Chapter 221: "Love is nothing but a weakness...,"
In the depths of the underworld, where dark shadows danced and fierce lakes of lava shimmered with a purple glow, Loviator found herself banished back to her domain. Her wound had long recovered but her body was still covered in a black substance that so happened to be her blood. She remained trapped despite all her attempts to escape. Time and time again she chanted an incantation to split a hole in the realm but she was met with failure each time. With each failed attempt, Loviator felt her strength drain away, but she refused to accept defeat.
She couldn’t bear the thought of letting that brat Luo be victorious. It was a defeat she wasn’t willing to take. It was a matter of pride.
The creatures that roamed in the dark suddenly scattered, fear evident in their eyes. Loviator turned around to look in that direction but she didn’t seem shaken.
Emerging from the darkness, the king of the underworld made his presence known. His steps were unhurried, yet carried an air of dominance. Like a sinister embodiment of evil, he possessed a charm that was difficult to resist. He called Loviator’s name, and at that moment, she couldn’t help but lower her head in embarrassment.
The king of the underworld chuckled, a hint of mockery lingering in his laughter. He was astounded by the lengths his daughter had gone to for a man who didn’t reciprocate her love.
To him, it was both disgusting and pathetic. Loviator’s actions had brought shame upon herself and their family, in his eyes.
"What did I tell you when you decided to be with that pathetic waste of flesh?" he asked his tone condescending.
Loviator raised her head and opened her mouth to correct her father. "Father, he is no‐."
"SHUT UP!!!" he bellowed his thunderous voice causing tremors in the entire underworld. "I told you it will not end well unless you drugged him and brought him back here as your captive."
"Father, I tried," she said and the king of the underworld roared back.
"You didn’t try hard enough! You let his son injure you with your divine tool... that means you won’t be able to leave for a thousand years."
Hearing this Loviator growled as she replied through her teeth. "Father, there must be another way."
"There isn’t. Unless there is someone who loves you so much in the human world and is willing to sacrifice everything to get you back. Your daughter is as selfish as you so don’t have any high hopes," he said and Loviator felt like screaming. This wasn’t how it was supposed to end. She was supposed to ruin Luo and take his soul away with her to the underworld. That would serve as the greatest revenge on that bastard. Now she couldn’t even go back.
"Go see your mother. She will find something to keep you occupied. You should let this stupid obsession go," he said and Loviator knew this was not up for negotiation. This wasn’t her giving up. She vowed to find another way to go back.
***
King Luo sat in his chambers, the only peaceful refuge from the chaos that had consumed his kingdom. The room had been meticulously cleaned, every inch scrubbed clean to erase any remnants of his half-sister’s usurpation.
When he was satisfied with the spotless room he carefully laid the unconscious figure of Qie Xieling on the immaculate bed. Qie Xieling, lay there vulnerable, his face serene yet distant. King Luo’s worry for him was palpable, his heart heavy with worry.
As he sat by the bed, King Luo couldn’t resist reaching out to stroke Qie Xieling’s cheek, his touch tender and affectionate.
His eyes, brimming with concern, never left Qie Xieling’s face as he searched for any sign of response, for a flicker of awareness.
A soft breeze drifted in through the window, caressing the curtains and stirring them gently. King Luo’s attention remained focused on Qie Xieling, not even raising his head to acknowledge the presence of his half-sister, who had found her way back into the palace. He had long sensed her presence and let her get this far. It was because he knew she knew something about the poison flowing in Qie Xieling’s body and intended to negotiate.
In a voice as calm as the breeze itself, King Luo spoke, not bothering to mask the weariness in his words. "What?... You don’t fear death?" he asked Yana, his voice menacing and frightening.
Yana stood near the window, silent and unwavering, the shadows playing on her face but her heart was gripped with fear.
Her eyes met King Luo’s gaze, a mixture of arrogance and spite. "Why should I fear death when the one on the throne is my dear half-brother?" she retorted, a cruel smile tugging at the corner of her lips.
King Luo’s finger resting on Qie Xieling’s cheek froze, his emotions threatening to spill over. But he carefully fixed the quilt on Qie Xieling’s body.
"You love him that much... even when he betrayed you?" she asked after seeing the way he was treating him. He was treating him even better than he treated his treasures in his vault. She never took care of Eling as much as he did when they were together. She finessed Eling with her charm and some love magic until he was obsessed with her but she would never tell anyone that. Now seeing her brother treat him with tender affection she couldn’t help but feel some type of way.
"That isn’t any of your business," he shot back, his voice steady yet terrifying at the same time. He closed the curtains surrounding the bed shielding her view of him. His gaze fierce, he asked, "You must have something underneath your sleeve for you to risk everything to be here. Don’t tell me it is because you still love him and think you have a chance."
Yana’s laughter filled the chamber, a jarring contrast to the tenderness in the room. "Love? Such foolishness," she scoffed. "Love is nothing but a weakness, easily weaponised against those who possess it. I have no use for such sentimentality."
King Luo’s eyes flashed with a mix of anger and disgust as he grabbed her throat and dropped her out of the open window.
