Chapter 119: A private Audience
Azriel
"Seraphel... what the hell are you saying?" I asked, my voice dropping an octave as I turned to stare at him in utter disbelief.
A cold, dark pulse of agitation flared in my chest. I snapped my head back toward Luceriel, my eyes narrowing dangerously. "Did you say something behind my back to manipulate him? I swear by the dark heavens, if you dared—"
"Oh, shut your mouth, Azriel," Luceriel cut in smoothly, a scoff of pure aristocratic disdain slipping past his lips. He leaned back in his throne, crossing his arms with an air of absolute, unshakeable superiority. "Why on earth would I waste my breath whispering schemes into the ear of a mortal? I am the Supreme Sin, the First among us all. I have the intricate state affairs of Verolona to govern. I do not condescend to engage in petty, childish backroom chatter with a human."
I sneered at his arrogant declaration, then turned my attention straight back to my consort.
"Then why are you—"
Before I could finish my sentence, Seraphel reached out, his warm, soft palms cupping both sides of my face.
The delicate gesture instantly froze the angry words in my throat.
"Azriel," Seraphel murmured gently, forcing me to look directly into his clear blue eyes. "I made this decision entirely on my own. I want to be able to defend myself. I refuse to remain weak, constantly needing someone to rescue me whenever danger strikes. Cultivation is the only way for me to stand on my own two feet. And you do not have to worry. Luceriel is truly the absolute last person I would ever go to for advice."
When I cast a sideways glance back at Luceriel, the First Sin merely offered an indifferent shrug of his shoulders, looking completely untroubled by Seraphel’s words.
A sharp, heavy ache bloomed in my heart, and the sheer sadness of the realization broke through my cold defenses. I reached up, my hand trembling ever so slightly as I cupped his cheek in return.
"Why... why are you so eager to leave me alone here in Katula?"
My voice was laced with an undeniable sorrow that I could not even pretend to hide. Cultivation in another realm was not a matter of days or weeks; it took months of rigorous, isolated training.
If he left for Verolona, I would not be able to hold him, touch him, or see him for months on end, save for a few fleeting, formal visits.
The thought of being separated from him right after we had just bound our souls together was a torment I could not bear. How could he even consider doing this to me?
Seraphel let out a soft, quiet sigh. He gently took my hand, drawing it down from his cheek and placing my palm flat over his stomach.
"I am doing everything I can for the child," he explained softly, his eyes searching mine. "If my body strengthens through cultivation, my core will stabilize, and Elysium’s dark magic will not be able to harm me or our baby so easily."
"I will protect you," I insisted fiercely, my fingers tightening over his waist. "No matter what happens, no matter who comes for us, I will put you first. I will shield you with my life."
Seraphel shook his head gently, offering me a bittersweet smile.
"You cannot shield me forever, Azriel. I need to grow strong enough to stand beside you so we can face Elysium together as equals."
"How nauseatingly dramatic," Sariel groaned from his seat, though the bitter edge of envy in his Voice was painfully obvious to everyone at the table. He swirled the shimmering, ruby-red liquid in his crystal goblet, rolling his eyes in annoyance. "Spare us this pathetic display of tragic romance. If you must compromise, then take a single month together to solidify your eternal soul bond. Afterward, the human can pack his robes and begin his journey to Verolona until he is capable of standing on his own two feet without crying for your help."
I opened my mouth to snap at Sariel, but Uriel chimed in before I could utter a word.
"For once, everyone speaks reason, Azriel," Uriel said calmly, his golden eyes steady. "The battle in Odomos proved that we cannot safeguard him every second of the day. He is fragile right now. But if the child’s immense latent power can be harnessed through proper cultivation to defeat Elysium’s threat, then preventing his growth is foolish. Do not let your possessiveness blind you to what is best for his survival."
A heavy groan escaped my chest as I closed my eyes, my hand still resting against Seraphel’s lower abdomen.
Suddenly, my eyes snapped open.
Beneath the flat, soft plane of his stomach, I felt a tiny, almost imperceptible thrum of spiritual energy, a subtle and faint pulse of life fluttering against my palm.
I gasped softly, my eyes locking onto Seraphel’s. He offered me a gentle, knowing nod. Though his stomach remained perfectly smooth and flat, our freshly sealed soul bond allowed me to perceive the tiny, growing presence of our child nestled within him.
A wave of overwhelming protectiveness crashed over me. I wanted nothing more than to lock them both away inside my domain, far from the cruel realities of the world. But my brothers were right. This was the only way to ensure their ultimate safety.
"Fine," I conceded at last, my voice tight as I looked back up at Seraphel, a small, begrudging smile tugging at my lips. "I agree to the cultivation training. But it will not begin immediately. I demand one full month alone with my consort first."
"Do as you wish, dear brother," Luceriel responded in a bored, melodramatic tone. He adjusted the high, embroidered collar of his dark robes, swirling his wine with an arrogant flick of his wrist. "All I care about is securing the future of our realm, and I refuse to let your fleeting infatuation jeopardize our grand destiny. After all, as the First Sin, the burden of our supremacy falls upon my shoulders."
With a smirk of absolute conceit, he raised his goblet to his lips and took an elegant sip.
I deigned not to give him the satisfaction of a response, and a heavy, tense quiet settled over the head table. Neither Seraphel nor I spoke, the heavy weight of our impending separation hanging in the air.
However, the silence was abruptly broken by a commotion at the entrance of the grand courtyard.
Sariel was the first to spot the newcomer, a sneer twisting his features.
"Ah, look. One of your discarded playthings has arrived," Sariel drawled bluntly, shaking his head. "It is still entirely surreal to watch you disbanding your harems. A man who once claimed to possess endless appetites, now throwing away his treasures."
"If you had not been so utterly intoxicated last night, brother, you would remember that we already discussed this," I fired back coldly, rolling my eyes at his sudden amnesia.
Sariel had completely forgotten our prior conversation about my concubines, thanks to his dangerous habit of overindulging in Raizel’s expensive wine that was powerful enough to intoxicate a sin.
"Whatever," Sariel muttered, waving a dismissive hand.
I felt Seraphel shift uncomfortably beside me on his throne. I immediately reached over, catching his hand in mine and gently rubbing the back of his knuckles with my thumb. When he turned his head to look at me, I offered him a reassuring, devotion-filled smile.
He had no reason to feel insecure. In my heart, my mind, and my bed, there was no longer room for anyone but him.
"Your Highness..." Eiren’s trembling voice cut through the air as he dropped to his knees right before the steps of our elevated dais. He kept his head pressed low against the marble floor, not daring to lift his eyes, utterly overwhelmed by the suffocating, predatory aura radiating from my brothers. Their terrifying gazes locked onto him like predators sizing up prey.
"What do you want, Eiren?" I demanded without a shred of patience, my tone dropping to a frost-coated edge.
"Your... Your Highness," Eiren stammered, his voice quivering as he pressed his forehead harder into the cold stone. "I humbly request... a private audience with you!"