“Grandpa!” Sophia shouted. Relief and joy poured from her voice, but the moment froze when she stepped forward and saw his face. The emperor’s skin looked pale, like the color had been washed away. Her excitement shifted into alarm.“What did these people do to you? Why is your skin suddenly pale?” she demanded, whirling toward Elvis. Her words came fast and sharp. Anger flashed in her eyes.Elvis stood by the small table where he had set the herbal mixture. He was calm, the way calm people are when they are used to dangerous things. “The emperor is reacting to one of the herbs,” he said in a flat voice. “Nothing is wrong with him. His age is the reason.”Sophia hated the arrogance obvious in Elvis’s tone. It always grated on her. A part of her wanted him to fail, to be proven a fraud. But the thought of her grandfather hurt kept that wish from taking root. She forced her anger back into her chest.“Sophie, I feel so good. I feel so alive. It has been a long time since I felt this way

Everyone nodded, but to Elvis, it felt like the emperor was simply defending his spoilt brat of a granddaughter. His mind drifted as the emperor’s voice carried across the dining hall.“Have you ever met the Dagreen heir?” the emperor asked suddenly, his sharp eyes resting on Elvis. “Since you work with them, and the butler has so much faith in you, that must mean the Dagreens value you.”Elvis froze, the piece of meat halfway to his mouth. His cutlery clinked softly against the plate. His throat tightened, and for a moment, he couldn’t swallow. “Not really, Emperor,” he replied calmly after a short pause. “I’ve never seen him.”The emperor leaned back in his chair, nodding thoughtfully. “Oh! That’s understandable. The Dagreens are people of few words and low profile.” His tone softened, almost with admiration. “Someday, we’ll surely see him. He’s meant to be my in-law—Sophia’s betrothed.”The emperor smiled faintly, missing the tension between them.“I don’t want you thinking my gra

“The moment I saw your call, I knew it was trouble, War Goddess Sophia Modudus,” Victor said with a frustrating tone, his eyes narrowing as he dropped into the chair across from her.Sophia sat with perfect posture, her face unreadable, her long fingers tracing the rim of her glass. Her cold gaze met his, steady and commanding. “I neither fancy talking to someone like you nor do I see a reason to pretend. You’re one of those wealthy, spoiled brats who can’t stand without family influence. So no, Victor Escobar, I don’t rate you that much,” she said flatly, her voice dripping with quiet authority.Victor’s jaw tightened. He wanted to respond, to defend himself, but something about her presence silenced him. There was power in her stillness, danger in her calm. Behind her stood two soldiers—broad, silent, armed. Their mere presence reminded him that she was not someone to test.Sophia leaned slightly forward, her lips curving in a faint smirk. “Anyway, let’s go to why we’re here. I woul

"You don’t look excited to see me, old man!" Jeremy said sarcastically the moment he stepped into the mansion, his voice cutting through the silence like a blade. He dropped his coat on the couch without care, his tone dripping with mockery.The butler turned slowly from where he stood. His wrinkled face showed no anger—only surprise, perhaps even disbelief. "Not really, sir," he said quietly. "It’s just that it’s been years, and the way you and your father left back then was almost like disappearing into thin air."Jeremy’s brow arched sharply. "So, are you trying to say I’m not welcome here?" he asked, his tone sharp and deliberately provoking. He stepped closer, his boots echoing on the floor."No, Jeremy… I’m just surprised!" the butler replied quickly, his voice trembling slightly as he clasped his hands together in a gesture of respect.Jeremy chuckled mockingly. "The last time I checked, you were just my uncle’s most trusted servant. So what gave you the right to call me by my

Elvis leaned back on the chair, his eyes fixed on the butler. There was a quiet storm behind his calm expression—confusion, curiosity, and a tinge of disappointment. The silence between them stretched long enough to be felt, broken only by the soft ticking of the wall clock.Finally, Elvis spoke, his tone quiet but edged with emotion. “You seem like someone who’s afraid of him,” he said, tilting his head slightly toward the stairs where Jeremy had gone. “I’ve never seen you feel fear in the presence of anyone before. I’ve only ever known you as a strong, composed man… someone who knows how to handle every situation.” His eyes narrowed a little, searching the butler’s face. “So why does someone like him—someone whose father left home years ago—send so much fear into you?”The butler exhaled deeply, his shoulders sagging. He sat down slowly on the chair beside Elvis, folding his hands together. His voice was calm but carried a tremor of something deeper. “Young master,” he said softly,