#47

“Well, I don’t think you’d be swayed just by the scent of a flower, Master,” Herman remarked.

“Hmph. Does it matter if I’m swayed or not?”

Zakari chuckled, placing the flower gently on his desk.

He never imagined she would come to express her gratitude. In truth, he should be the one thanking her for staying by that thunderbolt-like lad’s side.

Moreover, with Zerakiel doting on her, there was no need for such formalities.

Even if she rode a lion and pretended to be one, Zerakiel would be delighted. He could even brainwash the Jabis family into believing, ‘She’s a lion now.’

“I wonder if things will be alright as they are.”

The deed was already done. After hinting at the marriage news to the head of the Ruien family in Hebel, it wouldn’t take long for the rumor to spread across the continent.

Recalling the events in Hebel naturally brought to mind his conversation with Wilhelm.

‘Do you have no intention of bringing Rachel back?’

‘It’s a finished story.’

Zakari’s firm response didn’t sit well with Wilhelm. Rachel was the one who had stormed out of Jabis Castle, yet Zakari’s stern stance seemed unreasonable.

Wilhelm appeared unaware of the full extent of the quarrel between Rachel and Zakari. Hence, his lingering attachment.

Wilhelm still hadn’t given up on the relationship between Zakari and Rachel. He tried to persuade Zakari, almost defending Rachel.

‘My daughter may say she dislikes it, but don’t you know? She keeps growling and hovering around because she’s still attached.’

‘Rachel always had a sharp tongue.’

‘I had to force her not to follow me to this event.’

‘You must have had a hard time.’

Zakari’s polite but dismissive words left Wilhelm looking exasperated.

In truth, Zakari knew Rachel still harbored feelings for him.

Knowing this, it would have been wiser to cut ties completely, but Zakari also had lingering feelings.

Though he couldn’t hold onto her as she was dying, Rachel’s noisy pursuit always provided him comfort.

So he pretended not to know while interacting with her, confirming to himself that she still loved him. It was pathetic, but what could he do?

Rachel probably knew how pathetic he was. She would be frustrated because she couldn’t approach him.

Eventually, she would let go first.

He didn’t know when that day would come, but he was always prepared. Ready for Rachel to forget him and leave without a trace.

It was a ridiculous thought. A self-justification a fool would cling to, finding solace in the idea that the other person was still holding on.

‘Don’t you realize your ambiguous attitude is making my daughter’s life harder?’

‘…….’

‘I’ll ask one more time. Do you really have no intention of bringing her back?’

‘…No, I don’t.’

As soon as he finished speaking, Wilhelm stormed off in a fit of rage. It was understandable for a father to be angry in such a situation.

With Wilhelm, who had always been silent, stepping forward, it made Zakari think that the dreaded day might come sooner than expected.

Shaking off his heavy thoughts, Zakari changed the subject.

“What about the invitations?”

In a month, a direct family member of Jabis would be getting married. Even with hurried preparations, the event had to be flawless.

So Zakari personally oversaw the wedding arrangements. Leaving everything to Zerakiel alone was somewhat unsettling.

Herman handed him the finalized invitation and a list of families to invite.

“Here’s the final version. And I’ve outlined the guest list; is it acceptable to proceed with this?”

“Hm.”

Zakari quietly examined the list. At the top were families friendly to Jabis, followed by those with whom they maintained connections.

At the very end of the list were the families allied through the Hebel Treaty. Prominent among them were the Pages of the North, the Ruien of the East, and the Han of the West.

Zakari studied the guest list of one of the families, lost in thought. Considering his recent conversation with Wilhelm, it was clear that Rachel would argue about attending the wedding.

Nevertheless, it was his daughter’s son’s wedding, so she couldn’t refuse to attend.

“She’ll be furious, finding out about her son’s wedding so late.”

Zakari chuckled, imagining Rachel’s fiery reaction.

This time, he’d have to reinforce the doors with stronger iron. Then again, she might get hurt…

Herman, observing Zakari, spoke up.

“For one of the families, I think I should deliver the invitation personally. It would be a good opportunity to discuss various matters.”

As expected, his aide knew how to handle things without being told. Zakari nodded in approval.

“Do that.”

* * *

Zerakiel stood silently, staring intently at a black door. The door stood alone in a barren field, looking out of place, as if it were merely a doorframe set upright.

But this black door wasn’t just an abandoned door. It was the entrance to the secret garden that concealed Jabis’ weakness and secrets.

The door, entwined with the blooming Frenzy Flower and its vines, exuded an ominous aura. Zerakiel’s gaze was equally dark. His face, devoid of its usual playful demeanor, seemed almost chilling.

The darkness he never showed in front of Chichi. Zerakiel was well aware of the depth of his own darkness.

With the wedding just a month away, the castle staff were bustling with activity.

A wedding.

Why was everyone moving as if it was their own affair? Zerakiel couldn’t quite understand. To Jabis, a wedding was not a beautiful union.

Instead of decorating the wedding extravagantly, it would be better to teach Chichi how to survive.

‘Just in case, tell Zerakiel to prepare. At this rate, he might not last through the year.’

It was as if his father was instructing him to prepare for parricide.

Zerakiel recalled the conversation between Duke and Zakari. He had overheard it while visiting regarding Chichi. His father’s petals were almost gone.

It was something he had anticipated and prepared for. But hearing it stirred the darkness within him.

What exactly was making him feel this way?

In truth, Zerakiel didn’t quite understand what a ‘family’ was. From the moment he was born, his father was an enemy, and his mother was too busy protecting him until she eventually fled.

It was an inevitable outcome due to the nature of Jabis. Zerakiel had always been taught:

Do not become attached to anything.

Leave no regrets in life.

Control your madness.

If you can’t bear it, destroy yourself.

Others might wonder what kind of successor training that was, but for a direct descendant of Jabis, it was essential to internalize these teachings.

Among the past successors and heads of the family, Zerakiel adhered to these lessons the most diligently.

He followed them so well that he didn’t even value himself, which was a problem, but it was better than the alternative.

Now, Zerakiel found himself confused by an unfamiliar anger.

No, could this be called anger?

Could this complex emotion be summed up by just one word?

Feeling all sorts of emotions, he ended up in this place he rarely visited, driven by turmoil. Even knowing he couldn’t enter it yet, he came here.

The downfall of the previous generation was a future he would have to face.

Late in realizing it, Zerakiel acknowledged there was fear among his emotions, making him shudder.

What exactly was it?

He hadn’t particularly cared about life before.