Chapter 24: Sylvia’s Shadow

[Appraising begins...]

[Ding!]

-----

[STATUS WINDOW]

>Name: Auren Celestia

>Titles: Star-Eater

>Talent: Sovereign

>Race: Human

>Core: 8th Circle

>Rank: Sovereign (II)

>Bloodline: Celestia Bloodline

>Affinity: Starlight, Space

[ATTRIBUTES]

[STR: 810/1000] [AGI: 900/1000]

[DEF: 780/1000] [STA: 820/1000]

[INT: 900/1000]

[HP: 2600/2600] [MP: 6800/6800]

[TECHNIQUES]

>Celestia Cultivation Scripture

>Void Step

>Thousand Star Execution

[SKILLS & ABILITIES]

>Grandmaster Swordsman

>Spatial Domain

>Absolute Presence Suppression

>Assassination Mastery

-----

Neo nearly choked on his own spit for the second time that day.

’Sovereign rank?! One whole stage above Dad?! This old man isn’t just strong, he’s a walking natural disaster wearing a cardigan!’

He glanced back toward his grandfather’s retreating figure, now calmly instructing a maid about which guest rooms to prepare, looking for all the world like a grumpy old man rather than someone whose title literally contained the word ’Star-Eater’.

’And what in the world is ’Assassination Mastery’ doing in his skill list? Shouldn’t he be, I don’t know, managing trade routes and yelling at tax collectors? Why does my grandfather have such a absurd skills of a terrifying Assassin?’

He thought back to Cassian’s earlier nervous behaviour, the stiff shoulders, the careful respectful tone. Suddenly, all of it made perfect sense.

’Yeah. No wonder Dad turns into a scared puppy around him. I would too if my father-in-law could apparently erase me from existence without making a single sound.’

Neo tucked the information away for later, deciding it was probably in his best interest not to mention any of this out loud. Some secrets were better left quietly appreciated from a safe distance.

Dinner that evening was a much calmer affair than Neo had expected. The dining hall was smaller than the one back home, warmly lit by floating candle-orbs instead of the massive chandeliers his father usually favored. Auren sat at the head of the table, eating in near silence, occasionally grunting short responses to Sylvia’s updates about the dukedom. Cassian, still visibly on edge, kept his conversation polite and minimal, clearly trying his best not to accidentally trigger whatever unknown standard he was constantly being measured against.

Neo, meanwhile, quietly enjoyed his meal, sneaking glances at his grandfather every so often, still faintly amazed that the terrifying figure sitting across from him had handed him a chocolate less than an hour earlier.

’Well, now I feel like, this is a very good opportunity for me to learn new things, I should start begging them to teach me magic, it would be a waste of my time to continue my secret training now.’

Once dinner wrapped up and the adults settled into the sitting room for their usual after-dinner tea and conversation, Neo slipped away unnoticed, wandering the quiet halls of the Celestia mansion on his own.

The place had a different kind of charm compared to his own home. Where the Draven estate was all grandeur and polish, this mansion felt lived-in, worn gently at the edges in a way that somehow made it feel warmer. Old portraits lined the hallway, most of them featuring a much younger version of his grandfather standing beside a woman with familiar silver hair, and a little girl who could only have been Sylvia.

Neo paused in front of one particular painting for a long moment, quietly studying it before continuing on his way, his small footsteps echoing softly against the floor.

Eventually, tired from the day’s excitement, he made his way back toward his guest room, completely unaware of the very different kind of conversation unfolding several floors above him.

...

Inside her private chambers, Sylvia sat alone by the window, the moonlight spilling faintly across her still figure. Her earlier bright laughter, the teasing warmth she’d shown all through dinner, had melted away entirely, replaced by something colder. Her eyes, usually so full of warmth whenever they landed on her son, had turned distant and sharp, staring out over the quiet gardens below with an unreadable, calculating gaze.

A near-silent footstep sounded just outside her door.

"Enter," Sylvia said quietly, not bothering to turn around.

The door opened without a single creak. A young woman slipped inside, dressed head to toe in dark, fitted clothing. She dropped smoothly onto one knee, one hand pressed respectfully against her chest.

"My lady."

Sylvia finally turned, her expression calm, though the coldness in her eyes remained.

"Eiris. Did you complete the task I gave you?"

Eiris rose without a sound, reaching into the folds of her cloak to retrieve a small stack of papers, which she presented with both hands.

"As you ordered, my lady. Every noble who refused to negotiate quietly has been dealt with. Their assassinations were made to look like accidents, no ties leading back to us. These documents contain the updated territory claims, ready for your signature whenever it suits you. We’ve also arranged several unfortunate carriage accidents along the southern trade routes. Three of the Second Concubine’s largest merchant ventures have already collapsed, and two more are expected to follow within the month."

Sylvia accepted the papers with an easy grace, flipping through them briefly before setting them aside on the table beside her, nodding along as though she were simply reviewing a shopping list rather than a series of coordinated assassinations and financial ruin.

Eiris lingered a moment, tilting her head slightly, her expression as blank and unreadable as her tone. "My lady, if it isn’t too bold to ask... why didn’t you simply have her killed as well? It would have been far quicker."

A soft, almost delicate laugh escaped Sylvia’s lips, though it never once reached her eyes.

"Killing her would be a mercy," she said, her voice smooth as silk and just as cold. "Death is quick. Death is clean. She doesn’t deserve either of those things. She tried to play games with my son’s future, dangling her daughter in front of him like some kind of prize to be claimed. That is not something I forgive, and it is certainly not something I forget."

She rose from her seat, walking slowly toward the window, her silver hair catching the moonlight.

"Send word to our people. I want the Second Prince’s arms and legs broken. All four of them. Make sure the injuries are serious enough that even the best healers can’t fully fix them. But don’t kill him. Killing him would be too easy, Eiris. Let him live with the pain. That’s a far better punishment for a mother."

She turned back around, a gentle, almost motherly smile settling onto her face, one that sat horribly at odds with the frozen glint still lingering in her eyes.

"No one is allowed to touch my Neo. Not the crown, not the nobles, not anyone in this empire. If anyone dares to plot against him again, I will deal with them myself."

Eiris bowed her head in silent acknowledgment, accepting the order without a trace of hesitation, as though being asked to cripple a member of the royal family for life was simply another ordinary routine task. After a moment, she straightened slightly.

"Is there anything else you require of me, my lady?"

Sylvia’s expression softened at once, the icy edge melting away as easily as it had appeared, replaced by something far gentler.

"Actually, yes. You should rest for a while, Eiris. You’ve been working without a single break for years now."

Eiris shook her head immediately. "There’s no need, my lady. Serving you isn’t merely my duty. It’s the only thing that makes me feel like I’m truly alive."

Sylvia let out a small sigh, though a faint smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she studied her shadow’s unwavering loyalty.

"Very well then. If you insist on staying busy, I have a new assignment for you." Her gaze drifted briefly toward the closed door, in the direction of the guest room where her son now lay peacefully asleep, blissfully unaware of the storm quietly gathering on his behalf.

"From now on, your duty is to protect Neo. Watch him closely. Wherever he goes, whatever trouble he manages to stumble into, I want you nearby, even if he never realizes you’re there."

Eiris bowed low, pressing her fist once more against her chest.

"It will be done, my lady."

She rose, turned around without saying a word, and slipped back out through the door as silently as she’d come, disappearing into the shadows of the hallway beyond.

Sylvia remained by the window a while longer, watching the quiet gardens below, her expression finally settling back into something calm and thoughtful.

"Sleep well, my little Neo," she murmured softly to the empty room. "Mama will make sure nothing in this world ever touches you."