Chapter 85: What just happened…?
Noah noticed how Emily was suffocating. Her face had turned a pale shade of white, and her chest was heaving as she struggled to draw in even a single breath of air.
The realization hit him like a blow, and he quickly retracted the mana pressure that had been subconsciously oozing out of him.
He had been so consumed by his cold rage toward the count’s son and his lackeys that he hadn’t realized his power was leaking into the room, turning the very atmosphere into a crushing weight.
Noah was now a mid Master Magus, a rank that placed him leagues above the average magus. Emily, on the other hand, was only an Adept Magus.
In the hierarchy of magical power, the gap between an Adept and a Master was like the distance between a flickering candle and a raging forest fire.
Even a little of his mana pressure was enough to suffocate her. For an Adept like Emily, the sheer density of a Master’s presence felt like being submerged in deep, icy water or having a mountain pressed against her lungs.
It was enough to make her extremely uncomfortable, bordering on physical trauma, as her own mana veins recoiled in fear of the superior energy radiating from Noah.
The moment he retracted the pressure, Emily exhaled.
The invisible weight that had been pinning her to the floor vanished instantly, and she felt like the sharp blade that had been pressing against her neck suddenly vanished as well.
Her knees buckled, and she began to tilt forward toward the hard floor. Noah reacted with the superhuman speed afforded by his new stats and quickly caught her in his arms.
He held her firmly, his hands supporting her shoulders and back to ensure she didn’t hit the ground.
"Are you... okay?" Noah asked, his voice filled with a sudden, sharp concern.
Emily nodded weakly, her head resting against his shoulder for a brief moment as she tried to stop her vision from swimming.
"Yes..." she whispered, her voice shaky and thin. "I just felt a bit lightheaded... I don’t know what happened, the air just felt so heavy for a second."
Noah’s eyes narrowed slightly as he looked down at her. He couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty that he had unintentionally used his mana pressure on her.
He had lived so long as a "talentless" boy that he was still adjusting to the fact that not controlling his emotions now had physical consequences on the world around him.
He hadn’t meant to hurt her, yet his thirst for vengeance had nearly caused her to faint.
He couldn’t even explain the true cause of her discomfort, knowing it would lead to too many questions he wasn’t ready to answer.
He only said, "You just need to rest... a bit... You probably pushed yourself too hard trying to find this place."
Emily placed a hand on his chest to steady herself. As she regained her balance, she slowly looked up at his face, her gaze traveling from his sturdy jaw to his piercing blue eyes.
Being this close to him, she could smell the faint sweet scent that seemed to cling to his skin.
She blushed heavily, catching sight of his extremely handsome face again.
Up close, the refinement of his features was even more apparent, and the protective way he was holding her made her heart race for an entirely different reason than the mana pressure.
She gulped, her throat feeling dry as she looked into his eyes. She nodded quickly, her hand still resting against the firm muscle of his chest.
"Yeah..." she managed to say, her voice barely a squeak.
Noah then moved her toward the only sofa in the sitting room. It was an old, tattered piece of furniture with faded fabric, but it was the most comfortable spot in the house.
He guided her carefully, making sure she didn’t trip, and placed her down on the cushions. Once he was sure she was settled, he sat down beside her, his presence providing a strange sense of security that Emily couldn’t quite put into words.
He sat there in silence for a moment, watching over her.
Emily looked at him from the corner of her eye, still feeling the lingering warmth of where he had touched her.
She wanted to ask him more about his suspension and the "three idiots," but the way he was looking at her made her forget the words.
The sitting room remained quiet, the orange light of the setting sun casting long shadows across the cracked walls, as the two of them sat together in a house that felt far too small to contain the power Noah now possessed.
Noah’s mind drifted back to Kael, wondering if the little dragon was still resting or if he was trying to listen through the door.
He knew he had to be careful; having a Master Magus rank was one thing, but harboring an Ancient Dark Dragon was another matter entirely.
If the Magus Order or the Order Force found out, his life—and Emily’s—would be in far more danger than any school suspension could ever cause.
He glanced at Emily again, seeing that her breathing had finally returned to normal.
Despite the cracks in the walls and the drooping ceiling, the house felt a little more like a home with her there.
But the cold fire of revenge still simmered beneath his skin, reminding him that the "peak" he had reached was only the beginning.
He would protect this peace, and he would make sure that those who tried to bury him would never have the chance to try again.
He shifted slightly on the sofa, his shoulder brushing against hers.
The air between them remained silent and awkward for a long while.
The only sound in the sitting room was the faint creaking of the old floorboards and the distant whistle of the wind against the cracked windowpanes.
Noah sat stiffly on the tattered sofa, his gaze fixed on his own knees, while Emily fidgeted with the hem of her skirt.
The tension wasn’t the crushing weight of mana this time, but a thick, stifling atmosphere of unspoken words and shared history that made every second feel like an hour.
Emily slowly leaned over and rested her head on Noah’s shoulder.
The movement was hesitant at first, but she settled against him, her soft hair brushing against his neck.
Noah felt his heart skip a beat as she did so. The sudden physical intimacy sent a jolt through his chest that was more jarring than any surge of mana he had experienced that day.
He froze, his muscles tensing instinctively, though he didn’t pull away. He could feel the warmth of her body through his shirt, a stark contrast to the cold, analytical mindset he usually maintained.
The girl muttered in a low, trembling voice, "Noah... are you sure you’re okay?"
Noah took a deep breath, trying to steady the frantic rhythm of his heart.
"Yeah," he said, his voice sounding slightly strained even to his own ears. "You’re simply worrying too much, Emily. I’ve told you, I can handle those three."
Emily’s eyes narrowed slightly at his dismissive tone.
She didn’t lift her head from his shoulder, but her brow furrowed in a deep, hidden frustration.
’I don’t think worrying about you getting buried alive is too much...’ she thought.
Noah turned his head toward her, intending to offer another word of reassurance. At that exact moment, Emily turned her head to look up at him also.
The sudden movement caused their gazes to meet at point-blank range.
The two of them froze, their faces only inches apart.
Both of their cheeks were bright red in embarrassment, the crimson hue spreading rapidly across their features.
They kept breathing slightly heavily, the air between them turning electric as they simply started at each other’s faces.
Noah found himself lost in the depths of her eyes, while Emily couldn’t look away from the sharp, handsome lines of his face that seemed so much more defined than before.
Their faces kept coming closer without both of them realizing it.
It was as if an invisible force was pulling them together, a magnetic attraction that bypassed their logic and reason.
The world around them—the cracked walls, the drooping ceiling, and even the threat of the count’s son—faded into a blur of insignificance.
They moved in slow, agonizing increments until they could feel their breaths brushing against each other’s faces.
As their lips were about to touch, the realization of what was happening finally crashed over Emily.
She suddenly gasped, the sound sharp and jarring in the quiet room, and stood up abruptly.
The sudden movement startled Noah, who blinked and recoiled slightly, the spell of the moment shattered.
Emily’s face was now a deep, burning scarlet, and she looked like she wanted the floor to open up and swallow her whole.
She stuttered and couldn’t even face Noah, her gaze darting frantically toward the front door.
"I... I need to get going..." she managed to choke out, her voice high and panicked.
She didn’t look at him, her hands trembling as she clutched the strap of her bag so hard her knuckles turned white.
She then sped out of the house without even waiting for a response from Noah.
The front door swung open and slammed shut behind her with a loud bang, leaving the sitting room vibrating in her wake.
The scent of lavender lingered in the air for a few moments before the draft from the old windows began to whisk it away.
Noah remained seated there on the sofa, his body still tense and his cheeks burning red.
His heart was pounding in his chest like a drum, the sound echoing in his ears as he stared at the closed door.
The silence of the house returned, but it felt different now—heavy and charged with a confusing, lingering energy.
He reached up and touched his lips with his fingers, his hand shaking slightly.
"What... just happened..." he muttered to the empty room.