Chapter 39: Seraphina hatred

Selena stood quietly in the shadows. She had already changed out of her blood-stained travel gear, wearing a clean, dark tunic.

However, the residual effects of Ethan’s earlier mana overflow had permanently altered her physique—her features were sharper, her aura denser, and she looked every bit the fierce, formidable warrior of her prime, radiating the disciplined cool of a seasoned fighter.

With a silent flick of her own willpower, Rose forcefully shattered the speech-restriction spell binding her face, her lips tearing back into existence with a sharp gasp. She glared venomously across the room, her eyes locking onto the silver-haired warrior.

"Well, well," Rose sneered, desperate to shift the humiliation onto someone else. "Look who decided to play the loyal dog. How does it feel to be a slave, Selena? You used to be such a high and mighty warrior of the northern reaches, didn’t you?"

Selena didn’t even flinch. She kept her arms crossed over her chest, her expression like carved ice. She knew Rose was simply venting her festering rage, furious over her total loss of control.

Furthermore, Selena was well aware of her current standing—before the battle began, Ethan had granted her a temporary high-grade pill that pushed her combat capacity to Rank 4, but that boost had long since faded. Right now, without her specialized artifacts and heavy gear, she was resting safely at Rank 2.

Choosing discretion over a pointless verbal match, Selena merely replied with a flat, indifferent tone,

"Mind your own business, Rose."

"Oh, look at the cold beauty speak!" Rose mocked, though her tone was laced with lingering bitterness. "Speaking of changes... you look entirely too young. You look barely sixteen or seventeen. How did a ruined warrior like you manage to reverse your physical decay?"

Selena didn’t take the bait. Instead, she raised a single finger and pointed directly at Ethan.

"My master possesses miraculous elixirs far beyond your comprehension," Selena said smoothly, a hint of genuine reverence in her voice.

"If you had a fraction of his vision, you wouldn’t be whining like a caged animal right now."

Rose’s breath caught in her throat. The color drained from her face as a sudden, overwhelming wave of realization hit her. If Ethan had pills capable of forcing rapid age progression, and pills capable of reversing physical aging... what else was hidden in his endless arsenal?

Slowly, her previous hostility melted away, replaced entirely by a desperate, fawning hunger. Her eyes locked onto Ethan, no longer filled with fury or defiance, but shining with naked, unadulterated greed.

....

A grand, ornate carriage belonging to the Sterling family hurtled at breakneck speed toward the prestigious Sterling Manor.

Inside the rolling carriage sat Kael, his face cast in a gloomy, brooding shadow. His mind raced with a bitter storm of thoughts.

How had his uncle died so suddenly? How had his mother and sister been snatched away by a mysterious shadow, leaving him completely isolated? Though he had never been particularly close to his family, they were his safety net—his only anchor in this unforgiving world. Worse still, a persistent, dull ache gripped his chest, as if an invisible thread connecting him to something vital had been violently snapped.

Unable to shake the suffocating heaviness, Kael pulled back the carriage velvet curtain and poked his head out into the crisp morning air. The city around him was vibrant and alive.

Cobblestone streets bustled with merchants hawking magical trinkets, armored guards on patrol, and soaring spires of gothic architecture piercing the bright blue sky.

He was heading straight back to Sterling Manor to face Rose Sterling—his stepmother, though she was his father’s primary wife and held absolute political and financial dominance over the entire estate.

Kael had no idea what she wanted with him or how he would survive her scrutiny. Yet, beneath his anxiety, a spark of transmigrator confidence flared. I am a transmigrator, he reminded himself. Destiny has to have something good in store for me.

A wicked, involuntary smirk crept onto his lips as a stray thought crossed his mind.

Besides... I’ve heard my stepmother is devastatingly hot. Who knows? Maybe things between us will take a very... interesting turn in the future.

Meanwhile, parked outside the towering wrought-iron gates of the Sterling Manor, another carriage stood waiting.

Bathed in the morning light, Lady Rose stood at the front courtyard, surrounded by four children. Ethan had already reverted completely to his youthful facade, wearing the crisp, formal uniform of the elite local academy.

Arthur stood beside him in matching academy garb, while Lumian and Seraphina completed the small group.

Rose was issuing final, crisp instructions, her cheeks still carrying a faint, flushed warmth that only she knew the origin of. "You all need to behave and stay out of trouble," Rose said, casting a sharp glance over the group.

"Lumian, Seraphina, keep an eye on Ethan and Arthur. Make sure they settle into the academy smoothly. If you need anything, the family butler is already accompanying you."

She turned her gaze directly to Arthur, softening slightly. "If you need anything at all, just let the butler know."

Nearby, Lumian stared at his mother. A strange, inexplicable knot twisted in his chest. Something about Rose felt radically different today—she radiated an intoxicating, mature allure that made his heart race.

She looks breathtaking in this morning light, Lumian thought, his inner monologue slipping into deeply affectionate, almost worshipful admiration. My mother is the kindest, most beautiful woman alive...

Had this been yesterday, Rose would have smiled warmly at his sweet thoughts. But now, knowing with agonizing certainty that those innocent-sounding internal praises were coming from the mind of a grown, twenty-five-year-old soul, her smile froze rigidly on her face.

A cold shiver ran down her spine, and she deliberately broke eye contact, pretending not to hear him at all.

Suppressing a shudder, Rose turned instead to Seraphina, gently resting a hand on the young girl’s head. "Seraphina, you take special care of Ethan, okay? He is your fiancé, after all. Make sure you introduce him properly to everyone at the academy."

Off to the side, Ethan caught her gaze and flashed a subtle, mocking grin.

Rose saw the look and had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from reacting. Beneath that youthful, angelic face was the terrifying monster who had broken her pride just hours ago. She briefly recalled the stunning, twenty-year-old golden-haired visage he had worn the night before, feeling a sudden, dangerous tug of attraction.

She almost wanted to reach out and pinch his rosy cheeks, but Ethan had strictly warned her to treat him like an ordinary child in public. He couldn’t afford unwanted attention or premature exposure.

Any overt affection now would arouse immediate suspicion from the household.

Just then, the heavy carriage doors rattled as Kael finally arrived, stepping down onto the grand stone steps of the manor.

Lumian stepped forward, blinking in surprise as he noticed Kael approaching, his dark green eyes narrowing.

Seraphina trembled slightly when she saw Keal.

Ethan immediately noticed.

The killing intent in Seraphina’s eyes was impossible to miss.