Reincarnated As The Villainess's Son

Chapter 560: [A Society of Secrets] [7] [Sacrifice]

The two princesses looked at me and then at Nymeria who walked by my side.

"You came to see Aunt Peony?" Kana, the younger sister, asked quietly.

Kaelia remained silent, seemingly uninterested in talking with us.

"Yes," Nymeria replied. "I believe you are here for the same reason."

Kana nodded her head, a look of sadness appearing on her face. "She has been having a hard time being alone after Elijah left."

After a few seconds of silence, she added, "She has been anxious about him."

Just as she spoke, the door of the room opened and a lady with long red hair walked out.

Aunt Peony looked at all of us and smiled brightly. "So many guests," she said, opening the door. "What’s the occasion?"

We walked inside while Kana said in a cheerful voice, "We just wanted to see you."

Peony let out a soft chuckle and sat down on the bed with a soft sigh. "It’s good to see you all."

She turned to look at me and gave me an amiable smile. "Especially you, Himmel."

I smiled back. "I am sorry, I can’t visit all the time. My schedule is quite busy."

"I understand," she replied, shaking her head. "You are someone whom I can only look up to."

Nymeria walked forward and checked her hand and leg that she had made with her wood magic.

"How is your body adjusting to it?" she asked in a soft voice. "Are you feeling unwell?"

"No, quite the opposite," she replied with a bright smile. "I feel much better than before."

Nymeria only hummed and began to look at the mechanics of her magic.

I looked around and noticed how everything was arranged perfectly. The books were aligned, curtains tied, cups placed exactly at the center of the table.

’...Is she only doing this all day or what?’

Well, given she was always alone with no one to socialize with right now, it was understandable.

’Even back on the island she was like this...’

Nymeria sat down on the bed with both her legs on it and her back slightly arched.

She asked Peony in a serious tone, "You didn’t sleep well last night, did you?"

Peony blinked once, then smiled again.

"I slept," she replied softly. "You worry too much."

Nymeria remained adamant. "You didn’t."

Peony remained silent for a long second before she let out a sigh, her hands covering her face.

"I worry about Elijah," she admitted in a defeated voice. "My heart can’t rest without seeing him."

Peony began to sob, tears trickling down her eyes.

"I told him not to go to a war-inflicted place but he didn’t listen," she said. "...Every night I am having nightmares of losing him, seeing him getting hanged, crucified... I can’t."

Nymeria looked at me like it was my fault. She urged me with her eyes to console her.

’I told Elijah not to get involved...’

I let out a sigh and said in a soft tone, "Don’t worry, Aunt. I will see if I can find Elijah and talk to him."

She looked up at me with hope in her eyes. "...R-really?"

I smiled. "Really."

Though, I couldn’t help but wonder.

’Where the hell did he go?’

---

[Vendrick Continent, Home of Werewolves.]

[Arisha Kingdom.]

Elijah slowly opened his eyes that felt like they were stitched together.

His breath came out ragged and his mind was bombarded with pain creeping from all around.

His thoughts began to wander back to the time he lost consciousness.

’...Right.’ he thought to himself. ’...I lost to the demigod protecting Amaury.’

Elijah groaned in pain as he tried to move, only to notice that his hands and legs were tied with chains.

He tried to break free but even with his strength, he couldn’t do it.

He forced his eyes open and looked at the chains that were glowing with runes.

’...What?’

"Oh, you are awake?"

A voice jolted away all the tiredness from his body, he abruptly looked up.

A man sat on a chair with a bright smile on his face. In his hand was a cone of ice cream that was half eaten.

His abnormally handsome face, coupled with silverish hair and purple eyes, made him look extremely pleasing.

He was the man behind Amaury’s sudden rise in power and the reason for the unrest in the kingdom.

Elijah called him in a hoarse voice. "...Father."

Jones, who was just about to take a bite of the ice cream, smiled and extended it towards him.

"Want some?" he said, smiling sweetly. "It’s my favourite flavour."

Elijah jerked around in anger, trying to break free from the restraints.

"Don’t bother, son," Jones replied, leaning back on his chair. "It’s of no point."

Elijah noticed it as well and slowly began to relax his body and mind.

He noticed he was in some sort of warehouse with old machines and dust over everything.

The sunlight swept through the windows, giving him a sense of time.

"...Why?" he finally asked in a deep tone. "Why are you doing this?"

Jones finished his ice cream and said in a casual tone, "Everything has its reason, son. Everyone wants to live."

"You are the reason Amaury became like this!" Elijah snapped, his voice echoing in the empty place.

"He is going to kill millions because you gave him the throne! You are going to make him kill—"

"Son," Jones cut him off in a serious tone. "You think I care about the lives of hairless baboons?"

Elijah quieted down as he looked at his father with clarity.

’...Yeah, all those "good deeds" he did were just a show, he is a monster through and through.’

Jones relaxed and his smile returned, brighter this time.

"Anyway, I am not the one who is doing this," he replied casually. "It’s the Histria organization, led by Lady Valcina Von Castia."

Elijah looked at him with confusion. "What?"

Jones nodded. "She is the one who did everything, I am merely helping her achieve her goal."

Elijah didn’t understand why his father would go to this length. As far as he knew, Jones was someone who preferred to work alone.

"Don’t think too much about it," he replied simply. "I am doing all this just so I can survive the fifth awakening."

All the vessels of the [Primordial Evils] had to go through five awakenings in order to inherit all the powers.

Both Valcina and Jones had been stuck in the late stage of the fourth awakening for a long time.

They feared that if they went through it, they would lose everything they had built all this time.

But given the breaking of the barrier and the threat of the divine Kingdom merging with Lumina, they had no choice but to act.

"...The vessels don’t get along," Elijah said in a deep voice. "That was supposed to be the norm."

"We wouldn’t have worked together, had it not been for ’her,’" Jones replied, leaning forward with a smile. "She is the one who brought us together."

Elijah, as if he was sure of her identity, said quietly, "Esmeray..."

But much to his surprise, Jones shook his head.

"For once, it’s not her who is behind the scenes," he said, a hint of pride in his voice. "Though, I believe she is doing something much worse."

Elijah couldn’t say anything, his mind reeling with hundreds of thoughts.

He couldn’t think of anyone who would be able to get two of the [Primordial Evils] to work together.

"There are a total of five vessels," Jones said, standing up. "One of them is hiding in plain sight and you guys never noticed."

He stretched his body and walked towards the dead end. "Anyway, I need to hunt those bastards of the giant bloodline. Bye, son."

He vanished from his place, leaving Elijah alone in the warehouse.

And it didn’t take Elijah even a second to think of a way to free himself.

But before he could do anything, the door of the warehouse opened and a young man walked inside.

His orange hair had turned a darker shade as Amaury walked towards Elijah.

He stood over him with a deep mark on his face that Elijah had left before.

Amaury didn’t have any emotion in his eyes as he stared at him with a blank expression.

"I have always hated you," he said in a plain voice. "There has never been a day where I didn’t want to see you dead."

He clenched his fists till they turned white as his eyes became bloodshot.

"I will find Heather soon and I will kill her as well," he spoke, and Elijah’s eyes dimmed. "I will make sure to kill her in front of you."

Amaury didn’t say anything else, his hatred didn’t need words to be conveyed.

He began to walk towards the door but stopped at the last second.

"I will be there laughing at your corpse..." he spoke without looking back. "...when they sacrifice you like the puppet you are."