Lewd System: Every Scream and Moan is EXP

Chapter 271: Chapter 271 :The New Boss

Astrid said. "It’s fine. Go and do as you wish."

She folded her arms.

"And don’t you dare look at me with those guilty eyes. I am not someone who will throw a tantrum and get in your way."

Jax looked at her in shock because her words did not match her face at all and not to mention she had always been the one to show tantrums and stupidest things and right now it was about a precious moment. Thus it made no sense.

Her arms were folded but her lips were slightly quivering. Her tone was steady but her ears were red. He wanted to say the word tsundere so badly that it physically hurt him to hold it in.

She made a disgusted face and said. "So go on. Show some heroics. And ultimately win the hearts of even more ladies."

She raised a finger. "But remember this. If one more woman joins the competition, before I destroy her, I’m coming for you first."

She wasn’t done. "Also, don’t think this is over. The date was interrupted. So you owe me one. And you will show up again when I tell you to."

Jax was internally questioning every life decision that had led him to this exact moment. It hadn’t even been an hour since their confession and she was already ordering him around like she owned his schedule, his time, and possibly his internal organs.

He thought. ’I finally feel it. I understand what men mean when they call their lady the boss. And for me it’s even worse. Mine was already bossy to begin with. I can see my future clearly now and it looks more tragic than one of those daytime soap operas.’

But he didn’t try to assert dominance over whatever this relationship was. He also didn’t want to give her an easy win. So he said. "By the way, you just said you wanted to start over with a date. ’A date’. So you’re admitting that—"

Astrid clenched her fist. "You heard it all wrong. I don’t remember mentioning any such word."

Jax scratched his nose. "But I’m pretty sure you said it. As it is. Not just now but before too. When we were inside the—"

A sword materialized in her hand. Created from purple mana in less than a second. She pointed it directly at his face.

"Don’t you dare say another word. Or I will throw you back to your pathetic world this instant."

She saw the mischief spreading across his face. As if he had already won this exchange. So she added quickly. "I would have fumbled some words because of the vulnerable state I was in."

Jax said casually. "And people often speak the truth in vulnerable states. Or rather, their emotions do it for them. So—"

She was hissing. Staring at the ground. The sword trembling in her grip from pure anger. And before she could swing it at anything, a hand landed on top of her head.

Jax patted her. Like a dog.

Her anger instantly shifted to panic. The sword dematerialized. Her face went through three shades of red in two seconds. She said. "Professor, what do you think you’re doing?! I am not a kid—"

Jax cut in. "Your strategic debrief really made my day. I feel lighter now."

Astrid recalled what he had said earlier. About how teasing her made him happy. How being around her quieted the machinery in his head. But then realization crashed through the warmth like a brick through a window.

She said. "Hey. You moron. You still see me as an object, don’t you? First I thought I was a weapon to you. But no. I was just entertainment, wasn’t I?"

She was pouting. Full pout. The kind that could disarm armies or at least confuse them.

Jax laughed and patted her head faster. "There There. It really took you this long to figure that out."

She was angry. But deep down she knew she had become someone who couldn’t live without those teasing and insults anymore. They had become her air supply and she hated it.

So she just changed the topic with a face that clearly wanted to share some good news. "On mention of weapons, Professor. I have good news."

She straightened up.

"You see, my father has been acting weird lately. Spouting nonsense. Maybe he’s getting old. But the thing is, last night he came to my room and handed over the command of the Order of the Silver Vanguard to me. Like every single one of them is now under my control. They will obey whatever I say."

She paused. "It’s a great gain looking at things now for our future fights. But I still don’t get why he did it."

She cleared her throat and dramatically mimicked her father’s voice and posture. "Ashy, whatever happens don’t forget you have your dad by your side. And he will do anything for you and your happiness. He will make sure you never feel powerless or anything. So don’t think twice before making any move and leave the consequences to him. He will go against the whole world for you. Even if it’s infatuation for any boy."

She dropped the impersonation. "Then Father spent a whole hour teaching me some theories about love. Which I was bored of within the first minute. And after that he gave me control of our strongest army and said, do whatever you want with them. Wage a war or spend their days searching for a lost kitten."

Jax said. "Totally weird. I mean not your father but his actions."

He thought to himself how foolish it was to hand a chaotic fool a power that could harm the world more than the champions ever could.

Astrid looked concerned about her dad for a moment. Then smiled and said. "So don’t worry. Kick their asses of whoever stands in your way even if it’s the Vampire King or the Dragon King because I got your back."

She showed her biceps. Cutely. As if flexing a pair of noodles was supposed to intimidate the world.

Jax smiled. Reached over and pinched both her cheeks. "I need to go now. And you better not cause trouble with your destructive mindset or your army."

She wanted to repay him with a punch but he was already walking off. And when he was gone, Astrid’s hand hovered over her red cheeks where he had pinched. She murmured slowly to herself.

"You think I compromised? Hehe. I won again. I was already running low on time for the date anyway. And now I have a whole day in front of me where I can schedule our time better. And after those confessions it will be much clearer now what I should do. "

She tapped her chin.

"He’s probably thinking I’d be cursing Professor Roxana right now. But instead, that woemn is the greatest clueless wingman I could ask for. Fine. I’ll lower her punishment if she dares to lure Jax in."

Astrid was once again lost in her own world. Planning. Scheming. Grinning with a beetroot face at scenarios only she could see.

And she had no idea that she had been monitored from the very beginning.

Claude Aleris had been there the entire time. He had watched both of them from the start until this very moment. Her grin. Her blush. Her anger. Her tears. Everything.

He had witnessed them from a distance during the café. A lovely and wholesome time if you removed the fighting part. However he didn’t know what they were talking about as Astrid had ordered sound barrier runes placed around the area beforehand. And Claude had respected her wish. He didn’t go dirty and try to sneak his way in.

But still, he was there. Watching two people confess. Watching them break. Watching them sob. And finally watching them hug in a way that felt genuine and filled with emotions he hadn’t seen on his daughter’s face since she was a child.

Everything was going smoothly in his heart until his name got dragged on.

His mind was still revolving around the words from his daughter’s lips during the mimicry. He was being called a weirdo. An old man. For his so called foolish moves. And he now realized he had wasted an entire hour giving her a speech about love that she was bored of in under sixty seconds.

He looked at the sky.

"Ariana, you see that? That’s what I got when I swore my life and dedicated everything so that our daughter doesn’t have to face an ending like ours."

His voice was quiet. Meant for no one alive.

"But what did I get in return? Betrayal. Some bastard took my daughter away from me. And that daughter is calling me names that are hurting my very soul."

He paused. "And I know you would be enjoying every second of this from up there."

Then he smiled. Still looking at the sky.

"But Ariana, she is happy. And that’s all I ever wanted. That’s all you would be praying for."

His smile softened. "And about that boy... I think our Ashy is in the right hands. And I don’t know why but both him and Ashy remind me of us."

Tears started forming in his eyes. And he realized that his eyes hadn’t forgotten how to leak even after more than eighteen years.

-x-X-x-

[A/N: Thanks to Littleboy18794, Ordici_T, tony_adams_4787, and Eric_Chow_0264 for the golden tickets (づ*ᴗ͈ˬᴗ͈)づ♡ And also sorry for not mentioning the names yesterday as I completely forgot, but I am always lurking and seeing each of the interactions.]