Chapter: CHAPTER 168“You trusted your father, right?” Asher spoke, even though Aldric was like that, the middle-aged man Asher had met several times truly loved Alicia. Asher was certain that Aldric was now trying to clean up the chaos that had happened. He was even sure that Aldric would not stay silent if he was kicked around in political circles. Aldric surely held keys or secrets of the elites.Alicia fell silent; she did not know either. She used to believe in him, even made her father her role model. However, since the infidelity scandal surfaced, her trust had declined.“Just trust your father. He would try for you, don’t think about other problems. Heal yourself first, after that let’s live together,” Asher replied soothingly while holding Alicia’s hand.A warm and calming feeling settled in Alicia’s heart. She looked at Asher with admiration. The man she once met by the roadside, the stiff man who only talked about business, now spoke so gently and attentively.While Asher was feeling a butterf
Last Updated: 2025-12-29
Chapter: CHAPTER 167Asher’s body felt stiff, pain slowly spreading every time he unconsciously shifted his fingers. His eyelids fluttered before finally opening, slowly adjusting to the overly bright white light. The smell of medicine immediately rushed in, cold and bitter, making his chest rise and fall more deeply.“Asher… Asher!”The voice was faint, but familiar enough to pull Asher fully back. His vision blurred for a moment, then Alicia’s figure appeared at the edge of his sight, standing beside the bed, her face pale but real.“Alicia…” Asher’s voice sounded hoarse, almost inaudible.He tried to sit up. His muscles resisted, sharp pain flaring instantly. Alicia reflexively held Asher’s shoulder, but before she could push him further, the door opened. A doctor and a nurse entered with quick steps—the emergency call had been pressed by Alicia seconds earlier.“Stay calm,” the doctor said after a brief examination. A small flashlight was directed into Asher’s eyes, then toward the monitor beside the
Last Updated: 2025-12-29
Chapter: CHAPTER 166Satisfied with the discussion with his father, he left and returned to his room only to change his clothes. The suit was replaced with a dark jacket, and the watch was adjusted one notch. A few minutes later, he was already sitting in the car with Joseph. The engine started, city lights were left behind, and the road led toward a pier far from home. Toward a place where iron and saltwater mixed.Rows of shipping containers stood like steel graves. The giant boxes were rusted at the corners, large enough to swallow a human in silence, cold, and indifferent to the activity outside. Asher stepped into one of the blue containers.Inside, the hanging light cut through the darkness. The smell of metal and faint antiseptic mixed together. Waldric sat tied to a chair, his face already treated—bandages neatly attached—though the swelling had not fully gone down. Waldric lifted his eyes, greeting Asher with a smile that was far too calm for someone in that condition.“You are already very pitif
Last Updated: 2025-12-27
Chapter: CHAPTER 165Asher walked toward Aberon’s study. His mind was in turmoil, yet his expression remained calm, as if he was unaffected by the problems he was facing. Earlier, Aberon had contacted him, saying there was something to discuss regarding an issue about a subsidiary entering the political arena.“Did you really never step into the world of politics, Dad?” As soon as he entered, Asher fired off a question that made Aberon look up at him.Aberon let out a slow breath, as the Dixon Foundation, which had been established to help the underprivileged, support education, and serve as a charitable body, had once been offered a role by someone from the political opposition. However, Aberon had rejected it, even after being approached many times.“Are you suspecting me?” Aberon spoke, even though he was confident that Asher would trust him.Asher did not answer, choosing instead to sit on the sofa beside Aberon. His gaze unintentionally fell on a stack of documents on the table, and Asher picked up o
Last Updated: 2025-12-27
Chapter: CHAPTER 164Asher let out a soft scoff.“Interesting,” Asher murmured after reading that thought or voice. “In a condition like this, you still thought you could walk out of my grip with a faint smile.”Waldric lifted his head slightly. The corner of his lips curved faintly, forming a thin smirk that was almost invisible.“Did I look like someone who regretted anything?” Waldric asked in a hoarse voice.Asher stared at Waldric longer. The ring on his finger felt warm, as if responding to the contents of his opponent’s heart. Waldric’s thoughts were layered. Extremely sly, cautious, and full of small traps prepared even for the worst situation. The innocent and foolish face he showed was merely a mask.“He was not a pawn,” Asher thought. “He was manipulative,” Asher continued in his mind.“Do you know why I did not destroy you immediately?” Asher finally asked.Waldric stayed silent, but his thoughts were loud. Far too loud.“Because you wanted me to move,” Asher continued softly. “You wanted me t
Last Updated: 2025-12-18
Chapter: CHAPTER 163One hour had passed since the meeting that ended in heavy tension. It did not take a full day for Asher to set bait for the culprit who tried to steal the company’s money. One by one, the rats came out of their holes.Not with screams or resistance, but with pale faces and trembling steps when the interrogation room door opened. They came on their own through short message summons, internal emails, or sudden orders from superiors who did not even dare to meet their eyes for long.Asher did not move from his chair. He sat calmly, his back resting casually, fingers interlaced on the table. The screen in front of him displayed recordings, transaction trails, and fragments of conversations neatly connected. Each rat that entered carried one piece of evidence, and Asher only needed to wait until the trap closed perfectly.There were no shouts. There were no cheap threats. Only short sentences, flat tones, and a gaze that made anyone feel stripped bare.“Get out of Dixon before nightfall,”
Last Updated: 2025-12-18
Chapter: CHAPTER 26Caesar stopped behind Rafael, understanding. He stood still, only watching how Rafael vented that power.The first roar broke out. One of the monsters leaped, the ground splitting under its impact. Then Rafael began to move. Not hurried. Not hesitant.His sword was drawn in a single breath. A blackish-red light crawled along the blade, seeping like ink into steel. As the monster nearly touched him, Rafael twisted his wrist with a small, almost lazy motion.Slash.The creature’s head separated from its body before it could scream. Black blood sprayed, warm, splashing onto Rafael’s arm. The headless body collapsed with a wet sound.Seeing one of their kind killed, the others attacked at once. Rafael stepped forward. The sword that had become his legend seemed to dance beautifully, not wildly or brutally annihilating the monsters. Yet every swing struck its mark. Every slash severed tendons, joints, or spines. The second monster was split from shoulder to waist. Next, the third lost its
Last Updated: 2025-12-16
Chapter: CHAPTER 25Cold sweat dripped from Rafael’s temples, falling one by one onto the floor. The man’s breathing came in broken gasps, as if his lungs tightened every time he drew in air. Inside his chest, something pulsed. Not his heart, but a power pressing outward, gnawing from within.Rafael grabbed the edge of the table, his fingers gripping the wood until his knuckles turned pale. His stomach churned, nausea mixed with pain that spread to his spine. Every pulse made his head throb.“It seemed to have been too long,” Rafael thought. Too long he had restrained himself. Too long that power had been left without a target.The door opened in a rush. Footsteps struck the floor. The figure who had faithfully accompanied him approached.“Master!” Caesar stopped the moment he saw Rafael’s condition. The man’s face immediately changed. He hurried forward, supporting Rafael’s shoulders so the duke’s body would not fall. “Are you all right?”Rafael brushed Caesar’s hand away with the last of his strength.
Last Updated: 2025-12-16
Chapter: CHAPTER 24The title Duke of Darkness did not come from a royal ceremony or empty praise, but from the blood-soaked land in the northern borders, the place where Rafael learned to live, die, and kill. At that time he was only fifteen years old, but King Tremos threw him there without hesitation.“If you want to be recognized as my blood, prove it at the border,” his father had said. There was no affection. There was no explanation. Only a cold command that could not be disobeyed at all.Rafael went, not because he obeyed, but because he knew it was the only way to survive in a palace that hated him, also as proof that he still had noble blood.He spent the next fifteen years in a way no child was ever prepared for. He chose to break through barbarian hordes until his hands felt numb, splitting open monster skulls while laughing softly, and staring into the eyes of enemy soldiers until they froze in terror. He even often looked at a sea of corpses when war broke out. Those wounds shaped him, crea
Last Updated: 2025-12-13
Chapter: CHAPTER 23Inside the palace meeting room, the nobles and high-ranking officials sat in a tense formation. The light from the crystal chandelier sparkled above their heads, reflecting shadows on the tall stone walls. At the end of the long table made of dark mahogany wood, King Tremos sat with a grim expression.Across from him, Grand Duke Rathore Mcrelwyn, a middle-aged man with perfectly styled golden hair, stared straight at the king with an unreadable gaze. His eyes were sharp, almost piercing, and his look was full of skepticism he did not bother to hide."I still did not approve of appointing Rafael as crown prince, let alone giving the king’s throne to him," the Grand Duke finally said, his voice calm but weighty. "A leader could not simply appear from the shadows after years of disappearing, then claim the right to the throne without being tested first."The room was instantly filled with soft whispers. Some council members exchanged glances, while others lowered their heads, trying to h
Last Updated: 2025-12-07
Chapter: CHAPTER 22Rafael stood tall before the massive mirror adorning the wall of his lavish chamber. His broad shoulders were cloaked in an outfit tailored to perfection, befitting his new title as crown prince. A sleek black suit with modern cuts hugged his frame, paired with a long crimson mantle that shimmered subtly under the golden light. The royal crest of Carlies, a gleaming gold emblem, adorned his chest, a symbol of the authority now officially his. Servants moved swiftly around him, adjusting the folds of his suit, slipping white gloves over his hands, and ensuring every detail was immaculate. Rafael, however, remained calm, unfazed by the flurry of activity. His gaze in the mirror reflected the bearing of a leader, though beneath his composed exterior lay a flicker of satisfaction he couldn’t entirely mask. It wasn’t just the restoration of his rightful title that pleased him—it was also the ruin of those who had once dismissed him. "Frederick," Rafael murmured softly, his voice laced
Last Updated: 2024-12-08
Chapter: CHAPTER 21Three days had passed, and the devastation in Hurbret was undeniable. Small villages lay in ashes, fields were barren, and refugees filled the main roads with despair etched into their faces. The air reeked of smoke, blood, and death. Frederick stood on the balcony of his now-disheveled estate, his sharp eyes scanning the empty fields below, his jaw clenched tight.Inside the house, the chaos mirrored the destruction outside. His trusted secretary stood with his head bowed, clutching a stack of official documents. His voice trembled as he spoke, trying to deliver the news delicately.“Baron,” the secretary began softly but firmly, “I’ve just received a report from the royal envoy. The kingdom is planning a welcoming feast for the new crown prince.”Frederick froze for a moment, then slowly turned with eyes as sharp as daggers. “What?” he asked, his voice low and filled with menace.“A welcoming feast, sir,” the secretary repeated, swallowing hard before continuing. “The new crown prin
Last Updated: 2024-12-05
