Chapter 316: Rage

Words : 1276 Updated : Oct 5th, 2025

Chapter 316: Rage It was a difficult time to be alive, thought Kyle, who knew better than to breathe wrong at this time. He understood how Ollie was worried about his sworn brother, Luca, but couldn’t really tell the mop about the bigger issue—the might of the House of Kyros. Or worse, a mother’s unconditional love for her son. And just by looking at the furrowed brows of Duchess Amelia, he should be able to tell which one was worse. The worried mother obviously didn’t expect any of this. But couldn’t really say anything when she, herself, saw the raging energy surrounding her son. But it didn’t mean that she was alright with any of this. If anything, she was far from fine. In fact, Duchess Amelia looked about ready to go ham. But what truly had her vibrating with unreleased fury wasn’t just the spiritual overload or the suspiciously long cockpit nap—it was him. That boy. The one who said he was already in a relationship. The one who got on their good graces by declaring, with all the noble sincerity he could muster, that he wasn’t someone who made promises lightly. That he’d never break one. So what was this? Because unless her years of elite training and military-grade spiritual insight had failed her completely, the energy she saw Luca drenched in wasn’t just random overflow. No. That was destructive energy, the kind that repelled everything in its path except for him. It didn’t just swirl. It chose. It was accepting Xavier while rejecting the world around him. That kind of response...it wasn’t just rare. It was a sign of spiritual bonding. Powerful. Dangerous. And strong enough that it made her skin crawl. Was it even safe to pry him away if it came down to that? Would he survive that kind of spiritual backlash? But more than just the effect on his spirituality, she was concerned about his emotional and psychological well-being! Was her son some third party in whatever mess that boy had going on? Did her precious Luca deserve that kind of treatment? Most importantly, did that insane Leander know?! Had her very excitable husband signed off on this? On him? Who on Solaris had allowed this to happen to their son?! Her eye twitched. The only thing keeping her from storming the cockpit was the slight crackle of leftover energy still emanating from the surface. And the fact that Butler Gary, despite the desire to disappear, had gently placed himself in her peripheral vision like a human caution sign. Not a barrier. Not even a wall. Just a very self-aware reminder that if she made a move, she’d have an audience. One who knew better than to speak at the moment. And this was the same for Kyle, who could only pray for the Empire and its future. Because this was a mother, and her baby might have just been claimed. Her baby, who had only been here for two months. Two months. Was it that newness—that vulnerability—that allowed that giant to sink his claws in? Had he seen a bright-eyed, slightly broken, precious little dragon and decided to keep him? For how could someone end up bound like that when it takes others decades to develop the same ties?! Amelia gritted her teeth. Manipulation came in many forms. And this wasn’t even the first time she’d seen something like it. Leander, for one, used to attract this kind of nonsense like bees to syrup. There were always people who wanted to be near something bright. Wanted to own it. Wanted to whisper promises in a young Kyros’ ear and wrap their presence around them until the line between love and leashing blurred entirely. And now it was Luca. Wrapped in spiritual energy that already craved for someone else. Tethered in a way she didn’t like. If this boy—this giant—was anything less than everything he claimed to be, then he’d just painted a target on his own back. One Amelia wouldn’t hesitate to fire at. And if this one came packaged in six feet of charming bone structure and infuriating sincerity, then perhaps she needed to burn it all down and start over. And not just him. No. If this situation was what it looked like—if her son had been pulled into something this deep due to oversight—then it wasn’t only Xavier who’d be getting a piece of her mind. She would line up every single adult who was supposed to be watching over her child and hold them accountable one by one. Staff, aides, stewards, even the old guards who thought they could get away with blinking too slow—everyone. If even one of them knew about this and said nothing, she’d make sure they regretted it. Because her son may have looked bright-eyed and stable now, but she knew the kind of cracks hidden behind bright eyes. She’d seen it in Leander. And she refused—refused—to let another Kyros be left to fend for themselves under the guise of growth and independence. Gisella didn’t really have to look at her boss to know what she was thinking. She’s been around her too long to know. Also, the air shifting would really be enough to alert everyone within the vicinity if she were being completely honest. Like this, even the birds—if there had been any in this barren stretch of Dungeon terrain—would’ve stopped chirping. Because Duchess Amelia was enraged. Not the quiet, seething kind. But also not the political, composed fury of a noblewoman used to court warfare. This was the I’m-going-to-launch-myself-at-the-cockpit-and-ask-questions-only-after-a-very-large-explosion kind of anger. The kind that had heat rolling off her in near-visible waves. And everyone around her, even those inside their mechas, could feel it. It was the kind of pressure that made your spine straighten and your instincts start whispering prayers to any available celestial being. So when Cece, bless her soul, took one look at her friend and then the cockpit, all she could do was mutter prayers—and she doesn’t even believe in gods. "Oh no," she muttered. Cece immediately reached out and grabbed the duchess’s arm along with Gisella’s waistband. "Hey, hey! Guys!" urged the dwarf, who really was doing too much for her small frame. "We don’t know what’s happening yet." "That’s the problem," Amelia hissed, still visibly vibrating. "We don’t know what’s happening because everyone out here is busy not storming the damn cockpit!" "That’s because the cockpit is still spiritually hot," Cece reminded. "You’ll fry your eyebrows off." "Then I’ll fry his! Spiritually bonded? Claimed? Do they think that just because I can’t sense the details through the residual flares that I won’t recognize a literal life-binding imprint?!" "Please," Gisella muttered under her breath. "Please don’t let this turn into another incident like the Eastern Border Summit—" Cece thought at least one friend managed to get her wits back, only to balk at her next words. "There are more subtle ways of getting rid of flies, Your Grace. I swear, if you let me do it this time, I—" "Not this one, Gisella. I have to see this one for myself." Amelia snapped. Now, Ollie tightened his grip on Kyle. He was used to angry parents, and initially thought that it was the same for Luca, but his brother’s mom was certainly something else. But more than anything, he was concerned because of his 99% certainty that the duchess was gunning for the head of the Imperial Crown Prince. "..." "..." Ollie and Kyle could only stare at each other wordlessly. And for the first time, they were praying for those tremors that were suddenly all too quiet when needed. Oh hell.

Chapter 316: Rage

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