Two days.
Just two days remained before the arrival of the Third Son of the Demon Lord.
And instead of uniting in preparation, Aurelian found himself locked in yet another argument with the Noble Council. Why? Because they refused, flat out refused, to take shelter in the underground labyrinth Seiryu had painstakingly constructed for non-combatants alongside the commoners.
They were currently gathered in the Noble Council Chamber.
"Beneath you?" Aurelian's voice thundered, and his hand slammed down hard on the polished council table. The sound echoed sharply across the chamber. "We're on the verge of a potential catastrophe! A demi-human prince, one who defeated Seiryu, a Holy Beast, in battle a thousand years ago, is coming to this kingdom! We don't know if he's arriving as a friend or as an enemy. We're preparing for the worst possible scenario and you're more concerned about sharing space with commoners?!"
"We don't even know if what you're saying is true, Aurelian," came the cold response from his younger brother, Augustus. "For all we know, you're using this story as an excuse to trap us underground and bury us alive."
Aurelian froze, stunned.
"You think I'd do that?" His eyes swept across the chamber, locking onto the heads of the twenty noble families seated in their designated crests of power.
"Why wouldn't you?" Princess Aurora sneered, brows arched in suspicion. "You honestly expect us to believe there's a being strong enough to defeat a Holy Beast? Convenient timing, isn't it? All this talk of a demi-human prince and you still haven't married Celestria. Are you scheming to take the throne without fulfilling your end of the alliance?"
Augustus let out a mocking laugh, eyes glinting with malice. "Rumor has it you've been making frequent visits to the Empress's Palace." He leaned forward, voice dripping with contempt. "Did Vaelundis pressure you again? Begging you to honor your betrothal to that fat, ugly Ceres? Threatening to cut our food supply if she's no longer Empress? They must be desperate to make you their son-in-law now, after all, you're the so-called Master of the Holy Beast."
"I don't give a damn about Vaelundis," Aurelian said flatly, eyes darkening. "And don't you dare insult the Empress again."
He didn't raise his voice, but a pulse of killing intent rippled through the chamber like a blade drawn in silence, sharp and cold and deadly. It wrapped around Augustus like a noose, making him pale and shift uneasily in his seat.
Everyone froze.
Because in the past, Aurelian never reacted this way. They had mocked Ceres countless times, her bloodline, her status, her body. But now, even the mere mention of her in jest sent him into fury.
And that frightened them.
"I'm not making this up," Aurelian said, voice tight with fury. "Seiryu himself confirmed it. And the Narf Prince, Azul was there to verify it. They both witnessed what the Third Son is capable of."
A murmur of disbelief spread across the council chamber.
Most of them still refused to believe it. The idea that a being existed, much less a demi-human, who could overpower a Holy Beast? Impossible. In their minds, demi-humans were nothing more than folklore, dusty remnants of an ancient age. And according to that myth, the demi-human races had once been enslaved by humans before fading into extinction.
Aurelian felt like he was speaking to stone.
Only the nobles who had joined the Monster Hunt Expedition believed him, because they had seen the truth with their own eyes. The rest?
Blind. Arrogant. Dangerous.
He couldn't even tell them the full truth, that he wasn't really Seiryu's master. That it was Ceres all along.
But the Empress had made her wishes clear.
Protect her identity.
And even though it killed him to take credit for something that wasn't his, he'd agreed, because the lie protected her. And now that they were nearing the day of reckoning, even their most powerful allies, the Noble and Holy Knight Commanders, the Mages, even Captain Hugo, had agreed with him. Ceres needed to remain hidden. Untouched.
Just in case the Third Son wasn't coming in peace.
Just in case… he was coming for her.
Aurelian raised his chin, his eyes cold and commanding.
"If you don't believe in demi-humans, fine. If you think this is all a ploy, fine. But don't you dare blame me when you die because of your pride."
His voice dropped to a lethal calm.
"Since you refuse to believe the threat is real, I suggest you prepare your private armies. Because the knights under my command will not be protecting you."
With nothing more to say, Aurelian turned and walked out of the council chamber, cape billowing behind him. Sir Draven followed closely at his side.
"Are the Imperial Knights ready?" Aurelian asked as they moved swiftly through the corridor.
"Yes, Your Majesty. Everything is in place," Draven replied. "But… we have a problem."
Aurelian halted, his brows furrowed. "What kind of problem?"
Draven exhaled heavily. "The original plan was for the Empress to remain in the Empress's Palace when the Third Son arrives. The Starlight Knights were stationed there specifically for her protection."
Aurelian nodded. "That was the agreement."
"But…" Draven hesitated. "She says if you intend to intercept the Third Son at the outer gates, then she wants to be there too."
"What?!" Aurelian's voice echoed through the marble hallway.
"She said it would be better this way," Draven continued. "Just in case the Third Son's intentions are hostile… we'll need every weapon we have. And our strongest weapon is her."
Aurelian closed his eyes, exasperated, the beginnings of a headache creeping in. He pinched the bridge of his nose.
"I'll speak with her," he muttered. "She needs to understand the risk. If something happens to her, Seiryu's labyrinth will collapse. The entire city's protection depends on her."
Draven nodded solemnly. They were about to resume walking when a delicate but firm hand grasped Aurelian's arm.
"We need to talk, Your Majesty."
It was Celestria.
She had followed him out of the Council Chamber without announcement, her expression unreadable.
Aurelian glanced at Draven, who took the silent cue and bowed before walking away, leaving the two alone in the corridor.
"What do you want to talk about, Lady Blackwell?" Aurelian asked, voice detached and impersonal.
Celestria let out a cold snicker.
"Lady Blackwell? That's what you call me now?" she snapped. "I am your fiancée, Aurelian."
He sighed, then turned to face her fully. Her beauty was undeniable, refined and perfect, the proud daughter of the Blackwell bloodline. Just like the many empresses before her. Even his mother.
But that didn't change anything.
"I already told you, Celestria. The wedding will not happen," Aurelian said flatly. "Once this crisis is over, once we survive the Third Son's visit, I will formally break our engagement."
"You mean it's true then?" she asked, voice cracking with disbelief. "The rumors I heard… about you spending more time in the Empress's Palace, with her…"
Her words turned bitter. "Have you forgotten, Aurelian? The only reason House Blackwell supports your claim is because of our engagement."
"Don't threaten me with your family's support," Aurelian said coolly, his voice dipped in warning. "You know I never wanted the crown. But don't forget, my father, the late Emperor, named me his heir in his final will. With or without your backing."
He stepped closer, towering.
"Even if you and my siblings rise against me, I am still the rightful heir to the crown. And in case you've missed it, your brothers already know I plan to break the engagement. And they support me. The Holy Church supports me. The Magic Tower stands behind me. The commoners, those same people you've never cared about, support me."
His voice softened, dangerously so.
"And in case the rumors haven't sunk in yet… yes, I'm doing this for her. For the Empress."
Celestria's breath hitched, face paling.
"I will not marry you or any other woman just to ensure she keeps her crown. Because she's the only woman I will ever marry."
The corridor fell into tense silence.
SLAP.
The sound cracked like a whip.
Celestria's hand struck Aurelian's cheek, the impact ringing against the marble walls. Her chest rose and fell with fury, eyes glittering with unshed tears and disbelief.
"You arrogant bastard," she hissed. "You'd disgrace me, disgrace our entire royal bloodline, over that woman? That insignificant woman? The same woman even her own kingdom cast aside?"
Aurelian snapped.
In one swift movement, his hand gripped her chin, rough, firm, unforgiving. Her eyes widened in shock. He had never handled her like this before. Aurelian was passionate, yes. Dominant in private. But never like this.
Never violent.
"I told you," his voice dropped, dangerously calm, "do not insult the Empress again. Especially not in front of me."
His fingers pressed harder, just enough to make her breath hitch.
"The next time I hear any of you speak her name with anything less than respect… you will face me. Is that clear?"
He released her chin with a forceful flick, sending her stumbling back a step.
Celestria gasped, and then,
She broke.
She began pounding her fists against Aurelian's chest, eyes wild, her composed nobility shattered.
"How dare you!" she shrieked, voice cracking. "You dare hurt me for that ugly whore?! After everything I've done for you?! After I looked the other way every time you cheated?!"
Aurelian didn't even flinch.
"I never promised you anything, Celestria." His words were as cold as his gaze. "And don't forget, Ceres was my betrothed first. Not you."
Her breath caught.
"I'm only correcting the mistake I made when I let her go."
He leaned closer, voice lowering to a sharp edge.
"And don't act like you were a victim. You offered yourself to me after my father's will was revealed. You wanted to be Empress. You came to my bed willingly, thinking it would secure your title."
His tone darkened.
"So don't throw your 'sacrifices' in my face when I never asked for them. You gave them freely. That's on you."
Celestria's face turned red, trembling with rage, but Aurelian wasn't finished.
"And I know you, Celestria," he added, eyes narrowing. "I know how you treat the women you see as threats. Don't you dare lay a hand on her. Don't even try the petty games you used on your past rivals."
A silence stretched between them, thick with warning.
"Because if you do, not even Celion, not even your father, will be able to save you."
With that, he turned his back and walked away, cape sweeping behind him like a slash of midnight.
Celestria stood frozen, fists clenched at her sides, breath ragged with humiliation and rage.
She had never been rejected like this. Never humiliated like this. Not by any man, least of all the one who was supposed to become emperor.
Yes, she knew about Ceres. Everyone did. The outcast of Vaelundis. The disappointment of her lineage. A woman who should have been discarded quietly. A mere footnote in history.
Even Aurelian had once rejected her, on the very day of their supposed wedding.
So what the hell happened?
What changed?
What spell did that wretched woman cast?
And why did no one seem to have the answers?
She had tried asking Celion, of course. Her infuriating older brother who always seemed one step ahead of her. But he only gave her cryptic answers and amused smirks. No help there.
And Cecilion? That arrogant bastard refused to speak to her altogether.
Her lips curled into a snarl, eyes blazing as she stared at Aurelian's retreating form.
"You'll pay for this," she whispered into the empty corridor, seething. "Ceres Evadne Valeria… no one has ever taken what's mine and walked away without regret."
Her voice dropped to a cold, venom-laced whisper.
"No one."