The silence in the chamber was oppressive.
Only the soft creak of the old wooden chair echoed faintly as Leo pulled a thick, sealed folder from his robe.
He didn't speak. No flourish. No dramatics.
Just a quiet flick of the wrist as he placed the envelope on the polished table in front of Darius Bladecrest—the once-feared Sword General of the north, now little more than a shadow of his former self.
The dim candlelight cast wavering reflections off the veins across the old man's temple. His appearance was fragile—sunken cheeks, pale skin, gray-white beard—but Leo could see the fire dormant beneath that shell.
Years ago, Darius had commanded battalions and built the foundation of the Bladecrest name alongside his brother. Now, he sat wrapped in a shawl, fingers trembling as they reached for the envelope.
The seal bore the insignia of House Aetherwind. No lesser clan dared to interfere with this blood feud—but Leo wasn't just any heir.
Darius opened the seal slowly, unfolding the contents page by page.
His pupils narrowed with every line.
The first few documents were standard: medical reports, timelines, and private physician logs.
Then came the toxicology analysis.
Traces of nightbane root—refined into a tasteless, slow-acting poison—found in Lady Elaine's blood over the last three years. Dosage levels matched fluctuations in her decline. The same substance had been found on her favorite tea set, which servants claimed Alexander Sr. had gifted her "to lift her spirits."
Then the letters appeared.
Private correspondences between estate managers, servant payrolls connected to shell companies… some bearing false signatures.
Leo said nothing.
Butler Wang stood behind him, arms behind his back. His expression unreadable, though the tension around his eyes told a story of his own.
Darius Bladecrest read on. His frail hands, though steady at first, began to shake.
One page crumpled in his grip.
His lips moved before sound followed.
"That bastard..." he whispered, the venom in his tone unmistakable.
Leo remained silent.
The old man leaned back heavily into his chair. He stared into nothing, a man caught between grief and fury.
Years ago, when the whispers first came to him, he had turned them away.
For peace. For stability.
He had thought restraint was strength. That dignity meant turning away from dirty politics, trusting time to reveal the truth.
But time had betrayed him.
No—it had revealed him as a fool.
Finally, after long silence, he lowered the file and looked directly at Leo.
"Young Lord Leo..." Darius said, voice low and controlled. "As much as I would like nothing more than to storm my brother's chamber and end this now… I must decline your offer."
Leo's brow didn't twitch.
Butler Wang frowned, his displeasure barely masked.
Darius raised a trembling hand. "If I act now, it will bring open war to the family. The council would fracture. My children… would suffer. If I want Rio and Roxanne to inherit what is rightfully theirs, I must stay still—for now."
Leo didn't reply immediately.
He studied the man—not just his words, but the choice behind them.
And then, with the same calm demeanor, he pulled out another folder and laid it on the table.
"You should see this, Uncle," Leo said quietly.
Darius hesitated.
Then, wordlessly, he reached forward again.
He opened the second folder.
If the first one had stabbed him, this one tore open the wound.
Here were the final pieces.
Falsified medical bills from a clinic supposedly treating Alex during his "youth training"—a clinic that never existed.
A payment record from Alexander Sr.'s private estate to a man later arrested for dealing in experimental poisons—disguised as a donation.
And worst of all…
The full list of substances found in Lady Elaine's bloodstream. One of them had never been documented in public alchemy before.
It was a synthetic compound—one with delayed mental degradation properties. Slow. Untraceable. Until now.
Leo had traced its origin back to a now-defunct lab once owned by an obscure alchemist guild… a guild absorbed quietly by one of the Bladecrest-affiliated companies.
Darius gripped the sides of the table. His whole body shook.
"No..." he breathed. "He wouldn't..."
The silence that followed said what Leo didn't have to.
Alexander Bladecrest Sr. hadn't just targeted his political influence—he'd mutilated the core of his family.
Not for defense.
Not for survival.
But to remove future competition for his son.
Darius stood suddenly, his chair scraping harshly against the floor.
Even in sickness, he seemed to regain a measure of the general he once was. His shoulders were broad, and his presence filled the room with a violent weight.
"I should've—"
But Leo gently raised a hand.
"Uncle."
The word, soft and respectful, brought Darius back down to earth.
Leo poured himself a cup of tea, sipping once before placing a final scroll on the table.
"I came here with a proposal," he said. "One that strengthens your children's position... and benefits us both."
Darius sat slowly, breathing heavily. His fingers hovered above the scroll.
"What kind of proposal?" he asked warily.
Leo didn't flinch.
"A marriage alliance. Between me and your daughter, Roxanne."
For a long moment, Darius said nothing.
Even the air seemed to hesitate.
"You want to marry my daughter?" he asked, his voice unreadable.
Leo met his gaze. "Yes."
"I will not sell my daughter," Darius snapped, "no matter how powerful your bloodline."
Tension flickered through the room.
And then, to everyone's surprise, Leo smiled faintly.
"Sell? Uncle, don't mistake this for a purchase."
He leaned forward slightly.
"It's an offer. One you are free to reject. But understand this—without my help, your children may die at the hands of your brother's schemes."
There was no anger in his tone. No threat.
Just truth.
Even Butler Wang, usually expressionless, blinked in quiet admiration.
Leo had no need to shout or flex power. He simply exposed truth—and let the weight of it do the work.
In the shadows outside, members of the Shadow Force remained alert. None of them moved, but there was a subtle shift in posture.
This moment… solidified something.
Leo Aetherwind wasn't just an heir.
He was a player. A dangerous one.
After a long, drawn-out breath, Darius Bladecrest lowered his gaze.
He spoke quietly. "Very well... I agree."
Just as the tension settled into the floorboards, the heavy doors to the study burst open with a loud slam.
Two figures stormed into the room—young, swift, and battle-ready.
"Father!" the boy shouted.
The girl just behind him halted abruptly.
Rio and Roxanne Bladecrest had arrived.
Rio instinctively stepped in front of his sister, placing himself between her and the seated young noble at the far end of the table.
His tone was fierce. "We heard the shouting. What's going on?"
Then his eyes locked onto Leo. Sharp. Defensive. Ready for a fight if needed.
He didn't wait for answers.
"No! I won't let this happen. I won't let you marry Roxanne!"
His voice was clear. Raw with emotion.
Roxanne's eyes widened.
She turned toward her brother in confusion. "What are you talking abou—?"
But her voice stopped.
It caught in her throat.
Her gaze had landed on Leo.
The young man seated beside her father radiated a quiet, composed confidence. His posture was perfect, his demeanor untouched by the tension in the room. His features were striking—chiseled, yet elegant. Eyes like molten gold, sharp as if forged by fire.
There was something unnatural about him. Not in a sinister way, but in a way that made him feel... beyond ordinary. His presence demanded attention without trying.
Her steps faltered slightly.
She didn't speak. Didn't move.
Leo observed her reaction with a faint chuckle.
He was used to it by now.
The system's passive enhancements weren't just cosmetic—they sharpened everything. The angles of his face, the balance of his aura, even the cadence of his voice.
It left impressions. Deep ones.
And Roxanne Bladecrest—one of the strongest prodigies of her generation—had frozen.
Leo rose slowly, the sound of his chair sliding back barely audible.
He didn't speak to her yet.
Instead, he turned to Rio.
"Protective," he said mildly. "A good quality in a brother."
Rio's eyes narrowed. "Don't talk like you know us."
"I don't," Leo replied. "But I will."
He looked to Darius.
"Uncle, if you'd prefer to discuss the terms later, I understand."
Darius waved a hand tiredly. "They were going to find out soon anyway."
Roxanne's brows furrowed. "Find out what?"
The old man looked at his children.
"Leo has offered an alliance... through marriage. He wishes to propose to you, Roxanne."
The words dropped like stones.
Rio flared up instantly. "This is insane! You can't just—"
But Darius cut him off with a rare firmness in his tone.
"Enough. This is no forced arrangement. Leo has offered. I accepted. It is now your choice."
That stunned both siblings.
Roxanne glanced at Leo again, this time more grounded.
Her voice was calm when she finally spoke. "Why me?"
Leo didn't hesitate.
"Because you are strong. Because you've endured more than anyone realizes. Because your loyalty to your family hasn't wavered even after betrayal."
He paused, then added, "And because if this clan falls, I want someone beside me who won't."
The blunt honesty surprised even Butler Wang.
Leo wasn't trying to impress her.
He was stating a fact.
Roxanne didn't blush. She didn't look away. But her gaze lost some of its hostility.
Rio stepped forward again. "You don't even know her."
Leo turned to him now. "And you don't know me."
For a moment, the two young men locked eyes.
No spirit pressure. No threats.
Just two warriors measuring each other in silence.
Then Leo smiled slightly. "Relax, Rio. I'm not here to steal your sister."
He looked back at Roxanne. "Only to see if she'll walk beside me."
A long pause.
Roxanne didn't answer.
But she didn't refuse.
And that said enough.
---
Outside the study, in the shadowed corridor, the guards remained still.
But the news was already traveling.
Shadow Force agents dispatched subtle signals. Couriers moved into position. The political gears of the Aetherwind and Bladecrest alliance had begun to turn.
Somewhere in the estate, Lady Elaine's caretaker received a parcel—a bottle of healing elixir in a sealed wooden case with the Aetherwind crest. Her breathing that night was stronger.
Back in the chamber, Darius slowly rose from his seat.
His eyes had regained a glint of their old clarity. "Leo. There's much we need to prepare if we're to challenge my brother."
Leo nodded once.
"I came ready."
From this day forward, the story of the Bladecrest Clan would begin to change.
And Leo Aetherwind, the so-called villain, had taken his first step into rewriting history—
With bloodline, strategy, and a proposal that shook the foundations of legacy.
---
[End of Chapter 23]
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