Tears formed in Eliraâs eyes. She wiped them in an instant. Refusing to show even the slightest sign of weakness and then continued.
"Congratulations, Father. For grabbing this deal where the one who will gain the most from it is only you."
Her voice was steady despite everything crumbling behind it.
"And Iâm happy that Iâm the one making this possible. At least I was useful to you and your obsession with the throne. At least I did something more than being a political item to be sold off for the kingdom. For the purpose I was raised for. For the purpose you called me daughter."
Guilt spread across her fatherâs face. But he wasnât alone in carrying that weight. Beside him, Seraphinaâs father broke too. Because he was walking the exact same path.
And the worst part was he didnât even know when he had stepped onto it. He had adored his daughter for years. But somewhere along the way, politics had stripped away his duty as a father and replaced it with the duty of a king.
His eyes were saying sorry to Seraphina. And seeing that, Seraphinaâs tears came in response.
She spoke. Her voice was nothing like Eliraâs fire. It was something softer. Something that hurt worse because of how gentle it was.
"Father, I never had desires like hers. I was never interested in the throne. I never wanted to compete with brother. I never intended to lower the status of our family. I didnât want freedom like her."
She swallowed.
"I would have always happily followed whatever you said. Whatever you wanted from me. Even if it meant marriage to someone you saw as politically useful."
Her voice cracked.
"All I wanted was my dad back. The one who didnât look at me with these distant eyes. The one who didnât see me as someone who would eventually leave him after marriage. Or worse, a threat to his kingdom."
She wiped her face roughly.
"I want that dad back who used to carry me on his shoulders and roam around the kingdom. Back when you didnât have the title of king. When I didnât have the title of princess. But I still remember, even without those titles, I was treated more than any princess could dream of because you were always there by my side, because you treated me like an actual daughter back then.
The realization crashed into the Dragon King like a wall he had been building without knowing he was the one trapped behind it. How much he had changed. How much pain he had carved into the very soul that was the one who lit up his world.
He reached for her hands. His voice broke into pieces. "I am sorry."
And the moment his hand came close, Seraphina charged. Not at the hand. At his chest. The very chest that had been the warmest place in her entire life. She buried her face in it and sobbed.
"Father, do you know how hard it was for me after Mother died? After the throne changed you? After watching the person who mattered the most to me become more and more distant with each passing day? Do you know how it felt to stand beside you and still feel alone?"
His arms wrapped around her. His voice was barely holding together. "I am sorry. I was blinded. Foolish. This stupid crown made me forget what I was before I wore it. I lost my daughter. I lost myself."
He tightened his hold.
"But I swear to you, Seraphina. I will make you meet your father again. The one you remember. The one who deserves to hold you like this."
The two of them stood there. Seraphinaâs grip was tighter as if she was terrified he would disappear the moment she let go. And her father held her gently. Gently enough that she couldnât leave even if she tried.
It went on for several minutes. And nobody in the garden dared to interrupt.
On the other side, hidden in the bushes, two people were watching.
Jax had a satisfied and proud smile on his face. He looked at Roxana and said. "See? Told you they would handle it. Now that things are settled, letâs go."
Roxana let out a sigh of relief. Then her mind replayed everything that had just unfolded. The fathers and their daughters. The tears and the confessions. And she realized all of it happened because of Jax.
Not because he did something. But because he did nothing.
If he had walked in there, if he had intervened with his mouth and his threats and his talent for turning conversations into war zones, none of this would have happened. There would be no reconciliation. Just two sides, the daughters and fathers standing against each other with a madman pouring oil on the fire.
She said. "Everything ended really well. I never expected things to go this way. I thought you would do something far more terrible than before. Storm in. Threaten kings. Flip tables."
She paused.
"But instead you just watched. Checked on them. And now youâre leaving after things are settled."
She studied his face. "How did you change overnight? And this much?"
Jax ignored her question and started walking. But not toward the exit. Toward the garden.
Roxana noticed the direction. "Professor? The exit is the other way."
Jax turned to her. The mischief in his eyes told her he hadnât changed a single bit.
"Who said I was leaving? I said letâs go meet some guests."
Roxana felt her heart give up on the spot. She smiled weakly at herself. "At last... rest. Come on, heart attack. Donât be shy now."
âxâXâxâ
Many people were observing Jax. And not only from this world but from places far beyond it.
He had made some allies. But on the contrary, there were far more who wanted his end. Who wanted him erased.
Beyond the world, there were gods constantly hissing at his progress. Realizing he was far ahead in the game. Moving faster than any champion they had seen.
But there was one more person who wanted his end sooner than even the gods did.
And that person was currently naked in a doorframe.
Granny Lyra had one leg footed up against the doorframe. Her support cane was propped on the same frame for balance. Her other leg was planted on the floor. Her ass raised up in a position that defied both gravity and her age.
Behind her, a student was buried. Well, his cock was buried inside her pussy. The poor boy was stuck against the wall attached to the doorframe. He wasnât even allowed to touch his feet on the ground because Lyra had lifted him entirely through the strength of her hips and pinned him in place.
The student was completely exhausted. Already leaking cum that was dripping down from where their bodies connected. But she didnât let him go. She kept pushing her hips back, using the doorframe and cane for leverage.
Every time she thrust backward, the boyâs body climbed up along the wall. And after each thrust, he went right back down. A seesaw from hell powered by an obsessed old woman whose cravings hadnât been satisfied by anyone since a certain professor left her bed.
The boy managed to speak through whatever was left of his consciousness. "Please, Madam. I donât feel my lower half anymore. I swear I wonât tell anyone. Just let me live."
Hearing that, Lyra brought her leg down from the frame and moved forward. Her movement made the poor boy slide off and drop to the ground like a sack of depleted potatoes.
She looked down at him. Then pressed her bare foot on his nearly lifeless dick and applied pressure.
"How can you call yourself a man when you canât even make me finish make me squeeze my cum out? Forget about making me scream. You couldnât even get a moan out of me."
She recalled her time with Jax. How he had made her experience something that ruined every other man for her permanently. The way he handled her. The way he didnât care about her age or her position or her reputation. Just raw, unfiltered, devastating performance that left her walking crooked for two days.
Then she snapped back to reality. Hissed at the ceiling. And thought to herself.
âJust come back, you fool. There is no one here like you.â
-x-X-x-
But there was yet another person who was even more exhausted than the poor guy. Yes, Iâm talking about your dear author. He has written more than 3000 words for todayâs update, as he decided to give a bonus Chapter for the gifts he received recently đ«©