The Hidden Monster of House Vale

Chapter 23: Chapter - 23 - A Beautiful Dream

Lucien and Delian returned after two days of secluded cultivation, their bodies still humming with the memory of their embrace. The nights had been far too short for either of them, and it was entirely Lucien’s fault that Delian moved with a slight, satisfied stiffness in her steps. They had explored every facet of their union, driven by an insatiable hunger that refused to be sated. Sometimes Lucien led their dual cultivation, asserting his dominance; other times Delian took control, her passion a fierce and beautiful storm.

For them, those two days had passed far too quickly.

When they finally reached the outskirts of Delian’s base, the atmosphere shifted. Mirina rushed toward Lucien, her eyes swimming with tears, her usually composed demeanor shattered. Her eyes were filled with tears, her expression desperate as she looked at Lucien.

”Master Lucien... please help us,” she said, her voice trembling. ”Miss Seraphina is missing.”

The moment those words left her mouth, the atmosphere changed.

After some time, the retainers were ordered to remain outside. Only those Lucien truly trusted stayed inside the room.

Lucien, Delian, Mirina, Celbeth, and Hellyn gathered together as Mirina explained everything.

”She went to a dungeon alone...” Mirina hesitated, lowering her gaze.

Then she continued.

”Because she doesn’t trust the Thornveil family’s retainers. She believes there is a spy among them.”

Her hands tightened around her cup.

”Master Lucien... I don’t know what else to do. I am just a commoner. I grew up with you and Miss Seraphina. You are the only person I could come to.”

Lucien stood silently while Delian sat across from Mirina, calmly listening while drinking tea.

Lucien stood motionless, his mind churning. The original Lucien would never say no to Mirina or Seraphina. And I can’t let her die—not because I love her, but because... well, she’s too beautiful to lose. Another stunning woman dead would be a tragedy.

He was a man, after all, no matter how powerful he became. Women and wine were the pleasures that kept him grounded, that reminded him he was still human despite the power coursing through his veins.

Lucien walked closer.

He gently wiped away the tears from Mirina’s eyes.

”Don’t worry,” he said calmly. ”I’ll find her.”

Mirina froze.

In her heart, she knew it.

I knew it. Master Lucien would never say no to me. And he’s so gentle now. His hands are so large... If only Miss Seraphina had never rejected him. He truly has changed.

She looked at him with admiration.

Delian interrupted.

”So, what’s the plan?”

Lucien turned toward her.

”Half a month has already passed since the ancient breach opened. Celbeth, Hellyn, and Delian, you’ll search for opportunities and relics.”

His expression became serious.

”I will find Seraphina.”

Then he looked at Mirina.

”Which dungeon was she talking about?”

Mirina immediately answered.

”She mentioned a waterfall in the east. She believed very few people knew about that place.”

Lucien nodded.

”The east waterfall...”

Not long after, Lucien arrived.

The distance that would take normal cultivators days was nothing to him now.

His cultivation had reached the peak stage of the Spirit Forge Realm.

Within his mind, the Lost Atlas activated.

A mysterious ability that nobody knew about.

It allowed him to sense hidden opportunities, dungeons, and ancient treasures within a certain range.

Originally, it could detect only a limited area.

But now...

Five hundred kilometers.

The entire region became visible inside his mind.

Lucien had already sent several locations toward Delian so she could search for opportunities.

But nobody knew the true extent of his ability.

The Lost Atlas was his greatest secret.

His vision moved.

Several locations appeared.

Ancient ruins.

Hidden caves.

Forgotten inheritances.

Then...

One location caught his attention.

”Interesting,” he murmured, his eyes fixed on the waterfall. The dungeon’s name appeared in his mind: The Drowned Abyss.

”The Drowned Abyss...”

Lucien smiled.

His lips curled into a predatory smile. Opportunities were like women—they required the right approach, the perfect touch, and an unyielding determination to claim what was yours.

And Lucien was nothing if not greedy when it came to power. Anything that could make him stronger was worth taking.

”Seems like she’s already inside,” he muttered, diving into the water without hesitation.

The cold embraced him, but he ignored it, his astral energy forming a protective barrier around his body. Beneath the surface, he found the entrance—a cave that had been revealed by the passage of other realm masters. The rocks that had once concealed it were scattered across the seabed, proof that others had been here before him.

Lucien entered the dungeon, his senses on high alert.

Lucien descended deeper.

Seraphina’s breathing was heavy.

Her astral energy was almost completely exhausted.

Her sword, once sharp and elegant, had become nothing more than a dull piece of metal.

She was exhausted.

But she was still standing.

This was the reality of entering dangerous dungeons alone.

A powerful cultivator without support could still fall.

Normally, noble families brought retainers.

They carried healing tonics, weapons, restoration items, and could distract enemies when their masters fought powerful opponents.

They were valuable.

But for Seraphina...

They were also a weakness.

Many of the retainers she recruited after the Ancient Breach opened came from other families.

But Seraphina trusted no one. The Thornveil retainers were riddled with spies from rival families, planted by her own relatives to undermine her. She had recruited them in haste, desperate to secure a position in the ancient breach, but they had become shackles rather than assets. So she had left them behind, choosing isolation over betrayal.

When she entered the Drowned Abyss, several families were already inside.

They were powerful...

But compared to Seraphina, they were still weaker.

When she challenged the dungeon guardian, those families offered help.

They said they would gather treasures and return.

They told her:

”Lady Seraphina, hold the guardian. We will return with the relics.”

At first, she believed them.

Not because she trusted them.

Because she wanted to.

Now...

More than a day had passed.

No one returned.

Her potions were gone.

Her energy was nearly depleted.

And she finally understood.

They abandoned her.

Seraphina wasn’t angry.

This was how the world worked.

Strength attracted people.

Weakness discarded them.

But even someone strong needed allies.

The guardian stood before her.

A massive two-headed beast.

Three meters tall.

Its body was covered in thick armor-like flesh.

Her sword barely scratched it.

Fire did nothing.

Her attacks were becoming weaker.

She was only surviving.

Then frustration overwhelmed her.

”Is this it?”

Her voice trembled.

”Is this how I die?”

She looked at the monster.

”In obscurity?”

Her emotions erupted.

”Family... family... family...”

Her hands shook.

”Everything was always about family!”

The memories came rushing back.

”They told me family was everything.”

”But do they even care about what I want?”

Her eyes became filled with anger.

”Why do I keep carrying their expectations?”

She laughed bitterly.

”The entire Thornveil family...”

She looked around.

”Where are they now?”

”No one came.”

Her grip tightened.

”I am alone.”

Her rage consumed her.

She attacked wildly.

But anger was not strength.

A calm enemy could defeat someone controlled by emotion.

The guardian noticed her mistake.

Its attack pierced through her defense.

Seraphina was thrown into the air.

Her body fell.

For a moment...

Everything became quiet.

Maybe this is my end.

Maybe in the next life...

I will finally choose myself.

She waited for the ground.

But it never came.

Someone caught her.

Her eyes slowly opened.

A familiar face appeared.

Lucien.

Her vision blurred.

Maybe because she was dying...

Maybe because she wanted to see him.

”Lucien...”

Her voice was barely a whisper.

”Save me...”

”Please...”

”Save me from this world.”

Then darkness consumed her.

Lucien watched as Seraphina slipped into unconsciousness, her body limp in his arms. A smile tugged at his lips, his heart racing for entirely impure reasons. ”Wow, she still looks so hot,” he murmured to himself. ”Well, I’m glad I’m on time.”

Seraphina dreamed.

She dreamed of a world where she and Lucien were married, living in a small cottage surrounded by flowers. She dreamed of lying on a soft bed, her head resting on his lap as he caressed her hair. She dreamed of teasing him, of climbing on top of him and whispering, ”Lucien, your hands are going somewhere they shouldn’t.”

”Oh, are you going to stop me?” he asked, his voice filled with playful challenge.

”Never,” she replied, her heart full to bursting.

His hands slid down her back, his touch possessive and warm, drawing a soft gasp from her lips. Their energies began to intertwine, a gentle ebb and flow of yin and yang that made her breath catch. ”Are you going to stop me?” he murmured.

”Never,” she repeated, her voice breathless as their spiritual essences merged.

A baby’s cry shattered the moment, pulling them back to reality. They rushed to the cradle, where their infant daughter was wailing. Seraphina scooped up the child, her heart swelling with a love she had never known.

”See, you woke her up,” she scolded Lucien playfully.

”She’s beautiful, just like her mother,” he said, his eyes warm with adoration. ”Why are you crying, Sera?”

Seraphina’s expression shifted, sorrow creeping into her features. ”Looks like my time is over,” she said softly. ”At least my last moments of death were beautiful.”

”What’s happening?” Lucien asked, confusion in his voice.

”Someone’s trying to bring me back,” she whispered, tears streaming down her cheeks.

A blinding white light consumed her, and she screamed.

Suddenly...

The dream shattered.

Seraphina opened her eyes.

The pain was gone.

Her astral energy was completely restored.

Her wounds had disappeared.

The guardian was dead, its body scattered across the ground in pieces. The throne at the far end of the chamber was empty, save for a single figure lounging on it with casual arrogance.

Lucien sat with one hand on his chin, his posture that of a king bored by the entertainment before him. He looked at her with cold, unreadable eyes, and Seraphina felt her heart clench.

This was not the Lucien from her dream. This was the real Lucien—the one who had been humiliated, the one who had spent months in seclusion, the one who had emerged as a force to be reckoned with. And now he was looking at her as if she were a stranger.

Cold.

Powerful.

Untouchable.

Yet...

She wasn’t afraid.

She knew.

He saved her.

Lucien looked at her.

”How are your wounds, Lady Seraphina?” Lucien asked, his voice cool and detached.

Those words hurt more than anything.

Because years ago...

She was the only person who allowed him to call her Sera.

Except her mother.

Now...

Lady Seraphina.

Like they were strangers.

”I’m fine,” she said, pushing herself to her feet. ”You saved me. I’ll never forget this debt.” She paused, her pride warring with her desperation. ”But now I have to go. There are relics and opportunities I need to find.”

Lucien’s gaze sharpened, his eyes boring into her soul. He rose from the throne and walked toward her, his steps measured and deliberate. When he reached her, his expression softened, and she saw a flicker of kindness in his eyes.

Lucien stared.

”They are already gone.”

She froze.

”They chose their paths. Some may have already obtained the treasures.”

She looked away.

”They promised to share...”

”And you believed them?” Lucien cut her off.

Seraphina smiled bitterly.

”No.”

Her voice became quiet.

”Maybe I just wanted to believe them.”

She looked at him.

”When someone is desperate, even false hope feels valuable.”

For the first time in a long time...

They spoke like they used to.

She felt comfortable.

She never felt this way with anyone else.

”Can I ask you something?” she said hesitantly.

Lucien nodded.

”Yeah.”

”Are you still angry?” The question hung in the air, heavy with meaning. She was referring to the rejection, the humiliation she had inflicted on him a year ago.

He understood immediately.

Lucien looked at her.

”Maybe.”

A pause.

”Maybe not.”

He smiled.

”What do you think, Lady Seraphina?”

She lowered her head.

”I think...”

”You don’t even want to acknowledge my existence.”

”So maybe you hate me.”

Lucien laughed.

”Would I save someone I hate?”

”No,” she admitted. ”But you might have done it out of formality.”

Lucien looked at her.

”People say the opposite of love is hate.”

”But I think the opposite of love is indifference.”

He stepped closer.

”I don’t hate you.”

”You did what you thought was right for your family.”

”Choosing a weak man wasn’t a rational decision.”

Seraphina froze.

Seraphina’s heart ached at his words. ”Lucien, I never thought you were a loser. I just—”

”Let me finish,” he said gently. ”At first, I was angry. I wanted to destroy the Thornveil family, to bring them to their knees for what they did to me. But as I grew stronger, I realized you were right. Power does matter. As soon as I became powerful, people began to acknowledge me, to fear me, to worship me.” He let out a quiet laugh. ”So no, I’m not angry with you anymore.”

A chill passed through her.

He leaned in close, his lips brushing against her ear. ”And I never showed indifference to you. I saw you at the Astral Academy arena, watching me with hungry, jealous eyes when I was standing with Eliss. I saw you. I noticed you.” His voice dropped to a whisper. ”How could I ever forget my Sera?”

His arms wrapped around her, pulling her into a warm embrace. ”You’ve been through so much,” he murmured. ”Let me be your protector.”

Seraphina broke down.

The tears came in a torrent, her body trembling as she clung to him. For so long, she had been alone, betrayed by her own family, abandoned by those she trusted. The mask she had worn for years—the cold, emotionless lady who saw others as tools—fell away completely.

”You bastard,” she sobbed, her fists pounding weakly against his chest. ”You looked at me with those cold eyes and called me Lady Seraphina. I told you never to call me that. Never!”

Lucien chuckled, his hand coming up to cup her cheek. ”Don’t worry. Everything will be fine.”

She wanted to argue, to tell him that nothing would ever be fine again. But the truth was, in his arms, she believed him.

The families who had betrayed Seraphina were celebrating their good fortune. They had gathered a trove of relics and treasures, enough to elevate their status and enrich their clans. The weakest among them had already begun dreaming of wealth and power, of the beautiful women they would marry and the weapons they would purchase.

”Finally,” one of them said, his voice filled with greed. ”We can become rich now.”

”Yeah, maybe we can find some beautiful women to marry,” another added with a lecherous grin.

”Or buy powerful weapons with these relics,” a third chimed in.

Their laughter echoed through the clearing as they emerged from the dungeon, their bags bulging with treasure. But their celebration was short-lived.

A figure stepped out of the shadows, his presence radiating power and menace. His eyes swept over the gathered families, and a cold smile curved his lips.

”Give me everything,” he said, his voice as sharp as a blade, ”and I might consider letting you live.”