CHAPTER 61- Align

 **[NYXVEIL MANSION]** 

Sylvester looked at his reflection in the mirror as the valets stepped away after helping him dress. 

Sylvester's attire consisted of an elegant white coat with intricate gold embroidery that extended from the shoulders to the hem. 

The coat had structured shoulders, giving it a regal presence, and was adorned with delicate metallic accents. The sleeves were voluminous, tapering into fitted cuffs with golden details. 

Beneath the coat, he wore a high-collared white shirt with a cravat, adding to the formal appearance. His dark navy trousers were decorated with matching gold embroidery, complementing the ornate patterns on his coat. 

A long cape draped from his shoulders, lined with a deep blue fabric that transitioned into a starry pattern. The back of the coat featured an open design with lace-up details, framed by additional golden embellishments, giving a good look at his sculpted back muscles. 

With his silver hair tied in a low ponytail and his fair complexion, Sylvester's look was both refined and commanding. 

The door of the room opened without a knock, and Althea entered. She signaled the valets to leave, and they stepped out without a word. Her grey eyes stared at Sylvester coldly as she stepped closer to him. 

"Why did you let Selentia go to Sian?" Her words were heavy, full of accusation and the desire to burst out in anger. 

Sylvester didn't pay much mind to her expression and replied calmly, "She wished to take on the mission to find the missing prince and bring glory to Nyxveil." 

Althea looked at Sylvester in disbelief. She couldn't understand what had been going on in her life all these years, yet things had somehow been manageable—until recently. 

"Zaphery, was losing Dain not enough that you've now allowed Selentia to venture to some distant magic city on her own?" Her voice cracked. Sylvester could see her reflection in the mirror. 

Althea was exhausted. 

Ever since Dain's funeral, she had locked herself in her room, either drinking or sleeping for the past few days. Sylvester hadn't bothered her either. 

Was he ignorant of her pain? 

Was he insensitive to her suffering? 

Did he feel no sympathy for her? 

Those were answers only Sylvester knew. 

Althea's hair was in a messy ponytail, and her cotton-white nightgown looked like a rag. Her skin was dull, and her dark circles were fully visible. The Althea standing behind Sylvester was nothing like the duchess everyone knew. 

"Zaphery, do you really not feel even an ounce of guilt or fear?" Althea questioned, her voice trembling and weak. 

Sylvester blinked but gave no reply. 

Althea was tired... tired of the silence of the man she thought was her husband, tired of the distance of the man she once believed she loved. 

She looked down, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. 

"Please, stop," she weakly reached out, her trembling hand grasping the hem of Sylvester's sleeve. "I beg you, Zaphery. I beg you." 

Althea's voice sounded barely audible, her throat hurt, and her chest tightened with every word she uttered. 

In the grand and marvelous room of the Duke of Nyxveil, everything was bright and luxurious. The bedroom was spacious, with a high, vaulted ceiling and large arched windows that allowed natural light to enter. The walls and columns featured intricate carvings, with gold accents crafted from melted gold, giving them a refined finish. 

A round bed with an ornate headboard sat in the center, draped with the finest silk fabrics that flowed onto the polished stone floor. A staircase with a curved railing, also adorned with melted gold detailing, led to an elevated canopy above the bed. In one corner, there was a matching vanity table and chair with detailed carvings. 

Luxury and grandeur knew no bounds in Nyxveil Mansion—yet beyond the materialistic splendor, nothing else held value. 

Neither people nor their emotions. 

Althea knew her pleading was futile, yet her last attempt to stop her husband before her home shattered completely was driven by a desperate desire to hold onto the man before her, out of the love she still carried deep in her heart. 

"Nyxveil is powerful enough, Zaphery. You are powerful and wealthy enough to be considered the second most influential person after the Emperor." 

Althea's hands trembled. She stepped closer and rested her forehead against Sylvester's back. Her tears stained his coat, but he didn't push her away. 

"So, please stop now. For the sake of our daughters, for the sake of our family, for the sake of the love we once shared." 

Althea couldn't continue further, breaking into bitter sobs as she clutched the hem of his sleeve tightly, trying to make sure her pain reached his heart... 

Alas! How miserable the once-Grand Princess of the Holy Kingdom looked before the man she loved! 

"If it's too much for you to handle, take Alancia and return to the Holy Kingdom." 

Althea's breath hitched at Sylvester's words. She stumbled back instantly in disbelief, her puffy eyes searching his face, asking— 

*You must be kidding, right?* 

*YOU MUST BE KIDDING, RIGHT?* 

Althea used to demand a divorce every time she and Sylvester had a heated argument. Each time she angrily threatened to leave, he would kiss her fiercely, swallowing her anger and stopping her from doing anything that might separate them. 

In the last seventeen years, they had never stayed apart, no matter how cruel Sylvester was or how furious Althea became. They always ended up in each other's arms after every fight. 

Never once in seventeen years had he raised his voice at her or mentioned divorce. 

But now, there he was. 

Suggesting separation... at the most unexpected time and in the most devastating way. 

"You want me to take just Alancia and leave for the Holy Kingdom?" Althea's voice trembled like a whisper on a broken tree branch. 

Sylvester turned to face her, his calm expression speaking volumes. Althea felt her heart sinking into her stomach. 

"I've come too far to stop. Selentia has her own ambitions to chase, and nobody can stop her." He paused for a moment. Althea parted her lips to speak, but no words came out. 

"From here on, things will only get more brutal and painful. So, if staying with me has become unbearable for you... I won't stop you anymore." 

Althea's vision blurred as tears pooled in her eyes. So many things tormented her—the death of her beloved son, her husband's unpredictable actions, and so much more. 

Yet, what hurt her most was him letting her go. 

"If I leave, I'll take both of my daughters," Althea declared. Though tears still streamed down her face, she held her head high, as she always had. 

"Selentia's vision doesn't align with yours." 

"That's for Selentia to decide." 

Althea wiped her tears harshly and took a deep breath. 

Her chest ached, and everything around her felt suffocating. The man she thought she knew best had become a stranger to her... once again. 

"In that case, you can have this conversation with Selentia." Sylvester nodded. 

Althea bit her trembling lower lip, hating how easily he gave in. She had believed she would take her last breath as the Duchess of Nyxveil... 

Yet fate had shown her something she never expected or wished for. 

Part of her wanted to cling to him, as he once had, because of the love she couldn't erase. Yet another part of her resented him, hated him, and cursed him for making her life miserable. 

Her pride as the Grand Princess of the Holy Kingdom stopped her from bowing her head again. She had already begged more than enough, pleaded with him hundreds of times to stop whatever he was doing. 

She didn't know what he was planning, but instinctively, she knew— 

It was nothing good. It would destroy their family for good. 

Sylvester silently stared at Althea. His green eyes no longer seemed bright or beautiful; instead, a shadow of darkness clouded them. 

He watched as Althea gathered herself, holding her composure... but this time, he didn't pull her into his embrace. 

"When Selentia returns, I'll talk to her, and..." Althea looked up at Sylvester, clenching her fists tightly, as if trying to convert her emotional pain into physical pain. 

"...the next day, I'll leave for the Holy Kingdom... and never return." 

She emphasized the last part, perhaps her final attempt to stop him, to warn him that he would lose her forever. 

Sylvester's shoulder flinched for the briefest moment, and his eye twitched—but the moment was so fleeting that Althea didn't even notice. 

"I'll prepare the divorce papers. Your life in the Holy Kingdom won't be like Nyxveil." Sylvester's assurance made Althea realize how empty her threat had been. 

She no longer wanted to show vulnerability to him and looked away. Taking a slow breath, she mumbled, "If you were going to do this anyway, you should've let me go when I wanted to." 

"I'm sorry... It took me too long to realize that I can't give you and the children the happiness you deserve." Sylvester's voice wavered ever so slightly, and Althea pressed her lips together to stifle a sob. 

"You fucking bastard! Why did you even come back alive from the battle seventeen years ago if you were going to be such a monster? We were better off as business partners, like before!" 

With that, Althea tore off the magenta diamond ring Sylvester had given her sixteen years ago at Selentia's birth and hurled it away before storming out of the room. 

Sylvester stared at the ring on the floor, then bent down to pick it up. 

Closing his eyes, he let his shoulders slump and released a long, deep breath. 

***Knock. Knock.*** 

Sylvester saw Count Lucian standing at the door. The man said nothing, but his sad expression made it clear he had heard and seen everything. 

He bowed. "The carriage is ready. You must leave for the Imperial Palace, Your Grace." 

Sylvester stood and tucked the ring into his pocket. His cloak fluttered as he strode toward the door, his expression grim and lifeless. 

"Did the spies manage to evade Selentia's detection?" he asked coldly. 

Lucian nodded. "They've successfully infiltrated Sian without the Young Lady noticing." 

Sylvester gave a curt nod and walked past Lucian, who remained bowed. 

"" I am sure Prince is in Sian. Catch him alive before Selentia does, he will surely resist and he is simply too strong for Selentia to fight back." Sylvester paused, his words got even colder.

"Any mistake will be repaid with your life. So, ensure everything goes smoothly." 

Lucian's heart plummeted at Sylvester's icy tone and murderous intent. He nodded. "The old mistakes will never happen again, Demon Commander." 

" At any cost, Dragon Heart has to belong to us demons. Keep that in mind." 

--- 

### **[OUTSKIRTS OF PYREXIA]** 

Ezekian rode his white warhorse, the same one he had ridden for nearly seven years. He wore a black hood and a mask as if hiding from prying eyes. 

The horse galloped swiftly, expertly navigating Pyrexia's mountainous roads. Ezekian radiated urgency—and why wouldn't he? 

After all, despite showing no interest in the missing prince's disappearance, Selentia had been the first to set out for Sian in the dead of night. 

He muttered, "Selentia... It will be me who finds the missing prince and claims the reward." 

His words carried fierce determination. Ezekian couldn't explain it, but he had a strong intuition— 

This journey to find the missing prince would uncover secrets he was unprepared to face. 

A great prize was at stake: the Dragon Heart, a mythical artifact said to grant unimaginable power. And there was no way the Great Four Houses would let such an opportunity slip away.