Chapter 201: Background Check

"Hey... umm... well, sir," Levy leaned slightly toward the old man’s side, lowering his voice, though his eyes darted nervously in Razeal’s direction. "You know... you really shouldn’t say the name Virelan in front of him."

Yograj’s brows lifted, his wrinkled but sharp face twisting in mild confusion. His voice, however, was anything but discreet.

"Why not?" he asked loudly, the question booming across the deck.

Levy’s lips twitched. Is this old man dumb? He was whispering, trying to keep his words subtle, to avoid stirring the hornet’s nest that was Razeal’s temper. Anyone with common sense could see that saying the word "Virelan" around him was like stepping on glass. But here Yograj was, blurting it out without restraint, like a child asking why fire was hot.

Levy felt cold sweat bead at the back of his neck. Damn it, old man. Now you’ve done it. If this idiot snaps, I’m on the same ship. If he sinks it in anger, I drown too.

His eyes flicked nervously toward Razeal, praying.. hoping he hadn’t heard. But when his gaze landed on him, his stomach sank.

Razeal was already looking their way.

There was no explosion, no flare of anger or fury just those deep black eyes, steady and unblinking. That, in itself, was far more unsettling.

Yograj followed Levy’s panicked glance and, realizing what the fuss was about, scratched his chin. "Ahhh... so it’s about him, then." His curiosity sharpened like a blade. "What’s the problem, lad? You got issues with the Virelans too?"

Razeal’s voice came calm, steady, almost too plain for the weight of the words. "Well... that too. But I think why he’s whispering is because I was a Virelan. Before."

He said it without fanfare, without hesitation. A fact laid bare. His face remained still, almost detached, but the air around them shifted instantly, heavy with the weight of the name.

Levy’s expression twisted like a man who had just stepped on his own trap. Shit. Shit. Shit.

Razeal’s gaze slid to him then, sharp as glass, and Levy felt a chill crawl down his spine.

"And," Razeal continued, his tone deliberate, "I don’t really care if you use the name in front of me. I don’t mind if you say it before me or after me. Since It’s neither a regret nor a shame for me. On the contrary, I’m satisfied with what I’ve done." His voice carried no tremor, no crack. "But don’t try to hide it. Don’t tell people not to say it. That makes it look like I forbade you or its a shame for me. Like I’m too weak to hear it. And I am not."

The words cut clean and cold, like a blade sliding across the skin. Levy lowered his head instantly, his hands rising in a placating gesture. "I misunderstood you then. I thought.. well, I was just trying not to cause problems. I didn’t mean anything bad by it."

Razeal said nothing more, but the weight of his silence pressed heavily on Levy’s shoulders.

Yograj, however, had not missed the meaning. His curiosity burned brighter now, his old eyes narrowing as he studied Razeal with new interest. "So... you’re saying you really are from the Virelan family?" he asked, tilting his head, his tone probing. His gaze swept up and down Razeal’s frame as if measuring the boy.

He stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Hmmm... you must be from a collateral line, then. One of the distant branches, right? Maybe a diluted lineage? Or... perhaps the Virelans have started recruiting outsiders, which would explain..." He trailed off, nodding to himself as though arranging puzzle pieces. "Well, I suppose I was absent from the world for thirty years. Anything could’ve happened."

He continued muttering, his words spilling like a stream. "Since you don’t have the usual traits. No purple hair. No deeo purple eyes. None of the markings that scream Virelan. I’d wager one of your parents came from outside the bloodline. Dilution, maybe? The other blood overpowered the Virelan side since it be too diluted. That’s the only explanation." He nodded firmly, as though the matter was settled in his mind.

Razeal didn’t flinch. Didn’t hesitate. His response was flat, decisive, spoken like iron. "Not really. I was from direct and pure lineage."

Yograj’s eyes widened slightly. "Haah?"

Razeal met his gaze steadily, unblinking. "I am the son of the first ranked Virelan. Direct lineage."

The deck went still.

Even Yograj’s immortal heart skipped a beat. He blinked several times, the disbelief plain on his face, as though he were trying to determine if the boy was mocking him. Slowly, his eyes shifted to Maria, then to Levy, searching for confirmation.

Levy, caught in the middle, gave a weak nod, his green eyes flicking nervously toward Razeal. He had no desire to get torn apart in this. Maria, however, only crossed her arms, her aqua hair swaying gently in the sea breeze. She didn’t speak, but the small, deliberate dip of her head was enough to confirm it.

Yograj exhaled slowly, his chest rising and falling with the weight of revelation. For once, the man who had lived through centuries, who had carried divine blessings, looked unsettled.

"Direct... lineage?" he murmured, more to himself than to anyone else. His gaze returned to Razeal, scanning his white hair, his black eyes, his plain expression. Nothing in him looked like the fabled Virelans. And yet, if this was true...

Even Aurora’s lips parted soundlessly, her breath catching in her throat as the truth sank in. A shiver ran down her spine, her body trembling before she even realized it.

He’s... the direct lineage of the Virelan family.

The words echoed in her mind like a thunderclap. Her voice, barely more than a whisper, slipped out without her meaning to. "The true heir..."

The meaning of "son of the ranked one" struck her with full force. Her chest tightened as pieces of rumors and whispers she had once dismissed as idle gossip now began to align into something weird clear.

Her pink eyes narrowed, unease swirling inside them. Wait... if he’s the son of Lady Merisa... then he’s him?

Recognition dawned, followed swiftly by dread.

The stain of the four ducal families... the one the whole empire despised. The rapist.

She had read the papers, skimmed through the gossip columns. Everyone who lived in the empire had heard the name, though whispered in contempt, spat like venom. The boy who tarnished one of the most prestigious bloodlines. The walking disgrace.

Her hands shook slightly as the thought continued.

And he’s here. With me. On this ship.

Her eyes widened until her pupils dilated, the full realization settling over her like a cold, suffocating tide.

He escaped. He actually escaped the empire. After all that.

The vastness of the sea surrounding them suddenly pressed down on her chest. There was no land, no guards, no safe imperial walls. Just endless water and this boy.. One of the biggest criminal of empire.. Had escaped empire.. from under there eyes.. once again..

Her throat tightened. Subconsciously, her hand went to her mouth as though to keep from gasping aloud. She took a deliberate step back, her boots clicking softly against the deck.

Careful. I have to be careful around him. He’s a monster.

Aurora bent slightly, her fingers reaching for the delicate green purse embroidered with flowers and vines sitting on wooden flor, its design soft and elegant. She clutched it tightly as picked it up to her her chest, crossing her arms over it as if protecting herself by instinct. The gesture was small, but her whole body screamed of caution, of defense.

She hadn’t recognized him before. The portrait plastered across newspapers hadn’t matched the young man she now saw.. his hair whiter now since, he looks different, not to say before he didn’t noticed much.. maybe because she only heard his name.. since he never said his full name as Virelan.

But there was no mistaking it now.

He was that boy.

Neither Yograj nor Razeal noticed her subtle recoil, their conversation pressing forward without pause. But Levy and Maria did.

Both caught the faint flicker of fear hidden behind Aurora’s otherwise composed face the way her gaze sharpened, the guarded posture, the way her fingers dug into her purse.

She’s not comfortable around him, Maria thought, her aqua-blue eyes narrowing as she leaned back in her chair. Her lashes lowered as her gaze lingered on Aurora’s trembling shoulders. Honestly, She can’t blame her.

Maria folded her arms, her hair drifting gently in the sea breeze. Razeal’s background... it’s not something any woman would want near her. she herself doesn’t like him either. Not because of how he acts now, but because of what he is. What he had done.

Her thoughts slipped back, unbidden, to their academy days. Back then, she had chosen him as her target, yes because she wanted to shine brighter, to pull attention to herself. But her disgust hadn’t been entirely false. How could someone like him even step into the royal classroom? How could the academy allow it? It had felt shameful, disturbing, like a smear on the empire’s face.

Others had stayed quiet, too afraid to confront him. But Maria... she had stood up. Even if partly for attention, she had been right. That much she knew.

Her eyes returned to Aurora, silently agreeing with her discomfort.

Meanwhile, Yograj’s booming voice shattered the tension like a hammer. "So you mean... you’re the son of him and her? Wait.. don’t tell me she actually married? And had a son?!"

The immortal old man’s mouth hung open in disbelief, as if someone had just revealed the sun had turned black.

Razeal’s reply came calm, almost bored, as though he were reciting the time of day. "Well, yeah. They did."

Yograj blinked rapidly, his thick brows twitching. "Wait, wait, wait" he held up his hand, trying to process. "So you mean... you’re the son of Lady Merisa Virelan? And... umm... well..." He grimaced, words faltering as he struggled to phrase the forbidden thought. "Do you mean she... with her brother and that whole family purity thing... did that happen?"

The bluntness of it drew a sharp intake of breath from both Levy and Maria. Even Aurora flinched..

But Razeal?

He simply nodded. A single, silent motion.

Confirmation.

The air froze.

Shock still lingered on the old man’s face, sharper than anything words could fully describe. His mouth opened, closed, then opened again as if trying to form a proper reaction but failing miserably. He scratched the back of his head, his long black hair shifting with the sea breeze, eyes narrowing on Razeal with a mixture of disbelief and awkward nostalgia.

"So... you’re her son, huh?" Yograj muttered at last, the words heavy as iron. "By the gods... never thought I’d see the day."

He sighed, rubbing his temple. "Honestly, I never expected Lady Merisa to... to actually go through with her family’s traditions. But I guess... she must’ve changed herself. Bent to it." His tone wasn’t mocking, but there was regret in it, like he had hoped for something different.

Razeal’s black eyes glinted. "You knew her?" His voice was casual, almost disinterested, though there was a subtle sharpness under his calm that made Maria glance at him sideways.

Yograj nodded slowly, lips twitching into the faintest smile as memory stirred. "Aye... I knew her. She was... like me. Full of freedom, always reaching for the wide, open sky. She had that kind of spirit untamed, refusing to be chained." His eyes softened, looking somewhere far beyond the ship.

Razeal only gave a slight nod in return. His expression didn’t shift. He looked utterly detached, as if Yograj’s nostalgia was little more than irrelevant noise.

But the old man pressed on, his voice dipping with something almost fatherly. "And you should be respectful when speaking about her. She’s your mother. Or..." He tilted his head, catching the faint tension in Razeal’s face. "Or maybe you don’t like her much?"

That was a mistake.

Razeal’s eyes snapped sharply to him, a dangerous flash igniting within them. His voice dropped cold, clipped. "That is nothing for you to remind me of, old man. Keep your tongue to your own business."

The weight of his glare was enough to silence even Aurora’s quiet fidgeting. For a heartbeat, the air between them thickened like a storm on the horizon.

Yograj only shrugged, raising his hands as if to ward off the hostility. "Don’t mind me," he said lightly, though his eyes flickered with caution. "I just... got nostalgic. Comes with age, I suppose. Memories sneak up on you, even when you don’t want ’em. But fine, I’ll keep my mouth shut."

Yograj wasn’t done probing. After a moment of silence, his brow furrowed, and his voice returned to its curious tone. "Still, what happened with you, boy? Having the purest Virelan bloodline, yet no visible characteristics... not a trace. No purple eyes, no silver hair. That doesn’t happen by chance. Did you use some kind of technique to alter your looks?"

His gaze narrowed further, a faint glint flashing in his pupils as if he were trying to pierce through whatever illusion might be covering Razeal. "Even I can’t see through it. Illusion? Transformation?"

Razeal didn’t flinch. His reply came flat, unbothered. "Something like that."

He offered no further explanation, letting Yograj stew in his own conclusions. To Razeal, it wasn’t worth correcting. Not when the truth would only invite more questions.

But across the deck, Maria, Levy, and Aurora all stiffened. Their lips twitched almost in unison, though for different reasons.

Transformation? Illusion? Maria thought, her aqua-blue twitching crazyly. This idiot literally tore his bloodline out and threw it away to them. There’s nothing magical about it. But sure let the old fool believe what he wants. She bit the inside of her cheek, deciding to keep quiet. Picking a fight here would do nothing but stir chaos.

Levy’s thoughts weren’t far off. So he’s just lying through his teeth now, huh? Better than explaining the real thing, I guess...

Aurora herself said nothing.

Yograj, however, pressed further, muttering almost to himself. "Strange. Very strange. Still..." He trailed off, then suddenly froze. His eyes widened.

"Oh, no... wait."

His head whipped toward Razeal, his face darkening as realization dawned. "If you really are her son... then she’ll be coming back here to fucking take you!"

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