Chapter 625: A night to discuss 2

Aera Nari Gyeoul—

From the very beginning, she had always seen the world as a structured, almost mechanical system.

To her, everything had an order.

People lived according to their status, their duties, their usefulness.

Even emotions, she believed, had a place and a limit.

The world was a great design — every piece interconnected, every cog in motion, every flaw meant to be cut out before it ruined the whole machine.

That was how she was raised.

That was how she lived.

Standards, loyalty, discipline, and honesty — these were the cornerstones of her belief.

Not because she was a moralist, but because order brought predictability.

And predictability… was safety.

It was no surprise then that she rose among the Nari line as one of its most unorthodox assassins.

Cold, calculating, and precise — she killed without hatred and spared without sympathy.

Everything had a reason.

A structure.

And that was why she loved her husband.

He was, in many ways, the same.

Methodical. Efficient. Pragmatic.

They were two people bound not by romance, but by understanding — by mutual respect of one another’s structure.

Their marriage was one built on alignment rather than affection.

It was clean, effective, and to Aera, perfect.

If something was beneficial, she would overlook the details. If there was profit, she would tolerate inconvenience.

As long as she could obtain her share, she would take care of everything else.

It was a peaceful cycle of controlled gains —

Until that woman appeared.

“Hello, Mistress.”

Aera turned, hearing the faint, soft voice of a stranger at her doorway.

Her husband’s smile was unusually bright that day as he stepped forward.

“Aera,” he said, “this young woman is an old friend of mine from my earlier days.

I hope you’ll treat her well.”

Aera’s eyes narrowed slightly, but her lips remained curved in a gentle, polite smile.

The woman he brought with him… was beautiful.

Too beautiful, in fact — the kind of beauty that didn’t need to ask for attention because the world offered it unbidden.

Her presence was serene yet unsettling.

Everything about her — from her posture to the quiet grace of her steps — spoke of someone who didn’t belong in a place like theirs.

A mysterious woman, her origins wrapped in vagueness, appearing out of nowhere like a ghost from a forgotten story.

The explanation was simple enough.

A noblewoman whose household had fallen into ruin and became a commoner, now seeking refuge with an old friend — a tale repeated countless times across the continent.

Aera had no reason to doubt it.

Not then.

So, she welcomed her into their home.

Out of courtesy — and because it was what a proper wife was supposed to do.

The woman took on work as a maid, helping around the estate to earn her keep.

Her demeanor was polite, quiet, and almost unnervingly humble.

Yet even then… something about her never sat right with Aera.

It wasn’t jealousy — at least, that’s what Aera told herself.

It was instinct.

An instinct whispering that this woman’s existence would disrupt the perfect structure Aera had built her life around.

And that whisper… would soon prove itself true.

She didn’t want to upset her husband.

Their marriage might have started from mutual interest and political alignment, but somewhere along the way, she knew — love had quietly taken root.

Not the romantic, fiery kind, but the kind that grew out of time, respect, and shared struggles.

So, she swallowed her doubts and silenced the unease in her chest.

Letting her grievous thoughts fade, she carried on with her days as if nothing had changed.

She told herself everything was fine — that whatever was happening was temporary, harmless, and beneath her to question.

But maybe that was when she made her first mistake.

When her husband began spending more time with the maid, the signs were clear.

The pattern, the distance, the excuses — all of it.

Aera was too perceptive not to notice.

She saw it.

She understood it.

And yet… she did nothing.

Why?

She asked herself that countless times since.

Was it because, in the end, she still held his loyalty — that no matter who else entered his life, she was the wife, the mistress of the Gyeoul house, the one who bore his legacy?

Or was it because that legacy — her daughter and son, her pride — had already been born, and she believed nothing could shake her position now?

Or perhaps, deep down, she simply thought it was natural.

Men of his stature often had… needs. Temptations. Entanglements.

It was unbecoming of a woman of her discipline to let emotion cloud her composure over something so “common.”

Still, she hated that memory.

She hated how it made her feel—small, uncertain, human.

And maybe… she let it pass because, at the time, she thought it was beneficial.

Her husband had been under immense pressure.

Constantly compared to her father-in-law, the unfathomable Clan Head of Gyeoul — a man whose shadow crushed everyone beneath it.

If this small indulgence, this little escape with that woman, helped ease his mind, then perhaps it was for the best.

That’s what she told herself.

That’s how she justified it.

Maybe it was simply because she trusted him.

But that trust shattered the day her shame was born.

When Seo came into this world — the living proof of her husband’s betrayal — it was the first and only time Aera Nari Gyeoul had ever truly felt heartbreak.

Not anger.

Not hatred.

But that deep, silent kind of pain that crawls beneath your skin and never quite leaves.

The child wasn’t at fault. She knew that.

And yet every time Aera looked at her, she saw that woman.

The sin that destroyed her pride.

The reminder of her mistake.

Although Riley didn’t know every single detail behind Aera’s personal grudge against Seo, he understood the general shape of it — the direction of her hatred.

In the game, their stories were deeply intertwined.

Aera’s past was always a key part of Seo’s route — her resentment, her shame, and the reason behind Seo’s broken family were all pieces of that puzzle.

It was the kind of backstory that made her more than just a simple villain.

Honestly, to Riley, Aera Nari Gyeoul had always been one of those understandable antagonists — the type who wasn’t evil for the sake of being evil, but rather someone twisted by circumstance and pride.

The kind of person you could almost sympathize with… until she crossed a line.

Of course, things were different now.

The events that should’ve played out in the original timeline — the cruelty Aera inflicted on Seo, the manipulation, the humiliation — they hadn’t fully happened.

Not because she had changed, but because Riley’s very existence had disrupted that future.

In the game, Aera had been a shadow that haunted Seo’s route — an ever-present obstacle who schemed quietly from the sidelines, never showing her face until it was too late.

But here she was now, sitting right in front of him.

’So, this is how it feels to be in the same room with someone who was supposed to remain behind the scenes,’

Aera broke the silence first.

“I only really want one thing,” she said, her voice cool and deliberate. “And that is to erase the shame of our family from the historical record.”

“You sure are blunt.”

Her lips curved in a faint, knowing smile. “My, I thought you’d appreciate it that way.”

Riley didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he quietly assessed her — the tone of her voice, the calculated weight behind every word.

This situation shouldn’t have existed.

In the original story, Aera was never the type to be so open in meet ups.

She always worked from the shadows, manipulating pieces from behind the curtain while pretending to be uninvolved.

But now, she’d changed her approach.

Maybe it was because of the impression he’d left the night before.

Or maybe, after feeling the influence he carried— she decided to approach the threat head-on instead of trying to play around it.

Either way, Riley could tell she was wary now.

“You know I won’t let you do that, right?” Riley said, voice low.

Aera only laughed softly, amusement dancing in her eyes.

“Fufu—oh, I know. Frankly, I still don’t understand how that shameless brat managed to grab hold of you. But it’s clear you think highly of her. You genuinely care for her… Is that a trait from her mother? Whatever the reason, I can’t move freely while you stand in her shadow. And, as stubborn as I am, I’ve already received pressures from your side. I can’t ignore them.”

Pressure?

Riley’s mind flicked through possibilities for a heartbeat — the duke, the emperor — the only people who could reach her quietly.

Aera’s smile turned colder, more businesslike.

“But—even if she’s your partner—this remains family matters.”

“There are limits to what you call family matters,” Riley replied, and the warmth in his voice drained away.

It grew small and hard, like winter stone.

A pressure settled in the room, quiet and dangerous.

Aera’s practiced smile wavered for a moment.

“Yes,” she conceded, smoothing her expression. “From what I’ve learned, I cannot simply tear her away while you watch. That’s why I came with a compromise.”

“Compromise?” Riley echoed.

Aera reached into her sleeve and produced a small orb. It wasn’t large—no bigger than a fist—but it glowed with a dull, red pulse, like a heartbeat trapped under glass.

“This is an artifact,” she said, voice flat. “It contains the child’s emotions. I will give you the orb if you let me do as I please with her for the next few days—no interference from you. If she escapes me, I will leave her in peace forever. If not… she remains under my influence and I do as I please with her….”

For a beat, Riley’s face twitched. anger and a sick, cold nausea warred under his skin.

The orb’s red light painted Aera’s features in a cruel glow.

But he already had his answer to begin with…

“I refuse…”

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