Chapter 67: Chapter 67 - Thalia’s Wifely Duties

"Can you not act like I just told you the world was ending?"

Cruxius sighed, dragging his hand down from her face.

He knew all too well that dealing with this woman was a hassle—especially now, when he needed time, and that time had just been restrained by the sudden arrival of a variable.

"You kidnapped me from a hotel, dumped me in a car, and now you’re springing a marriage proposal?

You are the end of the world!"

Thalia, still struggling beneath his palm, yanked his hand away with unexpected force.

’...Wasn’t she the one?’

Ytrisia looked toward Thalia, observing her closely, just as she had been since they picked her up.

Something about this woman felt familiar—not in an obvious way, but instinctively.

She was almost certain she had seen her before... in the main palace in Spain.

That doubt narrowed her eyes, suspicion forming in her gaze.

And yet, the way this whole conversation veered toward a marriage proposal confused her even more.

Just a few hours ago, Cruxius had said something similar—to her.

Not exactly the same, but close enough.

He had spoken of marrying her.

And now, even within that same breath, he seemed to be proposing to another woman.

It was as if he were going around proposing to different women.

A frown formed on her face.

No matter how she looked at it, this man was seriously messed up.

"Maybe.

But if I’m the end, you’re the reason it started."

Cruxius leaned forward, resting his elbow on his knee, and held up a crimson pendant—the stone catching a shaft of light through the tinted window.

"This," he said quietly, the humor gone from his voice, "belonged to my mother."

Thalia blinked, momentarily thrown off by the sudden change in atmosphere—especially with him suddenly mentioning his mother.

"She told me," Cruxius continued, eyes fixed on the necklace, "that I should only give it to the woman I’d marry.

Not as a symbol of love, but as a burden—something that ties her fate to mine, just as hers was tied to my father’s."

He wrapped his fingers around the pendant for a moment, then slowly extended it toward her.

"I don’t love you, Thalia.

You don’t even like me.

But I want you to take responsibility for me—learn from my father about handling the family business.

That way, we might actually have a decent married life."

Thalia stared at him, unsure whether to be insulted or intrigued.

"Take it," he said at last, placing the necklace in her lap.

"Because whether you say yes or no now doesn’t matter.

You’ve already seen it—no matter where you go, I’ll always chase you down."

’...’

Thalia looked down at the ruby.

It pulsed faintly in the light, like a still heart waiting to beat again.

She didn’t touch it.

Instead, she met his gaze, her expression unreadable.

"...You really are a bastard," she said finally, her voice soft—clearly understanding her situation.

She had tried so many times to run, only to be caught.

And now, he was proposing marriage in a way that was anything but romantic.

More like a business arrangement... one where she was the cornered rat with no way out.

Cruxius gave a faint grin, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

"So I’ve been told."

As he watched her slowly take the necklace and wear it herself, a sense of satisfaction settled over Cruxius.

He turned his gaze toward the window, arms folded behind his back, knowing he had closed Thalia’s Chapter—for now.

By giving her direction, he had offered her something close to hope.

Accepting his proposal meant gaining the power to learn directly from the head of the Blac Corporation.

Thalia, in her past life, had shown unexpected maturity and dedication when it came to handling the family business.

It was something no one had anticipated—especially given her lack of influential background or external support.

She had only herself.

Back then, her motivation had been her child... and revenge against him.

That dual drive had fueled her relentless determination.

Still, Cruxius knew even then that she had been more than capable of managing the vast Blac Empire—something he himself struggled to handle, consumed as he was by other obligations.

Sure, it could become dangerous if she ever turned against him again.

But this time, she lacked the same moral high ground.

Even in the past, after enduring his cold treatment, she never took any openly aggressive action against him.

The most she did was remove him from the Blac family once she learned of his true identity as a supervillain—an act, he understood, born out of concern for her child’s future rather than hatred.

She had just needed a reason.

A spark.

And since he didn’t have the time to ignite it himself, he would instead offer her a glimpse of what could be.

The pendant—the Tears of Oracle—had once belonged to his mother.

A rare and unique artifact, it had the power to offer glimpses of the future, but only through dreams.

These visions were never clear, stored in the subconscious, fragmented, and forgotten by morning.

But they were always subtly aligned with the wearer’s intentions: whether they wished to see far ahead, or just around the corner.

Cruxius himself couldn’t use it.

His temporal powers made him too accustomed to bending time, too detached from what the future might hold.

In his past life, this led to countless confusing déjà vu experiences—always shifting, always regressing—often causing more problems than they solved.

"When will I have to meet him?"

Thalia asked, her voice quieter now.

She glanced again at the pendant, feeling its strange calm seep into her thoughts.

Her fingers tightened around it, clarity blooming behind her eyes.

"Now," Cruxius replied, just as the convoy of cars came to a halt.

Thalia lurched forward slightly, caught by the support of his hand.

More cars, clearly headed toward the airport, arrived seconds later.

Cruxius gestured for her to exit his vehicle and enter one of the others—these would take her directly to the main estate.

He had already spoken to Ermond about Thalia.

Integration wouldn’t be difficult.

In the previous timeline, she entered his life after five years.

Now, she’d have a head start—perhaps it would take only a year or two before she could fully take over the family business.

"What the...?"

Thalia found herself suddenly inside the new car, seated, her hand resting on the pendant as she looked out through the tinted glass.

Outside, Cruxius stood still, waving at her with a small smile.

A silent farewell—for now.

A wave of hope for a new beginning.

Until they met again, she would take care of the family... like a proper wife.

"Master," Darithi approached after receiving a call and a few details. Coming to stand beside Cruxius, she glanced at him before continuing, "The Villain Syndicate has taken full responsibility for the attacks."

"And?" Cruxius asked calmly, his hand tucked in his pocket, gaze fixed in the direction where the fleet of cars had just vanished. There was no visible reaction to her words on his face.

"Um... the statement was released just now by Villain Syndicate 7. They publicly claimed it. But... why would they do that?" Darithi’s voice held confusion.

Considering the attack had been indeed orchestrated by supervillains, for the Syndicate to openly take responsibility would only provoke a harsher response from the Hero Association.

So why would they—

’!?’

Her question was cut short by the flicker of realization in her mind. She noticed the faint grin spreading across Cruxius’ face as he slowly turned toward her.

His eyes sparkled, and with a subtle wink, he seemed to silently confess—it was him.

"Come on, Darithi," he said, voice low with amusement. "Wasn’t it indeed them?"

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