The Devil's Son and His Fated Bride
Chapter 185: Hunting season.

Chapter 185: Hunting season.

But deep down, she knew, even if she hadn’t come to meet her true father, it wouldn’t have changed anything. Azrael had known who she was from the very beginning. So maybe other people knew it as well.

Rail reached for her hand, his hand brushed hers, his touch gentle, seeking to comfort. But Gloria stepped back, shaking her head as she raised a hand to stop him. No. He needed to stay away. Stay safe. The further he was from her, the better.

Her fingers twitched, aching with the urge to reach out, to take Rail’s hand, to let herself lean on him just this once. The longing was almost unbearable. But she resisted. She had to. If she gave in now, she might fall too far, too fast, and she couldn’t afford that.

Rail’s brow furrowed, a flicker of hurt passing through his eyes. His heart clenched when she pulled away, denying the comfort he offered so freely. Still, he said nothing, sensing that words would only deepen the rift.

Across the room, Lord Alekin rose to his feet, his movements stiff, like he’d just seen a ghost.

He had seen this girl before, back when they first arrived in Jaigara. But he hadn’t looked at her, really looked. He hadn’t cared. And now, faced with her again, he realized the truth that had been hiding in plain sight: this was his daughter. The one he had believed dead.

"Lord Alekin, I hope you had a great day," Gloria greeted, her voice taut, each word slipping past her lips like cold stones. There was no warmth in her tone, only the practiced courtesy of someone who wished she didn’t have to speak at all.

She felt nothing for him. Not anger, not sorrow. Nothing. This man was a stranger.

In stark contrast to her indifference, the Lord of Zillgaira was unraveling. He stood frozen at first, like a rounded statue carved from grief, his face trembling as if tears were threatening to fall at any moment. Then, his lips parted, voice cracking under the weight of a single word.

"Gloria!?"

It came out more like a curse than a name. Until this moment, Gloria had always believed her parents had chosen her name out of love. Now, hearing it from his mouth, that belief shattered. She had been wrong.

He took a step forward, but Rail swiftly moved to intercept him, placing himself firmly between them. He didn’t trust this man, not one bit. Anyone capable of raising someone like Araben didn’t deserve the benefit of approaching Gloria..

"Lord Alekin," Rail said evenly, "please mind your distance."

Gloria exhaled, annoyed. She took a few steps back, her discomfort mounting. She didn’t want to be here, but duty had dragged her into this room, into this moment.

"Oh, I’m sorry," Alekin stammered, hands twitching awkwardly. "I didn’t mean to scare you. Please, have your seat." His voice was small, uncertain. He had no idea how to begin.

Gloria sat, her posture guarded. Rail remained standing, unmoved. Alekin’s eyes flicked to him with a flash of irritation, he didn’t like that she’d come with a guard.

"Can we talk alone?" he asked, a little too pointedly.

Gloria’s response came fast, sharp as flint. "I’m sorry. We cannot."

He nodded slowly, then began, "I didn’t know you were alive. The family I entrusted you to was wealthy, and respected... but they were ambushed by bandits on their return to their estate. I was told everyone had died."

Gloria bit down on her lower lip, steadying herself. "Did they have servants? Farmer servants?"

He blinked, caught off guard. "Yes. They did."

Gloria’s voice was firm, avoiding it from wavering. "After the masters death, my family and I worked on their farm. Then one day, loan sharks came. They claimed our masters were deep in debt, and we were sold off as slaves." She paused, then continued with quiet strength. "That’s when the Alpha King found us. We’ve been working under his protection ever since."

She didn’t speak with shame. There was no apology in her tone. Only truth, and a subtle defiance that said she owed no one an explanation.

But the Lord was drowning in shame.

The day he was told that bandits had attacked the family, he had ridden out to see for himself. All he found was ash and smoke, charred remains, not a single person left breathing. And instead of searching further, instead of holding onto hope, he had mourned... and given up.

That failure clung to him like rot. The guilt ate away at him, slow and merciless, like poison in his veins. Yet even through the shame, a small, trembling relief glowed in his chest: she was alive. She had grown into someone strong, and noble, nothing like Araben.

He had witnessed what Araben and her mother did to Reneira. And he had been cruel enough to stand by, distant, silent. He only stepped in when her life was truly at risk, and even then, too late because the girl was always in pain.

"I’m glad you found a good family," he said calmly. "I assume you’ve met your siblings."

Just the mention of her real siblings sent a chill crawling down Gloria’s spine.

Good heavens, she thought. They were disasters.

"Yes. I’ve seen them," she replied flatly.

Even Elaika hadn’t been as bad to her, not at first. A bully, sure, but never someone who would try to kill her. But that didn’t make her innocent. Elaika had blood on her hands too. She was a murderer in her own right.

No better than Araben.

They were both poisonous devils.

"I hate that we even have to talk about them," the Lord blurted out before he could stop himself. Regret crossed his face a second later.

Gloria offered a faint smile, trying to steer the conversation somewhere less sour. "Can I ask about my mother?"

His eyes, which had been lowered in thought, flicked up to meet hers, suddenly brighter. "Yes. That would be perfect."

"How did you meet her?" Gloria asked gently.

"During the hunting season," he began, his voice softening. "We used to travel to Qowen State. Back then, our ties with House Qowen were strong. I was out in the forest, aiming at a deer when a boar came charging at me from behind. I didn’t even hear it." He paused, the memory warming his voice. "Then, suddenly, someone leaped from a tree. She was the elder daughter of the House Qowen. She tackled me just in time."

Updat𝓮d fr𝙤m fre𝒆webnov(e)l.com

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.