Chapter 702: Water Park
As Anthony was lost in thought, wondering just how insanely overpowered Jenna truly was, and to think she remained plainly disguised in the humble attire of a maid’s uniform, Vega’s voice suddenly echoed from behind him.
"With the way you’re staring, you might as well drop down on one knee and propose to her already," she teased, her tone lighthearted yet mischievous.
Her voice was playful, carrying that signature lilt of sarcasm she often wielded with ease. Vega was not the kind of woman plagued by insecurity, nor was she the jealous or toxic type of girlfriend who would rage at her man simply for glancing at another woman. She knew her worth, and her confidence radiated through every word she spoke.
Anthony’s focus broke at the sound of her familiar voice. His lips twitched slightly, betraying the faintest of smiles at her remarks. He could never quite get used to her sarcastic comments, but, deep down, he wouldn’t deny it, this was one of the qualities he loved most about her. Her wit, her ability to poke fun without malice, and the way she made even the heaviest thoughts in his mind feel lighter, all of it was part of her charm.
"Don’t overthink it," Anthony finally said, turning back toward her. His voice carried a calm steadiness, though a spark of curiosity remained in his eyes. "I was just thinking about how strong Jenna actually is."
Vega, still smiling, tilted her head slightly, her expression playful as always. "Strong in bed, or... what exactly do you mean?" she replied mischievously, the corner of her lips curving upward in deliberate playful provocation.
Anthony did not answer that one. He knew better than to walk into one of her playful traps, especially this early in the morning. Instead, he simply gave her a look that said, not today.
"I mean it seriously," he continued after a pause. "Think about it. With how insanely strong your parents are, Jenna can’t really be considered ’strong’ in the normal sense, can she? She has to be outrageously powerful. Probably far beyond what we can casually imagine." His tone was calm, but the weight behind his words carried genuine thought.
Vega, seeing that Anthony had sidestepped her bait, decided to let it go for now. Her smile softened, though it retained a mischievous spark.
"Well," she said at last, "I don’t really know how strong or powerful she is. I’ve never truly seen her battle. Maybe only once... when she dealt with a few stupid men who thought her beauty made her vulnerable. Because she was dressed as a maid, they thought she’d be easy prey to rape. I was eight years old at the time."
Anthony’s brows lifted at her words, his mind halting at the sudden heaviness that slipped into Vega’s tone. The development startled him. He wondered for a moment if he had misheard her.
"Prey? Rape prey? Someone actually tried to... rape Jenna?" His voice was laced with shock and disbelief, the words leaving his lips almost hesitantly as though speaking them out loud made the reality harder to accept.
"Yeah," Vega replied casually, though her calmness only made her words feel even heavier. "It happened when I was coming back from the water park. I was eight at the time. I told Aunt Jenna to change out of her maid uniform before we even went to the park, but she refused, of course. Later, when we were heading back at night, some men thought we looked like easy prey. They tried to kidnap both of us and intended to rape us. So... she killed them. All of them."
Anthony blinked in disbelief, momentarily at a loss for words. He had expected many things from Jenna, but hearing this still left him stunned.
Vega leaned back on the couch, her tone still calm as though recounting nothing more than a memory etched faintly into her past. "After that, I’m sure she even sent one of her clones to wipe out their families. That’s how she is. No one who gives birth to such scum deserves to live."
Anthony exhaled slowly, absorbing her words. He wasn’t particularly surprised about Jenna eliminating their families. In this world, such a thing was neither rare nor shocking. It was, in fact, a common practice. The sins of one often condemned the entire bloodline. Anthony himself had committed similar acts, most notably against the Second Supreme Monarch. Entire bloodline perished for the crimes of one. That was the reality of survival in their world.
"Did she... kill them in front of you?" Anthony asked carefully, his voice calm, though beneath it lingered a quiet concern.
Although this was a world where the law of the strong prevailed, where blood spilled like water and death was as common as the rising sun, Anthony could not ignore the fact that Vega had been only eight years old at the time. Children in this world matured quickly, yes, their mental growth often accelerated by the harsh realities around them, but even then... exposing a child to such slaughter felt extreme.
"Of course not," Vega replied, rolling her eyes slightly. "If she had, my father would’ve had her head. Even though I was eight, I wasn’t naive. My intelligence wasn’t just for show. Aunt Jenna only knocked them unconscious in front of me. After that, we left together. But I know for certain she wiped them out afterward."
Anthony nodded slowly. Though it had been more than a decade since the deaths of those thugs, he still found himself offering them a silent prayer, wherever their souls might have wandered. It was neither pity nor forgiveness, but perhaps an acknowledgment of how swiftly fate erased the wicked.
Seeing the silence stretch between them, Vega shifted the topic. "Anyway, what should we do today? We can’t stay cooped up in here forever, can we?"
Anthony looked at her, then exhaled softly. "Let me greet your parents first before we decide," he said. He hadn’t thought much about their day’s plan, but showing respect to her family felt like the right first step.
Vega chuckled at his words, her playful smile returning. "Already behaving like the perfect son-in-law, I see."
"It’s just basic respect, you know," Anthony replied with a shrug, keeping his tone light.
"Well, those two are probably older than this planet itself," Vega countered with amusement. "People who’ve lived for such immense spans of time rarely care about such things. Greeting them is probably the last thing on their list of concerns. Besides, we can greet them when we return."
Anthony hesitated for a moment, then shook his head with a soft smile. There was indeed some truth in her words. "Alright then, you win. So what now?" he asked.
"Nothing in particular planned," Vega admitted, stretching slightly. "I thought we might just explore the world a little. I could have met up with Donna and Vivian, but we’re still a few days away from the scheduled time." She sat gracefully on her seat, her posture elegant despite the casualness of the moment.
Anthony seemed to recall something, and his expression shifted thoughtfully. "We might need to change our appearances a little. You’re already extremely popular after the Forsaken Cult purging mission. I’m certain people will recognize us the moment we step out."
His words triggered an immediate realization in Vega’s mind. She nodded, understanding the implications. "That’s true," she admitted. "But instead of changing our faces, we could simply use illusion magic. Subtly influencing the perception of anyone who looks directly at us should be enough. They’ll see what we want them to see, not our real faces."
Anthony’s lips curved slightly in agreement, and he gave a firm nod. "That works too," he said, his voice calm but approving.
"Then let’s head out in the afternoon," Vega suggested. "It’s still morning right now. Too early to rush into anything."
Anthony nodded in agreement. With a small, affectionate gesture, he moved closer, sitting down beside her. Carefully, he lifted her legs and placed them across his lap, his hand moving gently along the smooth length of her skin. The simple, intimate action spoke louder than words, a quiet moment of comfort shared between two individuals whose lives were surrounded by chaos and battle as soldiers, yet found solace in each other’s presence.