them like rubber, "Why do you want to jump, duffer boy?"

"Humph!"

He sulked as he pouted, folding his hands while looking away from her.

"Are you angry?" Ashlyn asked with a smile, patting his head gently.

He simply nodded, not saying a single word to her while glancing at Olesia.

"Hey, Christina," Olesia mumbled, glancing around the place.

"What?" Christina asked back, looking at her.

"Is it just me, or are these guards quite weak?" Olesia commented, glancing at the guards standing around.

"Now that you mention it," Christina mumbled as well, eyeing the guards suspiciously, "They are weak."

Her gaze moved towards the students and Daphne, who were looking around the place.

She recognized Seth and Keegan arguing about something but ignored them.

Her gaze lingered on Ivan for a while before she frowned, "Where is Azariah?"

"I saw him climbing the tower," Ashlyn replied, looking at the tower in the middle.

"What is he doing there?" Her frown deepened as she looked up.

"Are you worri—"

Olesia's sound muted, her lips moving slowly.

Christina stared at Olesia, the world around her slowing down, muscles in her hand twitching.

She felt her blood pounding through her veins, hearing distant scream in her head.

Sparks of blue lightning rushed through her body, her hips twisting, her twitching hand extending towards Olesia.

SWISH!!

A hiss sharp as iron sliced through the air, and slowly in her sparkling fist, the head of a spear appeared.

And as the staff of the spear reached her grip, she clenched it tightly, grabbing it.

"—About...." Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Olesia abruptly shifted her body away from the trajectory of the spear, but her gaze shifted towards Christina, holding it firmly.

Christina jerked her throbbing hand, throwing the spear down as she looked around.

"What was that?" Ashlyn asked, fully alert.

She shoved Willis close to Olesia as a circle formed just above her hand.

A few dressed-in-grey men appeared, started killing the guards without hesitation.

"Students!!"

Daphne yelled, noticing those assailants as well.

BOOM!!!!

A loud explosion echoed at the top of the tower, illuminating the gloom. Ten, fifteen more, at least, were attacking the guards.

"Az!!"

But Christina had her focus fully on the burning tower.