Within the vast structure of the building, in another isolated section of the enormous complex, inside a quiet apartment imbued with a warm ambience, Aura, Charles, and Bills could be seen seated comfortably within the living room as they conversed among themselves. The atmosphere was relaxed yet lively, the kind of calm only friends who had known one another for a long time could effortlessly share.

"So, what do you think of him? You even called him special," Charles asked, leaning back with a casual air, his curious gaze fixed on Aura, who was seated across from him with her usual serene composure. Aura's calm blue eyes shifted from Akira, who was curled up and sleeping in her arms due to a food‑induced coma, towards Charles. "I don't really think anything," she replied flatly. "I've only just met him."

Charles raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "You don't have an opinion, yet you call him special? Tsk," he clicked his tongue lightly. "You're just avoiding the topic. You don't want to tell us anything," he said as he sank deeper into the cushions, resting his back against the couch with exaggerated nonchalance.

"That wasn't an opinion," Aura answered as she gently shook her head. "It's merely a fact, nothing more, nothing less."

Charles simply shook his head again, clearly refusing to believe Aura's words. "I'm sure you like him," he declared boldly. "Even Akira does. I'm positive she'd say the same thing I'm saying right now." His tone carried the playful enthusiasm of a man who believed he had discovered a delightful secret and was eager to tease it out.

Aura smiled faintly at his words as she responded, "Akira would say anything for food." Her eyes softened as she glanced at the small creature nestled in her arms, already imagining the chaotic statements Akira would produce upon waking. "And no," she continued calmly, "contrary to whatever fantasy you're spinning, I don't like him in the sense you imagine. Besides, Anthony already has a girlfriend." As she spoke, she absent‑mindedly stroked Akira's soft black fur.

"Maybe Anthony is the type who's open to a harem," Charles replied with a sly grin. "You won't know until you ask. You're a bold woman anyway."

Aura exhaled through her nose, unimpressed. "You do know I'm of the opinion that a man can only truly love one woman, right? All that harem nonsense is just an excuse for men who want to cheat while pretending it's part of some romantic ideal." Aura still could not fathom how people convinced themselves such an arrangement could coexist with genuine love. In her mind, it was simply impossible to love every woman in a harem equally, someone would always be neglected.

"You wouldn't know until you've tried it," Charles said with a shrug, clearly unbothered by her firm stance.

Aura sighed again. She knew from experience that regardless of what she said, Charles would continue his attempts at matchmaking. Around strangers or unfamiliar faces, Charles was nearly silent, barely engaging in conversation, but the moment he was around people he trusted, he became a chatterbox, relentless in teasing and commentary.

"You can stop playing matchmaker now, Charles," Bills finally said, his voice emerging after what felt like an eternity of silence. "Just because you matched two people and they ended up married for over a century doesn't suddenly make you some relationship expert."

Charles turned to Bills, their dark eyes meeting mid‑air. His mouth curved into a familiar sly smirk. "Bills, you're so predictable. You think I didn't notice you refused to talk to Anthony and his team simply because he and Aura were talking like they'd known each other forever?"

Bills immediately frowned. Yes, he loved Aura, it was no secret. He was confident, handsome, and undeniably talented, and he had confessed those feelings honestly. Aura, however, did not share the same sentiment, and he accepted that. Even after her rejection, he did not hide or avoid her, nor did he pester her. He behaved as he always had, ensuring their friendship remained unshaken and their interactions natural.

His mind briefly drifted to a certain man from his past. 'I will kill him,' he thought coldly. A sharp killing intent flashed through him before vanishing almost instantly.

"I'm not that petty, Charles. Don't attach lies to my name," Bills replied firmly.

"Then why didn't you greet them?" Charles countered smoothly. "It was a perfect opportunity to form a connection with someone that talented… or should I say, 'the protagonist,' as he likes to call himself." Charles crossed his arms, waiting expectantly for an answer.

"Was I spoken to and I didn't reply?" Bills shot back with a sharp gaze. "You don't expect me to kiss his feet or bow before him, do you? Besides, why do you even want this connection? You have the Spirit King behind you. Isn't that enough?"

Charles sighed loudly. "You're hopeless."

"You're the hopeless one," Bills retorted immediately. "In two hundred years, you've had only one successful match. If matchmaking were your profession, you'd have either starved to death or been killed by a furious client for being a scammer who duped people of their money." He clicked his tongue in dismissal.

Aura leaned back with a soft smile as she observed their back‑and‑forth banter. They were always like this, two people who fought more with words than most warriors did with swords, and she loved watching it. She was not a social butterfly; her days were filled with training, reading, and taking care of Akira, though Akira typically only played when she wanted, not when Aura wished to.

Although she had known Bills for years and was genuinely surprised when he confessed his feelings, she could not accept them. She believed the affection was one‑sided. Yet even after the rejection, to her surprise, their relationship remained unchanged. There was no awkwardness, no distance, just the same dependable friendship as always.

With a soft chuckle, she rose from her seat, leaving Charles and Bills to transition, yet again, to a completely different argument. Their topics changed every minute like an uncontrollable river of nonsense. Walking to one side of the living room, she waved her hand gently, summoning a table with a laptop atop it along with a sleek chair.

Pulling the chair out, she settled gracefully into it and booted up the laptop. Her pointer hovered over the two primary apps she always used: Webnovel and Discord.

Clicking on Webnovel, she quickly immersed herself in a story, her focus drowning out Charles and Bills' lively squabble. Despite Webnovel being a pay‑to‑read platform, she was wealthy, money had never been a concern.

Her moment of immersion shattered when Charles' voice echoed behind her. "You're practically the only person I know who still carries a laptop around."

Aura turned toward him, shook her head, and returned to reading, not bothering to explain her fondness for books and physical devices.

"Aren't you supposed to be reading female‑lead romances like the rest of the women on that app?" Charles continued dramatically. "You're practically a woman reading in a man's field."

"It's not like you're the one paying for her books. Leave her alone, Charles," Bills called out dryly from his seat.

"Of course you'd take her side," Charles muttered, rolling his eyes.

Aura, tired of the disturbance, snapped her fingers. Space bent under her command. The distance between her and Charles stretched, pushing him backward while pulling her farther away. A spatial dome formed around her, blocking sound and distractions completely. Without hesitation, she dove back into her book.

After finishing the lastest chapter, she sent the author a Super Gift. Then she switched to Discord, opening her chat with the author and typing a message.

{You: Sent a Spacecraft, need my five bonus chapters}

{Author: Can't you at least send it for free?}

{You: I worked for the money. If you need it, work for it too.}

She added several laughing emojis, amused, as always, by the author's eternal and shameless request about wanting Super Gifts but hating the effort that came with acquiring them. With their conversation done, she closed her laptop, returned it to her space ring, and dispelled the barrier she erected earlier, the voice of Charles and Bills echoing through the living room restored at last.

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