The whole room shook. The floor trembled, the windows rattled. A dense and bloody aura erupted from Kael, filling the chamber like a storm. The force of it pressed against Adele’s body, stripping her of strength, crushing her beneath its weight.
Her purple eyes, once fierce and sharp, met his pale white gaze. In that instant, her mind shattered.
Hallucinations tore through her vision. She saw a battlefield stretched out as far as her eyes could see. Corpses piled high, their blood soaking into the earth. The air reeked of iron and death. And standing on a mountain of bodies was a man cloaked in blood-red intent.
That man looked down at her with a twisted, demonic smile. His eyes were empty, merciless, and cold. His voice cut through her heart like blades.
"I don’t fear. I am the very embodiment of fear. This vert truth will be soon carved itself into your heart until you cannot lift that fucking head of yours before me. I will crush the arrogance and pride that you cling to, and crush them into nothing."
Adele’s breath caught in her throat. Her body shook. The world around her blurred, and all she could feel was that crushing weight. For the first time, she could not hold her own against him.
Adele’s body went stiff as she stared at Kael. What she had just seen was not her brother, but a monster. It felt like she had been staring at the God of slaughter itself. Her body refused to move, and all the strength drained from her limbs.
When Kael finally let go of her chin, she snapped out of her trance. Her breath came in sharp gasps, her palms slick with sweat. She lowered her eyes, not daring to meet his gaze again.
"You..." Adele’s voice cracked with anger.
She wanted to ask what this skill was?
Her pride burned. She roared at Kael and unleashed a violent gale, the force shaking the chairs and whipping the curtains against the walls.
Kael did not flinch. His lips curved upward, ready to counter her, when suddenly a cold voice pierced the chaos.
"Did you two have fun?"
The words were quiet, but the weight behind them was suffocating. It was not a question. It was a threat wrapped in calmness. The air froze. Both Kael and Adele felt it like chains tightening around their throats.
Ruth’s eyes burned cold as he looked at them. Emilia, beside him, gasped softly and clutched his knuckles tight. Her heart jolted in her chest. The sight of her two children about to tear each other apart made her chest heavy and her hands tremble.
"You two..." Ruth’s voice was calm but sharp as steel. "Can’t you control yourselves? If you want to fight, then do it fairly. Settle the matter in a proper way. There is no need for this wild aggression inside this estate."
Adele opened her mouth to protest, her voice trembling with rage, but before she could speak, Kael threw his head back and burst into laughter.
"Pffff..." His laughter grew louder until it shook the hall. "Hahahaha!"
The sudden sound startled everyone. Emilia flinched and Adele’s face darkened. Ruth narrowed his eyes.
Kael’s laughter stopped as quickly as it had begun. His face twisted with disgust.
"You want me to compromise?" he spat. "You want me to forgive her? And then what? Take the position of Duke like nothing happened? What a fucking joke!"
His words hit like whips.
"Did she ever think of me when she stood by that bitch and poisoned me? Did she think of me when she spread lies and painted me as a molester?" Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on n0velfire.net
"WHAT?" Emilia cried out and jumped from her seat. Her eyes darted to Ruth. But Ruth’s face did not soften. He sat still, his expression dark, unreadable.
Kael’s eyes shifted back to Adele, sharp as knives. His voice lowered, but every word struck like thunder.
"Do you want me to forgive her for sending a maid to seduce me and bear my child? Do you want me to forgive her for sending assassins after me?"
The hall went silent. Emilia’s lips trembled. Her mind spun, trying to grasp Kael’s words. Each sentence felt like a dagger plunged into her chest.
Adele, on the other hand, gripped the armrest of her chair until her knuckles turned white. Her face twisted with hate, but there was also discomfort. The shame of her own deeds laid bare under the light made her insides burn.
Kael looked at her with nothing but contempt. He gave a cold snort.
"What now? You can act however you want. You can stain your hands with filth and still parade around like you are untouchable. But me?" His voice rose, a storm breaking free. "I don’t even have the right to take back what you stole from me, you bloody whore?"
Everyone’s eyes turned toward Ruth. His face was hard, his gaze heavier than stone. His voice was quiet but carried an icy chill.
"What did you mean about assassins?"
The room froze. Ruth’s question lingered in the air, thick and suffocating. His aura flickered with deadly intent, the kind that made Emilia’s breath hitch. For a moment, Adele herself shuddered under his gaze.
Kael’s voice came sharp and unyielding. "You are asking as if you don’t know. Elara and that dog Vale sent assassins after me. Not once. Not twice. Several times.She might also have had a hand when she assassinated me and mother."
"That is a lie!" Adele screamed. Her hands shook as she rose to her feet. "How dare you? Do you have proof? You cannot condemn me without evidence!"
Kael’s lips twisted into a cruel grin. His voice was dark, mocking. "The fuck with evidence. I don’t need to waste time with words. Your dead body will serve as the best evidence."
"Don’t cross the line, you bastard!" Adele roared, her fury exploding. She drew her sword in a flash, the steel glinting under the dim light.