Third Person’s POV
Aether yawned softly, leaning against the wall as he watched Kai and his father, Velc, locked in an intense discussion in Velc’s lavishly furnished room.
“You know exactly what you need to do, don’t you?” Velc’s voice was sharp, his eyes fixed on Kai sternly.
Today was the day the Empress would claim ownership of Aether—or rather, Kai’s decision would seal the deal.
The weight of it all pressed heavily on Kai!
Kai gritted his teeth, his fists clenching at his sides. He couldn’t believe this was happening. He was about to lose everything he had worked for, everything he thought was his.
Not that he was losing it now—it was more like he had lost his face after the revelation. People were questioning his worthiness, and it stung more than he thought it would.
His eyes fell on his grandfather’s final letter, the cursed piece of paper that had turned his world upside down. It revealed everything—things that should have stayed buried—and had unleashed a storm of chaos. The more he stared at it, the angrier he became, a fire burning in his chest. “I… I still don’t understand why that old bastard decided to screw us over in the end,” Kai growled, his voice trembling with frustration.
Velc’s eyebrows shot up at his son’s choice of words. Kai had never spoken so disrespectfully about his grandfather before. But Velc, too, felt the weight of the betrayal. He understood his son’s fury all too well.
What had his father been thinking in those final moments?
With a heavy sigh, Velc rubbed his temples, his expression a mixture of exhaustion and defeat. “I can’t make sense of it either, my son. Believe me, I’ve tried. But those were undeniably his handwriting and his thumbprint. That alone is enough for everyone to believe the letter, no matter what we say or do.”
Kai’s jaw tightened as he fought the urge to crumple the letter in his hands.
Aether, standing silently to the side, couldn’t help but smirk inwardly at the scene unfolding before him. It hadn’t been difficult to manipulate Mortimer into writing the letter. Once Mortimer’s body had been weakened after a long, grueling battle, his mental fortitude had crumbled. Aether had simply used his ‘Crimson Veil,’ and the manipulation had been effortless…. Mortimer had been like clay in his hands~
Kai’s glare snapped to Aether, his frustration evident in his narrowed eyes. “You—” his voice was low, almost a growl. “You want to be my slave, right?”
Aether lowered his head in a show of submission, his tone smooth as silk. “Anything you desire, Master. Your wish is my command.”
Kai’s lips curled into a faint, bitter smile. He turned to his father and declared, “Father, I refuse to let him go. Aether stays with me.”
Velc raised a hand, attempting to interject. “Kai, you’re being reckless. It’s not as simple as you thin—”
“Disown me,” Kai interrupted, his voice firm, cutting through Velc’s protests like a blade.
Velc froze, his eyes widening in disbelief. “Disown you? Have you completely lost your mind? You rotten brat! Who else is supposed to take over the family after me?”
“Selene, of course—” Kai began, only to be cut off by his father’s furious outburst.
“Selene? Are you insane? Why do you think my father chose me as the head of the house instead of my sister, even though she’s stronger than I ever was?” Velc’s voice dripped with disdain and annoyance,
“He didn’t have a choice! A man must lead the house—that’s how every duke operates. If Selene were to take over, her husband would automatically assume control of the household. Do you understand what that means? Victor would take over!”
Kai’s stomach churned at the mere thought…. He didn’t think that possibility! Shaking his head violently, he shouted, “No way! Over my dead body! Anything but that fucking bastard!” His teeth clenched so hard his jaw ached.
Letting Victor take control would be a fate worse than death.
‘Arrgh! If only Vesperine were here… she’d know how to handle this mess,’ Kai thought bitterly. She always had a knack for untangling impossible situations.
Meanwhile, Vesperine was quite preoccupied, her focus elsewhere. She was busy seducing Kaelen, whose heart rate had frustratingly staying at 90%.
No matter what she tried, she couldn’t break past that barrier. Something was blocking his emotions, an impenetrable wall that left her seething with annoyance.
Back to Kai:
“Come to think of it,” he muttered, his brow furrowing in thought, “wasn’t Victor the last person to visit the old man?” His sharp gaze shifted to Alfred, who stood stoically beside Velc.
Alfred nodded without hesitation. “Yes, but I didn’t notice anything unusual during his visit.”
Kai snorted, clearly unconvinced…. Something about the situation still felt off, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. He knew his grandfather had been cursed, which explained much—but not everything. A nagging sense of unease gnawed at him, urging him to look at things from a different angle.
With a heavy sigh, Kai asked, his tone tinged with irritation, “Have you told Mother about Selene’s marriage yet?”
Velc shook his head. “Not yet. With Father’s recent passing, it’s not the right time to bring up something like marriage. We should wait a little longer.”
Kai exhaled in relief. ‘Thank goodness I don’t have to deal with that headache just yet,’ he thought, grateful for the delay. “So, what’s the plan, Father?” he asked, his voice calmer now.
Velc’s expression turned serious, his tone deliberate as he said, “I was waiting for you to ask. Kai, I’ve been thinking—it’s time we discuss your marriage.”
Kai’s face twisted in disbelief, “My marriage? Are you kidding me? Aqualina wouldn’t even consider it after learning I’m nothing but a fraud!” Stay tuned for updates on My Virtual Library Empire
Velc shook his head and leaned closer to Kai, “Don’t you see it? The Empress needs something from Aether. I’ve never seen her so frustrated and yet holding back so deliberately… Doesn’t that strike you as suspicious?”
Kai frowned, the gears in his mind turning. He mumbled to himself, “Yeah… now that you mention it, her determination about Aether was… unusual.”
Velc’s lips curled into a sly grin. “Exactly. That’s why we’re going to negotiate. You’ll grant Aqualina ownership of Aether on the condition that you marry her.”
Kai’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. While the proposal caught him off guard, he couldn’t deny that it seemed like a reasonable plan. But then his thoughts wandered, and a flicker of hesitation crossed his face. “W-What about Vesperine?”
At the mention of her name, Velc’s expression darkened, his mood souring instantly. “Are you still hung up on that whore?” he snapped, his voice barely restraining the anger simmering beneath the surface.
Kai’s eyes blazed with fury, and something deep within him snapped. “Stop calling her that, you idiot!” he shouted, his voice rising to a near scream.
Velc was momentarily stunned, his son’s sudden explosion catching him off guard. Even Aether, who had been silently observing the exchange, was taken aback. His lips curled into an amused smirk as he thought, ‘Damn, that girl really has a hold on him’
Velc, for once, chose to control his response…. Instead of letting his anger take over, he took a deep breath, his tone softer but firm. He realized that yelling or berating Kai wouldn’t help. Both his son and daughter had proven they were not obeying him anymore, and he needed to approach this delicately.
While Velc mulled over a way to persuade his son, another conversation was unfolding elsewhere in the house.
In a cozy sitting room adorned with ornate furniture, the women of the family were engaged in their own discussion.
“Aunt, what do you mean by saying you took care of Aether like a child?” Selene asked, her tone laced with skepticism as she stared at Delphine, who seemed visibly flustered.
Delphine coughed awkwardly, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink. “I-I mean… well, you know… I… I taught him a lot of things. Helped him grow and guided him. So, in a way, I thought of him as my child,” she stammered, clearly struggling to find the right words.
Selene’s frown deepened. There was something odd about her aunt’s behavior. The explanation didn’t sit right with her.
Delphine trembled inwardly…. How could she admit to her niece that she was in love with Aether? Who was same as her? and That their relationship went far beyond that of professor and student—a bond considered scandalous and forbidden among the nobility?
Delphine bit her lip. Revealing the truth would risk her reputation, her position, and worst of all, Aether’s freedom. The mere thought of losing him or having their secret exposed made her heart race.
Selene scrutinized her aunt carefully, her gaze scanning for any telltale signs, like tattoos or marks that might confirm her suspicions. But there were none. Finally, she sighed, relenting for the moment…. her aunt was the one who taught Aether to begin with.
Delphine cleared her throat, eager to shift the focus. “W-What about you? You already have your brother, right? Why do you even need Aether?”
Selene averted her gaze, mumbling, “Well… he’s helped me so much, and I don’t want him to leave…”
Delphine squinted, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. Selene’s vague response wasn’t convincing in the slightest.
Selene pouted in frustration, her annoyance bubbling to the surface. As much as she wanted to confess her feelings, she couldn’t. Aether had warned her explicitly not to tell anyone about their connection until he gave her the green light.
Meanwhile, Xara sat silently, her gaze fixed on the window. Her brows knitted together in a deep frown, her fingers drumming lightly on the armrest of her chair.
“Mom?” Selene called, noticing her mother’s distracted state.
Xara’s eyes remained on the horizon. “The Empress… she’s taking her time coming here,” she murmured, her tone laced with unease. Something felt off, a nagging intuition she couldn’t shake. Her gaze flickered toward Delphine…