Roland's heart clenched as he heard his son's voice while drawing his final breaths.An overwhelming wave of regret crashed over him, threatening to drown his fading mind.William would never spare his son.He no longer had the face to meet his ancestors. He had failed them. In the end, he couldn't even save his own son.If he were given another chance in exchange for the clan and his Duchy, he would surrender both without a moment's hesitation and leave with his son.To him, his son's life was worth far more than the lives of everyone else in the clan.Then, suddenly...He felt Omar's aura.His clouded eyes trembled.He had come.Roland's heavy eyelids slowly drooped shut. Every breath grew shallower than the last as life steadily slipped away from his body.Yet the corners of his lips slowly lifted into a faint, peaceful smile.Omar had arrived.His son would be safe.No one could stop Omar from escaping with the boy.Not even the experts of the Celestial Blade Hall.With that final

Gia wondered if her father would still be alive if he had made a different choice at a certain point in his life.Her father had once told her that, years ago, Roland's father, the Duke at the time, had disowned him because of his stubbornness.According to him, Roland had been even more stubborn than Mattimeo in his youth. Without a doubt, Mattimeo had inherited that same stubborn streak from him.At the time, the Duke's brother had only one son. If Roland remained disowned, that son would become the heir. But Edward was an irresponsible young man who cared for nothing except amusement.He was utterly unfit to inherit the title, unlike Roland. Aside from his impulsiveness and refusal to listen to his father, Roland possessed everything an ideal heir should have. He was exceptionally talented, intelligent, and capable.Knowing the Duke would never allow someone like Edward to inherit the dukedom, the Duke's brother devised a plan to ensure his son would one day become the Duke, or at

The next day, Mattimeo woke to find Mia asleep with her head resting on his chest. She slept soundly, her breathing slow and peaceful. Last night had been intense for both of them, but they had undoubtedly benefited from it.For a brief moment, Mattimeo found himself wondering if he could seduce powerful beauties and... ahem... cultivate with them. The thought almost made him laugh.He immediately dismissed the idea.He liked women, but not just any woman. He couldn't bring himself to sleep with someone he had no feelings for simply to gain power. Of course, he didn't reject the possibility entirely. If the right situation presented itself naturally, that would be a different matter.He lowered his gaze to Mia. Her nightgown had torn around one side of her chest, leaving half of her breast exposed. Mattimeo's face burned with embarrassment, knowing he was responsible for it.Seeing her like this, he felt warmth stir in his lower abdomen.He quickly forced his eyes away and got out of

Mattimeo, Gia, and Mia stood in line before a huge table. Several youths had gathered in front of it as the examinees submitted their quotas.There were four lines in total.Finally, it was Mattimeo's turn."Name and where are you from?" the female disciple in charge of his line asked, her eyes still glued to the book in her hands."Mattimeo Ravenshire from Ravenmoor Duchy, Kharoth," he replied.She looked up in surprise, only to freeze for a moment.The red-haired boy standing before her was incredibly handsome. Not the ordinary kind of handsome that could be found anywhere. His features were so striking and refined that they looked as though they had been carved from flawless jade.His crimson-red hair was just as extraordinary. She had never seen anyone born with naturally red hair before, and it was unbelievably thick and lustrous. She couldn't help but wonder what kind of hair routine he had. Despite taking great care of her own hair, his looked even healthier than hers.Before s

"This is where you'll be staying tonight. Greet your roommates. I'm off," the disciple said before hurrying away to attend to other matters.Mattimeo stepped inside and froze for a moment. The so-called room was more like a miniature hall, with more than ten beds lined up along each side.About ten people were already inside, chatting in small groups. The moment Mattimeo entered, the conversations died down. One by one, curious gazes settled on him."Hey, what noble family are you from?"A youth dressed in a purple robe rose from his bed and strode toward him.Mattimeo didn't like the demanding tone in his voice, so he ignored him completely."Are you deaf? I'm talking to you!" the youth snapped, his face darkening with anger.Two more youths immediately moved to stand behind him, clearly his lackeys. The others in the room quietly distanced themselves, unwilling to get dragged into trouble."Is it any of your business?" Mattimeo met his glare without flinching. "I don't want to answe