Chapter 117: Whispers from Far Away
Millions of galaxies away, a man we had already met was reveling in his own progress.
"True Immortal... finally. After what that woman did, almost twenty years has been too long."
In his mind, he was already planning what he would do when he saw her again: Reborn as many times as you want, but I know exactly where you ended up.
A dark, almost manic smile appeared on his face.
Knock, knock.
"Oh, Bailong, what is it?"
"Young master, the lord requests your presence."
The man frowned, waiting for his servant to continue.
"We will have two important guests. The master expects you to behave."
The young master’s eyes lit up with curiosity, though he kept that cruel, twisted smile.
"Important guests..." he murmured. "Well, that’s not usual in Vraeth... Could it be the daughter of an Immortal Emperor from a nearby galaxy?"
The servant raised his head but did not answer immediately.
"Much more important than that."
"Huh? Did an Immortal Emperor come in person? That is unusual. Those old fossils rarely leave their worlds. And who is accompanying her? Don’t tell me my father finally felt bad about last time and arranged a betrothal for me."
"It’s not like that, young master. I think it would be best if you get ready quickly and see for yourself."
...
"So... when do we repeat this?"
Rosalind turned and pinched Cassian’s shoulder, glaring at him.
Eleanor, for her part, couldn’t utter a single coherent complaint; only an indecipherable babble came out.
The man looked at the woman with the most energy and made a gesture as if wanting more, flashing a mischievous smile.
"Don’t even think about it," Rosalind declared dryly.
After a brief back-and-forth between them, Eleanor finally seemed to recover. She looked at her daughter and her stepson, processing what had just happened.
For a moment, it seemed she was going to resume the argument that had started everything, but a sudden shiver as she remembered the sensations in her own body was enough to stop her.
Instead, she blushed intensely.
She bit her lip and begged her daughter to explain how it was possible that both of them had ended up in this situation.
"Mother... as you’ve noticed, Cassian and I don’t have a simple relationship."
He gave Eleanor a provocative look to tease her lightly, causing a few muffled moans to escape her lips.
"Don’t worry," he whispered in her ear. "We’ll have very good times together, like a real ’family’."
The woman rolled her eyes and elbowed him.
Though she froze for a second afterward, seeing that he didn’t react negatively, she slowly regained her confidence.
She turned back to Rosalind.
"And your father? What will he think of this? He’s a good man..."
"He doesn’t need to know," Cassian interjected. "Besides, his life expectancy is quite limited anyway."
The youngest didn’t seem to like those words, because she shot him another reproachful look, as if he had said the worst thing possible.
"Really, sometimes I don’t know how I can love you."
"And I wonder the same... But I suppose my face and the fact that I’m perfect at everything I do helps," he winked.
"Perfect?" Eleanor interrupted. "Even if you seem to hide your true strength, you’re still far from it."
"Mmm... I wouldn’t be so sure, ’stepmother’."
Either way, Cassian suddenly got up from the bed to look at both of them.
"I hope you’ve learned how to thank me properly, Eleanor."
"Ha!" She shrank back slightly, overcome with embarrassment.
"Are you leaving?" Rosalind asked.
He looked at her, mentally analyzing what to do next.
"I think I owe someone a reward... Though I still don’t know exactly what would be most fun with her. By the way, Margery is on her way to Pradiles."
"To Pradiles?" both women said in unison.
"Seems like you’re not aware of many things," he added, looking at Eleanor with a hint of pity. "Maybe, if you knew, your guilt toward your husband would increase considerably."
The older woman frowned. "What are you talking about?"
"That Margery and I are not Alexandro’s children, Eleanor. Apparently, our mother was from Pradiles and, for some reason, the emperor ordered us to go there."
The woman was stunned, processing the revelation, while he began to get dressed.
Once finished, he approached Rosalind and left a tender kiss on her forehead.
"Don’t worry."
The young woman’s frown softened a little.
Cassian gave Eleanor one last sidelong glance before leaving. He still wasn’t sure how to proceed with her in the future, but he didn’t want to give that woman too much importance for now.
...
Meanwhile, in the elders’ wing of the Demor palace, Lucius Demor held a letter with trembling hands.
A smile, followed by a wild laugh, began to fill the room as the letter shook between his fingers.
"It’s the end! Hahahaha! They no longer have any chance. Although the fact that Leonardo has lost some support makes him a worse option as a puppet emperor, the truly important thing is that he arrives there."
He looked at the letter with sudden seriousness.
For a moment, the thought of whether this was a good idea crossed his mind. However, he shook his head to dispel the doubt, sat down at his desk, and began writing the reply with evident excitement.
...
In Pradiles, in a small village on the outskirts called Delvin, Astrid Wyrne—with a noticeably changed appearance—was drawing water with a bucket from a well.
Unlike Demor, where winter was already ending, in Pradiles the midday sun beat down with unbearable heat.
Astrid returned to the small house somewhat agitated from carrying the bucket the whole way.
She observed the result of these last few months of hard work with pride, entered the dwelling, and set the bucket on the table.
A weary groan escaped her lips as soon as she sat down.
Although she was a fifth-circle mage, physical exercise had never been her strong suit, but she was gradually getting used to it.
She caught the sunlight filtering through the window, then turned her head toward the empty house and contemplated the days that continued passing monotonously.
She sighed.
The silhouette of a certain man appeared in her mind.
Now, far from all the luxury and expectations, a reality she had tried so hard to avoid in the past became evident to her.
"I miss you..." she whispered to no one.
