**A Few Days Later**


    As much as I would like to take care of the twins, unfortunately this is not possible at the moment. The twins are currently staying at Liam''s private mansion and the girl twin only asionally visits the pce. Anyway, it was Liam himself that I had to take revenge on, no one else.


    But right now, I am surrounded by family members who are questioning me as if I were a criminal. Isabe, my mother, and my sisters all made me sit in a chair as soon as I entered the room and pressured me to exin everything from the beginning. Due to the worried expressions on their faces, especially my mother''s, I had to recount everything from the start.


    I began with the fight with the jester and my subsequent hiding of Emilia''s lifeless body, and continued with how Marsiel, the fifth concubine''s daughter, healed Emilia. Ultimately,I told them how Liam and Markuol betrayed me when they took Emilia''s body while I was in the Tamerid Empire.


    Since I''m not used to talking for such long periods and I''m not a very good storyteller, my family asked many questions, which I tried to answer as best as I could. Most of their questions focused on Emilia and my false identity. After all, Isabe was the only one who knew about my false identity, and the others were shocked when they learned about it and how wealthy I was.


    Then, for the first time aside from Evangeline, I spoke about my dark element. Finally, I exined my recent agreement with Richard, thus managing to narrate most of the story in one go. Throughout this process, Violet and Kayle were the most shocked. My mother, after the initial shock, seemed lost in thought, and Isabe... probably wasn''t too surprised by what I said.


    Finally, it was likely that my younger sister Odette didn''t understand half of what I had said.


    "So, does Richard want to use you as a weapon?" Isabe asked.


    "Yes. That can be said," I replied.


    After answering Isabe''s question, a brief silence fell over the room. Everyone was trying to digest what I had said. I fixed my gaze on the carpet, but I could still feel their eyes on me. This silence was broken by a deep sigh from my mother.


    "What is Richard''s goal? Why would he want to use you as a weapon?" she asked. Her voice still carried uncertainty and concern, but curiosity was dominant.


    "Thanks to my alliance with Evangeline, I can control many people," I said, gathering my thoughts. "But Richard wants more. He believes that with my dark element, I can remove all obstacles in front of him. By using my power, he ns to unite the kingdoms and strengthen his own reign."


    My mother sighed deeply. "This is a very dangerous game. What if the Dark Element consumes you? What if it takes over your soul?" Her voice held both fear and a protective instinct.


    "I''m aware," I said, lowering my head slightly. "But in the current situation, I am not in a position to resist Richard. I have to bow to his demands. But that doesn''t mean I have to y his game. For now, Richard only wants me to go to the Dragon Academy and be stronger. When I return, he will take steps to make me king.


    At least that''s what he said."


    Violet, still in shock, spoke with a stutter. "And Emilia? Did you really manage to save her?"


    This question caught me off guard for a moment, but Iposed myself and answered. "She was healing with Marsiel''s power and would probably have recovered, but now there is no chance of hering back..."


    The atmosphere in the room grew heavier, with Emilia''s name being mentioned. Everyone was trying toe to terms with this reality. Although Marsiel''s healing power gave hope, the fact that Emilia had no chance of returning cast a deep sadness on my family members'' faces. Violet''s eyes filled with tears, but she remained silent.


    At that moment, I knew everyone was sad for me because of my feelings for Emilia.


    My mother, trying to recover from the shock, came a little closer. "Richard wants to strengthen you, but is this power really under your control?" she asked, her voice trembling but filled with curiosity. " you going to the Dragon Academy just a beginning for him?"


    I fixed my gaze on my mother''s eyes, trying to understand her fears. She was concerned about falling under the influence of the Dark Element, and maybe she was right. Maybe this power, if not used correctly,  couldpletely take over me. But Richard''s ns posed another threat.


    "This power," I said, adopting a resolute tone, "carries a significant risk, I know. But I must take this risk to thwart Richard''s ns. Richard likely thinks that since our goals align, he can control me, but..."


    Luciana/Isabe: "But?"


    "But I will be the one to control him," I answered.


    Although my mother''s face seemed to show a hint of relief, she was still deeply uncertain. The room fell silent again as everyone grappled with these new truths.


    "What is your n?" Isabe asked.


    "I can''t tell you that for now," I replied.


    Isabe''s face showed a mix of curiosity and disappointment, but she didn''t press further on the matter. The others also quietly epted the situation. The reason I wasn''t sharing my ns with them wasn''t about trust or not wanting to share my secrets with others. It was something I had applied throughout my two lives.


    In my opinion, there are things you should say and things you should not say to people you trust. For example, if I revealed my n,There was a possibility that Violet might bring up a political marriage with Alpshar again. Or Isabe might involve her family. My mother might end up feeling useless and upset. Therefore, I wouldn''t be disclosing my ns and some secrets for now.


    My mother, without taking her eyes off me, took a deep breath.


    "You''re our family," my mother said, her voice still trembling and tearful. If we hadn''t been there, she would likely have cried, but now she was only ying the role of the reliable and strong mother. "No matter what happens, we will be by your side. But please, be careful, Ethan. This game is very dangerous, and a wrong step could ruin everything. And you should ask for our help.


    If you see me as useless or ineffective, then seek help from Isabe, but never be alone on this path..."


    My mother''s words resonated deeply within me. Her worry affected me more than she probably realized. However, I knew this path had to be walked alone. Still, I couldn''tpletely ignore my mother''s concerns. I looked at her, nodding slightly.


    "I know, Mom," I said, trying to keep my voice soft. "Just feeling your support gives me strength. But as I move forward on this path, there are things I need to handle on my own. That''s why I can''t share some parts of my ns. But know this: I won''t take any steps that would put my family in danger."


    Isabe interrupted, "If you truly think that way, we won''t press you any further. However, you should know that whenever you need help, we will be here," she said. Her tone was firm but also understanding. It was a sign that she hadn''t lost faith in me.


    Violet remained silent, but tears were streaming from her eyes. Her sensitivity disturbed me a bit, as I hadn''t wanted to upset her. I slowly approached her and touched her shoulder.


    "Violet," I said, looking at her sincerely, "don''t worry. Everything will be okay."


    "Promise?" she stuttered.


    "I promise."


    "pinkie promise?" she said, extending her little finger.


    I smiled gently and entwined my pinkie with Violet''s. "Pinkie promise," I said. Violet''s sorrow was reced by a faint smile, but traces of concern still lingered in her eyes. This small moment had slightly eased the tense atmosphere in the room. Everyone seemed to have their thoughts scattered, and a warm smile spread across my mother''s and Isabe''s faces. But I knew we still had a lot to discuss.


    However, I didn''t want to delve deeper into these topics for now.


    After a moment of silence, Isabe asked, "So, what''s your n for the immediate future?"


    "Well... my first priority is to acquire Fiona," I answered, shocking everyone in the room again.


    "Acquire Fiona? Why?" my mother asked.


    "Because she will be a perfect pawn for me," I replied. In fact, there was something very important I needed to learn from Fiona, and once I obtained that information, Liam would be in my grasp as well.


    My mother''s astonishment grew even more pronounced after my words. Isabe furrowed her brows, as if trying to understand the meaning of what I had said.


    "Seeing Fiona as a pawn... That might be a dangerous approach," Isabe said cautiously. "If you really want to control Fiona, you shouldn''t underestimate her."


    "Isabe is right," my mother added, trying to hide her anxiety. "Especially since Fiona''s big brother might be strong and dangerous. Keeping her under control might be harder than you think. Also, she''s still Richard''s favorite woman," she added with a hint of disgust.


    "You''ve misunderstood me. I don''t want to make Fiona my enemy; I want to make her my ally," I rified.


    "What? How are you going to make her your ally? How will you convince a woman who hates you?" Isabe asked.


    A smile spread across my face, and I replied with a dismissive expression, "I''m gonna make her an offer she can''t refuse."  huh...Damn, I''ve always wanted to say that!