Chapter 803: Seraphine is back
He watched as the woman demonstrated a technique - she channeled a pale silver mana that formed a protective shell around her arm. When one of the knights attempted to replicate it, the shell shattered almost instantly, and the man staggered back, clutching his arm as if burned by invisible frost.
"Again," the woman commanded coldly. "Your lives will depend on this."
Julian’s lips curved into a faint, thoughtful smile. The Duke for sure was preparing for a confrontation.
He lingered for nearly an hour more, observing the grueling session. The knights were being pushed to their absolute limits, their bodies and mana cores tempered to fight something unnatural. By the time the training began to wind down, Julian had gathered enough to know that this was only the beginning.
The pieces are moving faster than I expected.
With nothing interesting happening anymore, he teleported from the balcony and reappeared inside his room. But as he did so, a thought of a certain someone took over his mind.
Louisa.
She was the only one who could help him now. The Kingdom of Valthor remained a complete mystery and Louisa had already hinted at knowing fragments of the truth. She was the final piece that would change everything. He had to meet her soon and extract whatever knowledge she possessed about the fallen kingdom, the Fragment of Eternity, and the shadow that still haunted the south.
But tonight he was tired.
The constant vigilance, the secret observations, and the weight of multiple layers of mental battle had drained even his god-like endurance. He changed into his nightwear and splashed cold water on his face from the basin near the window.
The chill helped clear his mind—
Rustle rustle.
A faint rustle came from the direction of the balcony of his room and Julian’s senses sharpened instantly. His body tensed, his mana already beginning to flare inside his core, ready to strike.
"Who is there?"
There was no response.
He slowly approached the balcony door and his mana subtly spread outward in a thin detection field. The night outside was quiet, the moon casting long silver shadows across the stone railing. He pushed the door open and stepped outside, his eyes immediately scanning the darkness.
Nothing.
No movement. No silhouette.
There were no physical presence of anyone.
But as he stood there, breathing in the cool night air, something caught his attention. A delicate, floral scent lingered faintly on the breeze.
Perfume, Julian’s mind immediately narrowed the possibilities. Something a woman would wear.
It was light, smelled expensive, with hints of rose and night-blooming jasmine.
Someone was undoubtedly here.
Julian searched carefully for leads. He ran his fingers along the stone railing, checked the shadows beneath the overhang, even sent a small pulse of mana into the surrounding air to detect any residual traces.
And as he had expected, there were faint disturbances in the dust on the railing... as if someone had leaned there recently but nothing concrete. No footprints, no dropped item, no lingering aura strong enough to track.
After several minutes of thorough inspection, he turned back toward the room, his brow furrowed in suspicion. The intruder had been skilled enough to slip away without a trace. That alone made this situation dangerous.
However, the next moment, his eyes widened.
Someone was sitting on his bed.
The figure appeared to be just a silhouette at this late hour, backlit by the soft glow of a single mana lamp. Her long, flowing blonde hair cascaded over one shoulder like strands of moonlight. Even in the dim lighting, he could make out striking blue eyes that seemed to pierce through the shadows.
She wore an eye-catching blood-red gown that clung to her body like a second skin, making her look both enchanting and untouchable at the same time. The deep neckline revealed a generous glimpse of her rosy cleavage, while the fabric hugged her curves before flowing down to the floor in a pool of crimson.
Julian stared at her for a long moment, taking in every detail. Then slowly... a smile bloomed across his face.
"Seraphine," he said softly, the name carrying both surprise and warmth.
The woman, no... Seraphine tilted her head slightly, her blue eyes locking onto his with a familiar, almost playful glint. The blood-red gown shifted as she moved and the fabric whispered against her skin. She looked every bit as breathtaking as she had always been.
"You took your time noticing me," she murmured, her voice smooth and melodic, carrying that same teasing lilt he had known so well. "I was beginning to think your senses had dulled in this borrowed body, father."
Julian smiled and a genuine warmth broke through his usual calculated mask. "How did you find me, Seraphine? Did I not instruct you to stay in the Easvil Duchy?"
Seraphine rose gracefully from the bed and took a single step toward him. The floral perfume he had smelled earlier on the balcony now filled the room completely.
"Father... I missed you, that’s why," she whispered. "Did you not miss your daughter?"
Julian’s smile widened at that. Seraphine was always like this — pushing her limits and testing his patience with that perfect mix of innocence and bold provocation.
But to be honest, these past few days he had been so engrossed in all the scheming and planning inside the Astran Duchy that he had completely forgotten about Seraphine, Lyanna, and Cassandra, who were still back in the Easvil Duchy. He had instructed them to stay there, remain hidden, and take care of themselves while he unraveled the mystery of his own death.
"How are your sisters?" he asked, his voice softening further
Seraphine laughed lightly. She stepped even closer.
"They are like they have always been, Father. They tried their best to stop me from leaving, but I slipped through them when they least expected it."
She paused, tilting her head with a small, mischievous smile. "I first went to the Silver Moon Inn and saw your body unconscious.
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