Chapter 578: All Is Fair In Love And War [Part 1]
Chapter 578: All Is Fair In Love And War [Part 1]
For dinner, Ethan went to the Dining Hall in order to fulfill his promise to meet Lyall after eating.
Just like last time, Lily's sister dined at Jaeger Manor's table, but something unexpected caught his eye.
Chloe and Lyall were seated together, and they seemed to be getting along really well.
Lily even seemed relieved, probably because her sister had finally calmed down. But she had a feeling that this was merely the calm before the storm.
Her eyes met Ethan's, and the two exchanged bitter smiles with each other.
Both understood that the sooner Ethan and Lyall had a proper talk, the better.
"So, what do you plan on doing later?" Luna asked.
"Lyall and I don't speak the same language," Ethan replied with a sigh. "When I say no, what she hears is yes."
Lilian, who was seated beside Ethan, giggled as she passed him a plate of food she prepared for him.
"Then you should learn how to speak her language," Lilian commented. "But I have to admit that her popularity with the boys in the academy is well-deserved. How does she maintain that sexy figure? I feel jealous of her."
Luna and Lilian were both nobles, so their bodies were soft and delicate.
On the contrary, Lyall's figure was lean and toned, similar to Nicole and, to a certain extent, Lily.
Even Ethan had to agree that with Emma out of the competition, Lyall would win when it came to sexiness since she was as fit as a fiddle.
Her body was curvaceous as well. Even when fully clothed, her seductive beauty made the boys fantasize about her.
"Should I exercise too?" Luna asked. "I think I'm gaining some weight as of late."
"How about we jog together?" Lilian proposed. "If the two of us encourage each other, I'm sure we will become consistent."
Ethan smiled at this light banter between his lovers.
The two of them really got along well, and sometimes, Lilian would sleep in Luna's room so that they could have some girl talk.
Selene, Luna's Carbuncle, and Lilian's Familiar, Aria, had also become very good friends with each other.
The little Water Fairy would often ride on Selene's back as the latter ran across the academy, eliciting giggles from the little Fairy.
Ethan reverted his focus on eating his meal, not wanting to face Lyall with an empty stomach.
An hour later, the two of them left the Dining Hall together and walked side by side.
Lyall didn't say anything and simply followed wherever Ethan went.
No words were exchanged between them because both understood that there was only one language they could use to communicate properly.
It didn't take long before the Coliseum entered their sight. This was also when Lyall broke the silence and spoke to the young man beside her.
"When we first heard that Lily had chosen a mate while she was in the past, our whole family felt the strong urge to murder someone," Lyall said with a smile on her face.
"We thought that someone had taken advantage of our family member's vulnerability while she was far away from home with no one who could protect her. So, when my father wanted to know what kind of man she chose, my brother and I volunteered to go."
Lyall reminisced about that time several months ago.
Truth be told, she had wanted to kill Ethan back then, thinking that Lily's Mate had forced himself on her.
At that time, Ethan was still weak.
Terribly weak.
Even so, he still fought against her brother, Conall, with everything he had.
It was then that she developed an interest in Ethan. He might've been weak, but she saw in him something that made her want to see how much he would grow in the future.
"I thought that you would only become really strong after you graduated from the academy," Lyall added. "But, when we accompanied Mama Leah here to the academy, I noticed that you had gotten a bit stronger.
"Your fight against her proved that my hunch was right. Perhaps, that was also when I came to understand that I needed to take your existence seriously. Aside from my Father and my family members, I haven't really met anyone whom I consider strong by my standards.
"Of course, I have seen plenty of strong people. However, most of them were in the same age range as my father. As for the rest, only old people remained. Professor Rinehart, Professor Barret, and that Grand Archmage—they are old people, so it's only normal for them to be strong, right?
"If after reaching that age, they are still weak, that only means that they weren't individuals who were dated to be strong. In this world, only the strong can have anything they want. The weak can only follow their lead. Such is the way of the Beastkins."
Ethan listened to Lyall's words because this was the first time that she was opening herself to him.
Her words were raw and full of emotion. It gave him a glimpse of the true Lyall, and it was very different from the playful and very possessive version of her that he knew about.
"I decided long ago that if I were ever to choose a Mate, it would be someone stronger than me," Lyall said as she and Ethan entered the entrance of the Coliseum. "Even now, that goal hasn't changed. After all, I'm not an ordinary girl.
"I am strong, I am beautiful, I am a unique individual. Only my future Mate will be able to possess someone like me, and I will only give myself to him. I wouldn't be surprised if my interest in you disappeared once you were ever defeated by someone.
"That will mean that there is someone stronger than you, and that would mean that I might choose that person as my next target. I don't really know much about love, but I grew up knowing what the law of the strongest was. So, Ethan, let's fight."
Lyall placed her hands over his waist as she looked at the young man who was standing opposite her in the arena.
"Let's fight a no-holds-barred battle," Lyall stated. "I don't care if you use your Domain, or whatever. I will fight you with everything I have. But let's put something on the line to make this interesting. What are you willing to bet?"
Since it had come down to a fight, the young lady decided to go all out. That way, she wouldn't have any regrets in the future regardless of the outcome of their battle.