Chapter 28: Going Back
"Why would this place get swarmed?" Freya asked immediately.
One phone call and Xavier was suddenly saying things like this... What exactly had happened? Was it something bad? It had to be.
"Because people can’t mind their own damn business." Xavier answered vaguely as his eyes scanned their surroundings. He then looked back at her, holding out his hand. She gave him her hand and let him place it back on his arm as he added, "I promise I’ll explain everything once we’re out of this place."
Freya sighed, but nodded her head in understanding. She wasn’t sure what exactly was going on, but it was clearly something serious to have Xavier acting like this. She could just demand answers later.
The two quickly made their way to the car, Xavier holding the door open for Freya when they got to the car. Once she was seated, he closed the door before opening the back door to toss the shopping bags inside.
He then got into the driver’s seat, spotting a few beastmen in his rearview mirror as he settled in. They had just missed the damn reporters it seemed from the way those beastmen were rushing over to his car.
"So what exactly is going on?" Freya questioned, also noticing the beastmen through the side mirror.
Were they paparazzi or something? If so, was Xavier some kind of celebrity then? She knew he was a general, guessing that’s where all his money was from, but maybe he was also from a famous family.
And she had just married into such a family...
So much for laying low. Though if she was being truthful, she doubted she’d be able to lay low in this world. She was a rarity here considering the ratio of beastmen to beastwomen. And then there was the whole guide thing.
Bet that added even more trouble.
"Someone posted about us getting married on Star Network so now the entire city basically knows about you." Xavier explained as they drove back to the mansion. "Wilson is doing some damage control, but for safety reasons, it’s best if we head straight back to the mansion."
It didn’t take a genius to figure out that Star Network was some kind of online platform, making Freya tense up at his words. The whole thing had her in a chokehold really.
Was she going to be forced to hide her identity whenever she went out? Could she even go out without being swarmed by paparazzi? This was not the kind of life she imagined for herself.
She wanted a quiet, peaceful life, but now it was flying away with every word. It made her want to cry.
"How... bad is it?" Freya asked, clutching her hands tightly together.
"Wilson’s taken care of most of it, so they don’t know who exactly you are... But it won’t stop the rumors." Xavier pursed his lips. "Everyone’s trying to guess what kind of person you are. And there’s bound to be some negative stuff floating around about your character.... The Snake Clan isn’t really seen in a good light."
"I see..." Freya mused, not sure how to feel anymore.
"We’ll try to deal with it as best as we can, but you should prepare yourself to see some.... strange rumors if you go onto Star Network." Xavier glanced over at her for a second. "Don’t engage with them. It’ll just make things worse."
Freya figured as much. She’d be just adding fuel to the flames by engaging with that. Best to just leave it to Wilson and Xavier. The two seemed to know what they were doing. Much better than her anyway.
Still, she was curious about one thing.
"Why does the Snake Clan have such a bad reputation?" Freya questioned. "Did you do something bad?"
Besides murdering Wanderers because that seemed like it was his job...
"I’ve done many bad things... Didn’t you see me kill those wolf beastmen?" Xavier mused, giving her a knowing look. She returned it with a pointed look and he said, "Seriously though, snake beastmen tend to be... possessive. Especially of their wives and that isn’t taken too well in this world. Not to mention our abilities scare many..."
Well she could understand that. Ethan’s illusion ability scared the hell out of her with how real they were. And she could see why many feared Xavier’s. Especially if they were his enemy.
Of course, his words did make it seem like abilities were clan based. Guess that made more sense than just awakening some random ability. Though there was something else that bothered her.
"You don’t really act possessive." Freya stated. "You let me into your personal space and even went as far as to tell me to have fun looking for other guys."
She was exaggerating a little with that last part, but Xavier seemed to get her meaning as he said, "That’s because we don’t have an actual bond between us. And our relationship is more transactional... Besides, I have more self-control than some of the idiots in my clan."
"I suppose that’s fair..." Freya mused, hoping things would stay that way.
She didn’t need him suddenly becoming possessive...
They soon arrived at the mansion where there were a few strange beastmen lingering around. Xavier let out a hiss of annoyance, but continued driving to the mansion’s garage.
Once the garage door was completely shut closed, he got out of the car as Freya gathered her things. He grabbed the shopping bags before opening her side of the car, holding his left arm out for her to place her hand on.
This was slowly beginning to become a weird habit of theirs, but she supposed it was one way that could make use of her ability without making things get awkward. After all, her part of the deal was making use of her power.
They soon headed inside the mansion through a side door connecting the living room and garage. However, just as they walked inside, someone else appeared from the kitchen, making them both stop in their tracks.