Seeing Aris like this made Adam’s chest ache. He never got used to it. Only one incident in his life hurt as much as seeing her like this.
After dinner, Adam took Aris into the bathroom and washed her off. He filled the tub with hot water and used a washcloth to clean her. Since she couldn’t stand on her own, he placed her on a stool and had her lean against his chest and he rubbed the cloth containing disinfectant over her body. When he reached her breasts, Aris’s breathing hitched and a soft, beautiful sound emerged from her mouth.
Adam did his best to ignore it.
Immediately after cleaning her off, he lifted her up and stepped into the bath, then sat down in the warm water, positioning Aris so she was sitting between his legs, her back resting against his chest. From this position, he could see the swells of her modest breasts from over her shoulder. While they were not big, they were beautiful. The whiteness of her skin currently had a trace of pink thanks to the water’s heat. Her enchanting little nipples had become stiff. He wanted to play with them, but he knew there was a chance he could lose control, so he refrained.
“You’re poking me,” Aris giggled.
“I’m not made of stone, you know.” Adam rubbed his hands up and down her hips. “The most beautiful girl in the entire universe is naked and in the bath with me. I’d have to be gay to not react like this.”
His words made her smile. “You can stick it in if you want. I don’t mind. In fact, nothing would make me happier than if I lost my virginity to you.”
“Please don’t say that. I’m barely restraining myself as it is. If I had sex with you, there is a very good chance your body wouldn’t be able to take it.”
“I would rather die by your hands than from this illness,” Aris said. Then she giggled. “Hee-hee, or would it be ‘I would rather die by your dick’?”
Adam closed his eyes as a wave of pain shot through him. He adjusted his body and Aris’s position in the tub so his fully erect dick was resting between her thighs instead of poking her. Then he wrapped his arms tightly around the girl and pressed his face against her neck.
“Do not ever say that, Aris. I am not going to let you die. In fact, there might be a way to save you.”
“Mm. I know. It’s in exchange for the favor that girl asked you for, right? The one who wants you to play the new video game that just came out?”
“You heard us talking? How much did you hear?”
“Hee-hee. I woke up when the doorbell rang, so I heard the entire conversation.” Adam clicked his tongue and made a mental note to soundproof the master bedroom. Unaware of his thoughts, Aris continued. “Thank you for agreeing to help her. I know the only reason you did so was because you wanted to give me a chance to survive. I… to be honest, I don’t think I have much longer to live. If this chance hadn’t come up…”
Aris trailed off, but Adam knew what she wanted to say. Aris’s doctor had told them that it was already a miracle for her to survive for as long as she had.
Mortems Disease was a powerful and deadly virus that attacked the body, eating into it and causing the muscles, bones, skin cells, and everything to degrade and atrophy. It was not only deadly but also relatively fast acting. Most people did not last more than six months before succumbing.
Aris had been infected with Mortems Disease three years ago.
“We have a chance to cure you now, so please do not give up,” Adam whispered into her hair.
“I know. Don’t worry. I promised you that I would never leave you, that we would eventually grow up, get married, and start a family. I could never forget. Since you’re the one asking me to keep fighting, I will,” Aris said with a determined gaze.
“Thank you,” Adam said softly.
After staying in the tub for half an hour, Adam lifted Aris and got out. They could have stayed in longer. The bathtub was a state of the art device that regulated the water’s temperature and kept it perfectly at whatever temperature he set it to. However, Aris was falling asleep, which meant it was time for bed.
After drying both her and himself off, Adam dressed Aris in pajamas and himself in a pair of boxers, and slid them underneath the covers of his bed.
He and Aris lay on their sides, facing each other. Adam was tenderly stroking Aris’s cheek, brushing back her hair, and gazing into her soft eyes. His heart felt at ease. At this moment, at least, he did not worry about her Mortems Disease. He merely let himself fall into her eyes… the eyes that had saved his soul when he was on the brink of giving up.
“Adam, will you kiss me?”
“I thought kisses were something princes gave to princesses in order to wake them up.”
“Hmph. They also give princesses a kiss to make them fall asleep.”
“Is that how it works?”
“It is.”
“There’s no arguing with that kind of logic.”
Adam scooted closer, until there was barely any space between their bodies. His hand was still on her face. He tilted her head up as he leaned down, sealing their lips with a soft kiss.
It was impossible not to feel Aris’s gentle and soft breath against his lips as they shared several sweet kisses. Her breath, her lips, the glazed look in her eyes, all of it was enough to drive a man insane. Adam knew that if not for his strong will, he would have already succumbed and taken her virginity and, as a result, maybe even her life.
The kisses continued. Aris used what little strength she had left to thread her fingers through his hair. She kissed him as best she could with her weakened body. Her actions were enough to move him to tears. He wanted to cry, but that would have ruined the moment, so he refrained, just barely.
As the night wore on, Aris eventually fell asleep in Adam’s arms. He held her close, his mind active, unable to sleep. Tenderly stroking her hair, he thought about Fayte’s proposition. A cure. There might really be a cure for Aris. While Adam had searched high and low for even the slightest hint of a cure for Mortems Disease, he had never once found anything and was on the verge of giving up hope. Now a potential cure had fallen into his lap. He didn’t know what to think.
He had never been a religious man. Adam could never bring himself to believe in religion or God after everything that happened to him.
But on that night, he prayed to whatever gods he could think of that Fayte hadn’t been lying when she said she could cure Aris.
Moving in With Fayte
Three days had passed since Adam met Fayte. He did not do a whole lot during that time. Like usual, he spent nearly all of his time with Aris when she was awake, and when she fell asleep, he spent most of his time cleaning the house, prepping their food, and ensuring everything was in order. There were only a few times during these three days where he did not take care of chores or spend time with Aris. Those times were spent gathering any and all relevant information he could find on Fayte, Age of Gods, and the Dairing Family.
Early in the morning on the third day since his meeting with Fayte, Adam found himself sitting on the couch as the news played on a screen in the background. The news was detailing the hype for the upcoming game, the same game he would be playing for Fayte: Age of Gods.
“I’m here at the newest Mystique Incorporated gaming center where, as you can see from the long line behind me, is still as busy as ever. There has been a constant stream of people lined up here all week from morning to dusk. This is despite the fact that the game won’t become playable for another week. Everyone is eagerly waiting for their chance to grab the latest system to play what many are calling the hottest game to ever be released.”
“It looks like that new game is going to be really popular,” Aris said softly as she watched the news.
Aris was leaning on his shoulder. Her soft breathing echoed in his ear and made him constantly aware of her presence. He wished he could wrap an arm around her waist, but right now he was scrolling through a tablet and checking out the current networth of the Dairing Family.
“Yeah. It’s been estimated that ov
er five hundred million people have already bought the new system,” he said.
“That many? There are only about five billion people alive now, right?”
“That’s right.”
About thirty years ago, World War III—the first and only nuclear war—decimated the Earth’s population, killing about one billion people. Immediately after the war ended, Mortems Disease was born from a combination of nuclear radiation and pollution. It spread across the globe, killing another 1.5 billion people. At present, there were only an estimated 4.1 billion people alive—a good four billion less people than there had been before World War III.
“Ever since the armistice was signed by the world leaders, gaming has become the best way to settle disputes and turn a profit,” Adam explained. “Even people from low-income families can earn tens of thousands of dollars through gaming if they’re capable enough or join a guild run by a powerful family like the Pleonexia Family.”
While he said that, it wasn’t as if earning a profit through gaming was easy. It still required hours of time spent in-game. To really earn enough to make a living through gaming, it had to be something people focused on entirely. It meant leaving behind many real world endeavors and fully immersing themselves in the game world.
Some people were willing to do that. Others were not.
“When I get better, do you think I can also play Age of Gods?” asked Aris. He looked down at the girl, but she was not looking at him. Her eyes were still locked on the television screen. “I would like to play with you. I think it would be a lot of fun.”
Adam was tempted to tell her no, that the gaming world was a lot more dangerous than people assumed, but he couldn’t do it when he noticed the excited smile on her face. It was perhaps the one thing in this world that he possessed no defense against.
“Of course you can. In fact, I’ll ask Fayte to get you a system when she picks us up today. By the time you’re cured, you will be able to enter the game world with me.”
“Hee-hee. I can’t wait. I bet playing a virtual reality game will be even more fun than the console games we used to play.”
Adam smiled as he leaned down to press his lips against Aris’s hair. He then went back to checking over all the information he had compiled about the Dairing Family.
It looked like the Dairing Family had a networth of one trillion dollars and their annual income was 10.5 billion dollars, which meant that if Fayte wanted to win her bet, she would need to earn at least 5.25 billion dollars. He frowned. That was an impossibly large sum of money for a single person to earn in just three years, and it wasn’t like the Dairing Family had been able to reach such lofty heights in a single generation. They had acquired this financial power after generations of hard work.
It was obvious to him that Levon had given her an impossible task. Nevermind gaining the fame to rival the top ten most powerful families of the American Federation. Forget creating a guild that reaches the top five most powerful guilds represented nationally. The money alone made this task next to impossible. Even if she entered Age of Gods, the most she could probably earn in three years was a hundred million.
Of course, this calculation was based on the idea that she was working alone.
He sighed.
It seemed he was going to have to work harder than usual this time.
Aris fell asleep against his shoulder at some point, and Adam stopped scrolling through his information to let the girl rest with her head on his lap. He set the tablet on the coffee table and watched the news while tenderly running his hands through her hair. The young woman was smiling as she slept. He liked to think her smile was because she could feel his actions even in her sleep, but he knew that might be wishful thinking.
About an hour after she fell asleep, the doorbell rang. Aris was startled awake. She opened her eyes and blinked several times.
“Is… someone at the door?” she asked, yawning as Adam helped her sit up.
“It’s probably Fayte. Hang one moment while I get that,” Adam said.
“Kay,” Aris said as Adam positioned her so she could watch the TV without falling over.
Adam walked up to the entrance, stopped in front of the door, and pushed the button to open it. As he expected, Fayte was on the other side. Of course, it was hard to tell who she was because she was wearing a veil that masked her entire face now. Her clothes today were also baggy and ugly just like the ones she had worn when they first met.
“Fayte.”
“Adam, it is good to see you again. I hope you’ve been well.”
What a polite way to greet someone. It was just the kind of greeting he expected from a woman of her stature and pedigree.
“I’ve been doing fine. Same as always, I suppose.”
“That’s good. I have the system for you.” Fayte reached into a bag she’d been holding and brought out a small purple box that was about the size of his two fists put together. “The system is in here.”
“Thank you.” Adam took the box from her hands and studied it. It was just a plain box with no adornments, but he could sense a strange kind of energy coming from it. It made him feel like he was holding a sparking wire. Odd. This never happened with the other games he played. He looked back at Fayte. “So, about your end of the deal…”
“Don’t worry. I haven’t forgotten.” While he could not see her mouth because of the veil, he was able to see the way her eyes crinkled in a smile. “The reason it took me three days to get this to you is because I was having some people I trust set up the device that will be used to cure Aris of her Mortems Disease. It’s all ready for her. If you want, we can leave right now and travel to where I’m currently staying. That’s where the device is set up.”
“And you’re certain it can cure her?”
“As certain as I can be without us having any test results.”
Adam sighed, but he guessed that was the best he could hope for. Even a one in a billion chance was better than no chance at all.
Since the device was ready, there was no point in them remaining here. Adam went back into the living room and told Aris that everything needed to cure her was ready and they would be heading out. This was also the first time she and Fayte met.
“Hello, I’m Aris.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. You can call me Fayte.” The woman who had come to request his help gazed at Aris with something resembling awe. “I can see why Adam loves you so much. You really are the cutest and most beautiful girl I have ever seen.”
“I’m sure I have nothing on you.” Aris smiled. “You’re so pretty you even need to wear a veil so people can’t see what you look like.”
Fayte reached up and touched the veil hiding her face. Since he couldn’t see her expression, Adam had no way to tell what the woman was thinking, but Fayte shook her head moments later as if dispelling her thoughts.
“Perhaps,” she said mysteriously and left it at that.
They made their way out of the apartment complex. Because Aris could not walk on her own, Adam lifted her into a wheelchair and pushed her out. There were many automated wheelchairs that could move on their own, but he preferred this one because it let him be useful to her.
On the way to Fayte’s car, the woman in question and Aris talked. Aris asked Fayte all kinds of questions, though none of them were about her background, the bet, or anything related to it. She asked about Fayte’s hobbies, her friends, and what kind of boys she liked.
Adam learned that Fayte’s hobbies consisted mostly of learning management, cooking, and gardening. She had a huge interest in knowing how to manage a business. She also owned a garden back at her family estate, though she could no longer maintain it since her family had all but kicked her out. The cooking surprised him. However, he knew not to judge a book by its cover.
“I’m not sure I like your family very much.” Aris pouted. “They seem very mean.”
They were currently in the elevator. Soft music played in the background.
A
dam thought he sensed a sad smile through Fayte’s veil as she responded. “They weren’t always like that. My father used to be kind and benevolent, but once Mother passed away, he seemed to stop caring about me and focused entirely on elevating the Dairing Family’s position in society.”
“Hmph. Even if he wasn’t mean before, he’s mean now.” Aris didn’t look like she particularly cared for whether Fayte’s father used to be kind or not and continued to pout, which caused Fayte to relax. Perhaps it was because she was so relaxed that Aris’s next question caught her off guard. “And what kind of boys do you like?”
“Me? Well… I’ve never really thought about it,” Fayte sounded uncertain. “I guess if I had to answer you… I would say I like boys who are capable and independent, but I would also like them to be kind and caring, and I want someone who would be willing to help shoulder my burdens but not take all of them onto himself. I guess… I like boys who would see me as an equal and not just an accessory to make them look good.”
“I understand exactly what you mean,” Aris said.
Fayte’s eyes flickered to Adam before going back to Aris. “I’m certain you do.”
After making their way outside, Fayte directed them over to a small and somewhat beat up convertible.
“Is… is this your car?” asked Adam, aghast.
He didn’t think he could be blamed for the incredulity in his voice. The car she had was not only at least one decade old, but it looked like it had been rebuilt several times. The passenger and driver doors were different colors. The top was a different color from the hood. Several scratches and some oil stains covered the trunk. This car was the kind that not even a low-income family who barely earned enough to make ends meet would own, never mind the daughter of a trillion dollar net worth family who owned multiple businesses in both the real and virtual worlds.
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