When the infirmary door slammed open, the person who walked in was exactly who Vane expected: Mirabelle Robshaw.
The Fourth Pillar's academy heir caught the eye with a brown ponytail falling down her back, poison-green eyes, and a slender frame. She wore a form-fitting, aether-embroidered combat suit specially manufactured by the academy for Pillar Heirs.
She strode straight to Kristina's hospital bed. Just as she swiftly pulled back the white sheet to get a closer look at the wounds, Kristina let out a weak, panicked groan. "Master, n-no, don't."
But it was already too late. The girl's stark naked body was exposed for all to see once again. As Vane turned his head to look out the window as if he couldn't care less, Mirabelle's cheeks instantly flushed red.
At least she has some sense of shame, Vane thought to himself.
Realizing the situation, Kristina reflexively tried to slap Vane across the face again, but Vane caught her wrist mid-air with zero effort.
"Hey, take it easy," Vane muttered, his voice dripping with exhaustion. "Show a little respect to the guy who carried you all the way to the infirmary. Do you have any idea how heavy you were in that state?"
Kristina hissed as she tried to yank her wrist free. "Taking advantage of me like this... That's exactly the kind of move a bastard like you would pull, Vane."
Vane was just about to point out that this was a stupid misunderstanding and that the infirmary staff had stripped her, but Mirabelle—who had been completely ignoring him up until now—cut in.
"I want you to tell me exactly how all of this happened, Kristina. Immediately."
Vane froze at the sound. Mirabelle's voice was as deep, husky, and dominant as a fully grown, burly man's. Faced with this absurd contrast, Vane couldn't hold back.
"Hey," he said, frowning. "Are you a dude?"
An ice-cold silence instantly descended upon the room. All attention snapped to Vane. Mirabelle's eyes twitched. You could practically read the 'Fuck' flashing across her face.
"Ah, hello Vane. I didn't realize you were here," Mirabelle said. She was trying to sound sarcastic with that deep voice, but she was glaringly failing to hide her irritation. "I hope that mutt body of yours didn't sustain any damage."
Vane plastered that obnoxious, wide grin onto his face. "No issues here. But you didn't answer my question. Are you a guy?"
Kristina quickly intervened to diffuse the tension in the room. "Vane, thank you... for bringing me all the way here. Please excuse the trouble I caused you, we'll see each—"
The girl's words were ruthlessly cut off by Mirabelle's deep voice echoing in the room.
"Yes. Do you want me to prove it, Vane?" Mirabelle pointed directly at her own crotch.
Vane couldn't hold back a snicker, which quickly evolved into full-blown laughter. "I'll pass. God only knows what I might find down there."
That sentence was the last straw. Mirabelle's eyes flared, and she condensed her aether. Within seconds, menacing, winged rhinoceros beetles materialized right above her shoulders. Vane reflexively summoned his rusty dagger from the darkness. He was just about to strike the first bug flying at him when Kristina leaped out of the bed, wrapping the sheet around her naked body, and threw herself between them. The buzzing beetles instantly dissolved into mist and vanished.
"Master, please! We can use him," Kristina pleaded.
Mirabelle took a deep breath and gently laid Kristina back onto the bed. Vane took mental note in that exact moment. She values this girl way more than she should. I definitely need to use this to my advantage... even if it means getting close to Kristina. The moment Kristina was back in bed, Vane leaned in uncomfortably close to her and flashed his most handsome, sincere smile. "Kristina, that was completely unnecessary. I could have easily dodged a bug or two."
The girl's cheeks instantly flushed red. The second Mirabelle saw this, she grabbed Vane roughly by the shoulder and shoved him away from her.
"What could that twisted blood of yours possibly do against my insects, Vane?" Mirabelle hissed. "You might have caught Kristina off guard and hurt her, but you don't stand a sliver of a chance against the Pillars."
Vane grabbed the hand squeezing his shoulder with his own. As Vane's fingers tightened like a vice, Mirabelle ground her teeth in momentary pain. She immediately had to condense aether in her hand to repel Vane's grip with an invisible force.
"I never claimed I did," Vane said, perfectly tuning that fake pathetic tone in his voice. "What a bastard like me can do is quite limited, Lady Mirabelle. I'm sure you two have things to discuss privately. Where can I find you to discuss and iron out the details of the plan?"
Mirabelle shrugged, completely dismissing Vane. "Kristina will give you the details—"
CLACK. The infirmary door opened again. The person walking in was the infirmary supervisor, coming to check on Kristina. After taking a quick glance at the girl's condition, the supervisor turned to Mirabelle.
"Lady Mirabelle, Kristina will be cleared to leave the infirmary within a day. As per your request, she is being treated directly with the medical methods applied to the Pillars."
And then it happened. In stark contrast to her deep, dominant voice from moments ago, Mirabelle replied with a soft, polite, and incredibly feminine young girl's voice:
"Thank you. I won't let this favor go unrewarded."
Lysandra's ancient voice whispered in Vane's mind. "There are traces of aether in those soundwaves."
That massive, dark smirk slowly spread across Vane's face. He headed toward the door to leave. Just as he was crossing the threshold, he paused. Passing by Mirabelle, whose face was now a mix of utter embarrassment and fury, he leaned in slightly and whispered:
"Where and when are we talking, LADY MIRABELLE?"