My Living Shadow System Devours To Make Me Stronger

Damon followed his aunt to one of the courtyard gardens. The fresh breath of nature was pleasant. It was clean and peaceful there. There were no deafening sounds of people screaming, and there was no stench of blood and dirt hanging in the air. For once, the surroundings were quiet enough that Damon could hear the gentle rustling of the leaves as the wind passed through them.

She turned to look at him, her eyes briefly scanning the unfamiliar female body he was currently occupying.

”You lost your body to Aetherus... Father was quite furious when Evangeline told him what happened.”

There was a soft smile on her face, as if Damon losing his body to a god was nothing more than a troublesome inconvenience that could eventually be dealt with.

”I’m surprised the old geezer didn’t go on a rampage.”

Damon shook his head slightly. He knew his grandfather very well. The old man had a terrible temper. The fact that he wasn’t already attacking the Temple and leaving everything in charred ruins was nothing short of a miracle.

”Yes, it wasn’t easy to stop him. Your uncle really pulled out a lot of his best tricks.”

”Leave the problem to the expert. I feel like only he can pacify Grandfather’s wrath,” Damon said with a small shrug, knowing that his uncle understood his own father better than anyone else.

Annalise smiled before walking a little farther into the garden. She then squatted down beside a bed of golden flowers, carefully reaching out and brushing her fingers against one of the beautiful golden blooms.

”You and Evangeline planted these, right?” she asked.

”Yes, we did. It was a few years ago. Ranar kept nagging me about it, so we went to buy the seeds and planted the flowers together. Suddenly, Eva wanted to make the whole garden better.”

Damon scratched the back of his head as he looked around the garden, his eyes moving from one flowerbed to another.

Those two must have really liked playing in the soil because most of the plants here had been grown by them. Sometimes Iris and Luna helped, but most of the time it was just the three of them together.

”I mean, seriously, we have thousands of servants. We didn’t need to do our own gardening.”

Annalise chuckled softly and shook her head, her fingers still gently brushing over the golden petals.

”That’s true, but I don’t think it was about growing some flowers. It was more about who you grew those flowers with.”

Damon shrugged slightly, but the corners of his lips lifted faintly as memories surfaced in his mind. He really had enjoyed the time they spent together planting the flowers and growing the garden. They had studied many books because they had actually ruined the garden more times than they fixed it. There had been dead plants, overwatered flowers, and more than a few disastrous attempts, but eventually, they had succeeded.

”Did you and Evangeline have a fight?” Annalise finally asked, her attention still on the flowers.

Damon’s faint smile disappeared. He was quiet for a moment before lowering his gaze and closing his eyes.

”I don’t think I’d call that a fight. It’s just... it’s a bit more complicated than that.”

”It’s complicated? Then should I make it simple?” Annalise asked, turning to look at her nephew, who was very much in a woman’s body for whatever reason.

She slowly stood up and brushed the dirt from her hands before walking toward him. When she reached Damon, she gently placed a hand against his cheek, brushing a loose strand of hair away from his face.

”Damon... tell me, how do you feel about Evangeline?”

Damon went quiet.

His eyes shifted slightly as he looked at her hand against his face. He hadn’t expected her to ask him that so directly.

”How do I feel about Evangeline?”

Annalise watched him carefully. She could see how quiet he had suddenly become, and from the way his eyes lowered, she knew he was putting a lot of thought into her question.

”Allow me to make it simple.”

She slowly withdrew her hand and raised it slightly, then looked directly into his eyes.

”Do you love Evangeline?” she asked.

”Yes, I do.”

His answer came instantly.

Annalise’s lips curled into a small smile.

”I don’t mean as a friend or because she’s your cousin. I mean, how do you see her as a woman? Do you want a future with her, a family, children?”

Damon suddenly became silent.

His eyes drifted away as he tried to picture it, a life with Evangeline like that.

But after a moment, his expression softened.

He realized he didn’t even need to picture it.

They were already living like that.

”I don’t need to have it simplified. Maybe I do. I’d be stupid not to see how Eva feels. I know I feel the same... but...”

His voice trailed off, and he lowered his head slightly.

”What’s stopping you? Our whole family supports this. Nothing would make Father happier, but he wants... we want to know this is something the both of you choose,” Annalise whispered, reaching down and taking Damon’s hands into hers.

Her expression softened.

The Grand Duke wouldn’t force the matter. After all, in his heart, the old man was still living with the guilt of his daughter’s death, and he blamed himself for the hardships Luna and Damon had gone through during their childhood.

Damon stared down at their joined hands for a moment before lowering his head further.

”What’s stopping me is me. I don’t know if I’m good enough. Can I even make her happy? Do I even deserve her? I just don’t want her to get hurt, and I know if she’s with me, she will.”

Annalise sighed softly. She squeezed his hands before releasing one and gently lifting his chin, forcing him to look at her.

”She will get hurt. That’s just how life works. Just do your best, and I promise it will be more than enough.”

Damon stared at her for a moment before a small chuckle escaped his lips. He looked away, his expression becoming slightly awkward.

”I’m not a good guy...” he whispered.

”No man is,” she said, including her own husband without hesitation.

Damon raised an eyebrow before glancing back at her.

”I’m also a bit involved with some ladies,” he added.

”Great. Men like to suffer. There’s nothing wrong with a few lovers. My Evangeline can hold her own.”

”You didn’t just say that.”

”I did.”

”You’re not telling me to have a harem with your own daughter, are you?” he asked suspiciously, his eyes narrowing.

”If I said no, would that stop you? At least it’s out in the open.”

Annalise smiled mischievously before reaching out and pinching his cheeks.

”Ahh, Aunty, I’m not a kid anymore. Quit pinching my cheeks.”

She pinched harder.

Damon’s face scrunched up as he tried to pull away, but Annalise simply followed him with her hand.

”But you’re so cute. Besides, you can call me Mother now.”

”Aren’t we moving a bit too quickly...?” Damon said, trying to escape from her grip.

”No. I was thinking of a large ceremony,” she muttered as Damon finally managed to slip free.

He immediately took a step back and rubbed his cheeks, glaring at her with an expression of helpless annoyance.

Annalise only smiled and waved him off.

”Go. Eva is waiting for you, and try not to get into a fight.”