Vesperine and Xara moved to a room. Since Vesperine wanted to have a private, secretive conversation, Xara decided to take her to her own room, where they wouldn’t be interrupted.
Sitting on the chairs, both Vesperine and Xara stared at each other with stern expressions, their gazes sharp, unflinching, and clearly on edge.
After a brief pause, Xara broke the silence. “So? What exactly do you want to talk about?”
Vesperine took a deep breath, exhaling slowly to keep her composure, then said firmly, “Just so you know… I love him. I truly, deeply want him in my life. I don’t care about anyone else’s opinion or interference, but Kai… he wants his parents’ blessing—especially his mother’s. That’s the only reason I’m here.”
Xara raised her eyebrows slightly, surprised but not completely shocked. To be honest, a small part of her had thought Kai would eventually stop listening to her, especially after he was the one who had called off the engagement she had arranged for him before.
‘I guess he didn’t stray that far from me after all,’ she thought, a flicker of pride brushing her chest—motherly pride, the kind that reassured her that she had still done something right in raising him.
Still, Kai was a man now. He was doing what he wanted, making his own choices. But since his grandfather had passed, the one person he loved the most after that… was his mother. That’s why he came to her.
He couldn’t just marry anyone—not without the blessing of the woman who gave birth to him, raised him, and taught him so many things.
Xara hummed thoughtfully, fingers tapping the armrest of the chair. Then she said, “So? What do you want from me exactly?”
Vesperine’s voice was steady, but her eyes were intense. “What do you need in order to accept me? What do I have to do to be enough for you?”
Xara blinked, then let out a quiet sigh. “Surprisingly, you’re quite stubborn,” she muttered, then continued with a more open tone, “To be honest, if my son truly loves you, that’s all that matters to me. I don’t care about background, status, or anything else. I might feel disappointed, I won’t lie, but at the end of the day… it’s his choice. He’ll deal with it and live with it. So will I.”
Vesperine smiled slightly. “Then why are you stil–?”
“Because there’s something wrong with you,” Xara said flatly, her tone suddenly serious. “There’s something off… something I can’t quite explain. I can feel it. I don’t have the right words for it, but there’s something about you that just feels… different. And it irritates me. It pisses me off, and I don’t even know why.”
She muttered under her breath, clearly frustrated with her own instincts. She didn’t know exactly what it was, but her gut told her something was wrong. Her womanly instincts—the same instincts that had guided her for years—didn’t like this girl at all.
In fact, they screamed at her to stay away from her.
Vesperine inwardly clicked her tongue in irritation. ‘It’s getting stronger… ah,’ she thought, sensing that part of her was starting to slip. Something about her—something only she herself knew—was stirring beneath the surface. But with a calm expression still on her face, she replied, “That sounds a lot like you’re indirectly telling me to back off.”
Xara narrowed her eyes and shook her head. “No…. I’m directly telling you—stay away from my son, girl.”
Vesperine’s eye twitched, her composure cracking slightly. ‘This bitch… the only reason I’m even talking to you is because of Kai. Otherwise…’ she clenched her teeth inwardly, holding back her temper. Then she smirked and muttered, “Looks like I can’t convince you with words anymore.”
Xara gave a sharp nod. “Exactly. You can leave now—” she raised her hand, ready to shoo the woman away, but she froze as the next words hit her.
“Unless I break your relationship with your son,” Vesperine said coolly, her voice low but laced with challenge.
Xara frowned, her expression hardening instantly. Kai might argue with her at times, sure, but breaking their bond?
That was impossible.
No random girl who showed up out of nowhere could sever that.
After all, she was a perfect Mother to her children!
Xara scoffed, a slow smirk tugging her lips as she looked at Vesperine. “Looks like someone’s finally revealing their true colours.”
Vesperine casually shrugged. “I was never hiding it. Unlike you.”
Xara’s eyes narrowed. “Hmm?”
Vesperine’s grin widened as she slowly tilted her head forward, her gaze darkening. “I know you.”
Xara’s frown deepened, her voice cautious. “What are you trying to say?”
“You think you can hide it forever?” Vesperine whispered. “The truth always comes out—whether by fate, coincidence, or someone like me digging deep enough. The truth never stays buried for long… it will come to the light eventually.”
Xara’s face turned dangerously sharp. ‘Does she… know my secret?’ she thought, alarm bells ringing in her mind. Only a few people knew how badly she had messed up… And this Vesperine girl—could she really have found out? It seemed unlikely, but nothing was ever certain.
“What lies are you trying to spread now?” Xara snapped, her voice rising in fury.
Vesperine smirked even more, her voice mocking. “Lie? I’m not lying. It’s you who keeps lying to everyone—pretending, covering up. You filthy, disgusting woman.”
“Watch your mouth… girl,” Xara growled, her face going cold and serious.
“Oh? Did I hit a nerve?” Vesperine smirked coldly, her voice dripping with mockery. “You’re not even feeling guilty about it… are you? Doing all this to your own family—people who love you, trust you, and believe in you. And you just keep lying to their faces without a flicker of shame?
What else could you possibly be if not a filthy, disgusting woman? Ugh… even I feel sick just standing here talking to you.”
Xara’s fists clenched so tightly her knuckles turned white. Her jaw tightened as she resisted the overwhelming urge to lash out, to curse this girl to hell, to rip that smug heart out of her chest and crush it underfoot.
With a tauntingly proud expression, Vesperine tilted her chin and said, “I know… I know all of it. You, and that little adopted son of yours… I know everything.”
The instant those words left her mouth, Xara’s eyes widened in horror, her body stiffening as if struck by lightning.
Vesperine grinned wickedly, as if she had just sunk her claws into the softest part of her prey. She lifted one leg and propped it arrogantly on the table, smirking down at Xara like a predator who’d cornered her kill. Her sharp gaze observed every twitch in Xara’s expression, every second of panic flashing across her face.
‘H-How does she know…?’ Xara swallowed hard, her mouth suddenly dry. They had taken so much care to keep it hidden.
So how—how did this girl of all people find out?
Beads of sweat formed on Xara’s forehead, sliding slowly down her temple. It wasn’t just about her anymore—this wasn’t only her shame.
It was about her son… Her daughter. If they ever found out about the truth… would they still look at her the same way?
Or would they be disgusted?
Heartbroken?
Would they pull away from her… forever?
She had carefully concealed her past, locked away her real self, just to preserve the love and warmth she now shared with her children. And now… now it was all about to fall apart.
“Don’t worry too much, Mother-in-law~” Vesperine chimed sweetly, deliberately using the title like a blade pressed to Xara’s throat. She flicked her twin-tailed hair with a smug air, as if she were in total control. “As long as you just accept our love… and let me have Kai—completely—then that’s all I need. Everyone stays happy. No one has to find out your little secret. It’ll just be between you and me.”
It was blackmail.
Vesperine was blatantly, shamelessly blackmailing her.
Xara bit down on her lower lip so hard that blood welled up at the corner of her mouth. This… this was something she never saw coming.
On one hand, if she refused, she could lose her son—to this manipulative, dangerous girl who was clearly hiding something dark. But on the other hand… if she resisted, the truth could break out like wildfire. Her children—her whole family—might abandon her.
Her chest tightened with helpless rage.
“Oh, don’t be so hard on yourself,” Vesperine added with a mocking laugh. “It’s nothing serious, right? Cheating on your husband… that’s not that wrong, is it? I mean, you’re a woman—you had your own desires, your own taste. I understand it better than anyone.”
Each word hit Xara like a jagged knife. She wasn’t actually cheating, of course—they had separated a long time ago—but the way it sounded now… she looked like some shameless woman chasing after a younger man.
Like a pervert… A disgrace?
Vesperine’s grin stretched even wider as she saw Xara’s proud facade crumbling. That icy confidence, that haughty composure—it was gone, with nothing left but silence and trembling lips.
‘Just one final push… and Kai will be mine. All mine,’ Vesperine thought with a devilish gleam in her eyes. She leaned in, her voice low and taunting as she pressed the final nail into the coffin.
“Your adopted son… What was his name again? Hmm… Shitter? Bitter?”
Xara’s lips twitched, her breath caught in her throat. She knew exactly what Vesperine was doing—mocking him on purpose, trying to trigger her, and it was working. Her body trembled, shoulders tense and locked with fury and panic.
Vesperine only smiled wider.
“Oh yeah… Aether, wasn’t it?” she said, slowly savoring the name. Then she leaned back and purred, “Who would’ve guessed that Aether is actually your… B-L-O-O-D S-O-N.”
“…. Huh?” Xara’s voice came out hollow, her mind hitting a wall. It was like a short circuit had gone off inside her head.
All the trembling, the panic, the fear—it vanished in an instant.