Suddenly Selvara moved.

In a blur of wings and pale eyes she stepped directly between Aiden and Ava. The motion was sharp enough that Aiden’s finger slipped from beneath Ava’s chin; the contact broke with an almost audible snap of tension.

Selvara’s wings flared halfway—trembling with barely-contained possessiveness—before folding tightly against her back. She spun on her heel to face Aiden fully, then threw both arms around his waist in a childish, desperate hug. Her cheek mashed against his chest, arms locking behind his back like she could physically tether him to her.

“You…!” she started—voice muffled against his shirt—then tilted her head up just enough to glare at him, cheeks flushed, pale eyes glittering with pouty indignation. “Baka… stop flirting with her.”

The room went pin-drop silent for half a heartbeat.

Then Ava—still frozen where Aiden had left her—blushed so violently her tail curled into a tight spiral behind her legs. She spun toward Liana for rescue, eyes huge and pleading.

Liana— still cuddling Ethan—caught Ava’s gaze and immediately flashed a huge, mischievous thumbs-up.

*Go for it, girl~*

Ava’s blush somehow deepened to near-crimson; she ducked her head, fingers twisting the hem of her skirt.

Aiden looked down at Selvara—arms still wrapped around him like a koala—and his expression softened into something dangerously fond. He lifted one hand—slow, deliberate—and placed it on the crown of her white head. His fingers threaded gently through her hair, petting her like one might soothe an angry kitten.

“You look so cute when you’re angry, Selva,” he murmured—voice low, warm, edged with that maddening amusement.

Selvara’s ears went scarlet. She buried her face harder against his chest—muffling a tiny, embarrassed growl.

“Baka…”

Aiden’s smirk widened. He leaned down—lips brushing the top of her head.

“I love you too.”

Selvara made a small, wounded noise—half protest, half surrender—and pressed even closer, wings giving a tiny flutter of contentment despite herself.

Mee—still tucked against Ethan’s left side—watched the exchange with wide eyes, then glanced up at Ethan.

“He’s… really good at that,” she whispered.

Ethan snorted—quiet.

“Understatement.”

Liana cackled—loud and unrepentant.

“Selvara’s so whipped~ Look at her! She went from murder eyes to clingy kitten in 0.2 seconds!”

Selvara peeked out from Aiden’s chest—just enough to shoot Liana a death glare.

“Shut up, human.”

Liana stuck out her tongue.

“Make me.”

Aiden chuckled—low, fond—his hand still stroking Selvara’s hair in slow, soothing passes.

“Play nice, both of you.”

Flora—propped on her bed like a wounded queen and sighed dramatically.

“Ugh… Can someone open a window before I choke on all this sweetness?”

Ava—still standing awkwardly in the middle of the room—finally found her voice again. It came out small, trembling, but determined.

“L-Lord Aiden… I… I didn’t mean to cause trouble…”

Aiden glanced over Selvara’s head—still petting her like a cat—and offered Ava that same slow, devastating smile.

“You didn’t,” he said simply. “Selva’s just… protective.”

Selvara huffed against his chest—muffled.

“Damn right I am…”

Aiden’s hand slid down—cupped the back of Selvara’s neck—thumb brushing the sensitive spot just below her hairline.

“And I love her for it.”

Selvara made another tiny, mortified sound—wings fluttering again—and hid her face completely.

Mee cleared her throat—loud enough to cut through the lingering tension like a knife.

All eyes turned to her.

She was still curled against Ethan’s left side, cheeks pink from his earlier ass-squeeze, but her voice came out steady, curious.

“You two wanted to tell something?”

Selvara and Aiden looked at each other—silent communication passing in a single glance—then gently pulled away from each other. Selvara stepped half a pace back, wings folding neatly; Aiden turned fully toward Ethan and Mee, expression calm but serious.

Ethan tilted his head toward them—right hand still resting on his knee, black markings faintly pulsing.

“You know something about these markings, don’t you?”

He lifted the hand—turned it palm-up—watched the jagged tattoos writhe like living shadows.

Liana immediately cupped his marked hand in both of hers—thumbs stroking the dark lines like they were art.

“It looks really cool,” she said—grinning wide. “Don’t worry about it, Onii-chan. Makes you look badass.”

Ethan smiled down at her—soft, fond—then looked back at Selvara.

Selvara took a deep breath—chest rising sharply—wings giving a single nervous flutter.

Everyone in the room went still.

Even Flora—propped on her bed—stopped licking her lip and leaned forward slightly, pink eyes narrowed with genuine curiosity.

Selvara finally spoke—voice low, careful, like she was handling something fragile and dangerous.

“Those markings… they’re not just anything. They belong to someone big. Someone stronger than you can imagine. Someone who has gone down in history as the strongest demon.”

The word **demon** landed like a stone in still water.

Every pair of eyes in the room widened.

Ethan’s breath caught.

“You mean…”

“Yes,” Selvara said quietly. “It belonged to the Demon Lord.”

Silence.

Thick. Heavy. Electric.

Then—

Liana exploded.

She lunged forward—wrapping both arms around Ethan’s head and yanking him face-first into her massive, soft boobs.

“Onii-chan…! I love you more now! Are you like the reincarnation of the Demon Lord?! That’s so fucking cool!”

Ethan’s muffled “Mmph—!” was lost in her cleavage.

Mee’s eyes went comically wide—then narrowed in pure, childish outrage.

“Li-chan…! Stop! He can’t breathe!”

She grabbed Liana’s shoulders—trying to pull her off—but Liana clung tighter, giggling maniacally.

“No way! My brother’s the Demon Lord 2.0! He gets boob privileges!”

Mee’s voice pitched higher—half-jealous, half-panicked.

“Leave him! You busty brother-con!”

Liana growled—still smothering Ethan.

“What did you call me?!”

Both girls started verbally clawing at each other—hands tugging hair, elbows flying—while Ethan flailed weakly between them.

“Girls—!”

“Mine!”

“No, mine!”

“Stop squishing him!”

“He likes it!”

Ava—still standing near Aiden—covered her mouth, eyes huge.

“Um… should we… help…?”

Aiden—watching the chaos with one raised brow—finally sighed.

“Enough.”

His voice wasn’t loud.

But it cut through the noise like a blade.

Liana and Mee froze mid-tug.

Ethan—red-faced and gasping—managed to extricate himself.

He inhaled deeply—chest heaving.

“Do you two want to kill me?”

Liana giggled—unrepentant—then kissed his cheek again.

“Sorry, Onii-chan~”

Mee pouted—crossing her arms under her chest (which only pushed her breasts up higher).

“She started it…”

Selvara suddenly shouted—voice sharp with frustration.

“Will you two shut up?! I’m not done!”

Both girls immediately bowed—apologetic, heads lowered.

“Sorry…”

Ethan rubbed his face—still catching his breath.

“Seriously… do you want me dead?”

Liana giggled softly.

“Just showing love.”

Selvara took another deep breath—wings folding tight.

“Listen,” she said—voice lower now, urgent. “Now that you’ve awakened… the Pale Hands will come after you.”

Mee looked up—eyes trembling.

“Pale Hands…?”

Selvara nodded—grim.

“Hmm… They can use him to bring back the demon lord.”

Ethan flexed his marked hand—watched the tattoos ripple.

“So… they’re coming for me.”

Selvara’s voice dropped to a whisper.

“Yes. Or maybe they already knows.”

Silence fell again—heavier this time.

Flora—still lounging on her bed—whistled low.

“Well… damn. That’s dramatic.”

Liana—suddenly serious—grabbed Ethan’s marked hand in both of hers.

“They’re not touching you,” she said—voice fierce. “I’ll fight them myself if I have to.”

Mee nodded—small but determined.

“Me too.”

Ava stepped forward—tail swaying nervously.

“I… I’ll help too. If you’ll let me.”

Ethan looked around the room—at the girls who’d cried for him, fought for him, loved him even when he turned monstrous.

Then he smiled—soft, real.

“Thanks.”

He lifted his marked hand—flexed it once.

“But if they come…”

The tattoos flared—crimson light flickering like dying embers.

“…I’ll handle it.”

Aiden—still standing near the Selvara—nodded once.

“When they do… call me.”

Ethan met his eyes—nodded back.

“Deal.”

Mee leaned against Ethan’s shoulder—voice quiet.

“We’ll face it together.”

Liana grinned.

“Family road trip! Demon edition!”

Ethan laughed—low, warm—pulling both girls close.

“Yeah… family.”

Flora sighed dramatically—breasts heaving.

“And here I am… still single and stabbed.”

Ethan glanced over—smirk returning.

“You’ll live.”

Flora winked.

“Promise you’ll visit? I need someone to kiss my wounds better~”

Liana hissed.

“Over my dead body!”

Ethan pulled both girls tighter—marked hand resting protectively on Mee’s waist.

“Not happening.”

—

Aiden draped his arm over Selvara’s shoulders, pulling her close with casual possessiveness.

“We need to go now,” he said—voice low, laced with that familiar dark amusement.

“Luna is probably me-deprived by now.”

Flora burst out laughing from her bed—hoarse, delighted, her massive breasts jiggling with the motion.

“Seriously?”

Aiden didn’t even glance at her. He simply turned—Selvara tucked against his side—and walked out of the infirmary. The door clicked shut behind them with a soft, final sound.

The room fell quiet for half a second.

Ava finally took a long, shaky breath and collapsed back onto the stool. Her heart was hammering so hard she could feel it in her throat, in her ears, in the tips of her pointed ears. Her tail curled tightly around the stool leg like it was trying to anchor her to reality.

“Ava…” Ethan called—voice soft, teasing.

She looked up—still flushed, still breathless.

“Good luck,” he said—grinning that boyish, mischievous grin.

Ava’s cheeks burned furiously. She ducked her head, tail giving a nervous flick.

Mee cleared her throat—loud enough to snap the tension.

—

END OF CHAPTER : 288 : THAT IS YOU!

—

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep