Chapter 100: Drunken Aria
Eren sat calmly on the cool grass near the edge of the secluded, crystal-clear lake. Surrounded by towering, quiet trees far away from the noisy capital, the peaceful night air was a remarkably refreshing antidote to a day filled with poison plots, and royal interrogations. The full moon and a scatter of tiny, shimmering stars reflected perfectly off the mirror-like surface of the water, creating a landscape so beautiful it belonged in a painting.
Still, it wasn’t the sanctuary he imagined when the gorgeous villainess kidnapped him.
"Disappointed, Lord Eren?"
Aria’s melodious voice cut through the rustling leaves. Eren turned his head to see his fiancée strolling toward him through the moonlight, holding a bottle of high-grade whiskey. Her usual stiff, high-society posture had visibly softened, giving her an allure.
"Maybe a little," Eren admitted, leaning back on his hands as she approached. "Although... I can’t complain too much. The view out here is undeniably beautiful."
His blue eyes lingered on her face as he said it, making his true meaning crystal clear. But she merely let out a soft huff, unable to find a single reason to be angry at his blatant flirtation.
She sank onto the grass right beside him, smoothing her skirt beneath her before pulling the glass stopper from the bottle. Without bothering with cups, the high-born girl took a direct gulp from the bottle, letting the bitterness burn down her throat.
"This is my secret refuge," Aria murmured, looking at the rippling reflection of the moon. "Years ago... back when I was still stupid and naive... I used to dream about bringing Reinhardt here. I thought we would sit under the stars, talk about our future, and he would comfort me when the pressure of being the perfect fiancé got too heavy."
She let out a harsh, self-deprecating laugh.
"But that mother fucker never gave me the chance, did he? Always too busy chasing saintesses, and playing the heroic martyr."
Eren chuckled as he watched the beauty vent years of pent-up frustration.
Aria took another gulp, her face already rosy flush, making her golden eyes gleam with a hazy light. She held the bottle out toward him. "Here. Drink with me."
Eren shook his head, holding up a hand in refusal. "I’ll pass. I generally refrain from heavy spirits."
Aria pouted, her plush lips forming an adorable scowl as she leaned in closer, the sweet, warm scent of whiskey and luxury perfume wafting off her skin
"Why not?" she demanded, her voice carrying a little playful, alcohol-induced authority. "It is proper noble etiquette to accept when a high-ranking lady offers you a drink! You’re going to have to get used to it eventually... as the Duke, and the official husband of the future Duchess of Reading."
"Husband, is it?"
Aria huffed, waving her manicured hand dismissively. "Whatever..."
Eren looked out across the lake, his blue eyes dimming slightly. "I’ll still pass, though. Thanks. Truth is... alcohol just brings up memories I’d rather not bring out."
Aria paused mid-sip, searching his face. Over the past few weeks, she had become remarkably adept at reading him—she knew his shameless bluffs, his dry sarcasm, and his genuine honesty.
Right now? He wasn’t lying.
She huffed in defeat, pulling the bottle back and taking another long gulp.
A comfortable silence settled between them, broken only by the gentle rustle of leaves and the faint, rhythmic swallowing sounds of the intoxicated Villainess. Slowly, Aria rested her head against Eren’s shoulder.
"Hey, Eren...why did you turn into such a shameless womanizer? Are you just a massive pervert?"
Eren chuckled, resting his arm along the grass behind her. "A pervert? Probably. But a womanizer chasing every skirt in the kingdom? Not quite. I just happen to possess an extraordinary knack for ending up in circumstances with remarkably, beautiful women."
"Riiight..." Aria slurred playfully, turning her face into his coat. "Is that what you call what’s happening with that adorable purple-haired cutie? Violet, wasn’t it?"
"I am strictly providing research and mana-grounding to a classmate in distress."
"Yeah, yeah... whatever you say."
Without warning, the villainess flopped her head directly onto his lap. She stretched out on the cool grass, using his thighs as her personal pillow. Eren looked down at the legendary, cold-hearted Duchess-to-be, now thoroughly plastered and looking ridiculously cute as she pouted up at the night sky.
"I hate you, you know..." Aria whimpered, eyes shimmering with vulnerability. "I hate that you aren’t exclusively mine..."
Eren’s fingers instinctively drift down to lightly thread through her blue hair. "Well... our official contract has plenty of clauses, my lovely fiancée. Once it expires, you are more than free to go find yourself a nice, loyal, single nobleman."
Aria immediately squirmed, turning her body onto her side to bury her face directly into his stomach, her small hands clutching his waist. "No thanks... absolutely not..."
She grumbled against his shirt, her voice muffled and trembling slightly. "How is it fair...? How can you be so maddeningly similar to that bastard Reinhardt? Constantly surrounding yourself with other girls and yet somehow you’re... so ridiculously good to me...?"
Listening to her drunken, heartbreakingly honest inner conflict, Eren let out a soft, quiet sigh and pulled out a small wrapped gift box tied with a ribbon.
"Hey, Aria. Look up for a second. I actually brought something for you."
Aria blinked, slowly pushing herself up on one elbow to look at what he was holding. Curiosity overruling her drunken state, she took the box and clumsily tore off the wrapping paper.
"I noticed you looked a little disappointed back when I brought out those delivery surveillance things in the gift box," Eren explained as he watched her unwrap it. "So... I thought I’d give you a proper, personal gift."
Inside the box lay a handcrafted, metallic device—a custom-engineered, handheld artifact designed to instantly capture and print portraits onto paper.
"I haven’t even pitched that prototype to the Volsver production line yet. As of right now, there are only two in existence. So... congratulations, my fiancée. You are holding a priceless piece of technology."
Aria stared down at the device resting in her hands. The haze in her mind cleared just enough for her to process the thoughtful weight of what he had just handed her. She didn’t care about its value, nor did she care about its revolutionary engineering.
What made her throat tighten was the simple, undeniable fact that this arrogant, unhinged genius had paid close attention to her silent disappointment—and had secretly crafted a masterpiece just to put a genuine smile on her face.
Clutching the metallic frame tightly against her chest, the beauty didn’t utter a single, cheerful ’thank you.’
Instead, she set the device carefully onto the grass beside them and turned back to him and lunged forward, her hands slamming gently against his chest and forcing him backward onto the grass.
[Image of Aria]