"I don’t know what to say, Kraven..." she whispered. "I am... speechless. I don’t want to believe it. Everything inside is screaming that this is impossible, that such things cannot happen so easily. But the results are right in front of . I can feel it. I can see it."
She gestured weakly at her own reflection.
"I look younger than I did on my wedding day. My power... I jumped straight to Peak Sovereign. How can I deny sothing when the proof is literally written on my body?"
Julian smiled gently.
"I understand. That is precisely how I felt when I first experienced the Mana Reversal. It took days to accept what had happened. And that is exactly how I reached the Arch Mage realm so quickly. If I continue cultivating this way, I will reach Grand Mage... and one day, perhaps even beyond it."
Olivia remained silent.
Julian continued calmly. "And if you wish... we can continue this any ti you want."
Olivia’s eyes widened in surprise.
"Continue this...?" she repeated, the words catching in her throat. She paused, visibly unsettled. "Kraven, I don’t think we should. You saw what happened to just now. Those sounds... those moans... they weren’t normal. It is not ideal for a mother to make such sounds in front of her own son. And besides..."
Her voice grew quieter, almost ashad.
"You were the one invoking those expressions in . I cannot bring myself to continue any further. Not like this."
Julian nodded slowly.
"As you wish, Mother. I don’t want to push you any further, especially knowing the complicated history we have. It would only sound like I’m trying to satisfy my past desires."
He paused for a mont, then added with seriousness:
"But I want you to understand sothing clearly. The benefits of this technique are irreversible. Once the Mana Reversal has begun its work inside your body, it cannot be undone. Your aging has already been slowed dramatically — perhaps even stopped. And if we continue the process, you can reach much higher realms. Not just Sovereign. Possibly even higher."
The room fell into a heavy silence.
Olivia was clearly in dilemma. A part of her was terrified of what continuing might an, while another part was deeply tempted by the possibility of growing stronger and staying youthful. Her fingers kept unconsciously touching her smooth cheek and silky black hair, as if she still couldn’t believe the reflection she had just seen.
She finally let out a long, shaky breath.
"I need ti to think about this, Kraven," she said softly. "This is too much. Too fast. I went from worrying about my son’s suspicious breakthrough to... this."
She gestured at herself.
Julian simply nodded again.
"Take all the ti you need. I will not force anything."
Olivia looked at him one last ti.
Her eyes stayed on his face for a long mont, trying to understand sothing she couldn’t quite grasp. There was no rush in her gaze. She was careful, almost cautious, as if one small detail might reveal the truth she was searching for.
She was trying to find the old Kraven.
The one she rembered had been sly and obsessive, always unpredictable in a way that made things difficult for her. He used to push boundaries, to act in ways that made her question his intentions.
She looked for any sign of manipulation, any hidden lust behind his calm expression or any hint that this was all just another act—so carefully planned move to satisfy desires he had never been able to fulfill before.
But she found almost nothing.
Olivia’s throat tightened.
She turned toward the door, her movents still slightly unsteady from the aftereffects of his mana. Every step reminded her of what had just happened inside her — the overwhelming sensations, the uncontrollable sounds she had made, the way her body had betrayed her composure so completely.
Before she left, she paused with her hand resting on the door handle.
"Thank you... for showing ," she said quietly, without turning around. "And for not pushing further."
Then she opened the door and stepped out, closing it softly behind her.
Julian remained seated, staring at the closed door for a long ti.
A faint, thoughtful smile played on his lips.
She’ll co back, he thought. The temptation is already inside her.
He sat there in silence for several more monts.
Then Julian imdiately turned his focus inward.
What he found inside surprised him.
Kraven’s residual patterns had gone completely silent.
They didn’t disappear. He could still sense them deep within the structure of the body, like sleeping beasts curled up in the shadows. But they were no longer active and flooding him with unwanted urges and mories.
It seed they had fed hungrily on Olivia’s reactions. They had absorbed every drop of that emotional and physical energy, and after being satisfied, they had retreated into passivity.
Now they were simply... observing.
Julian let out a slow breath.
This was a good thing.
A very good thing.
If they ever rose again and beca troubleso, he now knew exactly how to suppress them. He could repeat what he had done today with Olivia and let the patterns feed themselves until they quieted down once more. It was a temporary solution, but an effective one.
He leaned back in the chair, closing his eyes fully as he continued examining his inner state.
The soul thread to his original body was still stable. His own consciousness felt clearer than it had in days. The constant low-level noise from Kraven’s imprinting had finally quieted to a faint background hum.
For the first ti since taking over this body, Julian felt like he had a asure of real control.
A cold, satisfied smile touched his lips.
Progress.
He opened his eyes again and looked toward the window. The castle outside was still bustling with preparations for tomorrow’s royal visit. Servants hurried back and forth, voices echoed in the corridors, and the weight of political tension hung thick in the air.
Julian stood up slowly, stretching his arms.
The ga was accelerating. The King and Crown Prince would arrive tomorrow. Liam and Louisa were plotting. Vanessa was watching. And now Olivia... Olivia had been given a taste of sothing she could never forget.
He walked over to the window and looked out over the duchy.
Everything was falling into place.
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