Chapter 174

Delphine gently brushed away a soft lock of hair that had fallen over Pixie's porcelain face. The little girl was fast asleep, her breath slow and even, but Delphine herself couldn't sleep.

Not tonight.

Alpha's words still echoed in her mind, haunting her with their quiet finality.

Now she understood the Empress better. Much better.

Why she had hidden her ability.

Why she let the world see her as weak.

Because if people ever discovered that Ceres could grant abilities, create something from nothing, command even the strongest of beings with just her word, then her life would have never been safe. Especially not as a child. If her powers had manifested early, there was no way she could have protected herself.

Still, there was something Delphine couldn't understand.

Even after all the Empress had revealed to them…

Even after all the miracles she had shown…

Why continue to hide that she could use water magic?

And more than that, despite Alpha's firm declaration that there was no connection between the Empress and the Demon Lord's lost wife, Delphine couldn't shake the feeling.

A feeling so strong, it hurt to ignore.

But who was she to question Alpha?

A being as ancient and powerful as him wouldn't be wrong… right?

Unable to rest, Delphine carefully slipped out of bed. She made sure not to wake Pixie, pulling the covers gently up to the Regent's chin. Then she stepped quietly out of the room and into the corridor.

This was the third night they'd spent in the Black Tower… and still no sign of their Empress.

No sign of Tuf.

No word from beyond the mist..

Delphine tried to keep her thoughts positive.

The Empress is safe. She must be safe.

After all… hadn't she said it herself?

"Even if they rip me apart, death will be the least of my worries."

A chill ran down Delphine's spine.

Death.

The Empress had confessed she couldn't die, not until she reached one hundred and one years old. A statement so casually delivered it was almost laughable.

But if it wasn't death she feared…

Then what?

Delphine let out a slow breath, rubbing her temples.

The more she tried to understand the Empress, the more her head ached.

Her feet led her toward one of Velrathis's marvels, a technological wonder the demi-humans called the elevator. An elegant lift system enhanced by mana-conductive alloys, seamlessly transporting anyone through the endless levels of the Black Tower.

Walking was not an option. Not in a place this tall. You could wander the tower all day and still never reach your destination.

Delphine stepped into the glowing lobby where the elevator waited. Even after three days of using it, she still couldn't hide her fascination.

Everything here, everything in Velrathis, felt like magic and technology had collided and birthed a new world.

A demon guard stood at attention by the elevator's doors.

"Where are you heading?" he asked, voice low and polite.

"I'd like to go to the very top of the tower," Delphine answered, eyes lifting.

The demon's expression didn't change. "You can't. The entire top floor is the Demon Lord's chamber. Only his children are allowed entry, especially if the Lord himself is inside."

Delphine nodded in understanding. "Then… what's the highest floor I am allowed to access?"

"One floor beneath the top," the demon replied.

"That'll do."

The demon pressed a glowing symbol on the glass panel beside the door. With a soft chime, the elevator doors slid open, and Delphine stepped in alone.

As the lift rose silently, she turned to face the back, where the rear wall was made of enchanted glass.

She watched in awe as the floors fell away beneath her.

The endless lights of Velrathis glimmered below, distant and dreamlike.

She could see the clouds parting as the tower pierced through them.

It was breathtaking.

Lonely.

Majestic.

And at the same time, there was something about standing here, alone, ascending the highest structure in all of Solmara, that made her feel just a little closer to understanding the beings who called this place home.

The Demon Lord's family came from another world.

No wonder this place feels like it doesn't belong in this one.

Delphine smiled faintly to herself, eyes reflecting the stars beyond the clouds.

Maybe… neither does our Empress.

The elevator doors slid open with a soft chime.

Delphine stepped out, expecting to see another hallway filled with advanced magitech like every other floor in the Black Tower. But here, there was none. No glowing panels. No humming conduits. No floating displays.

Only silence.

And art.

The entire corridor was lined with massive paintings, each framed in ancient silver and glowing softly under the faint golden lighting. The floor beneath her boots was obsidian-polished and smooth, the air quieter, reverent.

Then she saw it.

The largest painting of them all.

A portrait of the Demon Lord and his ten children.

She froze.

She had only met a few so far, Alpha, Tuf, Luna, Milo, Vivi, and Pixie. That left four she hadn't encountered. Two women. Two men.

But in the painting… she could guess who was who.

Her eyes locked on the towering figure at the far left.

A giant.

Even larger than Alpha, double or perhaps triple in mass. Broad shoulders. Arms as thick as tree trunks. A scar ran down the left side of his face, slicing across his eye, and one ear was missing entirely. Terrifying at first glance.

Orso, she thought. This must be him.

But then she looked deeper, into his eyes.

There was kindness there.

Buried beneath the sheer size and roughness was something gentle. And if you ignored everything else and focused solely on the eyes… the resemblance to Caelum was unmistakable.

Next was Neko.

Bright orange hair that shimmered like fire in oil. He looked no older than seventeen in the painting, his lips curled in a half-smirk that was almost arrogant.

Delphine blinked.

That smirk…

She knew that smirk. She had seen it, on someone else.

The Empress.

It was the same amused curve of lips. Sharp, knowing. Beautiful and dangerous. And for a moment, it was jarring to see it on a male face.

Her eyes moved next to the two remaining sisters. One stood tall, taller even than Luna, with an athletic build and a serious expression. Her presence radiated warrior strength.

Peanut or Nugget? Delphine wasn't sure.

The other woman was smaller. Softer. With delicate features, warm eyes, and an almost ethereal glow. She looked barely eighteen. But what struck Delphine the most, was how much this girl resembled the Demon Lord.

If Caelum had been born a woman… this was what he would have looked like.

Delphine stepped closer to the painting.

She studied the composition.

Tuf stood next to Caelum's high-backed chair, where the Demon Lord sat with Pixie on his lap. The resemblance between Tuf and Caelum was shocking. If not for Tuf's obsidian eyes and reckless demeanor, they could have passed as twins.

And Luna…

She stood in front of Tuf, leaning slightly back into him like a shadow resting against its source. Her posture casual, but unmistakably close. Her black and gold eyes gleamed with defiance, and love.

There was something magnetic about how the two were placed. Even in a painting, it was clear, they didn't just belong to the same family. They belonged to each other.

Delphine stared at Luna.

Then thought of the Empress.

And that thought brought her back to a possibility she couldn't shake.

Alpha said there was no connection between the Empress and Caelum's late wife. But… how could someone look so identical? Not just Luna, but Pixie, too?

If the Empress looked like Caelum's wife…

Then what if—?

Delphine's heart quickened.

Could someone in this world look like the Demon Lord?

Someone the Empress loved?

Her thoughts drifted to a name whispered more often in pain than in joy.

Zeus.

The Empress had never told her where he was. Only that her only wish was to speak to him one last time. She was willing to sacrifice an absurd amount of HP to cast a Dream Spell for that single conversation.

Delphine had once assumed Zeus was dead.

But that didn't make sense.

Ceres had said she left him without saying goodbye.

So he was alive.

She'd just… walked away.

And no one dared ask why.

Because the mere memory of him could bring the Empress to her knees in tears. Delphine had seen it. Had held her through one of those breakdowns. It wasn't just love, it was grief.

And guilt.

Delphine sighed deeply, overwhelmed.

The soft sound echoed in the quiet corridor.

"Now that's a very heavy sigh," a calm, familiar voice said behind her.

Delphine gasped softly and turned.

"My Lord!" she exclaimed, quickly straightening upon seeing Demon Lord Caelum standing a few steps away, his presence gentle, yet impossible to ignore. He was regal without effort, and even in his stillness, she felt the weight of centuries resting on his shoulders.

Caelum offered her a kind smile. "I hope I didn't startle you."

"Not at all," Delphine replied, bowing her head slightly. "Did I disturb your rest? The demon guarding the elevator said I was allowed to visit this floor."

"It's alright," he said easily. "I wasn't resting."

He walked toward her in unhurried steps, his gaze following hers to the massive painting on the wall. "So… what did you see in the portrait that made you sigh so deeply?" he added with a hint of teasing.

Delphine swallowed.

She hesitated.

She didn't know if she should lie or speak the truth. But somehow, she knew, if she lied, Caelum would see through her. And worse than being caught in a lie, she feared the quiet disappointment in his eyes.

So instead of answering directly, she asked, "Which of them is Nugget and which is Peanut?"

Caelum chuckled softly. "Nugget is the tallest girl, the athletic one. Peanut…" His smile turned fond, "is the one who looks like the female version of me."

Delphine nodded slowly. She didn't raise her gaze, her throat tightening for reasons she couldn't explain.

Caelum tilted his head. "Do I scare you?"

Delphine hesitated again, then gave him an honest answer.

"I… I'm not sure, My Lord," she admitted. "I've heard stories about you. From Seiryu. From Queen Azura. And after seeing what Tuf is capable of… what Luna can do… I believe they inherited their strength from you. So, yes, you should scare me."

She took a breath.

"And that was the truth… before I met you. But now that I've stood in your presence, spoken with you, I don't feel afraid at all. And that… confuses me."

Caelum smiled gently. "That's understandable."

They stood in companionable silence for a while. Just the two of them, staring up at the painted legacy of a family unlike any other.

Then Delphine finally gathered her courage.

"May I ask something, My Lord?" she said softly.

"Go ahead," he replied. "I'll answer what I can."

Delphine hesitated, then asked, "Alpha told us you came from another world. Is it possible… that someone from this world could look like someone from yours? Or the other way around?"

Caelum's eyes shifted, sharp and unreadable.

"Would you keep a secret, Delphine?" he asked, his voice low and serious. "And I mean truly keep it. One you cannot speak, not even to your Empress… until your last breath?"

Her eyes widened. Her heart began to pound.

She could feel the weight of his question, and whatever truth he held behind it.

But after a moment, she lowered her head and shook it.

"I'm sorry, My Lord," she whispered. "Please… forget I asked."

Caelum didn't look angry. He didn't even seem disappointed.

In fact, he smiled.

"You're truly loyal to your Empress," he said warmly.

Then he looked back at the painting, and when he spoke again, his voice was softer. Quieter. But heavy with a truth so old, it seemed to echo through the walls.

"But to answer your question, Delphine… yes. It is possible. Because you see…"

His gaze met hers once more.

"The humans of Solmara, were originally from our world."

Delphine's breath caught in her throat.

Her eyes widened.

Before this year, her life had been so simple.

She and Legion had lived quietly, doing everything they could just to survive in a world that barely acknowledged them.

And now?

Now she had learned truths that shattered everything she thought she knew.

That demi-humans had been living in secret among them all along.

That the Demon Lord was not a monster, but a man, a father, with children who defied the myths.

And now this…

That humans like her weren't even native to Solmara.

She struggled to grasp the weight of it.

Caelum tilted his head. "And why did you ask me that, Delphine?"

She opened her mouth, hesitated, then said softly, "It's because Luna and Pixie—"

But she didn't get to finish.

Ding.

The elevator behind them opened with a soft chime. One of the demon guards stood inside, bowing quickly.

"I apologize, My Lord," the demon said respectfully. "But the Regent… was looking for the human Delphine. She's crying now."

Caelum's eyes flickered. He nodded once to the demon before turning back to Delphine.

He offered her a gentle smile, one that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Delphine," he said. "It seems your company is urgently needed."

Delphine bowed her head. "No need to apologize, My Lord. I should return. Thank you… for answering my questions."

"You're welcome," Caelum replied. "It's the least I can do. For watching over Pixie… and for staying by her side."

He turned then, slowly walking away into the dim corridor beyond the paintings.

Delphine watched him for a moment, watched the tall, regal figure disappear deeper into the silence. There was something unspeakably heavy in his steps. A quiet, impossible sorrow wrapped around his very being.

She stepped into the elevator.

As the doors slid shut and the lift began to descend, Delphine found herself gripping the railing tighter than she expected.

How?

How could someone like Caelum, someone who had the power to kill holy beasts, who had ruled for a thousand years, choose to wait for a promise that might never be fulfilled?

How did he bear the weight of that endless time?

A thousand years.

Of loneliness.

Of memories.

Of believing in a return that may never came.

What does it take to love someone so much… that even time becomes irrelevant?

She didn't have the answer.

But she knew… when she looked into his eyes, 

He still hadn't given up.