Just when Xara thought everything was going smoothly… suddenly that bitch, Vesperine, popped up—literally out of nowhere. Xara had explicitly made sure that the woman wasn’t allowed anywhere near this place. But clearly, the damn succubus had charmed the guards and somehow slithered her way into the household.
Xara let out a long, exhausted sigh as the glowing ground dimmed and the ritual symbols faded into dull silence. Her face stayed composed, but her patience cracked. “What do you want? I told you to leave my son alone.”
Vesperine smiled sweetly, way too sweetly. “No matter what you do… I could never leave the love of my life.”
“Vesp…” Kai’s voice trembled. His eyes welled with tears. He looked like he was on the verge of sprinting to her and embracing her with all the desperation he held back for hours.
But—
“Kai,” Xara said flatly.
That single word. That single, emotionless tone.
Kai froze like he’d been stabbed, his entire body flinching in place.
Vesperine’s lips twitched at the interruption, but she recovered quickly. She tilted her head with a smirk. “Have you told them yet?”
Xara’s jaw tightened. Of course, she knew exactly what that damn succubus was hinting at. She was talking about Aether… and the truth behind his identity.
Clicking her tongue with irritation, Xara muttered, “I will…”
“Oh? You will?” Vesperine’s voice turned playful, mocking even. “Just how long were you planning to hide it?”
A heavy silence fell.
Xara frowned.
So did everyone else.
Even Aether narrowed his eyes. ‘What’s this girl talking about now? First of all, why this character started to appear recently in my life?’ he wondered, eyes darting toward Xara. She was glaring at Vesperine with murder in her gaze, but after a brief sigh, she turned toward the others and finally spoke.
“Listen, everyone… I didn’t mean to hide it. But… Aether is my son.”
“…”
Utter silence.
Selene frowned slightly, confused. “Of course, you adopted him. What are you tal—”
“My real, blood son,” Xara cut her off.
“…”
Everything stopped.
Selene’s face went pale with horror. Her mouth opened, but no words came. Kai nearly lost consciousness—he would’ve hit the floor if Leon hadn’t caught him in time.
Velc—oh poor Velc—his face drained of color, and he nearly coughed blood from sheer emotional whiplash.
Aether, for his part, could only think: ‘What the fuck?’
He stared at Xara in confusion. But when he saw her give him a subtle wink—calm, composed—he exhaled quietly and realized… she was lying.
But why?
He turned his attention to Vesperine again. The way that woman was staring at Xara—it was loaded, like she had something on her, some kind of weaponised truth or secret. Aether’s frown deepened.
He didn’t like this… Not one bit.
Of course, he had informed Selene about the truth. Selene, meanwhile, sighed in relief.
She hadn’t been sure how to emotionally process the idea if Aether really was her mother’s son. After all, Aether was kidnapped when he was child… what if that child belong to her mother?
But no matter what—even if the blood relation turned out to be true—Selene had already made her choice.
She was not letting him go!
Nah! Fuck it bitches!!
Who cared what the world thought? She loved him.
That was all that mattered.
But Kai… oh, Kai was burning with fury.
“What do you mean he’s your r-r-real s-s-s-on?” he stammered furiously, unable to even say that word… at his mother.
Xara sighed again, clearly expecting this. “As you know… I already divorced your father—”
“What?!” Vesperine gasped, clearly caught off guard.
Xara smirked. “Yeah. I already divorced Velc right after we got married.”
The smugness in her voice was palpable.
Vesperine stared at her, stunned, then glanced at Kai for confirmation. Kai slowly nodded, face still pale, lips tight…. even he recently learned that horrifying truth.
Vesperine’s expression cracked. Her confidence withered as a quiet, helpless disappointment bloomed in her chest.
‘So… from the very beginning… I already lost this game, huh?’ she thought, a hollow sadness flickering behind her eyes.
And now… everything made sense.
Why Xara had decided to “reveal” the truth.
Why the timing.
Why the smile.
It was all about control.
Xara had just flipped the board—again.
Xara continued, “After divorcing your father… I had a relationship with another man and… Aether was born.”
Aether blinked and turned his head toward her again, eyes narrowing in disbelief as she quietly winked at him secretly again.
‘What kind of bullshit is she spouting…?’ His face twisted in horror. He was starting to seriously worry that she was just making a complete mess of her already tangled family.
He really needed to have a talk with her after this—seriously.
Kai’s face looked like it was cracking apart. Now… now it all made sense.
Every single thing.
Why his mother always supported that slave.
Why she fed him.
Why she loved him.
Why she treated him better.
It all clicked into place with a brutal snap.
“S-So… he’s my little brother?” Kai asked with a trembling voice, panting, horrified, trying to hold onto the last pieces of his shattered understanding.
‘Hell no!’ Aether screamed inwardly.
But—
“Yes, he is indeed,” Xara responded with a soft, warm smile. “Big brothers should take care of their little brothers… don’t you think?”
Kai looked at Aether with a gentle gaze and warmt– Nah, that was pure, unfiltered hatred!!
Aether gulped inwardly, ‘Xara… you’re really making things worse now. What the hell are you doing!?’
Xara pulled them both into a hug with an affectionate smile. “Just so you all know… I love all my children… no matter what. Believe me,” she said with a soft tear gliding down her cheek, her lips trembling ever so slightly as she glanced toward Vesperine, who was biting her nails furiously.
‘She’s… acting, isn’t she?’ Aether frowned, trying to dissect every twitch in her expression.
Her acting skills were almost on par with his!
Kai reluctantly nodded—but Aether saw it. That glint in his eye.
That rivalry.
That sibling rivalry?
‘Oh, fucking god!!’ Aether groaned inside. He really, really wanted to punch that smug face now.
Xara smiled tenderly, nodding as if proud that her son and daughter accepted Aether without much resistance.
What about Velc?
Well who cares about him to begin with!
Xara softly said, “Now that everyone knows and understands why I did what I did… shall we star—”
“Hold on!” Vesperine suddenly raised her hand.
“Now what?” Xara frowned, her face scrunching in visible irritation.
Vesperine smiled sweetly. “I mean… I’m not even talking about all that. Heck, I really don’t even know what the hell just happened. So, Aether’s really your son? Huh… interesting,” she said, tilting her head with an expression of innocent surprise.
Xara frowned deeper, suspicious now, ‘What is this girl trying to pull now…?’
Vesperine gave a sly smirk, tilting her head again, her twin-tailed hair bouncing cutely. To Kai and Leon, that attempt at looking cute. Well—maybe Velc found it cute… But absolutely no one else did.
“I was just lurking around… after being thrown out of the house,” she said in a dejected tone, pouting slightly.
Kai’s face instantly turned sad, gloomy—his heart aching for her.
But then Vesperine’s face shifted. Serious… Intentional.
“I didn’t know where to go… so I wandered around the territory’s borders… just walking through the empty spaces. That’s when I encountered something. Something I’ve never seen before… on a flat, empty plain,” she said, voice lowering slightly as the weight of her words crept into the air.
“There’s a hidden room… underneath the ground.”
“Of course, I found it by accident!!” she added quickly, eyes wide with innocence.
Xara and Aether’s eyes widened at the same time, locking on each other as a silent wave of dread passed between them.
‘How?’ That was the question screaming in both their minds.
Vesperine’s lips curled into a wicked smile.
‘Now… it’s time to break the bond, bitch~’ she grinned inwardly as her gaze locked onto Xara, filled with smug vengeance.
“W-What are you talking about? What proof do you have? Why are you even saying there’s something there? And what does it have to do with me?” Xara stammered, her voice cracking as the edges of panic seeped through. Her hands trembled ever so slightly, betraying her composed appearance.
Aether inwardly screamed, ‘Come on, Xara… you’re making it too damn obvious! Just calm down!’ he thought, gritting his teeth. And just as he feared, Vesperine’s grin widened.
“Proof?” Vesperine tilted her head, voice soaked in playfulness. “Why don’t you come with me, then? All of you.” Her gaze slid across the room slowly, letting the weight of her words settle. “I’ll show you the proof… right before your very eyes.”
Aether’s frown deepened. His eyes sharpened as he studied her face, the confident way she held herself, the way she subtly glanced at Kai for emotional leverage, then back at Xara.
‘This girl… who is she really?’ he thought.