"How could this happen? How could my father be that weak?"
Inside a spacious, luxurious room, Clarisse tore the documents in her hands, her teeth clenched in fury.
Her face was flushed, her chest heaving with barely contained rage.
Her homeland, Halveran, had been reduced to a massive crater.
And the culprit was the one she hated most—the Singularity of Chaos.
"I won’t accept this!" she shouted, hurling the papers and slamming the table in front of her.
Bang!
The impact echoed through the room, rendering Adalen and Seira—who sat across from her—completely silent. Neither dared to say a word.
Even so, they understood their mother’s rage. After all, who wouldn’t be furious after learning their homeland had been reduced to rubble?
Although they didn’t feel a deep attachment to Halveran, the news still brought a wave of sorrow and gloom.
Adalen, in particular, had taken the hardest blow. Ever since the humiliating incident the night before, his reputation among the nobles had been steadily crumbling.
And as if that weren’t enough, he’d been punished by his father—confined to the palace for a week to reflect on his actions.
As trivial as the punishment sounded, she knew it was merely an excuse to limit his movements.
Whatever happened last night must have made his father wary of him... maybe even resentful.
But in hindsight, that anger was understandable. He was sure his father believed last night’s incident was the result of his manipulation.
And while that wasn’t entirely accurate, it wasn’t completely false either. Consciously or not, he had urged his grandfather to put pressure on Elina.
What he hadn’t expected was for his grandfather to act so arrogantly and decisively—nearly killing Nolan and Elina in front of everyone.
To make matters worse, the old man had even dared to openly threaten the destruction of the Great Velmora Empire.
That single act had shattered his father’s dignity and offended many. Now, Adalen was filled with regret. Had he not provoked his grandfather, none of this might have happened.
And beyond all that, the Singularity of Chaos was far more terrifying than he’d imagined.
That man had actually dared to annihilate the Halveran capital, plunging the entire Holy Empire of Valtanir into chaos.
Remembering his own arrogance during the succession announcement, Adalen felt a chill. It was a miracle the man hadn’t crushed his body and killed him on the spot.
If he had, Adalen wouldn’t be standing here now.
"Huh..." Clarisse suddenly let out a long breath. She rubbed her temples, the remnants of anger still etched across her face.
Turning to Adalen, her gaze softened with guilt as she said quietly, "I’m sorry, Adalen. This is all because of you. If I hadn’t been so selfish—if I hadn’t asked your uncle to send your grandfather—none of this might have happened."
It had been she who persuaded her brother, Daniel, to send their father as the Holy Empire of Valtanir’s representative to her husband’s event.
At the time, she believed it was the perfect opportunity to put pressure on the other candidates.
She saw it as a stage where her son could shine—and a chance to disgrace Elina.
But reality was far harsher than she had anticipated. Instead of unfolding as planned, everything fell apart. Her father ended up becoming a laughingstock in front of the guests.
The prestige once carried by the Singularity of Light—her father—had been utterly shattered. And now, her brother’s Holy Empire of Valtanir was in turmoil, brought to its knees by an attack from the Singularity of Chaos.
Only now did she truly understand how terrifying that man was. No wonder her father had always warned her not to act recklessly or provoke him.
"It’s all right, Mother," Adalen said with a strained smile. "It’s already happened. There’s nothing we can do about it now."
His voice was steady, but the sadness and disappointment beneath it were impossible to hide.
Clarisse’s heart, as a mother, felt like it was being crushed by an invisible weight. She rose to her feet, stepped closer, and wrapped her arms tightly around Adalen.
"Don’t worry, Adalen. You haven’t lost yet," she whispered gently. "We can still turn things around. Remember, you already have the support of the Morvain family. They’re the hidden power your grandfather left behind in secret. Mother will ask for their help to back you."
In her embrace, Adalen’s tense body gradually relaxed. The sorrow on his face faded, replaced by resolve and a renewed flame in his eyes.
"Don’t worry, Mother. I won’t give up!" Adalen vowed.
He would never allow his rivals—Aldric, Cedric, Zarak, Cassian, or even Elina—to laugh at his downfall.
He would prove that he alone was worthy of the throne!
"Good!" Clarisse exclaimed, relieved by her son’s determination. "Mother will always support you, Adalen!"
But then, her gaze snapped toward Seira, who had been sitting silently, her expression indifferent—as if none of this concerned her.
Clarisse’s face tightened with anger and frustration.
"Seira, what kind of behavior is this? As the eldest sister, it’s your responsibility to support your younger brother. Yet you sit there, cold and indifferent—what does that mean?"
Adalen also turned to Seira, his eyes filled with resentment and anger.
He didn’t know what had changed in his sister, but she never showed even the slightest concern for him. It was infuriating.
Yet Seira remained calm and unbothered. She met their eyes with a frosty gaze and replied coolly, "Why would I care about that idiot?"
Her gaze immediately shifted to Adalen, making it clear that the "idiot" she referred to was none other than her own younger brother.
"You..." Adalen clenched his teeth, furious at the insult.
But before he could respond, Seira crossed her arms and cut him off sharply.
"He used Grandfather to pressure Elina and Nolan—and what happened? Grandfather was the one humiliated in front of everyone. If you’re looking for someone to blame, then blame this fool!"
Her words were like razor blades—cold, sharp, and merciless. Adalen felt as if anger and shame had struck him all at once, suffocating him.
"Seira, watch your mouth!" Clarisse snapped, her voice trembling with rage. She stormed toward her daughter and slapped the left side of her face—a sharp crack echoing through the room.
Seira’s eyes widened in shock, as if she couldn’t believe what had just happened. But the burning sting on her cheek was all too real—there was no mistaking it for a dream.
Adalen jumped up, startled, and quickly pulled his mother back.
"Mother, what are you doing? Why did you hit Big Sister?" he asked, a deep frown etched on his forehead.
He hadn’t expected his mother to act so impulsively. Yet beneath the shock... there was a flicker of satisfaction.
After all, Seira had always been insufferable. Her cold demeanor and biting sarcasm had long gotten under his skin.
Clarisse stood silent for a moment. A flash of regret crossed her eyes—but her pride was far too great to let her apologize.
"She had it coming," she said coldly, masking the storm churning within her.
Seira shot her a sharp glare—cold, piercing, and devoid of all emotion. The look sent a chill down Clarisse’s spine, though she couldn’t quite explain why.
Without uttering a word, Seira slowly rose to her feet. Then, without so much as a backward glance, she turned and walked away.
Seira’s haughty demeanor reignited the anger simmering in Clarisse’s chest.
"Seira, come back!" She shouted, her voice echoing through the room.
But Seira didn’t turn back. She walked out, her figure vanishing behind the door—leaving behind a silence that felt heavy and painfully suffocating.