The Second Empress of the Starbloom Empire, Edna Starbloom, had always thought of herself as a strong woman.
A very strong woman with an unshakable will.
She had been raised to be one.
Born as the daughter of the ruling house of the Solaria Empire, she had grown up knowing her value not as a person, but as a bargaining chip for peace.
When the long, bloody conflict between Solaria and Starbloom finally reached its tipping point, she had been the solution — offered as the Second Wife to Emperor Aldric Starbloom in exchange for a truce.
At sixteen, she was sent to a foreign palace, to a foreign man, in a foreign land she barely knew.
It wasn't like those stories she used to sneak from the library when no one was watching —those sweet, romantic novels where a political bride gradually melted her husband's cold heart and won his love.
This was real life.
In real life, marriages were inked in treaties, not carved into hearts.
The Emperor was not cruel to her.
He was a good man — a good ruler. But to him, she was never more than another woman to the Emperor, he valued his first wife far more than her.
She was nothing more than tool of politics, a duty fulfilled. When he looked at her, it was with a distant fondness, never love.
She smiled in return, because what else could she do?
But when Naelia was kidnapped… everything changed.
It nearly tore Edna apart.
She had begged him. She had begged Aldric to let her go find her daughter herself.
She would have scoured every city, every corner of the empire barefoot if she had to.
But he refused.
He trusted the guards.
Trusted the soldiers.
Trusted everyone except her desperate, trembling heart.
For days she couldn't eat. She couldn't sleep.
Each hour that passed felt like another dagger twisting into her chest.
She was the Second Empress of the Starbloom Empire, but what good was any of her title, her jewels, her silks, when her daughter was out there — cold, hungry, and terrified?
She had felt powerless.
And when Azel brought Naelia back, safe and smiling, that powerlessness finally broke.
So in Azel's arms, Edna Starbloom, the proud, graceful, untouchable Empress cried.
Her tears came hot and relentless, soaking into the fabric of his shirt as she buried her face against him.
All the composure she'd built up over the years crumbled away, leaving only a mother who had nearly lost her child.
She wept silently at first, then louder, trembling in his arms. Every breath hitched, her fingers clutching at him as if he were the only thing holding her together.
Azel said nothing. He didn't need to. He just stood there and let her cry, his steady presence the anchor she needed.
Minutes passed before her sobs finally quieted. She pulled back, dabbing at her reddened eyes with a silk cloth, cheeks flushed in embarrassment.
"I… I apologize," she said softly, her voice fragile in a way Azel had never heard before. "For showing you such a… shameful side of myself."
Azel shook his head, his expression calm and understanding. He remembered from the game that Edna Starbloom had almost no backstory.
She was just there — a figure in the background, existing to be forgotten once her daughter's death spiraled the empire into chaos.
But standing here, seeing her pain, he realized how wrong that was.
"It's no problem, my lady," Azel said gently. "I'm always here if you need someone to talk to."
Her violet eyes flickered, surprised, then softened. For a moment, she looked… lighter.
They sat together after that, and Edna composed herself, slowly regaining her poise as they shared lunch.
The tension eased, though Naelia never returned — likely too embarrassed to face either of them.
When the meal ended, Edna gave him a small, graceful smile.
"Thank you, Azel," she said quietly, her tone laced with something warmer than before. "For everything."
Azel bowed politely. "It was my honor, my lady."
She waved him off as he left the balcony, and he didn't miss the beautiful smile that traced her lips as she waved happily.
...
The palace training floors were several levels below the grand halls.
Azel knew the way from memory but he still had to have a maid with him, Guests could use this place as well and he needed a place where he could get some good training done.
There were multiple rooms here for every type of training imaginable:
A physical training hall lined with weights and equipment that put modern gyms to shame.
A weapons hall stocked with every tool of war imaginable.
Even a hologram chamber, where court mages conjured illusory monsters for combat simulation.
But today, Azel chose the physical training room.
As he stepped inside, he peeled off his shirt — the fabric still faintly damp from Edna's tears and tossed it aside. The maid bowed and left leaving the room empty and silent except for his steady breathing and the faint hum of mana-rich air.
He glanced at the gleaming silver bracelet around his wrist. The [Ever-Bracelet].
"Alright," he muttered, rolling his shoulders. "Time to make it official."
He focused, channeling his aura into the bracelet's inlaid gems.
The pull was immediate, draining his energy in a steady flow as the runes inscribed along its edge lit up.
The gems glowed brighter and brighter, heat prickling against his skin.
He grit his teeth and pushed more aura into it.
Seconds passed.
Then a minute.
Then Two.
Finally, with a sharp pulse, the bracelet flashed, and the gems turned pitch-black.
A familiar chime rang in his head.
[You have gained the Unique Skill: Gravity Manipulation (Lv. 1)]
"Phew…" Azel exhaled, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Alright. Let's try this out."
He straightened, braced himself, and activated it.
A crushing weight slammed down on him instantly.
WHAM!
"—UURGH!"
Azel hit the floor face-first with a loud crunch, the air punched out of his lungs as the sudden force glued him flat like a pancake.