Chapter 951: Alternate Timeline: Kiara proposes to Arceus

Arceus drew a shaky breath and explained, "I thought everything was over after I apologized to Father. I knew he would be angry. I knew his pride had been wounded. I knew that it was difficult for him to swallow it. I just underestimated my father a lot. His hatred for his damaged pride far exceeded the love for his son."

His voice trembled as he further said, "The Elders can’t marry me off to House Drake and make a Matrilocal son-in-law, because of great-grandpa’s orders. So, they called for my execution instead. When the guards came to drag me away, he said nothing."

He swallowed hard.

"My mother tried to stop them."

His shoulders shook more violently.

"They locked her up."

The final words came out as a broken whisper.

"They wanted to kill me."

A fierce heat surged through Kiara. For an instant, the memory of her own mother, who had sacrificed her without hesitation to keep her position stable, rose from the ashes of her past.

Her jaw tightened.

Her teeth ground together.

"That piece of trash," she hissed. "I will not let him live."

"No!"

Arceus lunged forward and clutched her arms with trembling hands.

His tears fell freely without minding the fact that he was crying in front of a woman, "Please, I beg you. He is still my father. If he wished for my death, then I must have disappointed him deeply. Take my life if you must, but spare him."

Kiara stared at him in stunned silence.

Even now.

Even after betrayal.

Even after being led to his death.

This foolish, kind-hearted man was still pleading for the one who had abandoned him.

Her anger softened into a deep ache instead of disappointment.

She exhaled slowly and steadied herself.

"Come with me," she said gently. "We’re going back to my home."

Arceus shook his head. "No."

His voice was barely audible.

"If I return with you, Father will only grow more furious. I don’t want anything to happen to you or your companions because of me, and neither do I want my father to die in your hands."

He closed his eyes.

"Just leave me here."

His next words came like a blade turned inward.

"My death will solve everything. I’ll just take my life as my family wishes. You go on and live your own life. No need to complicate the matter."

Kiara reached forward and cupped his face in both hands, lifting his head until he was forced to meet her eyes.

He froze. A flicker of surprise crossed his tear-streaked face.

"Listen to me, Arceus." Her voice was firm, but every word carried the weight of her sincerity. "If I had never learned of this, perhaps I could have remained ignorant. But now that I know, I will not abandon you."

The wind stirred his hair.

"As for your father, I give you my word. I will not kill him."

Arceus searched her face. There was no deception there. Only unwavering resolve.

He felt his heart tremble. Yet one question remained.

"Why?"

His voice was fragile.

"Why are you willing to do so much for me? We are not even friends. We barely know each other."

Kiara smiled, a small but genuine curve of her lips. "I live in darkness, Arceus. Even if I wanted to, neither do I have the will nor the heart to forgive the one who wronged me. But you are different from me. You are kind enough to pity even those who wrong you. You are a man, the heir of a Noble House, but you don’t care about your pride. Not that you didn’t have it, but when it comes to saving a person and protecting your pride, you choose to save a person. When I see you, I feel like perhaps, not all Nobles are bad."

Her smile deepened. "A person like you is worth saving."

She extended her hand once more. "Come with me, Arceus."

He stared at her hand, but hesitation still lingered. "What will people say? This time, it will become public knowledge. Even if you don’t care about your reputation, still, an unmarried woman and a man staying together under the same roof with no elders or parents present... I’m afraid it will become a stain on your character... Not even a demigod can stop the people from passing bad rumors."

His voice carried more concern for her than for himself.

Kiara shrugged lightly. "I don’t live alone, Arceus. Noah and Zion live with me."

She smiled faintly.

"I might call them my brothers, but in reality, we share no blood. I don’t see people whispering about two handsome hunks living with me. One more person will not shake the heavens."

Arceus blinked. "I know you aren’t concerned about them because they are not human."

Kiara’s expression stiffened. For a moment, surprise flashed across her face. "How do you know?"

"Great-Grandfather told me they are top-grade Life puppets."

Arceus tilted his head slightly. "Judging by your expression, he wasn’t lying to me for the sake of keeping me away from you or something. He was correct, wasn’t he?"

Kiara was silent for a few moments. One of her greatest secrets had been seen through so easily. Yet now was not the time to dwell on that.

She forced herself to focus.

"Well," she said at last, "as long as the world does not know, there is no problem."

Arceus shook his head. "They aren’t the problem, Miss Kiara. The entire city believes that you are living with your slaves because of their extreme obedience and loyalty to you. Society accepts slaves staying under the same roof as their master, whether they are an unmarried woman or not. But I’m different. The truth is like a seed buried underground. It may sleep for a while, but one day it will break through the soil."

His eyes were full of worry.

"When that day comes, your reputation will suffer because of me."

Kiara sighed. When logic failed, only one solution remained. "In that case," she said, "there is only one way to protect your dignity."

Arceus blinked.

Kiara spoke plainly. "We get engaged."

For a moment, even the wind seemed to stop.

Arceus’s eyes widened. "Eh?"

His voice cracked.

"You want to marry me?"

A storm of thoughts swept through his mind.

Had she helped him all this time because she wished to court him?

Was her kindness hiding another intention?

The very possibility made his heart tighten.

Seeing the misunderstanding bloom on his face, Kiara responded immediately. "No way."

Her answer was swift and firm.

"Until I achieve my goal, neither love nor marriage has any place in my heart. And you might think a bit badly about me, and about my social upbringing when I say this, but I have no interest in tying myself to one man, either."

The words were honest.

Cold.

Clear.

Like a sword laid upon the table.

Arceus stared at her.

"Uhh... What?"

Not having interest in marriage or love... he could understand that.

But not tying herself to one man?

What does that mean?

Does she want a bunch of male lovers? Well, it’s not like it is unprecedented.

Just one sentence shook Arceus’ entire inner world for a moment.

In the past, the practice of polyandry did happen in some common and merchant families. But even then, the women only took multiple male siblings as their husbands so that the property wouldn’t get divided.

Other than that, multiple Queens exist in history who had a string of lovers, having extramarital affairs, but these were all rumors and stories.

But this was present, happening right in front of his eyes.

And as a man, he found it disturbing to imagine sharing a woman he loves with another man.

Then, confusion befell him. "Wait, then what’s the purpose of engagement, if you don’t want to marry? Won’t that actually lose you potential matches?"