“How was your breakfast, Sir? Did you like it?” Velc asked with a soft smile, his tone bordering on overly polite as he glanced at Victor, who was eating at the table with the rest of the household.
Victor nodded, casually wiping his hands with a napkin. “Not bad,” he replied curtly, his gaze drifting toward Leon, who sat further down, eating in silence.
Velc swallowed nervously, his eyes flicking to his son, who shrugged indifferently as if he couldn’t care less. Internally, Velc fumed, ‘This damn brat is getting too rebellious… must be because of that commoner woman he’s been fooling around with. Don’t worry, my son. I’ve already arranged for mercenaries to deal with her’
Victor calmly said, “It’s been a while, hasn’t it, Leon? How’s life treating you?”
Leon didn’t answer, his expression remaining stony.
His mind was a whirlpool of rage and frustration. If not for the Hunter Organization, he might have already attacked Victor out of sheer anger, ‘Calm down… your time will come. One day, that bastard will be begging for his life,’ Leon thought bitterly, refusing to even glance Victor’s way as he focused on his plate.
Victor’s sharp eyes stayed fixed on him… Selene had already informed him about Leon’s indifferent attitude toward her.
Victor found it odd—no, outright strange. It wasn’t that Leon was angry or upset with her. It was worse—he was entirely emotionless as if she didn’t even exist. There was no love, no hatred, no acknowledgement, not even a hint of irritation. He treated her like a stranger, barely even Kai’s sister.
Victor leaned back slightly, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the table, ‘I mean Who in their right mind would stay in the house of the girl who rejected them so brutally?’ he thought.
It didn’t make sense. Maybe dragons processed emotions differently? His lips curled into a faint, almost mocking smile. Speaking of dragons…
“You still have 2 years, 12 months, 1 day, 12 hours, 18 minutes, and 20 seconds,” Victor said whatever came to his mind abruptly, yet, his tone calm but edged with a hint of amusement, “I hope you don’t forget your revenge.”
BAM!
Leon slammed the table with both hands, his eyes blazing as he shot to his feet. “You motherfuckin—!”
Before Leon could explode further, Velc was already dragging him out of the room by the arm. He couldn’t afford another disaster, especially not after yesterday’s humiliating slap.
“I cannot believe you’d stoop so low,” Kai spat at Victor, his expression twisted with disgust.
He had barely recovered from the sting of his grandfather’s slap, the first he’d ever received in his life….
“Womp, Womp~” Victor teased him further, which made Kai clench his fist and…
It was too much for him to bear as he stormed after Leon.
“Pfft! Hahahaha…” Selene couldn’t help but burst into laughter, her shoulders shaking as she glanced slyly at Victor. Her eyes gleamed with mischief as she let her foot slide forward under the table, her toes brushing teasingly against his leg.
Victor smirked, catching her gaze. “You might not be able to handle it, darling~” he murmured, his voice low and suggestive.
Selene blushed lightly but countered with a grin of her own. Twirling a strand of her hair between her fingers, she purred, “Oh, You don’t know how much I love to handle it, darling~” Her teeth grazed her lower lip in a deliberate, sultry gesture.
The air between them was growing hotter….. when Alfred appeared in the doorway, bowing deeply, “Master wishes to meet you, Sir,” he announced formally.
Victor glanced at Alfred, then back at Selene, before nodding, “I’ll be right there.” He rose from his seat, his demeanour shifting back to composed authority as he followed Alfred out of the room.
Selene’s eyes lingered on his retreating figure, a sigh escaping her lips. She had a good idea of what was about to happen.
She leaned back in her chair, her gaze growing distant. Though she loved her grandfather, the things he had done to Aether—Ether—left a sour taste in her mouth.
No Being should do a child!!
Aether had told her everything… except the identity of the woman he was after. That, he had kept to himself…. because It was horrifying.
Anyway,
It was insane! Disgusting!!
Her stomach churned every time she thought about it. To know that her grandfather had stolen Aether’s future and handed it over to her brother—what kind of twisted fate was that?
And then there was the part about selling him into slavery, subjecting him to unspeakable torture. All the while, her grandfather acted as if he were some great savior, as if his actions were noble.
The disgust burned deeper with every thought.
Selene clenched her fists… She really wanted to punch that old man’s face….. Whatever Aether decided to do, she would stand by him, no matter what.
His choices were her own, and she would support him in every single one. Your adventure continues at My Virtual Library Empire
Meanwhile, Victor walked alongside Alfred through the dimly lit corridors. The atmosphere between them was tense, neither saying much.
But then, abruptly—
“Come on, guys, we need—”
Timmy, Alfred’s son, appeared around the corner, his sentence cutting off the moment his eyes landed on Victor. He froze, his face draining of colour, before he quickly lowered his head in fear. Behind him, the trio of lackeys who always followed him stood dumbfounded, their expressions ranging from confusion to disbelief.
Victor’s sharp eyes narrowed slightly, ‘I haven’t seen him since I entered this house’ he thought, his curiosity piqued.
Timmy kept his head bowed until Victor passed, and then, as if his life depended on it, he bolted in the opposite direction.
His trio of followers scrambled to keep up, still glancing nervously over their shoulders.
Victor’s gaze lingered on the retreating figures.
Alfred said, “That is my son.”
“Hmm?” Victor raised an eyebrow.
“He’s… afraid of you, Sir,” Alfred admitted, his voice quiet but steady.
Victor blinked, genuinely surprised. “Me? Why would he be afraid of me?”
Alfred halted his steps, turning to face Victor fully. His expression was unreadable as he said, “Because… you are friends with Ethe—I mean, Aether.”
Recognition flashed across Victor’s face, followed by an inward grin ‘So, that’s it.’
Alfred observed the faint change in Victor’s expression and added cautiously, “It seems Aether has told you about my son.”
Victor’s grin widened slightly, though his tone remained neutral. “Indeed. I know everything… more than you think.”
Alfred swallowed hard, his unease growing under Victor’s unwavering gaze. He finally asked, “May I know how you two became friends?”
Victor shrugged casually. “It’s a long story, old man.”
Alfred chuckled dryly, though it lacked any warmth. “Haha… I don’t mind hearing about your beautiful friendship, Sir.”
“Ha.Ha.Ha…” Victor let out a similarly hollow laugh, the sound carrying a chilling undertone. “I’m afraid I don’t have time for old men who could drop dead at any moment.”
“!!!” Alfred stiffened as a sudden wave of killing intent emanated from Victor… It was suffocating, sharp, and all too familiar—it reminded him of Mortimer’s terrifying presence.
‘H-How can someone this young exude such power?’ Alfred’s face grew pale as sweat began to bead on his forehead.
“S-Sir?” Alfred stammered, his voice shaky.
Victor’s lips twitched into a cold smile before softening into fake concern, “Oh? Forgive me… I get hot-tempered sometimes. You know, blood pressure and all—rise for no apparent reason.” His face was deceptively apologetic, but his tone was both arrogant and haughty!
Alfred gulped, nodding stiffly. “O-Of course, Sir.” Desperate to end the encounter, he quickened his pace and stopped in front of a massive ice-encrusted door. Bowing deeply, he gestured toward it. “B-Behind this door, Master Mortimer is waiting for you, Sir.”
Victor didn’t even spare him a glance as he stepped forward. Alfred remained bowed, holding his posture until the door clicked shut behind Victor.
The moment he was alone, Alfred leaned heavily against the wall, panting as if he had just escaped a predator. His hands trembled as he wiped the sweat from his brow. “W-Why does he hate me so much?” he muttered under his breath, his eyes flickering toward the distant figure of Aether, who was busy helping the other servants.
As he stared at the boy, bitterness surged within him. “W-Was he angry because we treated him like dirt? But that’s what he is, isn’t it?!”
Back in Leon’s room, the atmosphere was heavy with frustration and anger.
“Calm down, Leon… You’re making a mistake here,” Velc warned, his voice firm but cautious. “You’re not a prince anymore, and if you dare to threaten him, who knows what he might do to you.” Velc’s words carried the weight of experience, knowing when it was wise to cower and when it was safe to stand tall.
But Leon wasn’t listening. His clenched fists and the fire in his eyes made it clear he was too far gone in his anger. Velc sighed in resignation, realizing his advice was falling on deaf ears. “Suit yourself,” he muttered before leaving the room.
Moments later, Kai entered. Spotting his fuming friend, he placed a comforting hand on Leon’s shoulder. “Calm down, man… We’ll get our revenge when the time is right.”
Leon’s jaw tightened as he ground his teeth. “When the time is right? And when exactly will that be, huh? I’ve already lost everything! And you—” He turned, glaring at Kai with accusing eyes. “You let your sister marry that douchebag! Let me tell you something, Kai. Your precious sister will soon be a widow, and no one will want her after that!”
Kai sighed deeply. He knew Leon’s words were fueled by rage, not reason. Instead of arguing, he chose the path of patience… Like an Elder.
With a quiet nod, he patted Leon’s shoulder again and changed the topic, “Where did you go yesterday? I thought you disappeared after hearing Victor was coming here.”
Leon snorted, crossing his arms. “Why the hell would I run away? I had better things to do. I got a call from a few people.”
Kai raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “Who?”
A sly grin spread across Leon’s face, “That idiot self-proclaimed Dragon emperor,” he said, venom dripping from his words, “Instead of ruling the Empire properly, he’s busy spreading nonsense, scaring people with tales about the world colliding or some other bullshit. His stupidity is driving people out of the Empire—they’re abandoning him left and right because they can’t stand his arrogance anymore. And, of course, where else would they go but to me?”
Kai’s eyes widened slightly in surprise. “Oh? And what did you do with them?”
Leon’s grin widened, his expression filled with pride and ambition. “What else? I gave them a piece of land I bought, made sure they owed me for it and swore their loyalty to me. It’s all part of the plan. Once I gather enough supporters, enough strength… Heh,” he chuckled darkly, his hands tightening into fists. “I’ll crush that bastard like a bug! Mark my words, Kai. He won’t know what hit him.”
Meanwhile, Inside, Victor stared at the old man who was sitting on an ice throne as if he were the Emperor here.