"And whose fault is that?"

Yiwa’s question pierced Nytherael’s heart, rubbing salt into his wounds.

"You ask as if I wanted all of this to happen."

"Tch." Yiwa’s anger flared. "Master, no offense, but when you invoked for a divorce at the beast court from your lovers, didn’t you know in your heart that you would be separated from them?"

Nytherael was left speechless. At that time, when he wanted the divorce, all his thoughts had been on his first love, Ilyrien. He hadn’t considered how Aeltharion and Sseraphis would feel about his decision.

He realized it himself. He had given too much weight to his feelings for Ilyrien, and in doing so, he had trampled on the love Aeltharion and Sseraphis gave him freely. He had thrown it away without hesitation... and now he regretted it.

He regretted that day. In his heart, it was a terrible day, one he wished he could forget.

"I didn’t mean to..."

"You chose Ilyrien. That was your choice, and now all of us are paying for your foolishness."

"I love Aeltharion and Sseraphis. I love them very much."

"Hahaha! Hahaha!"

Yiwa burst out laughing. A laugh strong enough to break walls. It wasn’t out of joy, but at the absurdity of Nytherael’s words.

"You’re saying that now because you failed to divorce Aeltharion and Sseraphis. But tell me... if you had succeeded... would you still be saying this?"

Yiwa asked a question Nytherael had never asked himself. A question that caused him deep pain.

He fell silent. If I had succeeded... where would I be now? The thought consumed him.

"Why are you quiet? Why won’t you answer me?" Yiwa pressed on. "You said you didn’t want things to turn out this way, so answer me. If your marriage no longer existed... would you still love them?"

Nytherael slowly sank to the ground. His anger faded, and the rain stopped. He lowered his head in shame.

"No answer? Because the truth is, you’re the one to blame for your dilemma and the nation’s sufferings."

Yiwa thought of his clan. Many of them had died from poison or suffered greatly because of the chaos in the Lume dynasty, chaos caused by Nytherael’s actions. He felt bitter, but restrained himself, knowing it hadn’t all been intentional.

"If you’re done pitying yourself, start thinking about how you’ll fix everything for our nation."

"What can I even do now? You saw it yourself... Sseraphis doesn’t want me, and he doesn’t even want me near Aeltharion either."

"Then you’ll have to do everything you can to make Sseraphis want you again. The way he once did. You’ll have to, because the lives of the beast community depend on calming his anger."

"I..."

"I couldn’t have said it better myself!" a woman’s voice came from outside.

Nytherael lifted his head and looked toward the door.

Yiwa immediately dropped to his knees and bowed. As a servant, he knew his place. He had forgotten for a moment in his anger, but that voice reminded him.

Moments later, a beautiful woman entered; long black hair, a slender figure, breathtaking beauty. She wore a red silk gown that reached her ankles.

She walked barefoot, her servants scattering flowers for her to step on. Her steps made no sound. Her red-tipped nails gleamed against the petals as she moved with unshakable confidence.

"Sister," Nytherael called in shock.

Behind her, male servants carried in a large green coffin. Beside them walked a man who looked almost identical to Nytherael, except older.

"Nythe, it’s been a long time. How are you?" the woman asked.

Nytherael gathered strength, stood, and ran to her. After a year and a half apart, his younger sister now carried herself like the elder.

"Sister, Nerezza... I missed you so much," he said, collapsing into her arms.

Nerezza Auryn embraced him tightly, overjoyed to see him alive and well. "I missed you too, my brother," she said, then gently pulled back to help him stand.

The servants set the coffin down and opened it. Inside lay a man.

Nytherael looked over and recognized him immediately. It was his childhood best friend, Rhysandor Dulleurama.

"What..."

Smack!

The sharp sound echoed through the air. Nytherael staggered, his head snapping to the side as Nerezza’s handprint burned across his cheek.

He looked at her in shock, his eyes asking what his lips could not. Why did you hit me? What did I do?

Nerezza’s expression changed instantly, filling with overwhelming hatred and fury, far greater than Yiwa’s. It was the kind of anger that could cut like an axe.

"How are you looking at me?" she demanded and without hesitation, struck him again.

Smack!

"Si—Sister..."

"Now you remember I’m your sister?" she snapped, her voice sharp with pain and rage.

Nytherael lifted his head, staring into the endless hatred in the eyes of the sister who once loved him deeply. Her eyes resembled Sseraphis’s but even harsher.

"After destroying your marriage... ruining the lives of everyone in the Lume dynasty... you still have the nerve to come home. Have you no shame?"

"Sister, all this..."

"Sseraphis and Aeltharion loved you with all their hearts! What did they ever do to deserve what you did to them?" she demanded, not giving him a chance to speak.

When she heard Nytherael had returned, she left her husband’s home immediately to see it with her own eyes. She hadn’t come to hear excuses, nothing he could say would erase the disgrace he brought upon their family.

The entire world had come to hate them because of what happened. They had suffered while Nytherael disappeared, leaving them to clean up the mess he left behind.

Nerezza remembered how her own mate abandoned her. The world blamed her for everything. Her bond was broken, and she was cast aside.

It was only because Rhysandor stepped forward to marry her that she wasn’t left alone, no one else would have accepted a woman rejected by her mate.

It had taken their family everything to restore their name. Every effort to erase the stain Nytherael left behind. And now... he had returned.

She felt like tearing him apart piece by piece.

"What did we, your family, ever do to deserve this punishment from you?"

Nytherael wanted to speak but no words came. There was no defense for what he had done. No way to undo it.

"When you disappeared, I thought you were dead. And I can’t even describe how happy I was thinking you had died!"

Nytherael’s eyes widened in shock. He couldn’t understand her words. Yes, he had made mistakes, but was it enough for her to wish him dead?

"Why are you staring at me like that?" she snapped, her hand itching to strike him again.

"Why are you acting like this toward me? Have you forgotten I’m your elder brother?"

Nerezza clapped mockingly. "Congratulations, Nytherael. You’ve reminded me of something I hate more than anything in this world...the fact that you are my older brother."

Nytherael froze. It wasn’t just Sseraphis who had changed even his once gentle sister had changed.

"Why are you surprised?"

"You weren’t like this before."

"And how was I?" she demanded, her anger rising.

Yes, she had once been gentle, but the world had changed her.

The suffering she endured over the past year and a half had killed the girl she used to be. Now, she had learned the cruelty of the world, and she refused to be broken by it again.

"You were gentle, Nerezza."

"And you were a loving son, a kind brother and a devoted spouse. You loved your wife Sseraphis deeply, and your husband Aeltharion never had a single bad word to say about you," she said through tears. "Where did it all go wrong?"

Nytherael remembered the love they once shared, and his heart broke further. That time had passed while he lay frozen and when he woke, everyone hated him.

At that moment, Rhysandor opened his eyes and rose from the coffin, walking toward them.

"Nytherael... you’re alive?" he asked.

"Why are you asking him that?" Nerezza seized the moment. "I know he was your closest friend, but you can’t forget what you went through because of him."

"Nerezza, your brother..."

"My brother Nytherael is dead!" she declared.

Nytherael felt his heart stop. The world spun around him.

The hatred from Sseraphis, Aeltharion’s indifference, the truth he had learned, and now the rejection from his beloved sister... it was too much to bear.

"This is not my brother!"

"Don’t say that, Nerezza," Rhysandor tried to calm her.

"But she’s speaking the truth we all feel," said the man who resembled Nytherael.

"Thank you, Brother Veance. Why should we hide how we feel when he never did?"

"I’m not saying you’re wrong, but..."

"But what?" Nerezza snapped.

Rhysandor fell silent. Defending Nytherael would only cause conflict between him and his wife and he didn’t wish for that.

"Nothing. Do as you wish. I will always stand by you."

"Then accept it. Nytherael Auryn, the man we once loved and trusted, died long ago!"

That was the final blow. Nytherael closed his eyes. His tears fell and then he collapsed, losing consciousness.

"Master!!" Yiwa shouted, rushing forward to catch him before he hit the ground.

"Nythe!" Rhysandor ran to him as well.

But Nerezza and Veance remained unmoved. Their hearts had turned to stone when it came to Nytherael.

"It would be better if he dies," Nerezza said coldly.

"I think so too," Veance replied. "But by the king’s order... he must live. Only then can we carry out the command and make him fix everything he destroyed."