Akashic Records of the Bastard Child Engaged to a Goddess

Lumiere & Lucretia Arc.

---

(POV: Lumiere)

"Hello there."

How exactly was I going to respond to her greetings.

"Hey," I said. Jeez, that's already a flop.

With a gentle smile, Lilith walked towards me. "Are you ready to head to the venue?" she asked.

Eagerly, I nodded in agreement. "Sounds good," I added.

We strolled down the lively night streets, illuminated by the vibrant glow of hanging lights, and then out of nowhere I wondered aloud.

"Why didn't you just wait for me at the venue? I could've flown there and met you, and then we'd have entered together."

While that was an important question, I only asked it was a little too quiet between us.

Lilith was a well mature woman, and as such was reserved.

It was likely that if I didn't start a discussion with her, then we'd be silent until we arrived at the venue.

Lilith chuckled softly, veiling a hint of exhaustion in her response.

"That would've been an excellent choice, but you see, if I'd waited there alone, a lot of men would have assumed I didn't have a date and swarmed around me."

Her sigh carried a tinge of sadness and exasperation.

"I couldn't bear the thought of going through that all over again."

All over again? Which meant it wasn't the first time she was surrounded by a little too much men. However, given how attract a lady Lilith was, plus her surprisingly dirty side, which man couldn't she attract?

"Well," I smiled. "At least we're here together so I don't think it'll be a bother."

The streets at night appeared peaceful despite the ongoing closing ceremony of the Snowworks Festival. Still, my guess was that the peaceful atmosphere was limited to this particular area of Argentia. Seeing as it's the last day of the festival, you'd expect there to be a bustling event with numerous people enjoying themselves.

Then again... the venue for the closing ceremony was located in this part of Argentia, it's unlikely that anyone would disrupt the festivities by causing a disturbance in this area.

Just as I was about to take in the enchanting atmosphere of the Snowworks Festival's closing day, Lilith's voice chimed in, calling my name.

"Lumiere?"

Perplexed, I turned towards her, curious. "Yeah, what's up?"

A pang of surprise laced her words as she expressed her astonishment. "It's a bit surprising, Lumiere... I didn't realize you weren't the gentleman I thought you were."

My confusion deepened, leaving me utterly bewildered. "Wait, what'd you mean?"

With a delicate hand resting against her cheek, Lilith let out a heavy sigh, her expression tinged with sadness and disappointment.

But it was obvious she was acting.

"Even after seeing me dressed in such an elegant attire, you didn't even attempt to compliment me or acknowledge how beautiful I look."

Wait a minute... I didn't?!

I was absolutely shocked, it was usually one of the first things I said when I met a woman dressed like this. And to be honest, Lilith looked absolutely hot.

Her mature body— slender yet curvaceous, matched with her seductive smile and slightly honey sweet voice combined to form the ultimate feminine appearance.

And... I missed it?

I immediately let out a heavy sigh, the heaviest I could muster.

"I swear, I honestly forgot..."

I cleared my throat and smiled at her.

"If I'm being honest, you're looking absolutely ravishing tonight.."

Her gaze slid to the side, a flicker of disappointment evident in her eyes as she murmured, "It doesn't matter now."

Desperately wanting to make amends, I reached out to her, my.

"No, Lilith, I truly mean it. You look absolutely beautiful."

An exhausted yawn escaped her lips, followed by a softly spoken remark, laced with bitterness. "That's such a bland compliment, Lumiere. It sounds so insincere."

Shock coursed through my veins, and I couldn't help but exclaim, "What?! I meant every word." In order to regain the composure I'd lost, I cleared my throat and told her, "You really do look beautiful."

I could tell she was enjoying acting this out. There was no way something as trivial as a comment I forgot to give her on her attire would make her act this way.

She continued, faking an intense sadness in her eyes accompanied by her sarcastic tone.

"Oh, so maybe next you'll call me a fat pig or an ugly buffalo?"

She seemed to relish in making things harder, enjoying every moment of my struggle.

Frustration knotted in my chest, and I protested, "That's not fair, Lilith. On any normal day, I'd have made it the first thing I said."

A pained smile danced on her lips as she retorted, "Exactly, and yet, you failed to do that today." She dramatically placed a hand on her chest and then forced a moan of pain as she added, "It implies that I didn't look beautiful enough to remind you."

My confusion grew, and I found myself scratching my head, ruffling my braided hair several times. "This is crazy!" I exclaimed, feeling utterly at a loss.

Lilith chuckled, finding amusement in my frustration, and waved off the tension, as if dismissing our previous conversation as if it were a mere jest.

"It's fine, Lumiere. We're already here. Let's just forget about it."

Her nonchalant attitude stung, my heart aching with the realization that she had indeed reveled in taunting me.

We must've been arguing for so long that I'd forgotten we were even heading to an event. I recall as walking, but we did so much talking that I'd almost forgotten the main purpose of us coming here to begin with.

As we stood before the grand and imposing building, I recognized it instantly, a realization dawning upon me.

I turned to Lilith. "Isn't this the...?"

Lilith nodded, a soft smile gracing her lips as she confirmed, "Yes, it's the Efistes Company. This is the venue for the closing ceremony."

I knew Lucretiaʼs family were going to be the ones hosting the event. What I didn't know, however, was that it'd be at the company. But come to think of it, this might just be the right time for me to ask her about her being an Integrator.

It was likely she didn't know what the name meant, and maybe she believed those dreams were some sort of blessings from a god. If All-Father hadn't explained it to me, it's likely I'd have felt the same way.

We stepped into the grand entrance of the Efistes Company, the doors opening before us to reveal the people at the entrance. They were no ordinary guards but knights, proud members of the esteemed Blue Guards. Adorned in regal blue and gold armor, they stood tall, their swords ready by their sides.

We approached the knights and they bowed their heads in a respectful greeting.

One of the knights, a stern-looking man stepped forward.

"Your invitation," he asked.

Lilith produced a small wooden card, its surface etched with a special emblem that denoted her status. With a nod of approval, the knight motioned for us to proceed.

But as I was about to follow Lilith, another knight stood in my path, blocking my way.

Perplexed, I asked him, "What's the problem now?"

If only these guys knew they owed me a great debt for getting their captain out of trouble.

Jeez...

The knight's voice was firm. "No entry without an invitation..."

Before I could respond, Lilith intervened. "He's my plus one for the night."

Without hesitation, the knight stepped aside and bowed his head, apologizing for the inconvenience.

I sighed, slightly irritated, but chose to brush it off, muttering a dismissive "whatever" in response.

With that, I followed Lilith into the Efistes Company, leaving behind the bemused knight.

The interior of the company was a vision of opulence. A dazzling buffet spread out before us, adorned with delectable dishes that seemed to beckon with their tantalizing aromas. Noble guests mingled around, engaged in animated conversations, their elegant attire adding to the splendor of the scene.

And the easily noticeable presence of ornate wine barrels and bottles, which was surely filled with the finest and most expensive selections, enticing guests to partake in their aged and exquisite flavors.

"This place looks a little too fancy, don't you think, Lilith?"

She turned towards me and smiled. "Of course it is," she replied, "Do you think nobles would settle for anything less?"

I nodded, conceding her point. "Yeah, that makes sense."

Lilith then turned to me. "Wait here for a bit, I need to greet a few people."

"Sure." I nodded.

She left.

It made sense for the most part. Events like these was also a chance to build business connections and get to know specific nobles better.

"I guess I'll go eat..." I said.

"Lumiere?" I heard a voice call my name. It was a very familiar one.

Too familiar...

I instantly turned, and the person I saw caught me off guard.

It was Genny...

What was she doing here...?