Chapter 419: The Forgotten Past - XIII

[Music recommendation: The Encounter · ABBOTT]

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"Ahhh my daughter!! No!" The agonised wails of her parents pierced the air.

Others recoiled in horror, gasping and stumbling away from the gruesome sight.

Bellarios reared back and unleashed a thunderous roar that rattled the windows of the mansion, choking every last scream out of the courtyard, and absolute silence fell over.

A short distance away, Seraphine Piersmont, heavy with child, stared at the carnage without flinching. Theron quickly stepped behind her, resting his hands on her shoulders to turn her away. "Do not look, my love," he whispered gently.

Yet Seraphine stayed frozen, placing a gentle hand over her round belly. A soft murmur escaped her lips. "I think... he likes it."

Seraphine looked up to catch her husband’s disbelieving eyes.

Together, they looked down at her belly, wondering if their future son was destined to be a wild, dangerous force.

Little did they know just how accurate they were.

Back to Gavriel, he slowly rose to his full height, bringing Hera up with him before finally turning to face the crowd. He kept her behind him, never once letting go of her hand.

All traces of gentleness he had shown Hera alone vanished, replaced by the cold fury that had been simmering in his blood ever since he arrived and learnt how they had attempted to harm her.

His lethal gaze swept across their terror-stricken faces before settling on his mother, who gave him a small nod. Only then did his eyes fall upon the bloodied pulp on the ground, which he regarded with complete indifference.

"I am deeply moved by how concerned you all are for my well-being." His low, resonant baritone sliced through the dead silence like a blade.

His gaze drifted down to Ceri. As the majestic wolf looked up at him, Gavriel extended his free hand, resting his palm gently over the beast’s forehead. Ceri closed his eyes in pure contentment, settling onto the floor beside Gavriel like a docile house pet.

"However... it seems you have all forgotten just who I am, for you to fret so much over my safety."

A suffocating quiet gripped the garden. Nobles trembled violently, the gruesome execution of the noblewoman still fresh in their minds.

"Allow me to remind you."

Gavriel remained perfectly still as a red, oppressive aura began to radiate from his entire body. Its sheer intensity was overwhelming, and in an instant, everyone was forced to their knees.

Even Belial and Malakov were not spared. Both princes dropped to their knees beneath the crushing pressure of Gavriel’s power.

Only Queen Lilith managed to remain standing, able to withstand it simply because she was mated to the devil himself. Even so, a slight sheen of sweat betrayed how intense the pressure was, though she did not mind.

Lilith was content to endure it, knowing how crucial it was for her son to discipline his subjects so no one would dare question their future Queen. This was precisely why she had not intervened earlier.

Hera and Ceri remained unaffected only because Gavriel maintained contact with them, actively shielding them from the oppressive force of his power.

As he watched the crowd struggle under the weight of his powers, a faint sense of satisfaction stirred within him.

Yet it was nowhere near enough.

Bellarios roared in his mind, demanding the slaughter of everyone who had raised a weapon against Hera. Yet Gavriel kept his deadly impulses leashed. He knew the guards had merely followed protocol to defend the royal line, and he refused to diminish his mother’s command in front of everyone.

Struggling to control the wild bloodlust raging in his veins, he spoke to his beast in silence, ’Show them, Bellarios.’

Right then, all seven of Bellarios’s heads lifted towards the sky before their enormous jaws opened in unison and they unleashed a torrent of crimson fire. The sheer magnitude of their power was so large that it sent tremors throughout the Underworld, while the surrounding air grew scorching hot beneath the infernal blaze.

The black swallowed the white of Gavriel’s eyes as his authoritative voice rang through the courtyard.

"I am Gavriel Rios Valtherion. Your Crown Prince... and the future devil of this realm."

He paused, pulling Hera gently against his chest and resting his large hand over her shoulder in a public mark of absolute possession.

"And from this night onward, Lady Hera Ravenor is my fated mate, your Crown Princess, and the future Queen of the Underworld."

Hera, overwhelmed by the chaos, had failed to grasp one monumental truth until this very moment... Gavriel, the man who had introduced himself as a simple noble, was indeed the Crown Prince of the Underworld.

Shock did not even begin to capture her emotions.

The absolute, terrifying power radiating from his frame... which she could feel pulsing through her own veins through their physical touch, made her heart hammer in her chest.

Yet alongside the shock, a quiet wave of pride washed over her, knowing this formidable man was her destined mate.

"Is there anyone who dares to challenge that? If so, step forward," Gavriel commanded, loud and clear.

Every noble who had just been screaming for Hera’s execution now remained frozen in terrifying silence.

Watching them, Hera began to understand something fundamental about their world... only absolute power could command obedience.

Yet as her eyes drifted to the bloody pulp on the ground, her fingers tightened around Gavriel’s hand. She knew that while terror could silence a crowd, it could never buy true loyalty.

Demons were wild, dangerous creatures by nature. Fear without respect was a ticking bomb, and if Gavriel ruled as a tyrant tonight, their subjects would never truly accept either of them.

With that thought in mind, she gave his hand the slightest tug.

Gavriel’s gaze immediately shifted towards her.

The coldness in his eyes softened, and he leaned closer, lowering his voice as he asked, "What is it?"

"C-can you calm down?" she whispered, looking at him with genuine concern.

He raised a hand and gently touched her cheek. "They tried to harm you."

Hera swallowed hard against the intimacy of his touch. "I know... but they only did that because they feared I would harm them." She licked her dry lips nervously. "I don’t want them viewing me as a threat. In the end, they are your subjects-"

"They are your subjects as well now," Gavriel corrected her quietly.

A soft flush touched Hera’s cheeks, but she pressed on. "Yes... but only moments ago, no one knew who I was to you." She looked deeply into his crimson eyes. "If they view me as a dangerous traitor, how can they ever trust me to stand by your side? With that beast appearing and Ceri standing beside me, it is only natural they panicked..."

Gavriel remained silent, his eyes fixed on her as he considered her words.

He understood what she was trying to tell him. This was not merely about the crowd’s fear of her... it was about the place she would one day hold beside him and whether his subjects would accept her as their future queen.

After a moment, he gave her a small nod and began withdrawing his oppressive aura.

Meanwhile, Bellarios ceased spewing flames and looked down with a low growl at the crowd, who felt instant relief wash over them as the crushing weight finally lifted.

Gavriel then faced the nobles and addressed them once again.