Approaching midnight.
Ray stood before his front door, pressing his ear against the cold door like a thief, holding his breath, listening intently to the sounds within.
The house was terrifyingly quiet.
A dead, suffocating silence.
As if the place was empty, the very air frozen.
But he knew better.
Carlotta and Phrolova were definitely behind that door.
They were waiting for him, waiting for his return.
There was no turning back now.
Paper could never wrap fire; you could run for a moment, but not forever.
Better to stand tall and face the inevitable judgment head-on than cower like a coward!
He took a deep breath and inserted the key into the lock.
The soft click of the turning metal echoed clearly in the silent corridor, like a death knell.
The room was pitch black, even the moonlight blocked by the heavy curtains.
Ray stood in the entryway, his eyes met only by thick darkness. He almost doubted that anyone was inside.
But those two distinct breaths were undeniable one light, one steady, like the rising and falling tide in the dead of night.
"Back?"
A cold voice sounded from within the room.
It was the Second Young Miss's voice.
Ray answered, "I'm back."
"Still remember the way back?"
The words were laced with ice, as if a flintlock pistol was gently pressed against his forehead.
"I thought you'd forgotten I existed, nestled in that jellyfish spirit's arms."
The living room lights flickered on, but they couldn't dispel the gloom in Carlotta's eyes.
Ray didn't answer immediately. He simply placed the takeout bag gently on the coffee table.
The dull thud of the bag meeting the table broke the tense air.
"Actually, Second Young Miss, I have my reasons. At the time, I was in a state of astral projection, completely unable to stop Cantarella's actions. In a way, I'm a victim too."
"You're feeling wronged?" The corner of Carlotta's mouth twitched with anger. "Do you know what that jellyfish spirit did? She sent countless… obscene photos to provoke me, and I could only stand by and watch! I couldn't do a thing about it! I felt like a circus clown!"
"..."
He knew.
Of course, he knew.
Even back when he was with Cartethyia, Ray had felt Cantarella's hands wandering over his body.
Phrolova sat silently on the other end of the sofa, her crossed legs perfectly still.
She kept her hands resting lightly on her knees, seeming indifferent but a fleeting bitterness in her eyes betrayed her true feelings.
Though she was used to this kind of thing, it didn't mean she had no emotions about it at all.
"You've been talking for so long. You must be hungry, right?" Ray tried to change the subject, pushing the still-steaming takeout bags toward the center of the coffee table. "I just bought pizza and pasta. Let's eat first."
Carlotta bit her lip, a dark fire burning in her eyes. "That jellyfish spirit humiliated me all day. Do you understand what that means? If it were anyone else no, not even anyone else! I am the Second Young Miss of the Montelli family, yet I was toyed with by the head of the Fisalia family, my sworn enemy trampling on my dignity!"
"…So, how about trying this seafood pasta?"
"Save it for your jellyfish spirit!"
"But Cantarella doesn't like pizza. She prefers lighter meals."
"You—!"
"But Second Young Miss, I belong to you now."
"You still remember you belong to me?" Carlotta snapped her head around, her sharp gaze falling on the ever-silent Phrolova. "Then what about her? How do you explain this?"
Facing the accusation, Phrolova remained expressionless.
They had spent an entire day in the same room, yet rarely spoke perhaps because most of the firepower had been directed at that faraway head of the Fisalia family.
"I—"
Ray started, but Phrolova calmly cut him off.
The crimson young woman responded gracefully, her fingertip tapping lightly on her knee.
"It's simple. He owes me a favor." The corner of her mouth lifted into a smile. "And my request was to stay here. Is that too much to ask?"
The corner of Carlotta's eye twitched as she struggled to suppress her inner rage, maintaining a veneer of elegance. "Didn't you hear what Ray said? I don't think I need to repeat it. So, I don't agree!"
"What good does your disagreement do?" Phrolova dismissed it with a light laugh. "Ray has already agreed to let me live with him. Besides, as I've said before, you've never been the first."
"You're twisting words!" Carlotta shot to her feet, her skirt sweeping a sharp arc, and even rose slightly on her toes. "If I can't deal with Cantarella, you think I can't deal with you?"
Facing the threat, Phrolova merely tilted her head lazily, responding with a faint smile. "What's this? Is the Montelli family planning to use those unsavory methods to sink me to the bottom of the sea? How terrifying."
"I've never done such a thing, but I wouldn't mind making an exception for you."
The air seemed to freeze into a tangible blade, suspended between them.
Ray stood at the epicenter of the storm, watching the flames he had ignited grow fiercer, completely at a loss for what to do.
In this tense, standoffish moment, the crisp sound of the doorbell suddenly rang, breaking the strained atmosphere.
The three of them looked toward the entrance in unison.
"Who is it?" Ray asked cautiously.
"It's me, Phoebe." The young woman's clear, spring-like voice came from outside the door.
Phoebe?
What was she doing here?
As Ray stood there puzzled, Carlotta's expression visibly darkened.
She walked closer, her fingertip subtly pressing against his waist, the corner of her mouth curling into a cold, humorless smile. "Oh my? So after your tryst with the jellyfish spirit, you still had the energy for a rendezvous with a priestess from the Order of the Deep?"
"Mr. Ray, you're truly a master of time management. No wonder your Resonance ability has to do with time."
"Hiss—" Ray sucked in a sharp breath, twisting to avoid her wandering hand. "Second Young Miss, you've got it wrong this time! There's nothing between Phoebe and me!"
Phrolova lazily propped her chin on her hand, her tone meaningful. "Oh? Then why were you two sleeping together last time?"
"How do you know about that?!" Ray turned in shock, only to meet Carlotta's icy glare.
"Truly astonishing, Cat's Eye."
Carlotta gently stroked her cheek, her voice as sweet as poisoned honey.
"Why don't you just tell me how many more sisters like this there are? That way, I can pay them a visit someday and get to know them personally."