“D-Didn’t you love Kai?” Kaelen asked, his voice hesitant, his brow furrowed with confusion. He distinctly remembered hearing about them being a couple.
Vesperine’s expression twisted into something pained, her body trembling. Seeing her reaction, Kaelen’s face paled. “What’s wrong? Did I say something I shouldn’t have?” he asked, panic seeping into his voice.
Vesperine’s lips quivered as if fighting back a wave of emotions. Finally, she whispered, “I-It’s just… I’m here because of him.”
“Huh?” Kaelen’s eyes widened, uncertain of what she meant.
Her shoulders trembled, and Kaelen instinctively placed his hands on them, his touch gentle but firm. “Vesperine… talk to me. What happened?”
Taking a shaky breath, Vesperine muttered, “A-After Victor beat him… Kai and Leon started acting… differently. They were always together, never apart, like they couldn’t stand to leave each other’s side.”
But in reality, they were together since neither of them wanted the other person to be alone with Vesperine, that’s why!
Kaelen’s expression darkened. “Together… always?” His eyes flickered with realization, a horrified look spreading across his face… He had seen behaviour like this before in someone’s family!
Vesperine nodded, her body trembling as she continued, “Y-Yes… whenever I tried to talk to them, they acted cold, distant…”
In truth, they weren’t being cold. They were being distant to each other, suppressing their growing affections to prevent either of them from raising their attachment to Vesperine.
Kaelen clenched his jaw, his suspicions solidifying. ‘I knew it! I knew something was off with them. They’re probably… together now.’
Her voice broke as she said, “They told me to meet them on the outskirts of the city, but… instead of them, I was ambushed by those monsters.” Her eyes filled with tears, her cheeks wet with streams of sorrow. She looked utterly betrayed like her entire world had been shattered.
But in reality, Vesperine fabricated everything. Leon and Kai were spending time together simply because Leon had lost his empire, and Kai, out of compassion, took him in.
Kaelen’s fists clenched as he recalled seeing Kai and Leon heading toward the teleportation station together. His rage bubbled beneath the surface. ‘Those bastards… they set her up? Were they trying to get her killed?’
“I-I’m sorry…” Vesperine’s sobs broke his thoughts. “I didn’t mean to fall for you… You saved me, cared for me… treated me like I was precious… s-so that’s why I feel this way. I’m sorry if it’s wrong… If it makes you uncomfortable… P-Please forget what I said…” She tried to pull away, her tear-filled eyes avoiding his. Discover stories with My Virtual Library Empire
But Kaelen caught her hand.
“P-Please… let me go,” she whimpered. “I-I don’t want to be a burden to anyone.”
Kaelen didn’t let go. Instead, he sighed deeply and stood, pulling her toward him. Vesperine stumbled into his arms, and before she could react, he wrapped his arms tightly around her. His voice was calm but firm, “You’re not a burden, Vesperine. But let me be honest… In our tribe, partners having more than one partner isn’t a big deal. Polygyny, polyandry… those aren’t taboos here”
Vesperine froze, her heart racing as her mind processed his words. Inwardly, she sighed in relief. ‘Finally… It’s working.’ Her hidden grin was filled with triumph. ‘My harem of strong, handsome men… it’s slowly becoming real. Thank you, Mother Goddess.’
Kaelen continued, his tone softening, “I was just surprised to hear all this from you, that’s all.”
Vesperine clutched his shirt tightly, hiding her smile. “S-So… you’re not upset?”
Kaelen shook his head, resting his chin on her shoulder. “Not upset. Just… surprised”
“However…” Kaelen’s voice grew serious, his face stern. “You’ll need to defeat my mother.”
“….What?” Vesperine blinked, her heart sinking as if she’d misheard.
“Yes,” Kaelen nodded firmly. “That’s the rule my mother set for any woman who tries to approach me. Since that decree, no girl has dared to even look in my direction.” His expression wavered with pain before softening into a smile. “Until you…”
‘Wait, what the fuck is he talking about?’ Vesperine’s thoughts raced in disbelief. ‘Defeat that barbaric woman? Hell no! That’s way too much of a hurdle!’ Her mind screamed in panic, her body tensing at the thought.
Kaelen noticed her stricken expression and chuckled, brushing a comforting hand over her shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’ll help you…”
Vesperine’s teary eyes flickered with a mix of hope and dread. Raising an eyebrow, she hesitated. “S-So… you’re saying you accept me?” Despite the 99% heart meter, she needed verbal confirmation.
Kaelen’s grin widened. “There’s no way I’d let go of a woman who loves me for who I am. You’ve shown me emotions I never thought I could feel…” His voice dropped into a warm tone. “Lady Vesperine, if you don’t mind…” He leaned in, his lips nearing hers.
Vesperine’s mind screamed with joy. ‘Yes, yes, yes!’ she cheered inwardly. Just as their lips were about to meet, Kaelen’s ears twitched.
His expression shifted as his ears tilted sharply, scanning the air. “Mother?” His voice was tense, his eyes darting left and right. Then his face paled. “Father too?” he murmured in disbelief.
“What’s wrong?” Vesperine frowned, her heart pounding at the sudden change in his demeanour.
“My mother’s calling me. We need to go!” Kaelen didn’t wait for her response. In one swift motion, he transformed into his wolf form.
Vesperine sighed, frustrated but resigned, and climbed onto his back. Without a word, Kaelen bolted through the forest, his pace hurried and frantic.
She frowned, glancing at his heart meter—her stomach dropped as it flickered down to 98%.
‘Seriously? We were so close!’ she seethed inwardly, clinging tighter to his fur.
…..
…
Back in the castle,
After what felt like an eternity of tense negotiations, the Elders finally departed, their footsteps echoing down the hall.
“Sigh… Dealing with them is such a headache,” Aria groaned, rubbing her sore shoulder. Her face twisted in annoyance as if the weight of the entire meeting still clung to her.
Stretching her arms, she muttered under her breath, “I wonder what he’s up to right now…”, ready to reach out to her beloved, when the heavy throne room doors creaked open, revealing two familiar figures.
“Mom… and tsk,” Aria’s expression soured the moment her eyes landed on Liora, ‘Bitch.’ Yet something caught her attention—Liora wasn’t her usual composed self.
“Hmm? What’s going on?” Aria murmured, suspicion creeping into her voice.
Before Maelona could respond, a shadow blocked Aria’s vision.
“Who is this?”
Aria instinctively prepared to kill but froze when she recognized the voice. In an instant, her guarded demeanour vanished, replaced by pure delight.
“DARLING~!” She spun around and flung herself into Aether’s arms, clinging to him with almost desperate affection.
“Haha…” Aether chuckled, holding her tightly. He pressed a soft kiss to her lips before pulling back just enough to meet her gaze. “Looks like someone’s been working hard,” he teased, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face.
Aria pouted, her cheeks puffed slightly. “I missed you so much, you have no idea~” she cooed, peppering his face with kisses, much like Liora used to do.
Aether laughed again, returning her kisses with equal warmth, his hands resting on her waist.
Maelona observed them, a gentle smile gracing her lips. Yet, her gaze shifted toward Liora, whose head remained lowered, hands clenched tightly at her sides.
Maelona’s heart tightened… She glanced back at Aria’s radiant expression, knowing that this moment of happiness was short…. The storm was already brewing.
And just as expected…
“Mind telling me what you’ve been up to, dear?” Aether’s tone suddenly shifted, his voice firm, his eyes darkening with a rare seriousness.
Aria froze mid-kiss, her heart skipping a beat. She had never heard that tone from him before—not directed at her.
Her face paled. “W-What’s wrong, Darling?” she asked, her voice trembling as she clung to him, refusing to let go.
Aether turned to Maelona, who gave a silent nod and called her “Aria, come here.”
“N-No… I won’t!” Aria tightened her grip, her eyes brimming with tears. “W-Why are you mad at me? Did I do something wrong? Please, Darling, if I did anything, forgive me!” Her heart ached, her voice cracking under the weight of her fear.
Aether sighed, looking deeply into her tearful eyes… he could feel her scared emotion.
His heart softened as he stroked her hair gently. “You didn’t do anything wrong, Aria. I’m not mad at you.”
Relief washed over her face, and her tears vanished almost instantly. She smiled, leaning in for a kiss when…
“Because I’m mad at all of you,” Aether stated sharply, his tone cutting through the room like a blade. “KAELEN!” His voice echoed through the vast hall.
“!!!” Kaelen, who had just arrived outside the hall, froze. His heart thundered in his chest. His instincts screamed for him to flee. ‘Is Father going to kill me?!’
But running wasn’t an option. He knew his mother would hunt him down if he tried.
“Kaelen? What’s wrong?” Vesperine asked, leaning forward on his back, her voice filled with curiosity.
“W-Well… Let’s just hope for the best…” he muttered, his voice strained with dread.
As they approached the entrance, the guards crossed their spears, blocking their path. Their sharp eyes locked onto Vesperine.
Kaelen sighed heavily, his ears flattening against his head. “You need to stay here… I’ll be back… hopefully,” he said, lowering her gently in front of the throne room doors.
Vesperine frowned, arms crossed. “What the hell is going on?” she whispered, watching him disappear behind the imposing doors.