Chapter 60
"My mother."
The moment he said it, Victoria froze stiff, staring at Sylene as if hit with an immobilization talisman.
"Mo... hello, Mother."
"Uh, no, wait... Greetings, Honorable Mother!"
"I am Soren’s wife... no, wait, future wife, if you’re willing to give your approval, I... I suppose I am..."
Victoria had never feared an occasion in her life, for over a thousand years, no matter who stood across from her, she had handled it with flawless poise, but today, here she panicked.
Sylene liked her immediately, she gathered up those soft, fragrant, seemingly boneless hands. "Anyone Soren has set his heart on cannot be wrong."
"Good daughter-in-law, let’s talk as we walk."
That single good daughter-in-law let Victoria’s dangling heart finally touch ground, it meant approval.
Vorian went into the Black Water Dungeon by Soren’s hand, Orathis stayed behind in the Endless Demonic Domain.
The Domain lacked Black Dragon Mountain’s built-in safety, but it was conquered territory now, and handing it to strangers was out of the question, still, parking a Middle-Tier Spirit Ancestor there long-term would waste its talent.
Orathis belonged at Soren’s side, doing bigger work, so control of the Domain went to Orathis only temporarily, insurance against opportunists, with a replacement coming soon.
Geographically, the Endless Demonic Domain now served as Black Dragon Mountain’s forward line, the Violet Jade Immortal Domain, sitting between them, made the buffer.
Black Dragon Mountain bordered three domains, besides the Violet Jade Immortal Domain, there were the Moonveil Human Domain and the Sword Will Demonic Domain.
The next phase was expansion alongside cultivation, take Moonveil and Sword Will first, hold Black Dragon Mountain as the central stronghold with the three domains as an inner ring, and keep annexing outward until the whole Exalted Continent was swallowed.
Black Dragon Mountain.
Soren prepared special totem marks for Victoria and Sylene, letting both pass untouched by the sonic wave.
Ethel was given the job of showing Sylene the sights and helping her settle in.
The moment Jared learned she was Soren’s mother, he didn’t dare a hair’s breadth of neglect, and had the clan’s most luxurious palace cleaned and made over as her sanctuary for quiet recovery.
The pocket space Soren had opened wasn’t large, and it was bound to his own life, which made it less than perfectly safe, he had no intention of housing his mother in a demonic fortress with no one to chat with.
Victoria, however, he took into the fortress, he intended to make her wholly his tonight.
Victoria understood he wasn’t joking, and had no idea what to do with herself, her heart churned, nervousness braided with anticipation, worry braided with fear.
She and Lysara crossed paths inside the fortress, Lysara tactfully said nothing, though she guessed the purpose of the visit without effort.
What surprised her was the guest, the legendary Fairy Great Demon Emperor, even she was conquered by Soren?
Soren brought Victoria to the highest floor, the formation came alive and he stepped in first.
Victoria stopped outside the door, surveying the room, her gaze skipping around, hesitation on her face.
Soren frowned and paused, on the strategy panel, Absolute Loyalty had dimmed, and begun teetering on the edge of going out.
That startled him, a first, tiers naturally fluctuated, but he needed the source of this negative swing.
Before he could speak, Victoria beat him to it. "This room..."
"Lysara has used it, hasn’t she?"
Is she jealous? Let’s verify, he gave a half-smile and nodded.
"Hmph." The shyness and nerves evaporated, replaced by open displeasure and disappointment, she leaned against the doorframe and did not move.
On cue, the title dimmed further, the characters of Absolute Loyalty beginning to flicker.
Cause confirmed, time to salvage. "Jealous?"
Victoria’s lip curled. "How could someone like me deserve to be jealous"
"It all comes down to first come, first served, doesn’t it?"
"Who told me to arrive at such an inopportune time?"
"Not as early as her"
Soren smiled. "Then, are you still willing to come in?"
She froze, her tier still rested at Absolute Loyalty; resisting him wasn’t in her, and neither were second thoughts, after a beat of hesitation she stepped inside anyway, lips pursed, cheeks puffed in silent sulking.
The door rumbled shut, the formation re-engaged.
"You have to explain yourself clearly."
"Otherwise, I won’t let you have your way."
Victoria had not yet grasped the situation she was standing in, she intended to use this threat to make Soren recount every detail of himself and Lysara.
Dominance was only ever the seasoning that conquered Victoria faster, his affection for her was real and undiluted, but Victoria was a profoundly strange woman, she resisted on the surface, and underneath, she relished his dominance to the marrow.
So here she was, demanding explanations, declaring he’d get nothing without them, and if Soren actually bent to the coercion and sat down to explain himself nicely, their relationship would most likely stall where it stood, not acceptable.
What was needed wasn’t just dominance, but dominance of the absolute, non-negotiable kind, he advanced on her, presence rolling ahead of him, expression closing every door marked regret.
"You’ve entered my independent space."
"You’ve walked into my demonic fortress."
"Now the door is shut."
"The formation is active."
"And you still think you can refuse me?"
Victoria’s eyes went wide, she backed away step by pressured step until there was nowhere left, and toppled over.
Her hands flew up to cover her face, the shy, scrambling gesture stood a world apart from the cold, bloodthirsty figure she cut in public.
If Soren hadn’t seen it himself, who alive would believe the Fairy Great Demon Emperor could produce a reaction this adorable?
He peeled the jade hands away from her face, she looked up nervously, a thin mist gathering in her eyes, and couldn’t hold his gaze, turning aside like some cornered, helpless little lamb. "You... aren’t you being a bit too domineering?"
The lamps threw their two silhouettes onto the wall.
The silhouettes intertwined into one.
Early the next morning.
She nestled inside Soren’s arms, her face washed with pure bliss, feeling the masculine warmth coming off him, Victoria let her eyes drift half shut, as if replaying the previous day in slow detail.
"Still dare to be jealous in the future?"