SSS Talent: From Trash to Tyrant-Chapter 483: Morning After

Trafalgar woke slowly, the warmth lingering before the light fully settled behind his eyes. For a moment, he didn’t move. The bed still carried the heat of the night, the sheets slightly disordered, the air quiet in a way that felt earned rather than empty.

His gaze shifted to the side.

Aubrelle was already awake.

She stood near the mirror, back half-turned to him, adjusting the fabric of her dress while Pipin hovered close, steadying small details with careful precision. Her hair fell loosely over her shoulders, not yet fully arranged, and there was something softer in the way she moved now, something that hadn’t been there before.

She noticed him through Pipin first.

"Good morning, Trafalgar. How did you sleep?"

Trafalgar pushed himself up slightly, one hand dragging over his face, eyes still heavy. "Considering you didn’t let me sleep much... well enough."

Aubrelle’s lips curved faintly at that, a trace of amusement slipping through as she adjusted the last detail at her sleeve.

"You were the one who wanted to continue."

There was no hesitation in it. Only a simple statement, held with quiet confidence.

Trafalgar watched her for a brief moment, his gaze steadier now. "Are you upset about it?"

She paused, just for a second, before turning slightly more toward the mirror, smoothing a final crease. "No. I’m not."

Aubrelle reached up, adjusting a strand of hair with a small motion, Pipin mirroring her intent as always. When she spoke again, her tone remained light, but there was a quiet thread beneath it now, something more grounded than before.

"Though next time, you might want to pace yourself."

Trafalgar let out a faint breath that almost passed for a laugh, leaning back slightly against the headboard.

"I’ll keep that in mind."

She didn’t respond immediately, but the small curve at the corner of her lips stayed, reflected clearly in the mirror as she met his gaze through it. Aubrelle finished adjusting her sleeve and remained by the mirror for a moment before speaking again.

"By the way, tonight we’re doing the celebration with our friends from the academy and some other people we know. I didn’t want everything to end with just yesterday."

Trafalgar leaned back against the headboard, still looking a little tired. "You told me something about it, but I didn’t know you already had everything prepared."

"I reserved a restaurant in Velkaris. It’s in the northern district." A faint smile touched her lips. "So yes, I already had everything prepared."

Trafalgar looked at her properly then. "The north district, huh. So you chose one of the expensive places."

"I did," Aubrelle said without sounding apologetic in the slightest. "I think it’s worth doing something nice with people we actually care about. If you ask me, what happened yesterday didn’t feel warm at all."

Trafalgar let out a quiet breath through his nose. "That’s because it wasn’t. It was a political agreement more than anything else."

"I know." Aubrelle adjusted a loose strand of hair with Pipin’s help before continuing. "That’s exactly why I wanted this to be different. Smaller... just something that actually feels like a celebration."

Trafalgar gave a small nod. "Who’s coming?"

"Bartholomew, Cynthia, Mayla, Xavier, and Zafira," she said. "A few friends of mine will come too. People you don’t know yet."

Then her gaze shifted slightly toward him through the mirror.

"What about you? Did you invite anyone from your side?"

Trafalgar was quiet for a second before answering. "Yes. I invited a friend."

That made Aubrelle turn a little more toward him.

"A friend?" she repeated, a little surprised, though not in a bad way. "Do I know her?"

"I don’t think you’ve met her before," Trafalgar said. "But Mayla knows her. Her name is Rhosyn. She’ll come too."

Aubrelle blinked once at the name, then nodded slowly.

"I see." There was curiosity there, but nothing sharper than that. "Then I’ll get to meet her tonight."

Trafalgar watched her for a moment. "You don’t mind?"

"No," Aubrelle said. "Why would I? If she’s someone important enough for you to invite, then I’d rather meet her properly."

That made him go quiet for a second.

Aubrelle turned back toward the mirror again. "Besides, tomorrow we go back to the academy. It feels strange saying that after everything that’s happened."

Trafalgar rested one arm over his bent knee. "Yeah. Back to routine."

"I’ve missed it," Aubrelle admitted. "After being away for so long, and after everything that happened during the war... I think I want normality for a while. And since my father doesn’t want to involve me in anything else for now, I’d rather enjoy that while it lasts."

Trafalgar nodded once. "That sounds fine to me."

Then, after a short pause, he added, "I have a meeting before we go tonight, but I’ll be there." 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Aubrelle glanced at him again and gave a small nod. "Alright. I assumed you had something to deal with anyway."

Trafalgar pulled the sheets aside and stood up, then reached for a pair of trousers and put them on without much thought.

Aubrelle’s eyes followed him at once through Pipin.

She did not even try to hide it.

Trafalgar noticed after a few seconds and looked at her from the side. "What is it? Still not satisfied?"

Aubrelle’s lips curved into a small smirk at that. "Maybe. But we don’t have time right now."

"True," Trafalgar said.

She stepped closer after that and raised one hand. A second later, her cane materialized into existence, appearing cleanly in her grasp. Pipin moved from the mirror and settled near her shoulder again as she crossed the short distance between them.

When she reached him, she stopped without hesitation, rose slightly, and kissed him.

It was not long, but it was warm enough to leave the rest of the room quieter for a second after.

Aubrelle pulled back just enough to look in his direction. "I’ll see you tonight."

Trafalgar gave a small nod. "Yeah. Tonight."

She lingered there for a moment more, then turned and headed for the door, cane in hand, Pipin following close. The room felt different after she left. Not empty. Just still.

Trafalgar looked at the closed door for a second, then turned and headed toward the bathroom.

The moment he stepped inside, the mood shifted.

The warmth of the room, the ease of the conversation, the quiet start to the morning, all of it moved aside as his thoughts returned to what was waiting for him before the celebration in Velkaris.

He had a meeting first.

And it was not a meeting with just anyone.

It was with a Primordial.