Sofina took a deep breath, thinking it through before finally sighing. “Fine. I’ll call my father in ten minutes.”She ended the transmission and stepped out of the bathroom.Alex was waiting in the living room. “I’ll show you to your room,” he said as he stood.They walked down the hallway until they reached a wide, elegant room bathed in warm light. As they stepped inside, a small robot glided toward them—egg-shaped, about eighty centimeters tall and forty-five wide.Its metallic shell shimmered under the soft glow, reflecting their faces like ripples on polished steel.“Good evening, Miss Sofina. I am Eve, your maid robot.” The holographic eyes blinked, and it extended a hand in a graceful gesture. “I’m here to assist you with anything you need. Please don’t hesitate to call me.”Sofina stared, intrigued. “This model… I’ve never seen it before.”In Prussia, maid robots were common—cold, efficient, emotionless. But this one was different. Sleek. Alive. It felt... almost warm.“I bui

The King looked at Sofina and exhaled heavily. “You know this already, Fina. I’ve tried to give you three years. But even if I agree, your mother won’t.”“Father,” Sofina said softly. “If you agree, nothing else matters.”Before the King could answer, another voice cut through the line—sharp, commanding.“I don’t agree!” Felicia said. Her mother had joined the call. “Sofina, you will marry the man I choose.”“Mother,” Sofina shot back, her tone trembling but fierce.“I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will.”“You’re my daughter,” Felicia snapped, her tone sharp with authority. “You will do as I say.”Sofina met her gaze. “Father already agreed. I’m marrying Alex—and if he doesn’t divorce me within a year, he’ll become my permanent husband.”Felicia turned toward the King and knelt, her posture dripping with false respect. “My Lord, have you already accepted Sofina’s request?”Sofina quickly stepped in. “Father, please. This is for your da

Three years earlier, Alex was on his knees in the cold marble hall of the Rosenheim mansion, pressed down by a trio of chrome robots and a pale-faced servant.The light from the chandelier carved hard lines across his face. The machines made no sound but their grips were insistently mechanical.“Who are you, thief?” Otto Rosenheim barked, stepping forward. “Why are you trespassing on this property?”Alex kept his chin up. “I’m Alexander Saint-Claire,” he said. “Son of Logan Saint-Claire. I believe this property belongs to my family.”Otto let out a short, incredulous laugh. “You say you’re the child of Logan Saint-Claire?”“Yes.” Alex’s voice didn’t waver. “The blood test proved it. The Prussian Government hospital ran it.”With deliberate calm, Alex tapped the three-dimensional bracelet on his wrist and the document bloomed in a pale hologram. He pushed it toward Otto.Otto’s eyes flicked over the projection as if it were a curious insect.“So you claim the Marquis Saint-Claire’s est

Alex walked the long gravel drive toward the Rosenheim Mansion, his footsteps echoing against the iron gates that guarded the estate.Two military-grade androids stepped forward, their movements crisp and synchronized.“Sir Alex,” one said. “You are advised not to enter this residence.”Three years ago, those same machines would’ve opened fire the moment they saw him. But time—and skill—had changed everything.For three long years, Alex had lived like a dog under Rosenheim’s roof—tolerated, watched, and barely human in their eyes.But while they looked down on him, he worked in silence. Bit by bit, line by line, he slipped into their systems, rewrote their code, and bent the mansion’s sentinels to his will.Now, the same machines built to protect the Rosenheims could obey him with a single word.Yet Alex never gave the order. He let them stand there, loyal and silent—pretending nothing had changed.“Tell me the reason.”The android tilted its head slightly, sensors whirring as it spok

“I learned my lesson the hard way,” Sofina said with a faint, defiant smile. “Heinrich wasn’t smart enough to see what was coming. He just kept taking the insults, pretending silence was strength.”Alex glanced up. “From what I’ve seen, your mother and stepfather were born bullies. What happened to him?”She shrugged, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face. “He broke. Couldn’t take the pressure anymore. He begged me to help him, and we ended up out of this house for two whole years.”“But Alex, looking at how you walked in today, I’d say there’s a sixty percent chance my mother and her husband will be the ones packing their bags this time.”“Well, when they go low, we go high.” Alex smirked as he straightened the bed sheets. “I’m not out to kick anyone out of their own home. I just want peace. All I’m doing is sending a message: don’t push me, don’t mock me, and nothing bad will happen. But if they try—believe me—they’ll regret it.”Sofina chuckled. “You’ve never been bullied b