Mother // Yandere Stepson x reader

⚜ Chapter 19⚜

**not edited**
[Warning: Mention of SA. Murder, victim blaming and gore.]

Y/n and Lucas waited for Castian to come out of the room. The scream stopped and Castian came out a few hours later. The two siblings noticed he looked somber as if something was bothering him. Lucas stayed behind observing his sister and the general. They were awfully close. At this point, they weren't hiding it. Well, Castian wasn't hiding his attraction for his sister. He looked in love, anyone who saw them would think he was her husband.

The young boy knew his sister better than anyone. His sister was in love with Castian, and as happy as he was for her. He couldn't help but be anxious about her future. Cheating scandals weren't kind to women. If men were applauded for it, women were shunned and he heard in some place stoned.
As he observed her, his eyes caught the sight of a very familiar maid.

"_Annie?"

Lucas was the only one noticing the young maid's strange attitude. She looked worried, distraught, even scared. The young boy never thought much about the maid. He did notice some envy here and there when she served Y/n back at their estate, but she always stayed loyal and grew up with them. So seeing her act differently from usual worried him.

"_ Is everything alright?
_ Yes, I am just a little overwhelmed by everything, it's the Lady's first pregnancy, and with the Lord's declining health..."

Lucas couldn't help but squint his green eyes at her. He could tell she was lying. The young boy followed her silently before grabbing her arms. Annie gasped before shrugging away.

"_What happened, Annie? You look...
_It's... Nothing, young master Lucas. I heard... You enrolled in the academy? To become a knight?"

Lucas frowned as she changed the subject. She clearly was hiding something but he decided not to press on the matter further. He would have time to unravel it during his stay.

Lucas ran up to Y/n with the same mischievous smile he always has on his face. He started to talk about the academy, the friend he made there.

"_I love the academy! I made friends with many young Lord. Did you know there are actually some girls in the academy?
_Really?
_Ah, the religious study session."

Castian said with a slight mockery in his voice. He had gone to the academy before so he knew about it. The young general wasn't fond of the church and its doctrine. The emperor too. The church and the imperial family were in a cold war. They barely tolerated each other just enough to look good on a surface level.
The reason for this love/hate relationship was because of the censorship attempt from the church. The empire's origin was tied with the story of magic and ancient gods. And at his center, the first ruler and founder of the empire, Vivian Dianthe Avalon, the empress.
The church tried to erase this part, claiming that her husband WAS the first emperor and using her son's young age, she usurped the throne.

Empress Vivian was blessed by the god of the underworld. She was ruthless on the battlefield and a wise ruler. And when her husband died, she descended into madness. Castian couldn't help but wonder his ancestor's reaction if they saw how people tried to desecrate the legacy. Before the church appeared, the first born was the one to succeed to the thrones, male or female, no distinction. But this ended after Emperor Melkior raised to the thrones. The emperor had an elder sister, Princess Victoria. She was the heir and Melkior was dissatisfied with the situation. So he plotted with the church. Her end was quite bloody and tragic as no one could find her body. Soon after her, her two young sons died in mysterious ways. It was also at that time the church rose in power and women started to lose significant places in the empire.

"_ It's basically a 'class' to educate the 'unruly' daughters. But they are mostly indoctrinated into the church belief.
_You sure don't like the church, do you?"