Chapter 17: Another one.
"I was interested in Young Master Ethan."
Bullshit.
Julie knew it. This was nothing but a last-minute ploy to avoid returning empty-handed. She had never met Ethan, never even considered him before today. But she had studied every major figure in the Original Families, and Ethan Yagami was a name that stood out.
A laid-back second son. Someone who spent his youth enjoying life, indulging in pleasures, a stark contrast to the cold and duty-bound heirs of other families.
That was her angle.
She continued, choosing her words carefully. "I once saw Young Master Ethan when I was younger—only from afar. But even then, I was intrigued. His kindness, his gentleness… in an Original Family, that is rare."
Iris clenched her fists. This girl is lying. She sees through it instantly.
Julie wasn't here for Ethan. She was trying to drag him into this, to secure something for herself so she wouldn't leave humiliated.
But as much as Iris wanted to crush this farce, she knew the reality. The Bloodsanguine weren't an enemy to provoke recklessly. With their recent surge in power, one wrong move could turn the entire Original Families against them.
Her aura flared, heat rising in the room.
Lionnel, watching the situation unfold, remained calm. Finally, he spoke.
"If you want to meet Ethan, then so be it."
His voice was level, unbothered. To him, this was nothing. Ethan was more than capable of handling this himself.
He raised a hand and opened a portal.
"Ethan, come here."
…
Ethan was deep in thought, Mei standing at his right in silent devotion. Ellie, at his left, was anything but calm.
She had made up her mind. She was about to pledge her life to him, just as Mei had.
Then, the portal opened.
Lionnel's voice echoed through the room.
"Ethan, come here."
Ethan took a moment before responding. His gaze flickered to Mei, then to Ellie.
"You two, stay here and wait for me," he said evenly. Then, his eyes locked onto Ellie, sharp and unwavering.
"Don't rush. I haven't forgotten about you."
Then, he stepped through the portal.
Ellie froze.
A single sentence. A single moment of reassurance.
And it pulled her back from the edge of something dark.
Or not ?
Is it enough ?
…
The moment Ethan appeared, everything changed.
His aura of devotion acted immediately.
The tense atmosphere softened. The air grew still. A strange, unexplainable peace spread through the room.
Jade and Julie, who had never met him before, were instantly captivated.
Jade's eyes widened. This is Ethan?
He was nothing like she imagined. His beauty was otherworldly.
Long, silk-like black hair, deep green eyes that shimmered like an ancient forest, and a face so perfect it felt unreal. His white robe, embroidered with elegant green patterns, added to his almost divine presence.
His aura wasn't overbearing. It wasn't aggressive.
It was calm. It was serene. It was absolute.
Eric, always composed, found himself genuinely stunned.
"What the…?" he thought.
This level of influence, just from his presence alone, was absurd.
Eric had dealt with many powerful figures in his life, but Ethan was different. This wasn't normal.
'Since when…?'he wondered. 'Since when was the second son of the Yagami this special?'
Meanwhile, Julie's mind was spiraling.
A mistake.
She had made a mistake.
Calling Ethan here was a move to secure something, to twist the situation in her favor.
But now?
Just by standing here, Ethan was shaking something inside her.
A feeling she couldn't place.
A feeling she had never felt before.
She had been raised in cold halls, treated like an object, trained for one purpose: to secure her family's future by reviving the bloodline.
She had never been cherished. Never been treated as anything other than a piece to be used.
Duty was all she knew.
Until now.
Ethan turned his gaze towards her, meeting her red eyes with his deep green ones.
Then, with the most calm, peaceful, and radiant smile, he looked deeply at Julie and said
"That look..you have spent your whole life standing in the dark, haven't you?"
BOOM.
Something shattered inside Julie.
And before she can recover Ethan continued calmly " And You have been carrying that fire for a whole while, haven't you ? Looking for someone who will notice you ?"
Ethan's words were inviting.
Her heart pounded violently, her breath hitched.
She can't comprehend what's happening to her.
This feeling—this intoxicating peace—what was this?
For the first time in her life, she felt acknowledged.
Not as a Bloodsanguine. Not as a bargaining chip.
Just as herself.
As a struggling young girl in a den of monster.
And,
It was like… like a starving person finally tasting food.
Like someone drowning finally breathing air.
Like someone who had never known warmth finally standing in the sun.
And She could never let this go.
Never.
At that moment, something dark, something dangerous, took root inside her.
Something only for Ethan.
She had come here on orders.
She had come here for her family.
But now?
Now she would stay for herself.
She smiled—softly, sweetly.
A smile so beautiful that it shocked her parents.
But deep inside, terrifying thoughts whispered in her mind.
'Ah… Mother. I will indeed marry into this family.'
'But not for the Bloodsanguine.'
'Not for duty.'
'Not for anything other than this feeling.'
'This peace. This warmth.'
'…This man.'
—Meanwhile in Ethan's mind.
[Host.]
Ethan sighed internally, watching Julie's expression shift into something… unsettling.
'Well, system… did I say something I shouldn't have?'
[Host, her level of affection toward you has exceeded 100%.]
'Okay, so she likes me a lot—'
[Correction.]
[Anything beyond that is no longer love.]
[It's obsession.]
Ethan's expression twitched.
'…That bad?'
[Host, I do not need to remind you what a Yandere is. You are a man of culture.]
'Oh, come on, it can't be that—'
[And if I may remind you, you have just chosen your first partner.]
[Who is already at the Yandere level.]
Ethan blinked.
'…Ah. Fuck.'
—End Of Chapter 17—