Rise of the Lustful Evil Monarch (Re)

Ethan's POV

"I… I am Velcy, Big Brother Ethan," she stuttered, her voice barely audible.

She shifted uncomfortably and continuously glanced down at her toes as though hoping they would offer some form of escape.

I raised an eyebrow at the title she'd used but didn't comment on it just yet.

"Oh, so you even know my name," I said, my tone measured.

"As far as I know, it's nearly impossible to infiltrate Scarlet Hollow Castle. Even if someone managed it, they would have to be insane to try. I haven't seen you here before, yet you know my name and managed to find your way to my room's bathhouse.

Care to explain your identity and your purpose here?"

My words hung in the air and their weight pressed down on her. She took a deep breath and her trembling began to subside.

When she spoke again, her voice was steadier though her nervousness still lingered.

"I was held captive in the Blackwell family castle," she began and her words were slow and deliberate as she started narrating her ordeal,

"in the underground world near Scarlet Hollow City. I was brought here after that evil family was destroyed by the giant dark dragon god…"

Her words trailed off, and I frowned. "The Blackwell family?" I interrupted, my voice tinged with confusion.

She met my gaze, and for the first time in a while, something shifted in her expression. The nervousness and fear faded and it was replaced by an overwhelming sense of gratitude that seemed to radiate from her entire being.

"They were the ones who attacked you and Lady Virelle underground," she explained, her voice trembling slightly.

"The lord Dragoness said that you killed the Blackwell family head, which eventually led to their destruction and my rescue from that hellhole."

Her tail drooped, and her ears flattened further as she continued in a voice filled with heaviness and emotion.

"I was captured when I was four or five. They kept me there for years. I had lost all hope of seeing the world above… Escape, freedom, revenge—they all felt like distant dreams."

Her gaze softened and tears welled up in her eyes.

"But your actions, unintentional as they were led to my freedom. For that, I am deeply grateful, Big Brother Ethan."

She bowed her head slightly and her posture reflected a mix of respect and vulnerability. Her memories seemed to weigh heavily on her, and even her tail lay still as the usual nervous flicks were absent.

While her words stirred a sense of pity within me, currently my mind was racing with thoughts of a different nature.

So much happened while I was unconscious, I mused as my jaw tightened slightly.

Master and Virelle destroyed the Blackwell family without uncovering the mastermind behind their actions. The only clue to the one orchestrating the attacks has been lost.

Though I sympathized with Velcy's plight, my focus remained on the greater picture. The Blackwell family had been a pawn but their destruction had severed the trail leading to the real enemy.

I needed to approach this carefully.

I masked my inner thoughts with a warm smile and leaned forward slightly.

"I'm glad I could do something good," I said, my tone light.

"Saving such a cute little girl fills my heart with joy and happiness."

Velcy's cheeks flushed at the compliment, and a small but shy smile flickered across her lips.

"But," I added and my voice shifted to a more serious tone, "there's still something you haven't told me."

Her brief moment of joy faded, replaced by a solemn expression. She straightened her posture and her gaze met mine with a newfound resolve.

"What is it, Big Brother Ethan?" she asked, her tone respectful yet cautious.

"Why are you here in my bathhouse?" My voice was steady but laced with suspicion.

"I know you were brought here by Master but did she ask you to contact me or did you come to my room by yourself? Do you need something from me? And why now, when I've been unconscious?"

I was not trying to intimidate her but the interrogation in my tone was unmistakable.

Velcy's ears twitched, her tail fluffed and she looked as though I had caught her doing something she shouldn't have been. Her wide eyes betrayed her panic but she quickly pressed a hand to her chest and took a deep breath to steady herself.

"Big Brother Ethan, the Lord Dragoness told me that…" she began in her soft voice but faltered midway in her sentence.

Her face flushed a deep red and she dropped her gaze to her toes which seemed to be a familiar habit of hers.

Her next words seemed to be caught in her throat as though she was too embarrassed or too afraid to say them.

"That… what?" I pressed in a firm tone with a touch of impatience.

Velcy flinched at my sharper tone but after a brief hesitation, she blurted out in a rush.

"She told me I had to become your Heartshadow in this life! We would be together forever, and I would take care of your every need, fight your fights, and… and in return, you'd keep me safe from harm and help me find my family."

Her words tumbled out like a dam had broken and she gulped for air afterward as her chest heaved with nervousness.

"She disappeared after telling me that," Velcy continued, her voice quieter now.

"I didn't know what to do, so I came to your room to check on you. But you weren't there. Only your black tunic was left on the bed…" Her voice trailed off as her cheeks flushed again.

"I followed its scent and… that's how I ended up here."

Velcy's large eyes turned toward me, her expression deliberately innocent as though trying to gauge my reaction. But I wasn't paying attention to her attempts at looking harmless.

Her previous words had already left me completely stunned and I was lost in the process of trying to process them. Discover more content at My Virtual Library Empire