Transmigrated Into A Women Dominated World-Chapter 218: That’s Cold

At seven, Zaeryn leaned his forehead against the cool glass of the window, his breath fogging the pane for a second before it cleared. He could see the early morning light hitting the Sector Seven skyline, making the sleek buildings look almost peaceful.

"She’s taking longer than expected," he muttered.

Ysmeine stepped up behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist and pressing her chest firmly against his back. He felt the tension in his shoulders give way just a little as she rested her chin on his shoulder.

"Give her some time. It’s a long way from there to here," she said softly, her voice vibrating against him. "Are you nervous?"

"A little," Zaeryn admitted. He reached up, adjusting the matte black sunglasses resting on his head. He wasn’t just nervous about Viora. He was nervous about the house of cards he was currently sitting on. "Are Arya and Mireille going to be here while Viora is around? Because that could cause some real problems."

Ysmeine squeezed him slightly. "No, Lysara has recalled them for today."

"She did? That’s going to make them suspicious."

"Not really. She made up a really convincing excuse," Ysmeine promised.

Zaeryn thought about it. He didn’t want Arya and Mireille to know he was Athea’s son yet. "I hope so."

Just then, Aeris walked into the atrium. "Alright. The princess is here," she announced.

Zaeryn’s heart skipped a beat. So it was finally time. He was going to meet her.

Ysmeine slowly let her arms drop, giving his hand a quick, firm squeeze before stepping back to give him some space.

Aeris stood by the arched doorway, her usual playful spark replaced by a stiff, serious posture. "Are you ready?"

"Of course I am," Zaeryn lied.

The three of them left the atrium and walked to the living room. Marceline was seated on one of the sofas, and next to her was a woman Zaeryn didn’t need an introduction for. Viora Lumina. His sister.

When she saw him, Viora stood up. She didn’t speak. Her eyes went slightly wide as she took him all in, as if he looked different from the picture she’d seen from Valerie.

Now that she was standing, the first thing Zaeryn noticed was her height. Viora was tall, carrying herself with a regal grace that seemed to command the very shadows in the room to move out of her way. She wore a sharp charcoal suit tailored to perfection, and her hair was a waterfall of silver silk that fell perfectly over her shoulders.

"Hi," he managed, his voice coming out a little rougher than he intended. "Welcome to Sector Seven."

Viora didn’t blink. She just stared at him. Her gaze wasn’t angry, but it was intense. Searching. She looked at his messy dark hair, the angle of his nose, the way he stood with his weight slightly on his back foot. It was like she was trying to match him against a memory she didn’t actually have.

For a second, Zaeryn thought she looked disappointed. Or maybe shocked. It was hard to tell with Luminas.

Then she took a step forward, her boots clicking sharply on the floor.

"You’re taller than the dossier said," Viora stated flatly. Her voice was cool, smooth, and imperious.

Zaeryn blinked. "I... grew?"

"Clearly."

She stopped about three feet away from him. Close enough that he could smell her faint scent. Up close, she was terrifyingly beautiful, in a way that made your survival instincts scream at you to run away while your other instincts told you to stay right there.

She looked him up and down one more time, her expression unreadable.

"I am Viora," she said, finally extending a hand. It was a formal gesture. Stiff. "I assume you know who I am."

"Hard to miss the resemblance," Zaeryn said, taking her hand. Her skin was cool to the touch, her grip firm but not crushing.

Viora released his hand and glanced around the room at Ysmeine, Marceline, and Aeris. "I’d like to speak with him alone."

It wasn’t a request. Ysmeine looked at Zaeryn, silently asking if he was okay with that. He gave her a small nod.

"We’ll be in the kitchen if you need us," Ysmeine said, ushering the others out.

Once they were gone, the silence felt heavier. Viora walked over to the window, her back to him. "I didn’t want to believe it at first. That you existed."

She turned back to face him.

"Well, I do," Zaeryn said.

Viora’s eyes narrowed, and she looked at him with a cold, assessing stare. "Unfortunately."

"Unfortunately?" Zaeryn echoed. He wasn’t really surprised to hear that from her, he’d expected a lot of outcomes but he was disappointed to see that she didn’t look at him differently from how a lot of people did. "Well, that’s cold, sis," he added, keeping his tone light despite the sudden drop in room temperature. "And here I thought family reunions were supposed to be heartwarming."

Viora ignored the sarcasm. "Don’t misunderstand. This isn’t personal."

"Feels pretty personal to me," Zaeryn said.

"What I mean is, I don’t hate you specifically. I hate what you represent." Her voice was flat, matter-of-fact. "A complication. A vulnerability. A secret that could tear apart everything our family has built."

Zaeryn shoved his hands in his pockets. "So why are you here? What do you want?"

"Your existence is high treason, Zaeryn," she said, her voice devoid of emotion. "Mother risked everything to hide you. She swapped you with Aphrodite, lied to the Queen, lied to the Council... lied to me."

She paused, letting the weight of that sink in.

"I spent my entire life believing in the purity of our line. And now I find out the ’perfect’ Matriarch has been harboring a male heir in Sector Seven." She tilted her head, studying him. "Do you have any idea how dangerous your existence is? Not just to the regime, but to her?"

Zaeryn’s jaw tightened. "I didn’t ask to be born, princess. And I definitely didn’t ask to be hidden."

"No. You didn’t." She took a step closer, her presence overwhelming. "But here you are. A biological impossibility. A male with Vitae."

She stopped right in front of him, her eyes searching his face.

"To answer your question, I came here to see if you were worth it," she admitted, her voice dropping to a whisper. "To see if the brother my mother committed treason for was actually special, or just a mistake she couldn’t bring herself to correct."

Zaeryn held her gaze, refusing to flinch. "And? What’s the verdict?"