aftermath

There was nothing but silence.

The spectators were stunned; even the king had nothing to say. The Prime Minister and the First Queen sat frozen, their faces pale with fear. It was clear to everyone—they were terrified of him. At that moment, it felt as though he had slaughtered not only his opponent but also their ambitions.

Among the crowd sat the Count of the Ragaltha family, a wealthy but foolish man. He had always believed that money could solve any problem. In the world of merchants and business, he was right—wealth had always been his answer. But today was different. Today, he was just another spectator, stunned like the rest. Yet, a fool remained a fool. With his long, curly mustache and an appearance reminiscent of a circus clown, he suddenly shot to his feet, his voice shrill with hysteria.

"Demon! He is a demon! Your Majesty, your son is a demon! Kill him for the sake of justice!"

And just like that, the silence shattered.

A murmur spread through the crowd, growing into a deafening roar.

"Demon! Kill him!"

The scene was akin to an uprising.

Alex stood amidst the chaos, unmoved. Slowly, he raised his hands, turning them at a hundred-and-eighty-degree angle, his body trembling—not from fear, but from an intoxicating exhilaration. He closed his eyes, basking in the moment, and whispered to himself with a smirk.

"Finally, they call me a demon. Just add 'heavenly' to it. No… there's no need to rush. Next time, they'll add it themselves. Haha."

"How shameless can he be?! Posing like that after murdering someone? Kill him, Majesty!"

The hall erupted once more. But then—

Silence.

A silence so absolute, it felt unnatural.

The voices had vanished. The hatred, the shouting, the chaos—it was all gone.

Alex blinked, his brows furrowing. What happened?

And then, he saw her.

His mother stood before him, tears welling in her eyes. She looked at him with an expression he had never seen before—grief, sorrow, and something deeper… something painful.

"Mother, did you see? I won—"

A sharp slap cut him off.

Her hand trembled, her voice shaking. "Do you have any idea how terrified I was? If something had happened to you, what would I do? Where would I go? You are the only one I have left! Have you ever thought about me?" Her voice cracked. "I don't care about the royal hall. I don't care about any of this. I just want you safe, my son."

She pulled him into her arms.

Alex felt something wet on his cheek. He blinked. Tears?

Am I… crying? The Heavenly Demon, Feng Cheon, is crying over a mere slap?

How pathetic.

And yet—why?

Why was he not angry at her?

Why did it feel like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders?

Why did it feel like, for the first time, he could rest?

He searched his memories—his past life, his countless reincarnations. Had he ever felt this before?

No. Not once.

He had watched love from afar, like an outsider peering through a window. But this… this was different.

"So this is… a mother's love."

Darkness overtook him. He collapsed into her embrace.

Alex! Alex, are you okay?!"

His mother's panicked voice rang in his ears. She carried him in her arms, running toward the infirmary. No one dared stop her. Only the head maid followed closely behind.

The Prime Minister and the First Queen sat frozen, their plans shattered beyond repair.

And then—

The king spoke.

For the first time since the duel, his voice rang out, filled with unmasked fury.

"Anyone who dared call my son a demon—anyone who questioned the rules of the duel—will be punished. Leave. Now. Before I lose my temper."

His piercing gaze fell on the Prime Minister.

"Orcas, I will speak with you personally after I see my son."

The hall emptied within seconds.

When Alex opened his eyes, he found himself in a small room. The bed beneath him was cold steel.

He groaned, rubbing his head. "Where am I…? Ugh, my back hurts."

A presence stirred beside him.

The king.

He sat there, watching Alex in silence before finally speaking.

"How are you feeling?"

Alex frowned. It was the first time his father had spoken to him. This was not the same man he had seen at the training hall. There, he had been a ruler. Here, he was something else.

"You've grown strong," the king said, his voice softer than before. "I don't think I need to protect you anymore—from your stepmother or the Prime Minister."

Alex narrowed his eyes, holding back his emotions, but still… he couldn't help but stare at his father in slight awe.

The king sighed. "I know I have no right to speak to you like this. But for your mother's sake, you need to know the truth."

Their conversation lasted for an hour.

When the king finally stood to leave, his gaze landed on a woman waiting outside the door.

The Second Queen.

He opened his mouth to speak—but no words came.

Years of silence. Years of mistakes. He had so much to say, and yet, he could say nothing.

Alex, my son, are you awake?"

His mother entered the room, her voice filled with warmth.

Alex gave her a small smile.

She asked endless questions, scolding him all the while. An hour passed before she finally calmed down. That was when Alex brought up the conversation with his father.

"Mother, the shameless king wants me to go with him to train at the royal palace. He said he'd arrange the best teacher in the kingdom for me."

He expected her to refuse.

This was the woman who couldn't bear to be apart from him for even a few seconds. How could she possibly let him leave for a whole month and twenty days?

But she only smiled gently. "You can go."

Alex stared at her, stunned. "What?"

"I will talk to him. Don't worry about me. Besides, you will be going to the academy soon—I need to get used to being without you."

His heart sank. He knew this was the right decision, yet—

"Mother, you're becoming too pensive! I don't want to go with the shameless king! Please, I don't want to!"

He pouted, looking as helpless and adorable as he could manage. But his mother didn't budge.

And then—

Smack.

"Ow! Why did you hit me?!"

"Don't call your father shameless!"

Alex groaned, rubbing his head. "Ugh… how am I supposed to deal with this?"