CHAPTER 224: THE WEIGHT OF LOVE AND DUTY

After an hour-long journey by carriage, we finally arrived at the gates of Braveheart City. The moment I felt the carriage come to a halt, I looked to my sides—only to find both Vivin and Mia fast asleep, their heads resting gently on my shoulders.

Despite their earlier words about becoming more respectful toward me now that I held the title of Patriarch, they still had the nerve to fall asleep mid-journey—and on me, no less.

I let out a quiet sigh.

I could have woken them up earlier, or even shaken them off. But I didn’t. Even though they were technically my maids, I’ve always treated them kindly. Perhaps... that’s why they feel so comfortable around me?

With a small smile, I gently nudged them.

"Vivin... Mia... we’ve arrived. Time to wake up."

My fingers lightly tapped their cheeks as I spoke.

Their eyes fluttered open slowly, confusion written across their faces—until realization struck. Their faces flushed a bright red as they noticed their awkward sleeping positions.

"HIIEEK! Patriarch—I’m so sorry! Please punish me!" Vivin yelped, quickly straightening herself and bowing in panic.

Mia followed right after, doing the same. "I deeply apologize, Patriarch!"

I just shook my head, suppressing a laugh. "It’s fine. Really. I don’t mind."

They glanced at me shyly, still red in the face, but clearly relieved.

"Well then," I continued, teasingly, "let’s head to Braveheart Palace. And try not to fall asleep during the meeting, alright?"

That earned me twin gasps of embarrassment and rapid nods from both of them. They promised, with wide eyes, that they’d stay alert this time.

I couldn’t help but chuckle. Teasing them was unexpectedly fun.

Not long after, our carriage pulled up in front of the towering gates of Braveheart Palace. I stepped out first, flanked closely by Vivin and Mia, now fully awake and back in professional mode.

The palace guards greeted us politely, clearly informed of my arrival. One of them guided us through the grand halls and up to the third floor where the Alliance Assembly was to be held.

Even though I had been here several times before, Braveheart Palace still managed to take my breath away. The opulence, the gleaming white marble, the towering stained-glass windows—it was all a sight to behold.

I caught Vivin and Mia glancing around in awe, their mouths slightly open. It was their first time here, after all. I let them enjoy the moment.

Soon, we reached the large double doors of the meeting room. Several elite knights stood guard outside. As we approached, they opened the doors for us with solemnity.

We entered the grand meeting chamber.

It was a vast room filled with intricate gold and silver decorations—true to the regal style of the Braveheart Kingdom. At the center stood a massive round table, its surface polished to a mirror shine. Surrounding it were many ornate chairs, each meant for the esteemed guests of the alliance.

At the far side of the room, seated prominently at the central seat, was King Aslan von Braveheart, flanked by his two daughters—Arsene and Amelia.

All three turned their heads toward me as I entered.

King Aslan waved exuberantly. Amelia, on the other hand, gave me a bright smile, her cheeks visibly flushed.

...Was she still embarrassed about what happened with Envi yesterday? I really hoped not. The last thing I needed today was to be hit by another one of her magical outbursts.

I turned my attention around the table.

All the noble hero families of Braveheart were present—Stormheim

, Flamemore, Starlight, and Winterfell—each family represented by both the current-generation hero and their patriarch, along with two guards standing behind them.

From House Stormheim, I spotted the ever-energetic Theresia von Stormheim enthusiastically waving at me. Her father, Theodore von Stormheim, remained seated and composed, exuding a calm and noble air.

Beside them sat Cain von Flamemore and his father, Carlos von Flamemore. They looked nearly identical, though Carlos’s hair was streaked with grey. Cain ignored me completely, while Carlos glared at me as if he wanted to burn a hole through my head. What a charming family.

Then I noticed the representatives from House Starlight. As expected, Lucius was absent. The traitor had betrayed us and joined the Demon Kingdom. Only his father was here now, accompanied by Julius and Luna.

Lucius’s father, Raius von Starlight, bore a strong resemblance to Julius, but with longer hair and a quieter demeanor. He looked composed on the surface, but I could sense the sadness in his eyes—the kind of sadness that even noble stoicism couldn’t fully hide.

Lastly, my gaze fell on the Winterfell delegation.

There she was—Serena von Winterfell, looking utterly stunning in her white and blue gown. When our eyes met, she gave me a soft smile and... a wink.

My heart skipped a beat.

Behind her stood Lyra, her personal guard, giving me a somewhat awkward smile.

But then—my gaze shifted to Serena’s father, Sieg von Winterfell.

His cold, piercing eyes locked onto me like daggers. The air around him was chilling, heavy with unspoken tension. His expression was unreadable, but I could feel his disapproval. His aura was nearly murderous.

"Hey Nao, what the hell did you do to him?" Envi cackled inside my head. "He looks like he wants to freeze you into an ice sculpture! HAHAHA!"

"Ugh, shut up! I don’t know what happened. Last time we met, everything seemed fine!" I shot back mentally, trying to stay composed.

All I could do was give Sieg a nervous, awkward smile in return.

Soon, I took my seat. I was placed between the Winterfells and the Royal Family.

Right beside me sat Serena on my left and Amelia on my right.

...This was going to be one extremely awkward meeting.

King Aslan, ever the unpredictable man, suddenly boomed across the room, "Look at our young hero! Naoki, you look magnificent today! I can’t wait for the day you become my son-in-law! HAHAHA!"

The room froze for a moment. My eyes widened. I turned slightly—Amelia was blushing furiously, trying to hide behind her hands.

"Father! Please!" she hissed, clearly flustered.

I glanced at Serena, half-expecting a sharp retort.

But instead, she smiled softly again—only this time, the smile was clearly fake. Her eyes were steely. Behind that gentle expression was a brewing storm.

It didn’t take long to realize—Serena and Amelia were exchanging thinly veiled glares behind me. I could almost see the sparks flying in the air.

Oh no. This... this was getting complicated.

And then—snap.

The sound of a pen breaking echoed from my right. I turned slowly to find Sieg von Winterfell gripping his now-snapped fountain pen in one hand, his stare colder than ever.

I was so dead.

Just then, Sieg-sama turned to the king and asked how much time remained before the meeting officially began. King Aslan checked the time and replied, "We still have fifteen minutes."

Sieg-sama nodded and requested to step outside for a moment. But as he rose from his seat, he shot me a cold, piercing glare—subtle, yet unmistakable. A silent signal. A command.

He wanted me to follow him.

I felt the chill in his eyes even before I stood up. I had no choice but to comply. I rose from my seat.

Serena turned to me immediately, worry etched across her delicate face. Lyra, standing behind her, mirrored that concern.

I gave them both a reassuring smile and a firm nod, silently telling them not to worry.

Vivin and Mia stood up as well, clearly uneasy.

"We’ll come with you," Vivin whispered urgently.

"No," I said gently but firmly. "Stay here."

As I stepped away from the meeting table, Lyra suddenly approached me. Her expression was conflicted—painfully so.

"I’m sorry, Naoki-sama..." she said softly.

Then, just as quickly, she turned and walked back to Serena’s side without another word.

I froze. Her voice... carried a quiet sorrow. What was she apologizing for?

I didn’t have time to dwell on it. I followed Sieg-sama through the palace corridors until we arrived at a separate room, far from prying eyes and ears.

The moment the door closed behind us, Sieg-sama spun around, fists clenched, and fury written all over his face.

"You damn bastard!" he growled. "Not only did you steal Serena’s heart... now Lyra’s too?! Both of my precious daughters—what the hell did you do to them?!"

Before I could even reply, his fist came flying toward me, powered not by his usual ice magic but by a raw, overwhelming Forced Aura.

His speed caught me off guard—but I managed to block the punch just in time, though the impact sent a jolt through my arm.

"Please, calm down, Sieg-sama! What are you talking about?"

He didn’t stop. Another fist came flying, and I narrowly dodged it.

"Last night... Lyra came to me," he spat, voice trembling. "Serena was with her. And with her face bright red, she told me—she’s in love with you!"

His breathing was heavy now, and his punches kept coming.

"I was shocked beyond words. Lyra just became my daughter. I accepted her into my family—and now you’ve gone and stolen her heart too?! You don’t know the pain... the frustration of a father seeing both his daughters fall for the same man!"

More strikes. His attacks grew more aggressive. He wasn’t holding back anymore.

"Damn it, Sieg-sama, please!" I said, still dodging. "This isn’t how we should solve this!"

In the middle of the chaos, Envi chuckled inside my mind.

"HAAHAHA, he’s really going for the ’protective father’ act, huh? Nao, just let him hit you once! Maybe then he’ll calm down!"

I gritted my teeth in annoyance, but... Envi had a point. Maybe this was the only way to diffuse things.

So I stopped dodging.

I let my arms fall to my sides, stood firm, and allowed the next punch to come.

His fist soared toward my face with frightening force—but just before impact, he twisted his wrist and slammed it into the wall beside me instead. A loud crack echoed through the room as the wall cracked from the sheer power.

He was trembling.

"Why the hell are you so calm?!" he shouted, eyes wide.

I looked him in the eye. "Because you’re Serena and Lyra’s father. I won’t raise my hand against you. If hitting me helps you feel better, then I’ll take it."

He clicked his tongue in frustration but finally lowered his fists.

Catching my breath, I spoke calmly, "I already knew. About Lyra’s feelings. I turned her down... I told her that the one I love is Serena."

His eyes narrowed.

"But..." I continued, "Lyra refused to give up. She told me her feelings won’t change, no matter what. I didn’t want to break her heart further... so I told her I would respect her feelings."

Sieg-sama’s gaze burned with renewed anger, but I raised a hand gently.

"I understand why you’re angry. You just want to protect your daughters and make sure they’re happy. I get that. I want to protect them too. And hurting Lyra—just crushing her feelings outright—would’ve caused her even more pain."

He stood there, silently, for a long moment. Then his eyes softened—just a little.

"...Hmph. If you ever make her cry, I’ll freeze you solid. And leave you like that for a hundred years."

I exhaled slowly and gave a sheepish smile. "I’ll keep that in mind."

With that, our confrontation was over.

We both returned to the meeting hall. As we entered, I noticed everyone watching us—but I simply smiled like nothing had happened and walked calmly back toward my seat.

Before I sat down, I made a quick stop.

Lyra was still standing behind Serena, her expression tense and uncertain. I leaned in slightly and whispered, "It’s alright, Lyra. You don’t have to worry."

Her eyes widened, and then softened. That sadness from before began to fade. She gave me a small, genuine smile and nodded.

"Thank you... Naoki-sama."

I returned her smile before finally taking my seat.

A few minutes later, the delegation from the Mercenary Kingdom of Gildoria arrived, followed shortly by the representatives of the Magical Kingdom of Solara.

The room, once filled with quiet conversation, was now heavy with energy.

Powerful auras and surging magic filled the air like a storm waiting to break. The sheer pressure of so many elite warriors and mages in one place made the atmosphere nearly suffocating.

This... was going to be a very tense meeting.

...

..

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