Chapter 52 – Childish Whim
As soon as Kaelen stepped down from the carriage with a faint smile, the three hooded intruders maintained a heavy silence, concealed under thick cloaks and rustic leather masks that completely hid their faces.
The serpent-man who had halted the horses took a step forward. His dense, scaly muscles radiated a formidable brute strength—a physical build that practically rivaled Kaelen's, though his posture made it clear he relied more on raw power than on aerial acrobatics. Without uttering a single word, he drew two short, dull-bladed swords, assuming a lethal and experienced combat stance.
At the rear, the hooded archer—the caretaker and guardian tasked with watching over the heiress—tautened her bowstring with frightening precision, covering the flank and ensuring no one could escape.
— Do not waste time talking to the target! — hissed the archer, her voice muffled by her hood, displaying the bossy urgency of someone fulfilling the orders of a spoiled mistress. — The young lady's command was clear: immobilize him and bring him back alive, cost what it may! He will serve our laboratories whether he wishes to or not!
Hidden slightly further back, wrapped in cloaks and controlling subtle currents of wind and dust with irritation, the young mage of earth and wind—the baroness's own daughter, Lamis Vesper, though still unrecognizable beneath her hood—crossed her arms with a poorly contained pout, hissing impatiently:
— If you ruin his face or take too long, I shall turn the very ground beneath your feet myself! That arrogant fool will learn to respect our house, whether he likes it or not!
Kaelen arched an eyebrow, hearing the imperious tone behind the abduction order.
— Kidnapping a noble in the middle of the street in broad daylight? — Kaelen ironized, snapping his fingers and preparing his magic circles. — It seems etiquette around here consists of dragging visitors away by the collar against their will... Valéria will not be pleased at all to see someone attempting to steal me from her. Is it customary for House Serpentis to welcome guests with an assault right after their visit, or am I so special as to deserve double the attention?
With a fluid motion, he drew two of his simple iron blades. He pointed the first directly at the hooded swordsman in front of him, and then shifted the tip of the second sword toward the figure ducking further in the back.
— Frankly, did you truly think I would not notice? Moving about in such a manner, you are as discreet as clumsy elephants in a crystal shop. I expected a touch more sophistication from a welcoming ambush.
The irritation beneath the mage's hood was immediate. The wind currents around her began to spin erratically, betraying the princess's meager patience with his mockery. The swordsman set his stance, grinding his teeth under his mask, while the archer at the rear tautened her bowstring, ready to loose the first arrow.
The test—or forced kidnapping—was about to begin in earnest.
Kaelen lightly twirled the iron blades between his fingers, keeping an ironic smile.
— Before you attempt any foolish tricks, let me ask you a sincere question: do you truly believe you are capable of defeating me—or defeating our group—with a mere three people? Do you not think you are underestimating me far too much, or is your ego vast enough to blind you to your own miscalculation?
While pouring out the provocation to gain precious seconds, Kaelen silently activated his foresight, expanding his perception to see three seconds into the immediate future. In his mind, his reflexes anticipated the blur of the swordsman's crossing slashes, the exact trajectory of the arrow, and the unstable spell gathering in the hands of the mage at the back.
Simultaneously, taking a subtle step forward while feigning nonchalance, Kaelen activated psychometry, channeling his perception to read the arcane traces and residual energy upon the attackers' gear. The refined metal of the dual swords, the magical tracking signature on the bow, and above all, the exceedingly expensive hilt of the young mage's arcane catalyst revealed emotional impressions identical to those described in the dossiers of the local nobility: an irritable, spoiled, and unmistakable arrogance.
I would bet all my gears that the one hiding back there is the baroness's own little daughter, he thought, holding back a smile at the corner of his mouth.
Still maintaining his facade of tranquility, Kaelen sent a quick and direct mental message to the interior of the carriage:
— Valéria, warn everyone to prepare. On my mark, immobilize them, but kill no one... I am certain the pouty mage back there is our dear baroness's heiress. Let us go easy on the local nobles so we do not ruin diplomacy before the official meeting even begins.
Inside the cabin, Valéria narrowed her icy blue eyes as she received the message, tightening her grip on her spear with firmness. Beside her, Akra mirrored the gesture with exact precision, crossing her arms and glaring outside with a look every bit as fierce as the tigress's.
The swordsman growled behind his leather mask, deeply irritated by the outsider's lack of seriousness, and dug his boots into the ground, preparing to launch his first brutal strike.
— Well, if you wish to attack me, come at once! — challenged Kaelen, pointing his blade at the mage in the back. — But do not go whimpering to your mother after taking a thrashing from me! Today I find myself in need of kicking a few rear ends to relieve the stress accumulated on this journey!
Thanks to his three-second foresight, Kaelen was already anticipating every movement. When the swordsman burst forward in a violent lunge, Kaelen evaded by a hair's breadth with a millimeter-precise side step. In that same instant, the arrow loosed by the archer sliced through the air; with sharp reflexes, he raised his other blade and deflected the projectile.
Seizing the moment when the mage was channeling her wind magic, Kaelen extended his free hand. Combining telekinesis and cryokinesis, he seized the unstable air flow with his mind and injected a wave of cutting cold. The wind manipulated by the princess abruptly reversed its course, transforming into a frigid gust and shards of ice. Being cold-blooded creatures, the impact of the thermal shock upon the lamias and the serpent-man was instantaneous: a severe stiffening locked their joints and scales, causing the speed of their reactions to plummet.
While the trio struggled against the paralyzing cold, Kaelen sent a swift mental message to the elf:
— Eradan, now! Summon your vines and immobilize the three of them before they can react!
From inside the carriage, Valéria burst forth with her spear in hand, displaying the implacable stance of her bloodline. And, to crown the scene with the pinnacle of comedic chaos, little Akra leaped out right behind her with a sharp roar, imitating the tigress's fierce expression with surgical precision—her small arms firm, her pretend claws bared, and a deadly gaze directed at the invaders.
Taking advantage of the sluggishness caused by the cold that had stiffened his opponent's scales, Kaelen executed an agile leap and landed directly before the serpent-man. With his iron blades sparking as they clashed directly against the adversary's twin swords, the inventor offered an amused smile:
— You know, it has been quite some time since I needed some action... Thank you for entertaining me. So, what shall your next attack be, or was that merely a bluff?
Meanwhile, the elf Eradan carried out the command to the letter: thick, resilient vines sprouted suddenly from the damp soil of the square, wrapping firmly around the hooded archer's ankles and arms, neutralizing her.
A few steps away, the young pouty mage attempted to gesticulate to channel another spell, but the intense cold combined with the tightness of the plant bindings left her completely stagnant, triggering a muffled outburst of rage beneath her cloak.
Valéria advanced with firm strides, positioning the tip of her spear inches from the hooded target. Right beside her, Akra replicated the tigress's swagger: her tiny arms crossed, her cheeks puffed with pure indignation, and a deadly stare fixed upon the surrendered invaders.
The swordsman under Kaelen's assault growled in frustration, feeling the overwhelming disadvantage.
— Was that a bluff on your part? — Kaelen taunted, adjusting his grip on the blades with disdain. — Come, attack me! Or are you perhaps feeling a bit chilly? I never thought big lizards would be so unprepared... Come, entertain me!
Upon activating his foresight, the anticipated perception revealed his opponent's desperate reaction. Blinded by the fury of being called a "lizard" and frustrated by the cold, the serpent-man attempted a heavy strike with both swords descending in an X shape.
In immediate reality, the warrior threw the full weight of his body forward. Kaelen, however, dodged effortlessly with a sideways step and a disguised yawn. The opponent's twin blades sliced through the air and struck the stone floor of the square head-on, sending sparks flying and cracking the ground.
Capitalizing on the wide-open guard, Kaelen spun his iron blade and delivered a blunt strike with the pommel directly to the serpent-man's nape. The warrior faltered, lost his strength, and crashed heavily to his knees, disarmed.
— My, is that all? — Kaelen lamented, lowering his swords and sighing. — I at least expected a secret technique of House Serpentis... What a disappointment.
A few paces away, trapped by the vines beside the archer, the young princess let out a squeak of pure indignation, thrashing against her bindings.
Meanwhile, Akra looked at the defeated warrior on the ground, crossed her little arms with severity, and let out a muffled growl of disapproval, imitating the exact posture of superiority of the tigress.
— Thank you, Eradan. Now bind this one as well, — Kaelen requested, indicating the unconscious warrior.
The elf nodded and summoned a new cluster of mystical vines that bound the unconscious serpent-man securely.
Free from combat, Kaelen walked calmly toward the mage held fast by the vegetation. The young woman thrashed in vain, attempting to cover her face. Unhurriedly, Kaelen reached out and pulled the heavy hood back all at once.
Beneath the cloth, voluminous dark purple hair and a pale, delicate face emerged, framing striking amethyst-colored serpentine eyes. The contrast between the sophistication of her features and her expression of pure, pouty rage was almost comical.
Kaelen tilted his head, wearing an ironic smile:
— My, I never imagined it was you... The heiress of House Serpentis. What a surprise... Did you truly think I would not find out? Tell me, what was going through that childish head of yours?
Lady Lamis Vesper flushed instantly with indignation, glaring at Kaelen with her amethyst eyes.
— Childish?! — she hissed, wrinkling her nose. — How dare you call me childish, you... you insolent outsider! You are a mere visitor in my territory! I am the heiress of the clan, and if I wanted you in our laboratories to examine your peculiar magic, you ought to feel honored!
— Honored to be ambushed in the street by three clumsy masked fools? — Kaelen mocked, crossing his arms. — I believe your concept of hospitality and honor requires a proper lesson in manners.
Behind Kaelen, Valéria stepped forward two paces, holding her spear upright with a cold posture of noble superiority that made the young lamia appear even more cornered. And beside her, Akra stepped forward firmly, puffed out her small chest, crossed her little arms with stern severity, and stared at the heiress of House Serpentis with the exact same expression of contempt, imitating Valéria to perfection.
Lamis looked at the little dragonoid and then at the tip of Valéria's spear, biting her lower lip in sheer embarrassment and fury.
With a swift motion of his blades, Kaelen severed the vines holding the heiress. Before the young woman could regain her balance as she fell, he channeled his telekinesis, lifting her into the air and pulling her abruptly toward himself. Immobilized by arcane force, Lady Lamis Vesper was placed across Kaelen's knee, face down.
— You know, I said I was going to kick some rear ends today, but I shall have to make a slight correction, — said Kaelen, maintaining an impeccable tone of moral discipline. — Spoiled and senseless children require proper discipline to learn proper manners!
And without hesitation, Kaelen began applying firm, rhythmic spankings to the young noblewoman's backside.
— Aaaaah! You... you savage! Release me this instant! — cried Lamis, her voice cracking in pure shock and shame. The pale skin of her face flushed an instant bright scarlet, while her lamia tail thrashed in the air in desperation. — I am the heiress of House Serpentis! My mother will have you flayed alive!
— The more you squirm and complain, the more spankings you receive, — Kaelen warned, delivering two more stinging spankings. — So then? When do you intend to speak the truth? I can spend the entire night right here correcting your behavior...
— I shall kill you! I shall order you locked away in the deepest dungeons, I shall ask my mother to break your legs—! — protested the young woman, receiving another corrective spanking for every insult she uttered, until she began to whimper from sheer humiliation.
Right behind them, Valéria stared at the scene with wide eyes, paralyzed between secondhand embarrassment and absolute indignation. The young tigresa brought her free hand to her forehead, rubbing her temples and covering her eyes, mortified to see her fiancé treating the daughter of a baroness like a pouty little girl in full public view.
— Kaelen... — growled Valéria through her teeth, her face flushed red with shame at that ridiculous display. — For the love of the gods, let that girl go right now! Have you lost your sense of etiquette entirely?!
To render the moment even more chaotic, Akra observed Valéria's reaction, her eyes widening, and imitated the tigress in that very second: she placed both small hands over her face, covered her eyes, and let out a deep sigh of embarrassment.
— I shall only release her when our young "strategist" here decides to answer properly, — Kaelen retorted, delivering another spanking. — And so, Lady Lamis Vesper? Will you cooperate, or do you wish to continue your disciplinary correction?
Kaelen let out an amused laugh while maintaining the rhythm of the corrective spankings.
— You know... this is actually rather therapeutic, — he commented, with a provocative tone directed at his fiancée. — Perhaps I ought to adopt this very same discipline with you, Valéria, the next time you decide to throw me to the floor with a toss or strike my stomach...
The instant the provocation left his mouth, his foresight triggered, projecting the next three seconds of the immediate future. In the anticipated vision, he saw Valéria's aura of fury explode: the tigresa would charge like lightning, ready to snap her spear across his back.
Acting even before the vision materialized, Kaelen extended his free arm and erected a translucent, impenetrable telekinetic barrier. An invisible shield sealed the air around himself and Lamis, isolating them.
A millisecond later, the wooden tip of Valéria's spear collided with the invisible wall, producing a dry crack in the air. Prevented from advancing, the young noblewoman glared at her fiancé with burning eyes, striking against the force shield with the butt of her weapon, her face completely crimson.
Right below her, Akra imitated the gesture in absolute synchrony: she ran to the invisible barrier, began pounding the air with her tiny fists, and puffed her cheeks with a fierce growl of imitation.
Protected behind his mental shield, Kaelen leaned over the heiress of House Serpentis and gave two more rhythmic spankings.
— And so, Lady Serpentis? Do you prefer having your backside stinging and being unable to sit for an entire week, or do you prefer that the lesson end now? The choice is entirely yours... I can continue for a long, long time.
— I shall speak! I ask you to stop! Stop this right now, you savage! — cried Lamis, her voice choking between humiliation and stinging pain. With her face buried in shame between her hands, she grabbed Kaelen's garments while her lamia tail writhed, utterly surrendered. — I shall tell you everything! Just... just take your hand off me and set me on the ground, please!
After swallowing her pride and confessing through tears that she had acted on her own—driven by a childish whim to examine Kaelen's bizarre arts and inventions without her mother's knowledge—Lady Lamis Vesper was finally set down. The young woman curled up in a corner, trying to adjust her clothes, while the telekinetic barrier dissolved.
Kaelen lowered his hands, took a deep breath, and turned his attention entirely to Valéria. The tigress was still huffing with fury and embarrassment. The inventor's playful tone vanished completely, giving way to a serious and unshakeable composure.
— I shall grant you leniency because we have known each other since childhood and because we are betrothed, Valéria, — declared Kaelen, his voice calm and sharp. — However, do not think I permit people to strike me as you did. Do not confuse the fact that I care for you with allowing you to assault me. Women, regardless of race, must know how to act like women. I appreciate gentleness, and this aggressive attitude of yours will only make me reluctant to marry you. Is that what you want?
Valéria froze in place, her mouth half open in shock at hearing such stern words.
— And there is an even graver matter, Valéria, — he continued. — Have you ever stopped to consider that, due to political demands, clan alliances, and noble duties, I may be required to marry additional women in the future? Should that happen, do you believe you will be able to bear the weight of such jealousy and responsibility?
The provocation and shock struck the young noblewoman's pride dead-on. Overcome by an explosive mixture of grief and fury, Valéria flexed her knees to leap forward with her spear.
However, Kaelen's foresight had already anticipated the movement. Before the tigress's boots could leave the ground, an invisible telekinetic force wrapped around her body, gently lifting her into the air and immobilizing her arms and legs completely. The spear slipped from her hands, remaining suspended in midair.
— Release me, Kaelen! — she protested, thrashing in the air.
Without averting his eyes from his floating fiancée, Kaelen turned his face slightly toward the little dragonoid:
— Akra, I forbid you from imitating Valéria from this moment onward. Otherwise, you shall go without lunch.
Upon hearing the terrible threat of losing her meal, Akra's eyes widened in sheer terror. She took two steps back, dropped her tough stance, hid her tiny hands behind her back, and nodded vigorously, promising to behave.
— Valéria, I shall say it once more: do not confuse the fact that I care for you with allowing you to assault me, — Kaelen said, keeping his gaze fixed on his floating fiancée. — It is useless to lie to yourself; I know precisely that you intended to attack me. To me, you are an open book. Now you have two choices: move forward and learn self-control, or try again. However, should you try again, you will see only an invisible wall separating you from me, and in the end, our engagement will be over. Is that what you want? Say it now, and only then shall I put you down.
The words echoed with a suffocating weight. For the first time, Valéria realized there was not a trace of mockery in the inventor's tone. His authority was absolute. Suspended in the air, the tigress's body trembled. The shock of the threat to break off the commitment struck her pride with devastating force. Her ice-blue eyes welled up with a mixture of grief and genuine dread of losing him.
— N-no... — Valéria stammered, her voice choked. — That is not what I want... I will no longer attack you.
Kaelen held her gaze for a few more seconds and dissolved the telekinesis. Valéria landed lightly, retrieving her spear from the ground without uttering another word, head bowed and arms pulled in, assuming a contrite posture.
A little further back, Akra kept her arms glued to her sides and her lips sealed, fearing for her own meal.
Satisfied with the truce, Kaelen turned to the heiress of House Serpentis, who was still massaging her sore backside.
— As for you, young lady, — Kaelen said. — If I do this to my own betrothed, what do you suppose I am capable of doing to you? Do not even think of any further foolish schemes. Now, we shall all proceed to your house to speak directly with your mother.
— Y-yes! I understand! I shall not attempt anything else! — Lamis exclaimed hurriedly, nodding in desperation.
— Very well, — Kaelen concluded. — Eradan, undo the bindings on the other two. Let us see if the baroness possesses more composure than her daughter.
Accommodating everyone for the return trip proved to be a true logistical challenge. Kaelen ordered the two-handed swordsman and the archer to be bound to the roof of the carriage by Eradan's vines. Inside the cabin, the space became remarkably cramped: Kaelen, Valéria, Akra, Eradan, and Miri shared the seats with Lady Lamis Vesper, who adjusted herself with extreme care and a wince of pain with every bump, unable to sit properly.
The silence inside the vehicle was absolute and tense. Valéria kept her head down, digesting the reprimand without uttering a peep. Beside her, little Akra remained motionless as a statue, her tiny hands resting rigidly upon her knees.
The carriage retraced its route at a swift pace, stopping once again before the grand manor of House Serpentis.
Upon seeing the vehicle return with two of their finest guards bound to the roof, the sentries at the entrance advanced with weapons drawn.
— What is the meaning of this?! Hold! Identify yourselves! — barked the guard captain.
Kaelen opened the carriage door and stepped onto the stone pavement. Without slowing his pace, he extended his right hand and channeled his telekinesis in an expansive wave. A surge of invisible, overwhelming force struck the guards head-on, hurling them meters backward.
Taking advantage of the stunned silence of the fallen sentries, Kaelen projected his voice with cutting authority:
— Awaken your mistress immediately! Inform her that her dear daughter attacked me in the middle of the street. If you do not wish for me to execute all of them right here, she had better come speak with me this instant! Otherwise, rest assured of one thing: House Serpentis shall cease to exist before this day is done!
The fallen guards swallowed hard, staring at the human who radiated a terrifying arcane pressure. One of the sentries stumbled to his feet and ran headlong into the interior of the manor.
A short time later, the guards returned hastily, inviting the party to enter.
Kaelen advanced with firm steps down the main corridor, keeping Lady Lamis Vesper floating in the air before him, immobilized by his telekinesis. Right behind, Valéria and Akra took charge of dragging the two captured guards. Akra maintained absolute military discipline, using all her little strength to drag the mercenary without daring to imitate the tigress.
As they crossed the arches of the noble hall, the scene paralyzed everyone present. Seated on their ornate thrones, Baroness Vespera Serpentis and her consort, Lord Seth, rose abruptly, accompanied by the immediate startle of all servants. The shock of seeing the young heiress floating defenseless left the noble couple alarmed.
— What is the meaning of this insolence?! — barked the baroness, her yellowish eyes narrowed in apprehension. — What have you done to my daughter and my guards?!
— What happened? I ask the very same of you, — Kaelen answered, his voice echoing cold and serene. — We were courteously received by your butler and directed to lodging. However, we were targeted in an ambush staged by these three, with the explicit intent of kidnapping me and forcing me to serve your laboratories.
Kaelen lowered his gaze to the girl suspended in the void:
— Tell them, young lady. Explain your part.
Lamis, her face flushed with shame and her eyes tearful, swallowed her pride and stammered before her parents:
— I-it was me, Mother... I acted on my own... I wished to capture the outsider to examine his techniques and inventions...
A deathly silence fell over the hall. Kaelen took a step forward, staring at Baroness Vespera with a look of pure disdain.
— Is this how you treat those who come from afar to solve your problems? Rest assured of one thing: whatever agreement we came to make shall now cost far more. At minimum, triple the original value. And I say further: if you do not satisfy me fully today, I shall bring ruin upon your house before sunset. I believe you will come to understand why I am called the Blue Demon because of this...
Before any guard could react, Kaelen raised his right hand.
Channeling his mana in two opposing directions with frightening precision, he struck the two colossal stone pillars supporting the side galleries. In a fraction of a second, one of the pillars began to glow under intense thermal heat, melting like candle wax and flowing in liquid rock. Simultaneously, the opposite pillar was struck by a wave of absolute cryokinesis, freezing instantly until it transformed into a crystalline sculpture of solid ice.
The crack of biting cold and the gust of scorching heat swept the room, causing the guard to recoil in panic and the baroness to turn pale.
Kaelen lowered his hand, holding the stunned gaze of the leaders of House Serpentis.
— Do not think I am joking.
With a slight flick of his fingers, Kaelen released the invisible force keeping Lady Lamis Vesper suspended. The young heiress landed gently beside her parents, stumbling and placing her hands on her sore backside with an involuntary wince of pain, shrinking behind her mother's skirt, stripped of her arrogance.
Next, the inventor's icy gaze turned to the two defeated guards. Without uttering a single word, he extended his right hand. An overwhelming wave of telekinesis seized the serpent-man and the archer, hurling them through the air. The two figures flew meters above the ground, crossing the monumental gates and crashing heavily against the stone floor of the outer courtyard.
Paying not the slightest mind to the guards' fate, Kaelen gestured once more. From the back of the ante-chamber, four imposing chairs of fine wood and velvet slid noisily across the polished stone floor, coming to a stop in a perfectly aligned row before the thrones of Baroness Vespera and Lord Seth.
Kaelen seated himself in the central chair in a haughty manner, crossing one leg and resting his arm on the backrest. Beside him, Valéria sat in absolute silence, keeping her gaze low and her hands delicately rested upon her knees. Right beside her, Akra sat erect like a miniature sentry, keeping her arms glued to her sides and her mouth firmly sealed. Eradan and Miri stood attentively right behind.
Adjusting his tunic collar, Kaelen fixed his eyes on the leaders of House Serpentis. The pressure of his presence was suffocating; between the pillar dripping with molten rock and the column of ice, the human faced the noble couple like a surgical predator.
— Now it is your turn, — Kaelen declared, his voice echoing in a deep tone that cut through the silence. — What do you have to offer me? I tell you now... I am losing my patience.
Baroness Vespera Serpentis swallowed hard, feeling cold sweat run down her neck. The casual display of dual elemental control and raw telekinesis proved that the rumors regarding the Blue Demon contained not the slightest exaggeration.
Lord Seth took a step forward, placing his hand on his wife's shoulder in a gesture of support, though his own scales were raised in apprehension.
— Lord Kaelen... — Vespera began, her voice trembling slightly. — We recognize the grave error and impermissible conduct of our daughter. House Serpentis assumes full responsibility for this affront.
The baroness gestured hurriedly to the butler Zael and continued:
— To compensate for the trouble and ensure our alliance is not destroyed by this incident, we are willing to accept your terms. We shall grant your fief the exclusive export monopoly on our syrups and concentrated cane extracts, as well as unrestricted access to our distillation workshops and quick-healing ointments. And, as demanded, we shall charge only one-third of the list price for any alchemy supplies your party wishes to purchase, covering the remainder as direct reparation for the damages caused by my daughter.
Vespera looked at Lamis sternly, forcing the young woman to step forward.
— And as additional punishment for Lamis's insubordination, she shall be personally charged with guiding your party through our facilities and overseeing the delivery of all reagents you require.
Kaelen held the baroness's gaze for a few seconds, calculating the weight of the offer. Behind his impassive expression, he activated his foresight and psychometry simultaneously.
In his mind, his foresight projected the hidden intentions of the couple: even when backed into a corner, the aristocratic mindset of Vespera and Seth acted by reflex. The proposal to monopolize basic syrups and grant a one-third discount was a calculated maneuver to give up only the tip of the iceberg, protecting the true treasures of House Serpentis.
Before the baroness could complete any further gesture, Kaelen extended his open hand.
A precise telekinetic force acted in a millisecond. The sumptuous necklace of alchemy gems on Baroness Vespera's neck broke its clasp without touching her skin, and the signet ring of gold and amethyst on Lord Seth's finger was yanked off with a sharp snap. Both objects flew across the hall and landed directly in Kaelen's open palm.
As he closed his fingers over the jewels, the inventor's psychometry triggered. The residual memories impregnated in the metal and stones revealed everything: maps of the deepest chambers of the laboratories, the newly discovered formula for a cell-regeneration reagent of extreme value, and the true reserves of mystical essences the couple intended to keep secret.
Kaelen twirled the ring and necklace between his fingers, letting out a cold laugh.
— You know... your belongings speak far more than your mouths just did, — Kaelen declared, fixing his gaze on the couple's suddenly pale faces. — It is remarkable how, even on the defensive and terrified, you do not miss an opportunity to try to minimize your losses like greedy nobles.
The silence in the hall became absolute. Vespera raised her hand to her bare neck, while Seth took an involuntary step back, stunned as he realized the human had read their secrets in a matter of seconds.
— Tomorrow you shall take me personally to resolve the issue in the laboratories, — Kaelen continued in a firm voice. — But do not think it will end there: I want total rights over everything stored inside, including the new discoveries and extracts from the deep chamber. Or did you truly believe I would not find out?
He leaned slightly forward in his chair:
— Your great error was attempting to deal with me as if I were a naive child of the nobility. I warned you: it will cost far more every time you attempt to lie or hide something from me.
Beside Kaelen, Valéria remained head bowed, contained and silent, impressed by her fiancé's coldness. Beside her, Akra's yellow eyes widened, keeping her lips sealed.
Baroness Vespera exchanged an alarmed look with her husband, bowing her head in definitive surrender.
— W-we understand, Lord Kaelen... — stammered the baroness, trembling slightly. — There shall be no further secrets or half-truths. Everything we possess in the laboratories shall be at your complete disposal tomorrow.
Without uttering another word, Kaelen rose from his chair. Beside him, Valéria and Akra stood in perfect synchrony, followed by Eradan and Miri. In a heavy silence, the party turned around and walked toward the exit, leaving behind a trail of physical destruction and suffocating dread.
As soon as the heavy doors of the manor closed, the remaining silence in the room was almost unbearable.
Baroness Vespera let out a ragged sigh, bringing her hand to her chest as her tail weakened beneath her. On one side of the hall, the melted pillar was still dripping incandescent rock; on the other, the frozen column radiated an icy mist. That spectacle was far too irrational. Vespera had been unable to see a twelve-year-old youth there, nor a child of the nobility. In those cold, calculating eyes, she had seen a true demon. She felt in her skin that the human possessed the power to wipe House Serpentis from the map before sunset—or, in a fit of rage, reduce the subterranean city itself to ashes.
Overcome by fear and the urgency to save her clan, Vespera turned abruptly to her daughter:
— You shall be responsible for pleasing him! — ordered the baroness, her voice trembling with apprehension. — I care not what you must do, but that young man cannot depart from this city maintaining such a terrible impression of us!
Lamis, still massaging her sore backside with her scales raised in terror, widened her amethyst eyes:
— But, Mother! You were the one who said he was merely a spoiled child from the surface! And Father was the one who suggested testing his abilities before the audience!
Baroness Vespera turned her face slowly toward her husband, glaring at him with a deadly gaze:
— So you engineered all of this?! — she hissed, her brow furrowing with fury.
Lord Seth swallowed hard, his throat dry and his forehead covered in cold sweat. He took a step back, raising his hands:
— I did not imagine... I truly did not imagine he was such a monster! — justified the baron, terror written across his face. — This is far too dangerous... I must alert the other nobles immediately! I do not want any other city running the risk of destruction over a similar provocation. And I shall see right now what can be done to send gifts and appease House Aurelius... We cannot
