I Am The Game's Villain

Chapter 837: Edenis Raphiel: Veyra [3]

”Kleines.”

”Thelma, how are you doing?” Kleines answered, stepping forward to gather her in a gentle embrace.

”Very well,” she replied, hugging him back with a soft chuckle.

Nearby, Leora turned her attention to Alea, who approached with a bright expression while Levina still held quietly onto Leora’s arm.

”Alea,” Leora greeted.

”Leora,” Alea answered, her eyes sparkling with mischief as they flicked toward James. ”Did you finally reconcile with James?”

James nodded with almost comical enthusiasm. Leora merely gave a small shrug.

”One day, maybe.”

Alea laughed and glanced at James again. ”Well, do not lose hope.”

”I will not,” James said at once. ”If Kleines managed to win you back, it should not be too difficult for me.”

”Well... right...” Alea’s smile faltered for half a second, a faint awkwardness passing across her face before she recovered.

”James.”

Kleines moved toward him with a smile.

”Kleines,” James replied, his tone edged with dry sarcasm. ”You seem very alive today.”

James had never fully accepted the way Kleines had concealed his death for so long, only to reappear without warning, nor had he forgotten the man’s strange and complicated involvement with the Iris Project.

”It has been nearly two years, James,” Kleines said calmly. ”You can move on already.”

James offered no reply. His silence spoke more clearly than any argument could have.

Kleines then let his gaze travel past them toward Alicia, Victor, and Selene, who stood a short distance away. The atmosphere shifted the moment his eyes met theirs.

”I am going ahead,” Alicia said.

She did not spare Kleines even a glance. She simply turned and walked away.

”Alicia,” Victor called after her, but she was already moving beyond the reach of his voice.

Victor looked back at Kleines. The older man offered an awkward smile in the wake of Alicia’s departure. Victor’s teeth clenched ever slightly. He bit his lip , then turned without another word and followed after her. Selene fell into step beside him.

”Alicia! Victor!” Leora called out, but neither of them slowed or looked back.

She exhaled a long sigh. She knew exactly why both of them had reacted that way toward Kleines. The memory of Edward still cast a long shadow, and neither Alicia nor Victor had found it in themselves to forgive the man who stood so close to that painful moment. They hadn’t witnessed but they knew what happened.

The atmosphere only turned thick and uncomfortable following that.

”I am sorry about that,” Leora said quietly, offering a sincere apology to both Alea and Kleines.

James did not bother with any apology of his own. If appearances had not demanded restraint, he might well have followed his daughter and foster son without a second thought. He had never been as close to Edward as Victor and Alicia had been, yet Edward had still mattered to him. The young man had been his student once, and later his pupil when James trained him in the Raven Arts. That bond, however distant and complicated especially after what happened that night, remained clear in James’s mind.

”It is fine...” Alea said, though her smile carried a bitter edge she could not quite hide.

Behind her, Christina stood with her gaze lowered, the bright joy from only moments earlier drained from her face. A shadowed sadness twisted over her features in the space of a single breath. Amael watched her carefully. He already understood the reason, and he knew better than to speak the name that hung unspoken between them. Nearly two years had passed since everything happened, yet Christina had never fully turned the page. Only recently had she begun to move forward at all.

”Are you all right, sister?” Amael asked gently.

”Oh, yes,” Christina answered, forcing a smile that looked strained at the edges. ”I am fine.”

”We should not waste any more time here,” James said then as he turned toward the exit.

The others nodded in quiet agreement. Together they left the station, their knights falling into formation around them. They took the long escalator stairs that led downward and out into the open air, then followed the cleared path reserved for invited guests. The Grand Forum stood barely a miles from the station, close enough that the walk would be short, yet the route was lined with barriers and guards to keep the flow of people orderly and secure.

As royalty, they were guided toward a private line rather than the main thoroughfare. They would not be standing among the vast terraces where hundreds of thousands of ordinary guests would watch the ceremony, many of them forced to remain on their feet for lack of seating. Instead, Victor and the rest of the family were directed toward the raised Crown Terrace, a spacious and carefully isolated section that faced the stage directly. From those elevated seats they would have an unobstructed view of every moment of the Saintess reveal, separated from the roaring crowds below by both architecture and status.

The route leading to the Crown Terrace was separate from the main flow of guests, a precaution taken for safety above all else. At first the paths appeared to merge, giving the impression that everyone walked the same road. Then a massive board rose into view, its bold lettering pointing left for those bound for the Crown Terrace alone.

Victor, Alicia, and the others turned onto that path the moment they reached the junction. Ordinary guests could only glance after them before continuing straight ahead. No one would dare attempt to slip into the Crown Terrace. The security surrounding it left no opening for such a risk.

From there the group followed a paved walkway lined with barriers on both sides, forming a controlled queue. Thankfully the line remained short. The Crown Terrace was never meant to hold thousands. Its capacity was limited by design, reserved for a carefully chosen few.

At the end of the path, armored knights waited for the final verification. Each guest underwent facial recognition and a name check, with additional scans to ensure no disguise artifacts were in use. Only after clearing every step were they allowed through.

Levina caused a brief delay. She had not been listed among the original arrivals, and the knights hesitated. Yet refusing her proved impossible once the Raven party made their position clear. In the end the entire group was admitted without further argument.

A short walk brought them to three large glass elevators. Victor lifted his gaze and saw that each one rose directly into the Crown Terrace above. The Raven and Olphean families divided themselves between two of the cars. The elevators surged upward at remarkable speed, then halted with perfect stillness. A second later the doors opened onto a corridor lined with glass on both sides.

Through those windows stretched a breathtaking aerial view of the entire amphitheater, the vast stage lying far below like the heart of a living coliseum. Alicia led the way, Victor and Selene close behind. Two knights stationed at the final doors bowed their heads at once and opened the way.

The moment Alicia stepped inside, a rush of cold air washed over her. The air conditioning worked at full strength, a welcome relief after the heat outside. The Crown Terrace revealed itself as a wide, rectangular space that resembled a private cinema theater, though with far fewer seats and far greater luxury.

Every seat looked exceptionally comfortable, fitted with deep cushions and mechanisms that could lift or recline enough for someone to rest or even sleep. Coffee tables, benches, couches, and armchairs filled the room in thoughtful arrangement. There was clearly more than enough seating for the limited number of people allowed inside.

At the front, large windows offered a spectacular view of the stage below. From this height the figures on the platform would appear as little more than distant dots, so massive screens had been installed throughout the terrace. They provided a clear, close look at everything happening below, with sound systems carrying every word and note through the enclosed space.

”My Ladies, my Lords.”

Beautiful staff members approached the moment the group entered with welcoming.

”Please take any seat you wish.”

Alicia nodded, and the others followed her lead. Looking ahead, she saw that many seats were already occupied by familiar faces.

In the first rows sat the Dolphian Royal Family. Reiner Dolphis occupied a central place beside his wife, with their son Adrian nearby. Several seats farther along, the Elaryon Royal Family had gathered. Namys caught sight of them at once and waved with a bright smile. Aerinwyn and Dentiel sat side by side in quieter composure. Aerinwyn had one leg crossed over the other and appeared to be explaining something to her brother, who looked distinctly awkward yet still listened with careful attention. Both wore elegant elven attire, and Aerinwyn in particular looked stunning under the soft interior light.

Directly behind them sat members of the Moonfang Family, though not the full household. A twelve year old looking girl occupied a seat with clear annoyance written across her face. Only those familiar with Edenis Raphiel would have recognized Beatrice Moonfang at a glance. She sat alone, and that isolation seemed to be the source of her irritation.

It was not that she had arrived without family. Her eldest son Brian Moonfang had chosen not to attend, but Jefer Moonfang, her second son and the current Head of the Moonfang House, was present. He sat only a row away from her, accompanied by a stunning white haired vampire beauty who smiled as she whispered continuously into his ear. Jefer nodded at her words, occasionally returning a quiet smile of his own.

She was Priscilla Tepes, who had come alone. Her parents had shown little interest in seeing the Saintess again after meeting her not long before.

Victor’s mouth curved into a faint smile at the sight of one of his former professors flirting so openly with Rodolf’s brother. His gaze then drifted farther across the terrace until it found Rodolf himself. Much like his older brother, Rodolf sat in the company of a beauty. Cylien.

Unable to resist, Victor started toward them, Selene falling into step at his side without a word.