IS 99
Chapter 478: Madeleina
The crackling fire in the chamber felt distant, swallowed by the weight of silence. The shattered remains of the chair's armrest crumbled between Duke Thaddeus' fingers, yet he did not move. Did not speak.
Aeliana's words had struck.
More than anything before—more than her sharp defiance, more than her return from the abyss, more than the sea's impossible silence—this.
This was what threatened to break his control.
His most trusted aide.
His handpicked guardian.
The woman he had entrusted with Aeliana's life—had been the very one to betray her.
Madeleina.
The weight of that name burned in his mind.
Aeliana's smirk did not falter. If anything, it deepened, watching her father with unrestrained satisfaction.
He was furious.
She could see it.
The barely contained rage.
The way his mana flickered, unseen but undeniable. The way his shoulders squared, the way his fingers—normally controlled, composed—tightened until his knuckles turned white.
And yet, he said nothing.
Not yet.
Because he had to process it.
Had to sift through every moment, every interaction, every lie he had swallowed.
Aeliana knew it the moment she saw the flicker in his golden eyes. The realization.
She didn't even have to say it.
He had been deceived.
And he hated it.
"Are you hesitating now?"
Her voice was light, but the meaning beneath it was razor-sharp.
"You'll believe some random woman's words over your own child?"
The accusation landed.
Duke Thaddeus' jaw clenched, his teeth grinding together just slightly before he forced himself to exhale. His rage needed containment. Needed direction.
Aeliana tilted her head, amusement flickering behind her eyes.
"How amusing."
The words were mocking.
Too mocking.
And that was the moment he snapped.
Not physically—not yet.
But the air cracked.
His mana, usually controlled, usually honed into something sharp and disciplined, lashed out.
The very air in the chamber grew heavy.
The room dimmed.
Aeliana's smirk faltered just slightly, feeling the weight of it press against her bones.
But she didn't cower.
She held his gaze.
Because this was her moment.
And she had spent too many years waiting for it.
"You…" His voice was quiet.
But dangerous.
The word barely left his lips, yet it carried the weight of a storm.
"Do you know what you are saying?"
Aeliana leaned forward slightly, placing her hands on her knees, her amber eyes shining.
"Of course I do."
A pause.
A silence too thick.
Then, she added—softly, but deliberately.
"The real question is…will?" Aeliana stopped for a second. "Will your pride allow you to admit that?"
Duke Thaddeus inhaled sharply, his shoulders rising, his chest expanding as if preparing to withstand the weight of something far heavier than mere words.
Because she was right.
Aeliana was right.
It wasn't just about betrayal.
It wasn't just about the consequences.
It was about him.
His pride.
His refusal to accept that he had been deceived.
That he—Duke Thaddeus of the Eastern Seas, a man who had spent his life standing above deception, reading through facades, seeing everything—had failed.
That he had failed to see through Madeleina.
That he had nearly lost his daughter because of it.
The weight of that realization pressed against his ribs, suffocating.
The rage that had been clawing at his insides, demanding to be unleashed, now coiled, twisting into something far worse.
Cold fury.
Not the hot, reckless kind.
But the kind that lingered.
The kind that waited.
The kind that destroyed completely.
And still—he hesitated.
Not because he doubted Aeliana's words.
Not because he refused to acknowledge reality.
But because admitting this?
Admitting that he was wrong?
That meant looking at himself.
That meant recognizing that, despite all his control, despite all his caution—he had failed.
And failure was something Duke Thaddeus did not tolerate.
Especially his own.
Aeliana's gaze did not waver.
She had given him the truth.
She had thrown it at his feet, waiting to see if he would step forward—or turn away.
And so—he made his choice.
His hand rose.
The movement was slow, deliberate—his fingers uncurling, his palm facing upward.
A breath.
A decision.
"I believe in you."
His voice was quiet, but absolute.
The tension in the air shifted.
Aeliana's eyes widened—just slightly, almost imperceptibly, but he caught it.
The momentary flicker of surprise.
Because she hadn't expected him to say it.
Not so easily.
Not so willingly.
Her lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to say something—but nothing came.
For the first time since she returned, Aeliana was silent.
Because despite everything—despite her anger, her bitterness, her wounds—this was the one thing she had always wanted to hear.
Her father's trust.
Duke Thaddeus lowered his hand, his golden eyes unwavering.
'If I can't believe in my own daughter,' he said quietly.
'Who else can I believe in?'
Aeliana exhaled softly, her lips parting as if she wanted to say something—but instead, she let out a quiet sigh.
She did not thank him.
She did not acknowledge his words beyond what was already spoken.
But her shoulders loosened, just slightly.
And Duke Thaddeus, for all his sharp intuition, knew that for now—that was enough.
Just then—
A knock echoed through the chamber.
The moment shattered.
Aeliana straightened, and Thaddeus' gaze flickered toward the door as a voice carried through the heavy wood.
"Your Grace, Mister Luca is here."
Aeliana's brows furrowed slightly, while Thaddeus simply exhaled, expression unreadable.
The door opened.
And there he stood.
Luca entered the chamber, presentable this time. No longer dressed in tattered clothes stained with sea salt and battle, but in clean, well-fitted attire that—while still simple—suited him surprisingly well.
Yet, despite his improved appearance, one thing remained unchanged.
That damn smile.
The same one that held an air of amusement, as if the world was merely something to be observed, not participated in.
His dark eyes flickered between father and daughter, taking in the lingering tension in the air.
And then, with an effortless ease, he spoke.
"You called me, Mister Duke. But, I hope I am not interrupting your father-and-daughter time."
Aeliana clicked her tongue.
The Duke, however, did not react.
He simply turned to the maid, ignoring the boy's obvious rudeness.
"Call Madeleina here."
But before the maid could take a single step—
A voice, smooth and composed, cut through the room.
"No need. I am here."
Aeliana stiffened.
Luca raised a brow.
Duke Thaddeus slowly turned his head.
And there, standing at the threshold of the chamber, was Madeleina.
The chamber felt heavier the moment Madeleina stepped inside.
She was composed, as always. Her posture perfect, her expression calm, her uniform pristine. There was no fear in her stance, no hesitation in her steps. If she felt the weight of the accusations hanging in the air, she did not show it.
Duke Thaddeus' golden eyes narrowed.
Aeliana, however—
Her entire body stiffened, her fingers twitching at her sides as her aura surged.
The flickering candlelight trembled. The air around her shifted, unseen energy pressing outward, sharp and raw.
Madeleina met her gaze evenly.
For a long moment, neither of them spoke.
Then—
"You."
The single word dripped with venom.
Aeliana did not wait.
In the blink of an eye, she moved.
The very floor beneath her cracked as she stepped forward, fast, too fast for any hesitation, too fast for anything but pure, unfiltered fury.
Her amber eyes burned.
But before she could take another step—
"Aeliana."
Her father's voice.
Not loud. Not harsh.
But absolute.
Aeliana froze, her breath heavy, her hands clenched into fists. Her aura still pulsed, still threatened to lash out, but she did not move further.
Madeleina did not flinch.
She merely turned her head slightly, her eyes momentarily flickering toward Thaddeus before settling back on Aeliana.
"You have returned stronger than I expected," she mused, her tone measured, as if they were discussing something mundane. "That is good."
Aeliana's fingers twitched.
"Spare me your pleasantries," she hissed.
Madeleina exhaled, tilting her head slightly, her silver-blue eyes cool. "I did not come here to exchange pleasantries."
Aeliana bristled, her mana pulsing again, more erratic this time.
"You—!"
"Aeliana."
Her father's voice once again cut through the tension, this time sharper.
She snapped her head toward him, her expression livid. "You expect me to—!"
"Stand down."
His command was firm.
Aeliana's nails dug into her palms, her teeth gritted.
But she did not move.
Not yet.
The maid standing at the door trembled slightly, looking between them, unsure if she should remain.
Thaddeus spared her a glance.
"You are dismissed."
The words carried no room for argument.
The maid nodded quickly, stepping back, closing the heavy door behind her as she fled from the suffocating tension that remained.
Silence.
Then, at last—
Thaddeus turned his attention fully to Madeleina.
His golden gaze burned with quiet fury.
"Why did you do it?"
He wanted to know.
Chapter 479: Madeleina (2)
Madeleina raised her head.
Her silver-blue eyes met Duke Thaddeus' unwavering gaze, steady, unflinching.
She did not lower herself in submission.
She did not avert her gaze in guilt.
Because she was not guilty.
"Why did I do that?"
She repeated his question—not as a stall, not as deflection, but because she wanted to understand.
Understand what, exactly, he was asking.
Did he want her to say it outright? Did he want her to explain every thought, every decision, as if he was some ignorant child who could not comprehend the truth before him?
As if he had not felt it himself all these years?
She did not waver.
"Yes."
His voice was cold, sharpened into something far more dangerous than open rage.
"Why did you betray me?"
A lesser woman would have flinched.
But Madeleina?
She did not even blink.
i
Because she hadn't.
Not once.
Not in all these years.
Not in anything she had done.
Betrayal? That was an act of selfishness. An act of personal ambition, of treachery, of seeking something for oneself at the expense of another.
But everything she had done—every decision, every step, every action—had been for him.
For the Dukedom.
For the legacy that he carried.
And yet, here he stood, questioning her.
As if she had done something unthinkable.
As if she had wronged him.
Did he truly not see?
Did he truly not understand?
Her fingers curled slightly at her sides. Not in hesitation. Not in fear.
But in something far deeper.
Something bordering on… disappointment.
How could he be so blind?
But then, wasn't that always the case?
Hadn't he always been blind when it came to her?
Lady Aeliana.
The frail, sickly girl who had chained him.
The child who had bound him with grief, with stagnation, with a sorrow so deep that it had nearly consumed him.
Madeleina had watched it.
She had lived through it.
She had seen how Aeliana had turned this grand Duchy into a tomb.
How her presence had darkened the halls, how her illness had sucked the life from the very air they breathed.
And the Duke—her Duke—had let it happen.
He had allowed himself to be devoured by guilt. By loss. By the weight of a love that had done nothing but cripple him.
It had weakened him.
Kept him stagnant.
Aeliana had been eating him alive.
And she—Madeleina—had done what was necessary.
What no one else had the strength to do.
What he had refused to do.
She had removed the weakness.
She had ensured that Duke Thaddeus Vermillion—the man destined for greatness—would no longer be shackled by the past.
She had freed him.
So, no.
She had not betrayed him.
She had served him.
As she always had.
As she always would.
Aeliana's body tensed, her nails biting into her palms, her breath coming sharp and ragged. And then—
"I did not betray you? You bitch! How dare you say that after pushing me down!"
The words tore from her throat, raw and venomous, seething with the rage that had been caged for far too long.
The chamber, already heavy with tension, cracked beneath the weight of her fury.
Her father stiffened, just slightly. The maids outside, if they were listening, would no doubt pale at the language that had left her lips—language unbecoming of a Duke's daughter.
But Aeliana did not care.
Did not care for dignity. For composure. For the expectations of noble blood.
Not now.
Not when the very woman who had tried to end her had the audacity to stand before them all and justify it.
But Madeleina…
She did not flinch.
She did not even blink.
Her gaze remained unwavering, unshaken, as if Aeliana's outburst meant nothing at all.
"I did not betray the Duke," Madeleina said, voice smooth, measured. "Nor the Dukedom. Everything that I have done is for the sake of the Duchy."
The room went silent.
Aeliana's breath hitched, her fingers twitching at her sides, but before she could spit another curse, her father moved.
Duke Thaddeus narrowed his eyes.
"What do you mean by that?"
There it was.
That measured, composed tone. That careful restraint. The way he held himself in the face of betrayal, in the face of emotions that should have shattered lesser men.
It was that very strength that had once drawn Madeleina to him.
And yet—
Now, it infuriated her.
Because he still didn't see it.
He still didn't understand.
Everything she had done. Every sacrifice. Every calculated step.
She clenched her hands at her sides, feeling her pulse hammering beneath her skin.
This was it.
This was her moment to make him see.
To explain.
To finally lay it bare, to make him understand why it had been necessary.
Her lips parted.
"I—"
But then—
Another voice.
Smooth. Lazy. Infuriatingly amused.
"I did it because Lady Aeliana was just…"
Madeleina's breath caught.
Aeliana stiffened.
Duke Thaddeus' gaze flickered, unreadable.
Lucavion leaned against the chair he had been occupying, arms crossed over his chest, his dark eyes gleaming with something far too knowing.
"…pandering off, exploiting, or drying—whichever word you prefer."
He smirked.
"She was damaging both the Duke and the Duchy."
Silence.
Thick. Suffocating.
"This was what you were going to say, isn't that right?"
He dropped the bomb.
*******
A theater.
That was what this was.
A grand, tragic play unfolding before my very eyes, with every actor playing their role to perfection.
Madeleina, standing tall, unwavering, her silver-blue eyes burning—not with guilt, not with shame, but with desire.
Not for redemption.
Not for forgiveness.
But for him.
For Duke Thaddeus.
Even now, even after her betrayal had been dragged into the open, after Aeliana had screamed her fury for the entire mansion to hear, there was no regret in her.
Only conviction.
Only certainty.
And Aeliana?
Ah.
Aeliana's gaze turned toward me, wide and burning, her hands trembling at her sides. Not with fear. Not with weakness.
But with anger.
Raw, unfiltered hatred.
And the Duke?
His golden eyes, sharp as a blade, flicked toward me at last.
"You," he said, his voice low, simmering with restrained fury.
The weight of his gaze was heavy, pressing, but I did not shrink beneath it.
Instead, I tilted my head slightly, watching him, watching them all, utterly amused by the chaos unraveling before me.
"I have tolerated you long enough."
A strong statement.
A final warning.
A lesser man might have faltered. Might have lowered his head in submission. Might have stepped back and let the drama unfold without another word.
But me?
Ah.
How could I possibly stop now?
I exhaled lightly, shaking my head as I leaned just a little further into the chair, my arms still crossed, my smirk widening ever so slightly.
"I'm sorry for interrupting, Your Grace..." I murmured, voice slow, deliberate, edged with amusement. "But I simply couldn't hold myself back when I saw something like this."
I let my eyes drift over the three of them—Madeleina, Aeliana, the Duke—taking in the emotions crackling between them like a storm about to break.
"It reminded me of something," I continued, voice almost thoughtful now. "Something from the past."
Because it did.
This entire scene—this heavy air, this unspoken war of justifications and betrayals, of loyalty twisted into something unrecognizable—
It reminded me of someone.
Someone I had left behind.
Someone I would never be able to forget.
"Right."
And as that thought settled in my mind, I couldn't help it.
Chapter 480: Madeleina (3)
I let the moment linger.
The weight of it.
The tension that crackled in the air, thick as a storm waiting to break.
Then, slowly, I turned my gaze back to the Duke, meeting his golden eyes without the slightest hesitation. There was fury in them, tightly leashed, restrained only by the discipline of a man who had spent years mastering control.
And then—
I turned to her.
To Madeleina.
She had not moved. Not an inch. But I could see it.
The way her fingers curled slightly against the fabric of her dress. The way her breath remained measured, too carefully even. The way her gaze locked onto me, unwavering, but no longer out of pure defiance.
There was something else.
Something simmering just beneath the surface.
I smirked.
"Tell me if I'm wrong," I said, my voice smooth, even, yet carrying a quiet edge beneath it. "But what you truly wanted wasn't just to remove Aeliana. No—" I tilted my head, studying her, savoring the way she watched me now, "—you wanted to be seen."
Silence.
Not a flicker of reaction.
Not a single word.
But silence is an answer, isn't it?
A moment passed. Then another.
And then—
"…What of it?"
Her voice was quiet. Not weak. Never weak.
But there was something in it that wasn't there before.
A shift.
An acknowledgment.
A challenge, even.
I chuckled, shaking my head.
I turned my gaze back to the Duke, my smirk lingering as I exhaled lightly.
"You see, Your Grace," I murmured, my voice laced with something dangerously close to amusement, "that's the problem with people like her."
The Duke's golden eyes flickered, his jaw tightening just slightly, but he said nothing.
So I continued.
"Even now," I said, tilting my head toward Madeleina, "she still doesn't believe she's done anything wrong."
The words fell like a stone into the heavy silence.
And then, slowly, the Duke turned to her.
His gaze bore into her, searching for something—an answer, a denial, anything.
"Is that really true?" His voice was quieter now, but it had lost none of its edge. "Did you really think of my daughter like that?"
******
For the first time, Madeleina's breath faltered.
Just for a fraction of a second.
Then—she inhaled, steadying herself, and raised her chin ever so slightly.
Aeliana's hands clenched into fists at her sides, her shoulders taut, her entire body brimming with rage she had barely contained up until now.
The silence stretched, thick and suffocating, but Madeleina did not lower her gaze.
She could feel the weight of Duke Thaddeus' stare, feel Aeliana's fury burning into her skin, feel the way that wretched man—Lucavion—watched her, his gaze sharp and prying, like he was enjoying the unraveling of everything.
But she did not waver.
Instead, she straightened, inhaling slowly, deliberately, and then—she spoke.
"I will not deny it."
Her voice was steady. Clear.
"Lady Aeliana was the one holding you back."
The words fell like a dagger, sharp, precise, slicing into the tension with cold efficiency.
Aeliana's shoulders stiffened, her breath sharp, her teeth grinding together. But she said nothing.
So Madeleina continued.
*"She has always been a weight around your neck. A weakness that the world saw, a burden that drained you—that drained the Duchy."
She did not stop, did not let the anger in the room intimidate her.
"The illness that plagued her, the pity she invoked, the stagnation she caused—"
She turned slightly toward the Duke, her gaze burning now, not with defiance, but with something deeper.
"Do you think I did not see it? That I did not feel it?"
Her fingers curled slightly at her sides.
"Every time you sat outside her chamber, refusing to leave. Every time you turned away from matters of state, from opportunities, from everything, just to watch over her."
Her voice grew sharper, more insistent.
"Do you think I did not notice how much of yourself you lost? How much of the great man you once were withered because of her?"
Aeliana exhaled harshly through her nose, her nostrils flaring, but she still did not move.
Not yet.
"And what did she do?"
Madeleina's eyes flickered toward Aeliana now, her gaze as piercing as steel.
"She took from you. She drained you. She kept you from reaching the heights you were meant for."
She lifted her chin slightly.
"So, yes. I did what was necessary."
And then—
Pain.
Sharp. Immediate.
She barely flinched.
But she felt it.
Aeliana's nails.
Piercing into the skin of her wrist.
Tearing into flesh.
For a single moment, the pain lanced through her, hot and vivid.
Aeliana's fingers clenched tighter, her nails digging in further, and yet—she still said nothing.
Nothing at all.
And for that reason, Madeleina felt something cold settle in her chest.
Satisfaction.
She knew.
She knew this silence meant something.
That it meant she was right.
If Aeliana had truly believed she was wrong, she would have screamed. She would have cursed, would have struck her, would have done anything but remain silent.
But she didn't.
Because some part of her—some deep, buried part—understood the truth in her words.
So Madeleina did not stop.
She would not stop.
"This Duchy suffered under your presence, Lady Aeliana."
She did not falter, even as blood trickled from where Aeliana's nails cut into her skin.
"And I did what was needed to save it."
SLAP!
The sound rang through the chamber like a thunderclap, shattering the suffocating silence.
The impact sent Madeleina's head snapping to the side, the force of it leaving her momentarily stunned. Her vision blurred for a fraction of a second, her breath catching in her throat.
Then—
"Ah…"
Her fingers slowly rose to her cheek, trembling slightly as they met the burning heat blooming across her skin.
A deep, red mark was already forming.
And standing before her—
Duke Thaddeus.
His golden eyes blazed with something far beyond fury.
Disgust.
Disbelief.
Betrayal.
Madeleina's breath hitched.
She knew the Duke's strength. If he had truly struck her without restraint, she would have been dead before she hit the floor.
But he hadn't.
He had held back.
And somehow—somehow—that made it worse.
His hand was still raised, shaking. His fingers curled slightly, as if restraining himself from delivering another blow.
His chest rose and fell with the weight of his emotions, barely contained, barely restrained.
"What…"
His voice wavered. Not with weakness—but with something far more dangerous.
With something broken.
"What made you think that you have the right to do something like this?"
Madeleina's lips parted, but no words came out.
She could only stare at him.
At the man she had devoted everything to.
The man she had served.
"Did you really think removing my daughter from my life would solve things?"
His voice was sharp now, cutting through the room like a blade.
"Do you think I would be happier if the only one in my family was gone?"
A breath.
A step closer.
"Is that what you thought?"
His words hung in the air, heavy, suffocating.
Madeleina inhaled shakily.
This wasn't how it was supposed to go.
He was supposed to understand.
He was supposed to see.
Not look at her like this.
Not with those eyes.
Not like she was nothing.
Madeleina's breath came sharp and uneven.
Her cheek burned, but the pain was nothing compared to the fire searing through her chest.
She had expected anger. Expected punishment.
But this?
This disgust?
This betrayal?
Her fingers curled into fists, her nails digging into her palms, shaking with something—not fear.
No.
Rage.
Why don't you understand?
The thought screamed in her mind, echoing, clawing, ripping through her restraint.
Her vision swam, but not with tears.
With frustration.
With agony.
Why don't you see it?
"Don't you see that I'm the one who cared about you?!"
Chapter 481: Madeleina (4)
"Don't you see that I'm the one who cared about you?!"
The words tore from her throat, raw and trembling, cracking under the weight of everything she had buried for years.
Her voice—usually measured, controlled—was wild now, hysterical.
"I was the one who stayed!" she cried, her body trembling as she stepped closer. "I was the one who watched over you! I was the one who made sure you were never alone!"
Her breath hitched, her heart pounding against her ribs like it wanted to tear free.
"And her? What did she ever do? She just took! Took and took and took—until there was nothing left of you!"
Her silver-blue eyes burned with something desperate, something dangerous.
Madeleina's breath came out in ragged gasps, her entire body trembling as the dam inside her shattered completely.
There was no composure left.
No grace.
No carefully measured words.
Only raw, unfiltered rage.
"She used you!" she shrieked, her voice breaking as she stepped closer, her silver-blue eyes wild. "She used her illness as a privilege! As a barrier! And you—" she let out a sharp, bitter laugh, "you let her!"
Her breath hitched, her vision swimming.
"She took and took and took! And no one could say anything, no one could stop it, because poor, sickly, fragile Lady Aeliana had to be protected!"
Her spit flew from her lips, but she didn't care.
Didn't care that her hair clung to her face, damp with sweat.
Didn't care that her voice had lost its elegance, that it cracked with every word.
Didn't care that she must have looked utterly pathetic.
Because what did it matter?
What did anything matter, when he still didn't see it?
"And you still don't see it?!"
Her chest heaved, her throat raw from screaming.
"And you still think if she continued to live, you would have been happier?"
Her hands shook violently at her sides, her nails digging into her palms so hard she thought she might bleed.
"If she had lived, Duke—" her voice wavered, but she forced the words out anyway, "you would have never—never—been free!"
Her breath came out in a shudder, her head spinning.
She was ugly now.
Messy.
Ruined.
And she didn't care.
Not anymore.
The chamber was silent.
Heavy.
Suffocating.
Madeleina's ragged breaths were the only sound, her chest rising and falling unevenly, her hands still trembling at her sides.
And yet—
Neither Duke Thaddeus nor Aeliana spoke.
They stood frozen, their gazes unsteady, their bodies shaky.
Even Aeliana—who had been seething with rage, who had lunged at her, who had dug her nails into her skin—now looked uncertain.
Like, for a fleeting moment, some part of her had been struck by Madeleina's words.
"….."
Still, they said nothing.
Madeleina swallowed, her throat raw, her entire body shaking.
And then—
"I just wanted you to be free."
Her voice cracked as she spoke.
"That's it."
That was all.
Everything she had done—every step, every choice, every betrayal—had been for him.
For the man she had watched suffer. For the man who had buried himself in grief, in duty, in chains of his own making.
She had only wanted to set him free.
To give him back the future he deserved.
That was all.
That was all.
And then—
"Bullshit."
The word cut through the silence like a knife.
Cold. Unforgiving.
Madeleina's breath hitched.
Slowly, she turned her head.
And there he was.
Luca.
His black eyes locked onto hers.
But this time—
They weren't playful.
They weren't amused.
They weren't watching her like a spectator enjoying a show.
They were cold.
Cold in a way that made something deep in her chest twist.
None of those reasons are correct.
He hadn't spoken yet, but she felt the words in the way he looked at her.
Then—
"You did not do any of this out of selflessness," Luca said, his voice steady, unwavering. "It was your own greed."
A sharp breath caught in her throat.
But before she could speak, before she could even gather her thoughts, he continued.
"You couldn't stand her, could you?" His tone was almost clinical, like he was dissecting her, laying her open piece by piece. "Not just Aeliana—but her mother as well. From the moment you entered these halls, from the moment you devoted yourself to the Duke, you hated them."
Madeleina's body tensed.
Wrong.
He was wrong.
But Luca—he wasn't looking for her response. He wasn't waiting for her denial.
Because he already knew.
"You couldn't understand it," he said, voice dropping lower, sharper. "How someone like her—fragile, passive, never lifting a single finger—was the center of everything. How she could do nothing and still hold all of his attention, all of his care, all of his love."
Each word was a hammer against her skull, driving into the thoughts she had buried deep.
"You—" he pointed at her now, his finger extending toward her heart, pressing directly against the fabric over her blossom.
Madeleina flinched.
Not from pain.
But because it felt like he had reached inside her.
His touch was nothing. Just a finger. Just pressure against fabric.
And yet—
Her pulse pounded against it like a trapped bird.
"You, who have never felt the loss of someone you wanted to save—" Luca's voice did not waver, did not soften. "You, who have never had to stand over a dying body and know that no matter what you did, no matter what you gave, you could never take their place—"
The words struck like a whip.
He leaned in slightly, eyes never leaving hers.
"You couldn't understand."
Madeleina's breath came shallow, uneven.
She wanted to speak. She wanted to push him away, to tell him that he was wrong, that he didn't know anything.
But she couldn't.
Because his words kept coming.
"You thought that with Aeliana gone," Luca continued, "you would be the one consoling the Duke."
Her nails bit into her palms.
"You would be the one bandaging his wounds."
Her throat clenched.
"And in the process—" his voice softened, just slightly, but the force behind it did not wane, "you would overwrite everything."
Luca tilted his head slightly, watching her now with something like understanding.
Not sympathy.
Not pity.
Understanding.
Because he had seen people like her before.
"You only wanted to make everything about yourself."
The words were soft. Almost gentle.
And somehow, that made them even crueler.
"Anything wrong with what I said?"
As she heard this she couldn't say anything.
Since she could feel it.
The truth in his words.
It coiled around her, thick and suffocating, wrapping itself around her ribs, around her throat, digging in.
Madeleina's lips parted, but no sound came out.
Nothing.
Not a single word.
Because what could she say?
"That's not true?"
But it was.
"I didn't want that?"
But she did.
Luca smiled.
Not his usual smirk, not that playful amusement he always carried like an afterthought.
This was something else.
Sharper.
Colder.
"See." His voice was quiet, but it carried through the room, filling every corner. "Even you know that my words are correct."
The chamber seemed smaller now.
The walls closer.
The air tighter.
Madeleina's breath came shallow, rapid, her fingers twitching at her sides.
Because he had said it.
He had laid her bare.
He had taken everything she thought she had justified, every noble reason she had convinced herself of, every truth she had built her world upon—
And he had torn it apart.
Reduced it to greed.
To jealousy.
To something selfish.
Her head spun.
She wanted to deny it.
Wanted to scream. Wanted to tear him apart for looking at her like that, for speaking like he had reached inside her and dragged her soul out into the open.
But she couldn't.
Because there was nothing left to say.
Nothing left to fight back with.
"I see…."
And the Duke finally spoke.
Chapter 482: Don't anger a Father
Duke Thaddeus exhaled. Slowly. Controlled. The weight of the moment pressing deep into his chest.
For too long, he had been silent.
Stunned.
Madeleina's words had been a dagger—one aimed at everything he had once believed, at everything he had dedicated himself to.
But it was Luca's words—that damned boy's words—that had finally shattered the haze clouding his mind.
He could see it now. Clearly.
He turned his gaze to Aeliana.
Her hands were still clenched at her sides, her fingers still stained with blood—Madeleina's blood. But it wasn't just rage that burned in her amber eyes.
It was something far deeper.
Something close to grief.
She had always known she was seen as a burden. Always. But to hear it spoken so plainly, to hear it from someone who had been so close to her father—
That was something else entirely.
Thaddeus let his golden gaze linger on her for a moment before speaking.
"This whole situation is because of me," he said, his voice quiet but absolute.
Madeleina's breath hitched.
Luca tilted his head, intrigued.
Aeliana's fists tightened.
"Because of my negligence," Thaddeus continued, his jaw tensing. "And because of my lack of understanding of my subordinates."
Madeleina flinched.
Luca, however—
"Heh."
A snicker.
A sharp, unapologetic sound that cut through the heavy silence like a blade.
Thaddeus' golden eyes snapped to him, sharp as a predator's.
Luca grinned.
But for once, there was no amusement in his expression.
"Nothing," he mused, waving a hand lazily. "It's just… nice to hear you say it out loud, Mister Duke."
Thaddeus' glare sharpened, but he did not acknowledge the boy further.
Because he was right.
Admitting his own failings was not the important matter at hand.
The one most affected was not him.
His gaze shifted once more.
"Aeliana."
She lifted her head, her breathing steady but uneven, her fury still simmering just beneath the surface.
"You will be the one deciding her fate."
The words settled into the chamber, pressing against the walls like an unspoken decree.
Madeleina froze.
Her silver-blue eyes widened just slightly before narrowing once more.
Aeliana's lips parted slightly.
"You mean…" she began, but Thaddeus did not let her finish.
"You decide," he stated firmly. "What happens to her now is in your hands."
Aeliana inhaled sharply, her mind racing.
Madeleina. The woman who had betrayed her. The woman who had tried to erase her. The woman who had pushed her into the abyss.
She had every reason to want her gone.
And yet—
Something gnawed at her.
Something she did not yet understand.
She glanced at her father once more, searching his face for any hint of what he wanted her to do.
But Thaddeus was silent.
Expression unreadable.
It was her choice.
And that…
That made it all the more difficult.
The chamber remained thick with silence—until Thaddeus straightened slightly, his tone shifting.
"Until then."
He turned away from Aeliana, his gaze flickering toward the entrance of the chamber.
"Edric."
At once, the heavy door creaked open.
A knight stepped forward, his armor gleaming in the dim firelight. His stance was firm, disciplined—the very embodiment of Duke Thaddeus' authority.
"My Lord."
"Take her to the lower dungeons," Thaddeus ordered, his voice steady, absolute. "She is to be treated as a criminal until my daughter's judgment is made."
Madeleina did not struggle.
Did not resist.
Her body remained stiff, her expression carefully measured, but there was no fight left in her.
Perhaps there had never been.
She had known. From the moment the truth had been laid bare, from the moment he had looked at her like that, like she was nothing more than a stain to be scrubbed away—
She had known.
And so, when the knight's grip tightened around her arm, she simply exhaled softly and spoke, her voice composed, unwavering.
"I can move on my own."
The knight hesitated for only a second before nodding and releasing her arm.
She turned without another word, her steps measured as she strode toward the door.
No parting remark. No desperate attempt to plead her case.
She left in silence.
And that—
That was what made it feel so final.
The heavy doors closed behind her with a resounding thud, and the room was once again reduced to just three.
Silence settled once more, but it was not the same as before.
This silence was thick, suffocating.
Aeliana stood rigid, her hands still trembling at her sides, her jaw tight.
She wanted to kill Madeleina.
Thaddeus could see it—clearly.
The way her aura still pulsed faintly, as if barely restrained. The way her breath came just a little too fast. The way her fingers twitched, itching for something more than just words.
And yet—
She had hesitated.
Why?
Was it doubt? Was it restraint?
No.
It was something more complicated.
Something she herself did not yet understand.
But for now, it did not matter.
Thaddeus turned, his golden gaze shifting—
To the boy.
The one called Luca.
The child.
His expression darkened, his jaw tensing as he studied him.
This kid…
What the hell was that?
The way he had spoken. The way he had torn into Madeleina's soul with nothing but words.
It had not been simple deduction. Not mere analysis.
No.
That had been personal.
The way he had twisted the knife—speaking as if he knew exactly what lay at the bottom of her thoughts, as if he had seen people like her before.
As if he had lived it.
Luca, for his part, did not flinch beneath the Duke's stare.
If anything, he smirked.
Thaddeus felt his irritation spike.
This damn kid.
But there were more pressing matters to deal with.
Even though Madeleina had come and caused a scene, even though the chamber had turned into something far messier than he had anticipated—
There was still a reason he had called both Aeliana and this young man here.
His golden eyes flickered to his daughter.
And then back to Luca.
The vortex.
That was what mattered now.
He exhaled slowly, straightening. His voice, when he spoke, was cold and precise.
"Enough of this nonsense."
The amusement flickering in Luca's dark eyes did not fade.
But Thaddeus ignored it.
His gaze settled on Aeliana now, and when he spoke, his words were deliberate.
"Tell me everything."
His eyes flickered to Luca once more.
"Both of you."
His voice dropped slightly, his words sharpening.
"What happened after you were swallowed by the vortex?"
*****
Lucavion smiled.
It was not a grin. Not a smirk laced with mischief.
No.
It was a measured, deliberate smile—the kind that came when the pieces of a puzzle began to align in his favor.
Duke Thaddeus' words had been directed at both of them, but Aeliana—ah, poor, shaken Aeliana—was still caught in the storm of her own emotions. That meant, naturally, that all eyes had fallen on him. And Lucavion?
Well, he would never waste such an opportunity.
"After I was swallowed by the vortex, I found myself in a different space," he began, his tone calm yet deliberate. He did not rush. Let them hang onto each word. Let the weight of the unknown settle.
"A different space?" The Duke's golden eyes narrowed.
Lucavion nodded. "Yes. A different space. The sky was unfamiliar. The mana alone was… different. Thicker. More chaotic." He exhaled, tilting his head slightly, as if recalling the sensation. "From that alone, I could tell—it wasn't just another location. It was a different world."
Silence. A heavy pause. Aeliana was still stiff beside him, her fists clenching at the mere reminder of what had happened. Thaddeus, though—he was absorbing, calculating.
Then, after a beat—
"...Then?" The Duke's voice was edged with restrained impatience. "How did you meet Aeliana?"
Lucavion hummed, glancing at the girl in question.
He saw her shoulders tense. The way her breath stilled.
He did not smile this time. Not yet.
"I found her while I was wandering," he said, his voice light, almost casual. "She was nearly on the verge of getting—" He paused. Purposefully. Letting the moment stretch. Letting the tension coil. "—assaulted by some monkeys."
The air in the chamber shifted.
Aeliana stiffened further.
Thaddeus—
"What?!"
His voice was sharp, a thunderous roar that echoed against the stone walls. His entire posture changed, his hands curling into fists at his sides. The temperature in the room seemed to drop.
Lucavion, entirely unfazed, merely sighed.
"Well, they're dead now." He flicked a hand, dismissive. "No need to get worked up, Dear Duke."
The older man's golden eyes burned, still locked onto him with the intensity of a predator scenting blood.
Lucavion met that gaze head-on.
Chapter 483: Don't anger a Father (2)
Ah.
There it is.
That shift in the air, the slow-burning rage seeping into the Duke's very presence. It was justified, of course. If Lucavion had a daughter—hypothetically speaking, of course; the thought alone was absurd—he imagined he wouldn't take kindly to hearing she had nearly been torn apart by some feral creatures in another world either.
But the way Thaddeus' jaw clenched, the sheer weight of his fury simmering just beneath the surface… it was fascinating.
Lucavion tilted his head slightly, observing, measuring.
'He cares for her. Deeply. Despite everything, despite the circumstances.'
'Interesting.'
Thaddeus exhaled sharply, forcing his composure back into place, though his golden eyes still gleamed with restrained ire. "Then what happened?"
Lucavion hummed. Now that was a question, wasn't it?
What happened?
It was nothing much.
"Since I had already figured out that it was this little veiled Lady who had been watching me from the ship," he said idly, "I decided to take care of her."
Aeliana inhaled sharply beside him, her entire frame going rigid.
'Oh? Did she think he wouldn't notice back then?'
'Cute.'
Duke Thaddeus' gaze sharpened further, golden irises narrowing into something near-piercing. "You knew who she was from the start?"
Lucavion let a small smirk curl at the edge of his lips. "Who knows?"
Aeliana turned to him, her expression unreadable—but he could feel the tension radiating from her, the realization clicking into place.
Ah. It must be unpleasant, being seen when you thought yourself hidden. But well, I had already hinted that from the start. No need to work up, Little Amber.
He turned his gaze back to Thaddeus, watching the Duke process the information.
"There aren't many ladies who cover themselves with a veil," Lucavion continued, voice smooth, deliberate. "And even fewer who carry such a unique aura." He let the words settle, the weight of them hanging in the space between them.
Thaddeus did not respond immediately. He was calculating, no doubt weighing the implications of Lucavion's words.
Lucavion could almost hear the thoughts running through the Duke's mind.
'This boy is too perceptive. But, how? Even if he is somehow aware of Aeliana's illness, how can he simply notice her this easily?'
Strange.
No—unnerving.
Duke Thaddeus studied the boy before him, his golden eyes narrowing ever so slightly. Lucavion was many things—sharp, calculating, far too composed for someone of his supposed background. But this…
This was different.
The fact that he had noticed Aeliana on the ship, the way he spoke of her aura with such certainty—most would never sense it, let alone identify it with such ease. And yet, Lucavion had. Effortlessly. Casually. As if it were the most natural thing in the world.
That was the first problem.
The second—
He had appeared out of nowhere.
A young man with no recorded history, no noble lineage to speak of, suddenly emerging with unnatural talent, wielding power unlike anything Thaddeus had seen before. A boy with a forged identity, seamlessly slipping into the capital's undercurrents as if he belonged there.
And then—
The vortex.
The anomaly that should have been an end. That should have devoured them both, erased them from existence. Instead, he had returned with Aeliana alive.
And then there was the power he had used…
That strange, blackened starlight. The moment it had flickered around Lucavion's body, the mana in the air had trembled. It was not an ordinary force.
No.
It was something far older. Far deeper.
And something about it—
That light… that energy… that sensation—
'Wait.'
The thought slammed into him with the force of a hammer.
'Starlight.'
The Duke's fingers twitched at his side, his composure wavering for the briefest of moments. He had dismissed it at first, his mind too preoccupied with Aeliana's safety. But now, standing here, watching the boy, recalling the exact moment that blackened light had flared—
It was familiar.
Too familiar.
That feeling—like standing beneath a sky untouched by time, staring into the abyss of something vast, something infinite.
'That mana… I have felt it before.'
A memory surfaced, slow and unwelcome, clawing its way out from the depths of his mind.
Long ago.
A different battlefield.
A different era.
Before he had become Duke. Before he had built his empire of control.
A night when the heavens themselves had seemed to break—when an energy unlike anything he had known had seared across the skies in streaks of blackened light, like stars burning out before they could shine.
'No…'
His throat tightened.
'It can't be.'
And yet—
He forced his gaze back to Lucavion, who remained as relaxed as ever, watching him with that ever-present smirk, that damnable patience.
The Duke's golden eyes darkened.
Lucavion's smirk widened just slightly, just enough to prod at the tension simmering in the room.
"Mister Duke?" His voice was light, amused. "Are you spacing out? Isn't it a bit rude?"
Thaddeus' golden eyes snapped back into focus, narrowing with something unreadable. For a long moment, he simply looked at Lucavion. Studied him.
Then, finally—
"Who are you?"
Lucavion blinked.
Ah. Finally.
The question had been hanging in the air for some time now, unspoken but inevitable. It was a natural reaction—of course the Duke would start questioning him now, after all the little inconsistencies, the unnatural talent, the absurd circumstances.
But—
"What do you mean by that?" Lucavion asked, his tone light, but his gaze sharp.
Thaddeus held his gaze for a moment longer, as if searching for something. Then—abruptly, he exhaled, his expression tightening.
"No, wait." He shook his head, as if shelving the thought for later. "Just continue for now. What happened after that? You wandered around with… Aeliana. Then what?"
Lucavion hummed, dragging out the pause just slightly before responding.
"And then… well, I had fought with the Kraken."
Silence.
A beat passed.
Then—
"Huh?"
Thaddeus' voice was flat, incredulous.
Lucavion smiled. "Fought with the Kraken."
Another beat.
"…Don't lie."
"I don't lie." Lucavion tilted his head, as if mildly offended. "If you don't believe me, you may ask your daughter."
At that, he turned toward Aeliana, fully expecting a begrudging confirmation.
But instead—
She was glaring at him.
Ah.
Now what was this reaction for?
The Duke caught the shift immediately. His gaze flickered between them, sharp as a hawk's. "Is that true?"
Aeliana's jaw clenched. Her fists tightened at her sides.
And then, after a long, slow breath—
"…Yes."
Her voice was quiet. Controlled. But there was something in the way she said it, in the way her amber eyes burned as they locked onto Lucavion's own.
"But….."
"But?"
"Why are you omitting what had you done before that?"
Lucavion had expected a lot of things.
Irritation. A grumbled confirmation. Perhaps even a begrudging glance in his direction.
But this?
This was something else entirely.
Aeliana was glaring at him. Not just a simple glare—no, no. There was something sharp behind her amber eyes, something pointed, as if she were daring him to say more.
And then—
She smiled.
"He had indeed fought with the Kraken," she said smoothly, her gaze never leaving his. "But he did something to me beforehand."
Lucavion's smirk twitched, ever so slightly.
"…Ahaha… What are you talking about?" He tilted his head, feigning casual amusement, but the sharp-eyed would notice it—the faintest flicker of unease in his eyes.
Aeliana saw it.
And she took pleasure in it.
"He poisoned me."
Silence crashed over the chamber.
And then—
Boom.
An immense pressure filled the air, heavy and suffocating. It pressed down on the walls, on the very air itself, making the temperature plummet.
Lucavion felt it immediately.
His breath caught.
His lungs froze.
"Kurghk—!"
The sheer force behind it—it was suffocating, unnatural. He had fought powerful people before. He had faced the Knight Commander. But this—
This was on another level.
Duke Thaddeus' golden eyes burned with fury, his expression carved from ice.
"You poisoned my daughter?"
The words were low, edged with something ancient, something lethal.
Lucavion gasped, his throat constricting under the force of the Duke's mana. He forced himself to stand, to remain composed, but every breath felt like drowning.
Damn.
He's controlling the very air around me.
Thaddeus took a step forward, and the weight of his presence grew heavier. The pressure tightened around Lucavion's lungs, his vision flickering at the edges.
But then—
A sound.
Soft, barely there.
A chuckle.
Lucavion strained to turn his head, and there—
Aeliana.
Smirking.
Not out of cruelty. Not out of mockery.
No.
There was something almost satisfied in her expression. As if she was enjoying this.
Thaddeus caught it, too. His golden eyes flickered to his daughter, narrowing in confusion.
Why?
Why does she look like that?
She should be furious. She should be demanding an explanation, demanding revenge.
And yet—
It didn't feel like she was condemning Lucavion.
No.
It felt like she was playing along.
For the first time since the conversation began, the Duke hesitated.
Chapter 484: Don't anger a Father (3)
Lucavion forced a breath through his teeth, his body screaming under the crushing weight of the Duke's mana.
Damn.
He had expected Thaddeus to be enraged, but this was something else. The sheer control in his presence—it wasn't just raw power. It was the precision of a man who had honed his abilities to perfection, who could suffocate an opponent without lifting a finger.
Still—
Lucavion moved his hand, despite the pressure pinning him down. Slowly, deliberately, he tapped his fingers against his neck.
A silent message.
The Duke's golden eyes flickered between him and Aeliana, unreadable, searching.
But Lucavion wasn't looking at him anymore.
He was looking at her.
And Aeliana…
She was looking back.
"Father. Enough."
Her voice was calm, firm. But Thaddeus did not immediately release his grip.
"Why?" His voice was still edged with suspicion. "You said he poisoned you."
"That is right."
The Duke's eyes narrowed further. "Then why?"
Aeliana inhaled softly. Then—
"You wouldn't understand."
Her words were quiet, but final.
Lucavion, even in his half-strangled state, nearly smirked at that.
Oh, how infuriating.
The Duke stared at his daughter, something unreadable crossing his face, but before he could respond—
Aeliana moved.
She walked toward Lucavion, each step measured, unhurried. The distance between them vanished, and then—
She stood before him.
Close enough for him to feel the warmth of her presence, the faintest ember of her lingering anger.
Then—
Her fingers brushed against his cheek.
Soft. Slow.
A sharp contrast to the weight of her glare.
"See…" she murmured, tilting her head slightly, her amber eyes gleaming with something just a touch too pleased.
"How nice you look when you shut that mouth of yours."
Lucavion would have laughed—if he could breathe properly.
Instead, he let his gaze drag over her expression.
Oh.
Oh, she's enjoying this.
And the Duke?
The Duke's fatherly instincts slammed into him like a warhammer.
His golden eyes burned.
Because what the hell was this?
'Sir….Please stop your crazy daughter….'
Lucavion didn't dare say it aloud—he valued his life, after all—but gods, the thought burned through his head like a prayer.
Aeliana's fingers were still lightly grazing his cheek, her smirk just small enough to seem innocent—but oh no, he saw it. The amusement flickering in her eyes, the quiet, calculated satisfaction in the way she stood between him and her father.
Oh, she was enjoying this.
What an absolute menace.
And worse—Thaddeus looked one second away from ripping his head off.
'Great. Just great. I risk my life, save the lady, and now her father wants to crush my skull. No gratitude these days, huh?'
Before the Duke could unleash another wave of mana meant to turn Lucavion into paste, Aeliana turned toward him.
"Father," she said, voice sharper this time.
A glare.
A full, unrestrained glare.
Not at Lucavion.
At Thaddeus.
For the first time in this entire exchange, the Duke hesitated.
Then—
Tsssssssssssssssk.
The crushing weight of his mana lifted.
Lucavion sucked in a breath, stumbling forward slightly as his lungs finally worked again.
"Haaah… Haaaah…" He leaned forward, bracing a hand on his knee, greedily taking in each breath.
'Hell. This was worse than fighting the Kraken… No, wait, maybe not worse, but definitely in the top five.'
The silence in the room stretched, tense and unbroken—until Lucavion, between labored breaths, finally managed to rasp out—
"Why… do people like doing things… without listening?" He groaned, straightening with a wince, rolling his shoulders. "At least let me explain before you start—squeezing the life out of me."
Thaddeus' expression did not ease.
"How can you even explain that?" His voice was still edged with suspicion.
Lucavion exhaled sharply, dragging a hand through his hair before fixing the Duke with a tired, but pointed look.
"Mister Duke," he started, tone slow, as if speaking to someone deeply unreasonable, "your daughter is standing here. Safe. Unharmed."
A pause.
Then, he arched a brow, smirking just slightly despite himself.
"Do you really think that would be the case if I actually poisoned her for the sake of harming her?"
The Duke raised an eyebrow, his golden eyes flickering between Lucavion and his daughter.
And then—
Aeliana chuckled.
Not a loud laugh, not even a particularly obvious one, but it was there. A quiet, knowing sound that carried just the faintest hint of satisfaction.
"You get what you deserve," she murmured, her smirk lingering as she stepped back.
Lucavion let out a slow, deep sigh, rolling his eyes.
"…Yeah, yeah…" He muttered, brushing a hand against his throat as if checking to make sure it was still intact. "I so enjoy nearly getting strangled for no reason. Truly, a wonderful day."
Aeliana merely shrugged.
The Duke, however, was still watching him.
Lucavion straightened, shaking off the tension in his limbs, then exhaled. "In any case," he said, shifting the conversation, "I had fought with the Kraken. And thanks to your daughter's and my coupled efforts, the Kraken was defeated."
Thaddeus' brow furrowed slightly. "Thanks to her?"
"That is right." Lucavion nodded. "If not for her acting against her own illness, I wouldn't have been able to win against the Kraken."
Silence.
The Duke's gaze sharpened.
Ah.
That struck a nerve.
His expression didn't change much, but Lucavion could see it—the shift. The way his posture tensed just slightly, the way his fingers curled at his sides.
Because that—
That was something he had not been expecting to hear.
"What does that mean?" The Duke's voice was slower now, measured.
His golden eyes locked onto Lucavion's, unrelenting.
"How," he continued, voice dangerously even, "is the Kraken related to Aeliana?"
Lucavion smiled.
Not his usual smirk. Not the teasing, arrogant curve of his lips that he so often wielded like a weapon.
No.
This was something quieter. Something heavier.
"That…" he murmured, tilting his head slightly, his dark eyes gleaming, "is something that not many people know about."
Thaddeus' patience had already run thin.
"Speak."
His voice was sharp. Absolute. He was done with the games. Done with the boy's insufferable amusement at every turn.
Lucavion, however, remained unbothered.
Instead, he lifted a hand, gesturing slightly, as if to slow the conversation. Then—
"Duke," he began, his tone casual but deliberate, "let me ask you something simple."
A pause.
Then, his dark eyes locked onto Thaddeus', the playful glint in them fading ever so slightly.
"Do you think," Lucavion continued, voice quiet, smooth, "this world is the only place where life exists?"