“My Bonds…
He killed them all.”
Lavinia spoke in a cracked voice, her body trembling without stop.
“What…?”
Kael’s eyes widened.
In an instant, the atmosphere in the room turned heavy. Lavinia tried to control her tears and suppress that horrifying memory, failing miserably in both. Kael, on the other hand, tried to think of what to say but couldn’t think of anything.
Just thinking of someone killing all his children made him lose his mind. He couldn’t even imagine what living through that experience would be like.
Nothing.
He couldn’t say anything.
“…I will go take a bath.”
Suddenly, Lavinia spoke up as she stood and rushed into the bathroom.
“…”
Kael stayed silent.
Vitaria, who was in his arms, glanced at her father and,
“Should I show her the good memories she spent with her Bonds to make her happy…?”
She questioned, and Kael blinked in surprise.
She wanted to… make her happy?
It was the first time his daughter was not treating other humans as a source of entertainment.
‘Is it because she sensed her pure heart as well?’
Kael thought inwardly.
It was a possible theory. For now, however, he just tightened his hug around his daughter and,
“Don’t do anything. We need to give her some time.”
“I understand…”
The Fox nodded as she stared at the bathroom door, her purple eyes shining with incomprehensible emotions.
Time passed, Kael waited patiently, and 30 minutes later, Lavinia finally walked out of the bathroom.
She was wearing the same cloak Kael had given her. Her face, however, was now much cleaner than before, revealing her beauty in all her majesty.
If Kael wasn’t overwhelmed by his emotions, he would have been infatuated by now. For now, however, he simply set the plates and served the food.
“Here, eat something.”
He offered.
Lavinia stared at him with her purple eyes, and Kael sighed,
“It is not poisoned.
Do you want me to have the first bite?”
“…”
Lavinia didn’t say anything. Her actions, however, told Kael that she was waiting. Kael shook his head and took the first bite of every dish, showing there was no poison in any of them. Only then did Lavinia sit down and start eating.
“…”
The dinner was silent.
The two simply ate without saying a word. Every time Kael ordered more food, he had to take the first bite, and then Lavinia ate the dish.
Of course, Kael himself was constantly using his eyes to make sure he wasn’t poisoned. He also had Imperia with him, who had 100 of her ants spread all over the inn, and 300 ants outside the inn, making sure everything happening inside and in the area was under her watch.
After the dinner, Kael and Lavinia stared at each other.
“You sleep on the bed.”
Lavinia spoke up as she herself prepared to sleep on the floor. Clearly, the woman had no intention of sleeping with him.
“It is more comfortable on the bed, you sleep there.”
Kael shook his head.
“I was chained in the same position for three years. Any position where I am not bound is much more comfortable in my eyes.”
Lavinia countered, and Kael turned silent.
“Go sleep.”
She spoke, but just as she was about to lie down,
“Just go to bed.”
Kael spoke up as he opened his Portal.
“And you do not have to be wary of me. I will return in the morning.”
“Where are you going?”
Lavinia questioned with a frown, staring at his Portal with a somewhat surprised look on her face.
“To my Sanctuary.”
Kael answered, surprising Lavinia.
“You can enter your Sanctuary?”
“Yep, don’t ask how, I do not know.
Guess I am built different.”
Kael smiled lightly.
“It is good.”
Lavinia nodded.
“You can escape the world if you wish to and live with your Bonds.”
“Indeed.”
Kael smiled at the possibility. He didn’t mind spending the rest of his life with his Bonds.
Yes, it was a very unhealthy mindset.
“Anyways, get some rest. If you wish to talk to me or tell me something, just call my name. I will know and come out.”
Lavinia nodded as she sat on the bed.
Kael walked into his Sanctuary and was quickly surrounded by his children. After hugging and kissing every one of them, he sat with them and asked what he had been wanting to all this while.
“So? What do you all think about her?”
“…”
“…”
His children remained silent, making Kael frown. In the end, Igni stepped forward and,
“She had been through a lot.”
The Dragon spoke.
“She has indeed.”
Kael nodded.
“The Elementals around her are angry. I have never sensed such an emotion from them. They are usually joyful creatures who are attracted towards positive emotions.
This is also the reason they tend to stay away from Humans, who are filled with negative emotions, but their connection with her is so strong that despite her being overwhelmed with negative emotions like grief, anger, and hatred, rather than getting away from her, the Elementals are reciprocating those emotions instead.
It is not something you should ignore.”
“What does that mean?”
Kael tilted his head with a frown.
“That girl has the Power to influence Elementals, the purest entities in the world. She is anything but normal. Her Potential is much higher than any Human I have seen, other than Father, of course, but your existence cannot be compared because you are our Father.”
Igni spoke proudly. No matter how high potential that human had, when it came to his father, no one was his match.
His Father was the bestest!
His Father was the greatest!
He would not ever want any other father!
“Are you telling me to ally with her?”
“She can be a good ally, yes.”
Igni nodded.
“But she doesn’t seem to trust you, Father.”
Imperia spoke up as well.
“Well…
She can’t be blamed for that.”
Kael shrugged. He sympathized with her. Heck, he was pretty sure he would have done the same if he was in her place.
“Even now, she is awake and fully prepared for an ambush. She probably thinks you are one of the King’s subordinates.”
“How foolish! Father has no reason to follow that thing!”
Cirri snorted. She didn’t like how her father was being doubted.
“It does not make sense, yes.”
Imperia nodded.
“She has been chained for 3 years. She loved her Father in the past. Even now, when she has suffered so much, she cannot bring herself to fully hate him.
She… She is Vulnerable.”
Surprisingly, the one who defended Lavinia was Vitaria.
Kael turned towards her and frowned. The Fox jumped into her Father’s arms and continued,
“Most humans fear death, but she is different. Her worst fear is reliving the moment when her Father betrayed her.
She dreads that memory from her very core. She is so broken that if I showed her that memory even once, she would lose her mind forever.
She is afraid, afraid to trust anyone ever again.”
Vitaria looked into Kael’s eyes and,
“Father, you didn’t save her, you just made her more vulnerable.
She was at the lowest point of her life, where she would have remained chained and barely kept alive for the rest of her life, but you saved her.
You gave her hope, but at the same time…
You also put her in a position where she could now… lose again.
You have put her in a position where she could now be betrayed again, and if that happened, the last straws holding her will break and she will fall into the deepest pits of despair, one where she will never recover from.
And because she knows it,
She fears trusting you. She is in a situation where her mind is constantly warning her to doubt everything you do and say, but deep inside, her heart wishes to trust you. Her heart wishes to trust someone, anyone.
She needs company, but at the same time, she wishes to stay alone.
She’s on the verge of breaking. Just one single, slightest push—from someone she trusts—she’ll shatter, and… she doesn’t wish to hand that power over her to you.”
“…”
“…”
Everyone turned silent, especially Kael.
He knew Vitaria could read people well because her ability allowed her to peek into their emotions. Of course, it was more of a sense and never accurate. She couldn’t peek into their memories or know what they were thinking. This was also the reason she couldn’t say anything about the King for certain, but her ability still allowed her to read people to some level.
But…
This was the first time she had ever presented a human’s case so desperately.
Vitaria, however, went a step ahead. She pressed her little body against Kael’s, feeling his warmth all around her, and in a low, weak voice,
“Do not betray her, Father.
Please.”
She pleaded.
And Kael, who saw his little daughter tremble ever so lightly, felt his entire world shatter. He quickly tightened his hug around her and,
“I won’t…”
He answered.
“I won’t betray her.”
His voice echoed in Vitaria’s mind. She moved in her father’s arms ever so slightly and then,
“Thank you, Father…”
In a voice filled with strange relief, she expressed her gratitude and…
Went to sleep.