---
— Bonds and Breaking Points
---
The soft echo of Leon's footsteps faded into the corridor as Jones led him toward the guest quarters. The study, once filled with tension and presence, now stood quiet. Only two remained.
Dian leaned back in his chair, his fingers loosely laced over his abdomen, his gaze fixed on nothing in particular. His thoughts churned like a storm beneath still waters.
Things are moving fast...
He had known the man had emotions buried deep, but the sheer force of possessiveness and resentment had been a bitter reminder—this world wasn't only about titles and strength. It was about emotions. Old ones. Deep ones.
"So that's a Chosen One, huh?" he murmured to himself, almost inaudibly. "Tch… his status was too much."
He closed his eyes. I need to power up as soon as possible.
Right now, his life seemed like a dream—he was a young lord, handsome, with two otherworldly beautiful wives, wealth, and status. But the most important thing was still missing.
Strength.
None of it would matter if he couldn't protect the ones he loved. His stats were rising, his system functions were unlocking... but not fast enough.
A screen flickered in front of him.
---
[Status Window]
[Name: Dian Skyster
Age: 16
Title: Elemental King (Unlocked), Novice Villain
[Elemental King]. – Increases host's control of all elements by 50%.
[Novice Villain]
Effect (New): 1% of luck plundered from 'Chosen Ones' will be added to Host's Luck.
Stage: Mage (2nd Stage) → Superior Mage (2nd Stage)
Attributes:
Strength: 88/100 → 158/300
Agility: 90/100 → 160/300
Defense: 89/100 → 159/300
Stamina: 155/300 → 215/300
Mana: 196/300 → 266/300
Luck: 145 + 2 (from Leon) = 147 (Normal Max: 100)
Skills: Lust Incarnate, Elemental Zone, Bizarre King, Stamina Flow, Impregnation, Spear of Light (New)
[Spear of Light] – User can manifest spears of light using mana. Can be used for long-range attacks or to heal from a distance. (User determines who is harmed or healed.)
---
His stats were impressive—even Dian was slightly surprised when he saw them this morning. But now, after his encounter with Leon, he knew…
They still weren't enough.
He recalled one of Leon's title effects:
[Fate's Blessing]
– If ever in a life-or-death situation, someone will come to save you and kill the one threatening your life.
"Isn't that just amazing?" Dian muttered bitterly.
And as always, a familiar feminine voice rang in his head.
"That's fate for you, Host," the system spoke, calm, cool, and collected.
A smile crept onto Dian's face. Gotta start training...
He needed battle experience. Foes. Command. Control over his power. He needed to test his powers—push his limits.
Suddenly, two soft hands wrapped around his shoulders, gently pulling him from his reverie.
He blinked, looking up.
"Wife?"
She leaned in, her breath brushing his cheek. Her soft blue eyes were tinted with concern.
"You were spacing out," she said gently. "Are you… okay?"
Dian exhaled through his nose, a small smile playing on his lips. He reached for her waist and pulled her gently into his lap.
"Ah!" a startled gasp escaped her lips.
"I'm fine," he whispered. "How could I not be, when I have you here with me?"
Suzine flushed, her hands instinctively clutching his robe. The closeness, the contact—despite everything, it still made her heart race.
"Y-You say things like that so easily…" she mumbled.
He chuckled, leaning his forehead against hers.
"I mean every word."
For a while, they sat in silence, warmth shared between two hearts. But Dian stirred not long after.
"I think your sister is awake by now," he said, standing and gently setting her down. "Let's not waste time."
Suzine nodded. "Gianna…"
---
The sun was high in the sky now. Flowers bloomed. Rainbows shimmered in the mists of garden fountains. Tree shadows offered resting spots to weary peddlers.
As they walked side by side through the sunlit corridors of the Skyster estate, Suzine's mind drifted.
So much had changed.
A month ago, she wouldn't have dared to hold his gaze too long. Too shy. Too quiet. Always second-guessing.
But after his departure for the estate inspection—and the silence that followed—something inside her had shifted.
She had spent nights pacing in her chambers, afraid, uncertain. And yet, those very nights had forged something new in her.
A resolve.
She didn't want to stay the same. Not anymore.
So when Dian returned, she had taken that step—bold, maybe clumsy, but genuine. She would show him love not just in silence… but in action.
And day by day, she'd grow stronger.
---
Elsewhere in the estate—
A cold, polished room stood quiet, decorated in golden trims and heavy drapes. Jones had shown it with practiced calm.
Leon now stood alone.
He stared into a dressing mirror.
Golden hair, tousled. Sharp, angular features. Sun-kissed eyes. A tall, muscular frame in a pristine white-gold uniform, marked with the royal army's crest and insignia.
A Major General.
And unknowingly, a Chosen One.
Yet...
He saw something hollow in his reflection.
He clenched the chair behind him, knuckles whitening.
Why? he thought.
Why did it feel like he had already lost before the battle had even begun?
Suzine...
The image of her standing beside Dian—smiling. Touching him. Obeying him.
A part of Leon wanted to scream. To claw that image out of his memory.
He hadn't forgotten her—not even for a day.
The photograph he kept from their orphanage days—the one thing that had driven him to rise, to fight for the kingdom—that image of her.
And now… she belonged to another.
The chair cracked. Then shattered.
Wood fragments fell to the floor as the sound echoed around him.
But he didn't care.
Even now, after all this...
He still wanted her.
She was mine...
And that man—Dian Skyster—*smiled* like everything came to him without effort.
Leon's eyes burned.
"He's not worthy... He can't be…"
But even as he said the words, part of him recoiled.
Because Dian didn't seem weak.
His mind shifted gears. Plotting. Scheming.
Whatever it takes… Suzine will be mine.
---
Back in the private wing of the castle, Dian and Suzine reached their room.
With a soft push, the door opened.
A waft of floral perfume drifted out. Gianna stood near the vanity table, brushing her long, light-green hair, wearing a silky green gown that hugged her curves gracefully.
Dian's hands twitched slightly—remembering the sensation of her soft skin under his touch.
Her eyes lit up. Pointed ears fluttered.
"Husband," she chimed.
Dian stepped in, followed by Suzine, who offered a warm nod. Gianna's smile brightened further at the sight of her.
The three of them had spent quite a —moment.
Without warning, Gianna leapt into his arms.
"Mmm~ where have you been?" she purred into his chest.
Dian chuckled and held her close.
"I had a visitor, my dear wife. And you were sleeping in."
He squeezed her hips playfully.
"Aah~" Gianna gasped, her cheeks blazing.
"W-Whose fault do you think that is…" she muttered.
Dian's laugh rumbled in his chest, satisfied with her reaction.
Standing nearby, Suzine's lips formed a pout. Until—
A hand slid around her waist and pulled her in.
"Aah!" Suzine yelped, startled—but didn't resist. She knew whose hand it was.
When she looked up into his eyes, her breath caught.
H-He's even more charming than before...
His crystalline brown eyes locked onto hers, drawing her in like a spell. She didn't want the moment to end.
Then—
"Here," Dian whispered, giving her a soft squeeze.
"Aa~h…" a moan escaped Suzine's lips, her face reddening further.
So sweet, Dian thought as he held his wives close, intoxicated by their scents—their warmth.
But just as the moment deepened—
Knock knock.
Two soft knocks echoed at the chamber door.
Dian raised a brow.
"Young Lord," came Jones's voice, calm and polite. "There are letters. From the Capital."
Dian sighed, stealing one last kiss to each of their foreheads.
"I'll be back soon," he said.
Suzine and Gianna watched him leave—their faces flushed, breath a little husky.
---
Back in the study, Jones handed him two scrolls, sealed in red wax.
"From the Royal Academy of Rikos," Jones said.
.
.