The Villian Who Broke The Story

Rain tapped softly against the tall windows of the Draven estate.

The weather had been unpleasant for most of the afternoon, turning the gardens into a blur of dark green and silver beneath the overcast sky. Inside the mansion, however, everything remained quiet.

Almost too quiet.

Madam Seraphina Draven sat in one of the private drawing rooms, a cup of tea resting untouched between her fingers.

Across from her sat a woman who looked completely at ease.

Lady Evelyn.

Unlike most guests who visited the Draven estate, Evelyn didn’t seem particularly concerned about the family around her. She sat with one leg crossed over the other, casually sipping her tea while observing Seraphina’s increasingly irritated expression.

Behind Seraphina stood Isabella, her personal maid.

Isabella had served the Draven family long enough to recognize when her mistress was genuinely angry and when she was merely pretending to be.

This was somewhere in between.

”That girl is becoming far too comfortable around my son.”

Evelyn slowly lowered her cup.

”Lilith?”

”Who else?”

Evelyn smiled.

”So that’s what this is about.”

Seraphina frowned.

”Don’t misunderstand me. I have nothing against Lilith.”

”Of course.”

”I don’t.”

”Naturally.”

Seraphina’s eyes narrowed.

”Why are you agreeing with me like that?”

”Because you’re making it very obvious.”

”I am not.”

Isabella quietly looked away.

Evelyn placed her cup on the table.

”You are jealous.”

Seraphina’s eyebrow twitched.

”Jealous?”

”Yes.”

”Of Lilith?”

”Exactly.”

Seraphina stared at her.

Evelyn smiled.

”You’re jealous that your son has another woman in his life.”

”Don’t be ridiculous.”

”You’re his mother. You spent years worrying about him, and now some demon girl appears, gets close to him, follows him around, and suddenly you have competition.”

”She is not competition.”

”That’s what someone jealous would say.”

Mirelle covered her mouth to hide a smile.

Seraphina noticed.

”Isabella.”

”Yes, Madam?”

”Don’t encourage her.”

”I didn’t say anything.”

”Your face did.”

Isabella immediately returned to her usual expression.

Evelyn laughed.

”You’re still the same as ever, Seraphina.”

”And you’re still annoying.”

”I’ll take that as affection.”

Seraphina sighed and finally took a sip of her tea.

Her expression changed slightly.

The amusement disappeared.

”So,” Evelyn said, noticing the change, ”tell me what happened in the city.”

Seraphina’s fingers tightened slightly around the cup.

”Kael went there expecting nothing more than a brief visit.”

”And somehow came back with half the city’s problems following him.”

”More or less.”

Evelyn leaned back.

”I heard about what happened.”

”Then you already know how irritating it was.”

”I heard that Lilith was involved.”

”She was but she only proteced him during the aftermath.”

”And Kael?”

”Of course he was, he was at the center of the incident .”

Evelyn smiled.

”That boy really does have a talent for finding trouble.”

”He doesn’t find it.”

Seraphina placed her cup down.

”Trouble finds him.”

Isabella nodded silently.

That was perhaps the most accurate description anyone had ever given Kael.

Evelyn’s expression became more serious.

”And Lilith?”

Seraphina sighed.

”Still attached to him.”

”You sound disappointed.”

”I am concerned.”

”About her?”

”About both of them.”

Evelyn’s smile faded.

”Because of what Lilith is?”

Seraphina didn’t answer immediately.

”Because Lilith is the master of a power that should never be taken lightly. And because Kael doesn’t understand how much attention he’s attracting.”

Evelyn nodded.

”That much is true.”

She glanced toward the window.

”The Creed has been hearing things.”

Seraphina’s eyes sharpened.

”The Creed?”

Evelyn nodded.

”The upper echelon of the Velvet Gang.”

Seraphina already knew.

The Creed wasn’t simply a group of powerful criminals.

They were the people who actually decided what the Velvet Gang would become.

Their influence stretched across cities.

Nobles.

Merchants.

Information networks.

Even certain officials.

And recently, their attention had begun turning toward Kael.

”They’ve started discussing the Demon King candidates,” Evelyn said.

Seraphina’s expression darkened.

”So they’ve finally moved.”

”Not openly.”

”They never do.”

”They’re watching several individuals.”

”Kael included.”

Evelyn nodded.

”Especially Kael.”

For several seconds, neither woman spoke.

Rain continued striking the windows.

Seraphina finally leaned back.

”They’ll try to use him.”

”They’ll try.”

”And if they can’t?”

Evelyn’s eyes hardened.

”They’ll eliminate him.”

Isabella’s expression became serious.

Seraphina looked toward the window.

”I knew this would happen eventually.”

”You did?”

”Kael was never going to remain unnoticed forever.”

Evelyn studied her.

”You sound as though you knew this day would come before he was even born.”

Seraphina remained silent.

Evelyn didn’t press.

Instead, she said, ”Whatever the Creed decides, I won’t allow them to touch him.”

Seraphina looked at her.

”You?”

”Me.”

”You understand what you’re promising?”

”Perfectly.”

Evelyn’s voice lost its playful tone.

”I’ll protect Kael.”

Seraphina stared at her for a moment before sighing.

”I appreciate that.”

”But?”

”But I can’t do much myself.”

Evelyn frowned.

”Why?”

”The royal family.”

That answer was enough.

Evelyn’s expression changed.

”They’re still watching you?”

”Constantly.”

Seraphina’s fingers tightened around the edge of the table.

”After the incident at the academy, they became suspicious. They don’t know everything, but they know enough to keep eyes on me.”

”So you can’t move against the Velvet Gang.”

”Not directly.”

”And if you do?”

”I’ll expose myself.”

Evelyn nodded slowly.

”That would put Kael in an even worse position.”

”Exactly.”

Seraphina looked frustrated.

”I’m his mother. Yet I’m sitting here discussing how other people are going to protect my son because I can’t act without half the royal court noticing.”

Isabella quietly spoke.

”Madam, you are still doing everything you can.”

Seraphina smiled faintly.

”Thank you, Isabella.”

Evelyn watched the exchange before asking the question that had been bothering her for some time.

”There is something else.”

Seraphina looked at her.

”Kael.”

”What about him?”

”I’ve heard rumors.”

Seraphina didn’t respond.

Evelyn leaned forward.

”The symbol.”

The room became still.

”The symbol of royalty.”

Isabella’s expression remained neutral, but her eyes shifted slightly.

Evelyn noticed.

”So it is true.”

Seraphina sighed.

”Where did you hear that?”

”The Creed has information networks everywhere.”

”Naturally.”

”And I want to know who Kael really is.”

Seraphina looked down at her tea.

”You’re asking too many questions.”

”I promised to protect him.”

”And?”

”I need to know who I’m protecting.”

Seraphina was silent for a long time.

Eventually, she stood.

”Isabella.”

”Yes, Madam?”

”Could you give us a moment?”

Mirelle bowed.

”Of course.”

She walked toward the door.

Before leaving, she glanced briefly at Evelyn.

There was something in that look.

A warning.

Evelyn noticed.

The door closed.

Seraphina waited until they were completely alone.

”You’re right.”

Evelyn said nothing.

”Kael has the symbol of royalty.”

”I knew it, I didn’t believe it fully when Lilith informed me.”

”But that’s not the whole truth.”

Evelyn’s expression became serious.

”What do you mean?”

Seraphina looked directly at her.

”Kael doesn’t merely possess a symbol of royalty.”

She paused.

”He’s part of the true bloodline.”

Evelyn’s eyes widened.

”The previous Demon King?”

Seraphina nodded.

”Yes.”

Silence.

The rain outside suddenly seemed louder.

Evelyn slowly leaned back.

”You’re telling me...”

”Kael carries the blood of the previous Demon King.”

Evelyn stared at her.

”Then the throne...”

”Has been empty for far too long.”

Seraphina’s voice was quiet.

”The Demon Realm has spent years fighting over candidates. Powerful demons have tried to establish themselves as successors. Others have attempted to create artificial candidates. Some have even tried to manipulate the bloodline.”

”And none of them succeeded.”

”No.”

”Because the true heir was...”

”Here.”

Evelyn’s expression became complicated.

”Kael.”

Seraphina nodded.

”If he’s allowed to grow...”

She paused.

”...he could become the next Demon King.”

Evelyn didn’t speak.

For once, she had nothing clever to say.

The implications were enormous.

The Velvet Gang wasn’t simply looking at a talented academy student.

The Demon Realm wasn’t merely searching for another powerful candidate.

And the royal family wasn’t simply monitoring Seraphina because of her position.

They were all circling the same person.

Kael Draven.

Evelyn finally broke the silence.

”Does Kael know?”

”No.”

”Does Lilith know?”

”I don’t know.”

Evelyn frowned.

”Then why tell me?”

”Because you’re going to protect him.”

Seraphina walked back toward her chair.

”And because sooner or later, you’re going to need to understand what you’re protecting.”

Evelyn stared at her.

”You said you would explain another day.”

”I will.”

”When?”

”When I know that telling you won’t put you in danger.”

Evelyn smiled faintly.

”Seraphina, I’m already a member of the Creed.”

”Exactly.”

The two women looked at each other.

Neither needed to say what came next.

If the Creed discovered Kael’s true identity, the situation would change completely.

Evelyn stood.

”Then I’ll make sure they don’t discover it before we’re ready.”

Seraphina nodded.

”And Lilith?”

Evelyn smiled.

”You still haven’t answered my earlier question.”

”What question?”

”Are you really worried about Lilith?”

Seraphina’s expression hardened.

”Evelyn.”

”Or are you still jealous?”

”I will throw you out of this house.”

Evelyn laughed as she walked toward the door.

”There she is.”

Seraphina shook her head.

”You’re impossible.”

”And you’re a mother.”

Evelyn opened the door.

”Those two things aren’t mutually exclusive.”

She stepped outside.

Seraphina remained alone in the drawing room.

Her gaze moved toward the rain-covered window.

Somewhere far away, Kael was probably unaware of the storm gathering around him.

The Velvet Gang was watching.

The royal family was watching.

The Demon Realm was waiting.

And the empty throne remained exactly where it had been for years.

Waiting for its rightful heir.

Seraphina closed her eyes.

”Grow stronger, Kael.”

Her voice was barely a whisper.

”Because when they finally realize who you are...”

She opened her eyes.

”...they won’t give you the luxury of growing in peace.”