"He's my husband," Sapphire declared, and both Stella and the man choked together.
"W-W-What?!" Stella shouted in shock, staring at the nonchalant woman.
"Ah, that sounded strange, actually..." Sapphire said, reconsidering her words, but then... "No, actually it's right, isn't it? I an, I gave him everything I had, I guess that's the role of a wife, right?" Sapphire questioned, her hand resting on her chin thoughtfully.
"Well, whatever. He said he wanted , so I'll assu he wants to be my husband. He even kissed ," she teased, putting a finger to her lips and making a very naughty, suggestive face.
The two could only listen in silence, unable to even speak. They couldn't, really.
This woman was too irrational for them to think she would say anything even remotely normal.
The air was heavy, thick with tension and the suffocating presence of an incomprehensible power. They ended up ignoring her words, despite how absurd everything was.
Sapphire stood in the center of the hall, her eyes glowing like eralds as she watched the man being forced to the ground, the man who could barely move his lips, groaning weakly in a mix of pain and humiliation.
Stella crossed her arms, watching the scene with an indescribable expression on her face. She didn't know what to make of it... her ex-husband almost being killed, or her "friend" claiming she was married to her daughter's husband...
"Anyway, Ashborne, did you really think you'd be clever, waking up from your eternal slumber just to cause trouble for your ex-wife, or better yet, for your daughter?" Sapphire asked with a tone of disdain, completely relaxed as she watched the man struggle against the pressure she was putting on him.
She crouched slowly, her fingertips touching the cold marble floor, but the man felt as if the weight of the world was pressing down on him. "I don't care about Roxanne, but unfortunately, she's also my disciple's wife, so we have a conflict of interests here," she said, as if it were a joke.
The man tried to move his head, his eyes searching for any trace of rcy. "She... she's my... my daughter... I just..."
"Shut up," Sapphire said coldly, raising a hand. The movent made the air around him contort. He felt his chest tighten, as though his very life force was being drained. "You have no right to anything. Not even an explanation. You lost it all when you chose your ego and power over your own family, or rather, when you chose to torture her, hoping she'd unlock her powers," Sapphire spoke, her voice dripping with contempt.
"Aren't you going to call your shadow soldiers? Or... have you lost them all?" Sapphire asked, smiling, just as a black spear appeared beside her, passing close to her neck.
"Be quiet, Human," a shadow lancer ordered. However... "Puff!" Sapphire said, and the knight exploded.
"Did you know that while you were sleeping, Paimon made a Korean Manhwa about you?" Sapphire said, laughing. "It's actually really good, quite a hit, you know, Ashborne?" she comnted, barely holding back her laughter.
"The unparalleled Shadow Monarch, it's almost funny," Sapphire said. Read new chapters at empire
"Sapphire..." Stella called with her lodic voice, but tinged with caution. "Are you going to end him now, or are you just playing with the prey?"
Sapphire looked at Stella for a mont, a small smile forming on her lips. "Still deciding. It's a tough choice, after all. He's already worthless, but letting him live could serve as an example to other idiots who dare challenge our peace, or I could just kill him now and try to steal his shadow authority..."
Stella uncrossed her arms and took a few steps toward Sapphire, the sound of her heels echoing in the empty hall. "If you ask , I'd say finish this already. The last thing we need is a ghost haunting my daughter with tragic stories."
Sapphire laughed softly but didn't soften her gaze. "They don't even need to know about it. I won't sully his peace with useless details."
The man coughed, blood escaping his lips as he tried to lift a hand in a gesture of pleading. "I... I can... change..."
"Change?" Sapphire repeated, tilting her head as if she were analyzing an ant trying to negotiate. "You've had centuries to change. And yet, here you are. A miserable creature who only knows how to sow chaos."
Stella stepped closer, her gaze filled with disdain. "If you're going to do sothing, do it quickly. I have better things to do than watch this pathetic display of regret."
Sapphire raised her hand, her fingers shimring with an intense, cruel energy. The man let out a desperate scream, but the blow never ca. Instead, Sapphire let her hand drop to her side, sighing heavily as she felt a ripple of demonic energy disrupt the space. She turned her gaze toward a newly ford magical circle.
"What do you want?" Sapphire asked sharply as a petite maid erged from the purple magic circle.
Before her stood her loyal servant, Viola, a young woman with violet hair styled in a high bun. She imdiately bowed deeply upon seeing her mistress's scrutinizing eyes.
"I deeply apologize, my Mistress," Viola said, presenting a red letter with a rose emblem.
Sapphire narrowed her eyes at the letter in Viola's hand, the crimson glow of the golden seal reflecting in her sharp gaze. "This interruption had better be important enough to justify your unannounced entrance, Viola." Her tone was firm, laced with the promise of consequences for insufficient reasoning.
Viola kept her head bowed, not daring to et Sapphire's eyes. "Forgive , Mistress, but this letter ca directly from Amon's circle. It is a formal invitation to the high demon nobility gathering."
At the ntion of Amon, Sapphire raised an eyebrow, her gaze locked onto the letter. She stepped forward, taking it from Viola's hand with an elegant yet commanding motion. Breaking the golden seal, she quickly scanned the contents, her eyes narrowing as a flicker of rage lit her face.
Stella, still watching the man sprawled on the floor with an expression of boredom, finally turned to Sapphire. "Another noble gathering? How delightful. More wasted ti pretending we respect one another. Although... judging by the color of the letter, it's from the Gremory family. They do make excellent desserts…" she murmured, already salivating at the thought of the sweet delicacies.
"It's not just another eting," Sapphire said coldly. "This is a summons directly from Amon. And it seems he's interested in sothing involving Vergil."
"Yes, Lord Vergil received a letter directly from Archon Amon," Viola added. "That's why I ca quickly."
Stella narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms. "Vergil? Isn't it enough that he already has half of the underworld's attention? Now Amon himself wants to bring him into the ga."
Sapphire ignored the remark, her focus still on the letter. After a few monts, she shut the envelope with such force it almost crumpled. "Viola, is there anything else I should know about this?"
Viola hesitated but then shook her head. "Only that all the key mbers of the demon nobility have been summoned. And... it was implied that Vergil's presence is mandatory."
"Mandatory," Sapphire repeated slowly, her tone laced with distaste. Her gaze shifted back to the man on the ground, who now trembled, clearly unnerved by the change in atmosphere.
"So, this is what they want…" Sapphire murmured to herself before turning to Viola. "Prepare a full report on all confird participants. We are not stepping into this gathering without knowing exactly who is playing what piece on the board."
"Yes, Mistress," Viola replied, vanishing in a wave of purple energy.
Stella sighed, tilting her head as she observed Sapphire. "You're going, aren't you? Not that I'm surprised. Considering how you've turned into a babysitter for my son-in-law. But I have a terrible feeling about this…"
"I will. And you're coming too, aren't you? But…" Sapphire's gaze shifted back to the man lying on the floor, a cold smile curling on her lips. "We still have so ti. Let's make sure certain mistakes from the past don't interfere with the future."
"Ashborne, I would probably kill you right now and put an end to this childish nonsense, but I'll let you live for now, because I know you won't try anything foolish," she said, her voice calm, as if she were delivering a favor. Then, her smile turned almost playful. "In fact... I just had a great idea."
"Why don't you attend the eting?" she suggested, her voice laced with mock generosity. "After all... you're still a Sitri, aren't you?" Her smile deepened, a glint of mischief in her eyes.
This way, I can make sure Vergil loses interest in that woman, Sapphire thought, casting a subtle glance at Stella, who was still wearing her ever-revealing lingerie.
Stella raised an eyebrow, her sharp instincts catching the hidden intent behind Sapphire's words. Crossing her arms, she let out a small, ironic smile. "You really think I'm going to agree to this… inconvenience?"
Sapphire, maintaining her poised deanor, tilted her head slightly toward Stella, the cold smile still etched on her face. "Oh, Stella, it's not about inconveniencing you. It's about reminding everyone that the Sitri lineage still has a role to play... even if it's a minor one." She turned back to Ashborne, who was slowly regaining his composure.
"Ashborne," she continued, her voice icy and authoritative, "you'll attend this eting. Not as a failed rebel, but as a representative of the Sitri bloodline. And let make one thing perfectly clear—if you so much as think about doing sothing stupid…" She snapped her fingers, and a pulse of green energy crackled through the air, the sheer force enough to make Ashborne flinch. "Well, your little shadow army will be erased along with you. This isn't so web novel; this is reality."
Her erald eyes glead with a dangerous intensity, leaving no doubt that her warning was more than just words.
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