Return of the Legendary Runesmith-Chapter 508 - 507- Problem with Ariana

Seeing the man inside a closed room made him appear more intimidating than he already was.

Adrian sat across from him, three chairs apart at the dining table.

The hall was quite huge with several servants moving around and arranging the meal.

The feast was being arranged while the Emperor polished the dagger in his hand.

He handled the weapon with quite care and seemed quite busy with his work.

Adrian was slightly nervous, but curiosity occupied most of his mind as he wondered why that armament was so precious to the Emperor.

As if he could read his mind, "I was betrayed by my younger brother," the Emperor suddenly spoke, and what an opening line it was.

Adrian’s brows lifted upon hearing those words. "I am sorry to hear that."

Doreen scoffed. "It’s very common back in Noredeim to betray each other to gain what you desire. Even marriage happens after a death duel. Whoever wins gets the partner of their choice."

Adrian had heard a few things about the northern lands, and from his understanding, they were still quite undeveloped when it came to traditions and customs.

Relying on death duels to prove their points, society where women’s role still was limited within households. Men were the servers of the family.

But well, using the word "undeveloped" in front of the man would surely be insulting.

Doreen continued, "But I trusted him...my brother." His gaze fell to the table as he confessed, "He was the last person I believed would betray me. One of the few who shared the same blood as me. Always following me like a shadow, ready to sacrifice himself for me." 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

With a thin smirk, Doreen added, "He even took three arrows for me and rescued me several times. My trust in him eclipsed what history had taught me."

Adrian could imagine how much it must have hurt to be betrayed by someone so close.

While he had never experienced betrayal from someone that close, he knew what it felt like to be targeted by a person he had once trusted.

"But then, he opened my eyes and reminded me that in this world, a man’s best friend will always be this..." He raised the dagger as he finished.

"Back then he managed to surround me," Doreen added. "He knew when I was at my most vulnerable and chose that exact moment to strike. But thanks to your creation, I somehow annihilated that bastard."

Adrian now realized why his armament mattered so much to the man.

It had saved his life.

Adrian sighed and said, "I am glad that it was helpful."

"’Helpful’ is an understatement." He looked at the dagger as if worshipping a treasure and continued, "Despite being first grade, I was able to chant a third tier spell with this."

Adrian hummed, not too shocked. He had seen the same with Norma, someone who used a higher tier spell despite the armament being first grade.

Dorren’s brows lifted. "So that is something you expect from your creations, huh?" With a throaty laugh, he added, "You are turning out to be more intriguing than I initially thought."

Adrian smiled softly and shook his head.

Soon, the Emperor encouraged Adrian to dig in.

Adrian was still quite full after the hearty meal with the other three, so he settled for soup.

On the other side, Dorren picked up a whole cooked bird and bit into half of it.

They ate in silence for the rest of the meal. Adrian deliberately ate slowly, as he could already tell Dorren would need quite some time to be satisfied.

Once they finished, the Emperor said, "Come, let’s have some drinks to celebrate the day."

Though Adrian was unsure what exactly there was to celebrate, he nodded and followed the man.

.....

[Vermillion Residence]

Ruby let out a sigh as she climbed the stairs, returning to her room after briefing her team on what they should focus on over the next few days.

The news of Clark’s failure had already begun to spread. By tomorrow, every leading newspaper would likely be filled with his name. Taking advantage of this, Ruby decided to settle the matter with the exporters who had been using public sentiment to push for lower taxes.

Without reporters breathing down their necks, those bastards would agree to the prior contract in no time.

Shaking her head, she entered her room and found Annabelle still asleep, one leg draped over the pillow she was hugging, her lips slightly parted.

Smiling, Ruby turned toward the figure seated at the study table.

"Hmm?" Ariana seemed deeply absorbed in whatever she was reading, apparently not even noticing Ruby’s entrance.

Moving silently, the redhead approached her and discovered she was reading something about... the human body?

"What got your attention?" Ruby asked.

Ariana startled and hurriedly closed the book before turning toward her.

"Ah... well, it was nothing," Ariana said casually. She tried to sound unconcerned, but considering how intently she had been reading, it was clear something weighed on her mind.

Ruby pulled a chair and sat across from her. In a softer voice, she asked, "You know you can tell me anything, right? Maybe I can help you."

Ariana sighed and leaned back in her seat. She turned her head, then finally voiced it. "I am a little anxious about myself."

Ruby hummed, silently urging her to continue.

Ariana looked down at herself and added, "I think I have fertility issues."

Ruby stiffened. "You mean..."

Ariana nodded. "We never take precautions. At first, I insisted, but Adrian never showed any unwillingness to have kids. I stopped too. I was actually hoping for something, but..."

Ruby leaned back in her seat, now understanding the source of Ariana’s distress.

After a brief pause, Ruby asked, "Did you talk about this with Adrian?"

Ariana replied, "...I thought I would just worry him for no reason."

Ruby sighed and shook her head. "No, you won’t. And I believe if there is someone who might have an idea about this, it’s him."

Holding Ariana’s hand, Ruby added in a quieter voice, "Adrian isn’t a normal human. You know that, right? I could be wrong, but maybe that’s a big reason."

Ariana hummed, her gaze lowered. "Well, I’m not in a rush, but the thought of not being able to bear a child makes me sad."

Ruby wasn’t used to seeing the silver-haired girl so downcast.

She couldn’t help but smile as she said, "Don’t worry. I know he’ll find a way, like always."

•••••••

A/N:- Thanks for reading. If you have been enjoying the story so far, let me know.