The Villain's Dead Wife

18. Union of Chaos

Meanwhile, on Kairan’s side—

Kairan strode down the hallway with his usual poker face, his steps as measured as his expression. But his confident stride faltered when he spotted someone heading his way. With the grace of a professional spy, he abruptly turned on his heel and began walking back in the direction he’d come from.

“Stop, Kairan! Where are you going?” the soft, female voice echoed through the hall, clearly belonging to his mother.

Kairan’s pace quickened, but the woman caught up with him, panting slightly as she placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Kairan, are you playing the ‘avoid your mother’ game again?” she asked, her tone a mix of curiosity and mild exasperation.

He turned to face her, his expression deadpan. “I’m on a mission to save my life.”

She chuckled, a warm and reassuring sound. “Who would dare harm my powerful son?”

Kairan’s gaze softened slightly as he looked at the woman. Empress Elysia Van Ashbourne, with her dirty blonde hair and hazel eyes, was all love and kindness—qualities that made her a beacon in Kairan’s otherwise stormy world.

She glanced around and noticed that all the vases she’d painstakingly arranged had gone missing from their usual spots. Her eyes narrowed as she looked back at Kairan, who simply pressed his lips together in an expression of feigned innocence.

“Kairan, Ancillin told me you broke all the vases. Don’t you care about my feelings?” she asked, her voice holding a mix of disappointment and amusement.

Kairan replied dryly, “Don’t keep anything precious in my palace. It’ll end up broken. Your heart included.”

“And I’m heading somewhere important, mother. Please don’t follow me.”

Empress Elysia gasped in mock horror. “I wasn’t following you! I was merely taking care of you, just like I did when you were a child.”

Kairan simply shrugged and walked past her.

As soon as he was out of sight, Elysia let out a sigh of relief. “If not for Ancillin, I wouldn’t dare visit the demonic son of the Emperor. This palace is like a minefield!”

Kairan took steady, purposeful strides, his gaze focused ahead as he muttered under his breath, “Shadow.”

In an instant, his cat-dog hybrid companion appeared out of nowhere. The creature, with its sleek, predatory grace, padded silently behind its owner, a constant, vigilant presence.

Meanwhile, Meredia was at the training field, observing her brother Kirill. He was in his element, instructing knights and young lads with the precision and authority of a seasoned warrior.

Meredia stood quietly in the corner, her eyes narrowed in determination as she watched the training session unfold.

[Meredia's pov starts here]

Once I master swordsmanship, I’ll show that irritable knucklehead Kairan what I’m truly capable of. Just you wait, Kairan. Hahaha!

As I chuckled to myself, I noticed all the knights were sprawled on the ground, some trembling while clutching their swords like they were holding onto their last shred of dignity.

Kirill walked over, wiping sweat off his face, looking like he'd just wrestled a dragon.

I approached him, pulling out my handkerchief, and started dabbing at his face with exaggerated care. "You’re brilliant, brother."

He puffed up his chest with a smirk, "Oh, so you’ve finally noticed. It’s about time. I guess all those years of you being lost in your own world finally paid off."