Chapter 255: A Marriage Pact
Chapter 255: A Marriage Pact
Inside the grand main hall of the Dean’s secluded pavilion.
Carmilla, Myrielle, Seraphine, and Lyra were summoned and stood in a small semicircle, waiting anxiously.
Rhain walked into the hall, his hand firmly holding Seris’s.
Seris walked half a step behind him.
As they entered, her gaze naturally drifted toward the crimson-haired girl standing beside the Seraphine.
Seeing Lyra’, a complex emotion rippled in Seris’s heart.
But to ensure her husband’s survival against the wrath of the entire dynasty, she forcefully suppressed those emotions.
The moment Rhain stepped into the room, his dark grey eyes locked directly onto Myrielle.
The chilling frost radiating from his gaze was so dense, that even Myrielle flinched.
Rhain held that death glare for a full three seconds before slowly shifting his gaze toward Matriarch Seraphine.
"Matriarch," Rhain spoke, his voice completely devoid of any warmth. "I have reconsidered your proposal. I will agree to the political pact, and I accept the alliance with the Emberford Family to secure the Old Dean of Valdris’s favor."
A collective sigh of immense relief washed over Carmilla and Myrielle.
"A wise choice, Rhain," Seraphine nodded. "It brings me immense joy to welcome you as my son-in-law."
However," Rhain interrupted, sweeping his gaze toward the furious crimson-haired girl standing beside Seraphine.
*I have one unyielding condition."
Seraphine frowned slightly. "Speak."
"The alliance stands, and the engagement will be announced," Rhain declared. "But the marriage itself will only occur if, and when, Lyra ever willingly agrees to it. There will be no forced union. If she never agrees, she remains free, and the marriage never happens."
For a moment, Seraphine fell silent as if considering Rhain’s words.
But just then, a furious explosion shattered the quiet.
"WILLINGLY AGREE?"
Lyra shrieked fiercely.
She stomped forward, pointing a trembling finger directly at Rhain’s face.
"You self-righteous moron! You think I would ever willingly agree to marry the man who humiliated me? NO! NEVER! I wouldn’t marry you if you were the last man in the entire Solathane Dynasty!"
Seris’s delicate brows knitted together.
While a tiny, selfish part of her heart was secretly glad that Lyra despised the union, but seeing Lyra point a finger and hurl insults at her husband, Seris’s pale purple eyes turned stern, and unkind.
But knowing how important it was for Rhain, she decided to not speak anything, and stay silent.
"Lyra, silence!" Seraphine commanded sharply.
Seraphine knew her daughter’s pride better than anyone.
Even if Rhain hadn’t asked, she would not have forced Lyra to marry Rhain.
For now, she just needed confirmation from Rhain’s side, and that was enough.
A woman’s heart could change, especially when placed in constant proximity to the most peerless prodigy of the generation.
With time, and the inevitable realization of Rhain’s true nature, Lyra would eventually come around.
"I accept your condition, Rhain," Seraphine agreed, offering a nod. "The pact is sealed."
"Mother!" Lyra glared at Seraphine in betrayal.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
"Excellent!" Carmilla’s melodious voice rang out. "Then it is settled."
She swept her gaze across the room.
"But Stormveil City is no longer safe. Emperor’s We must leave Stormveil City and head directly to the independent territory of Valdris City before the Royal Court’s wrath descends upon us."
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With the plans set, Rhain and Seris offered their bows and departed from the Dean’s secluded island, making their way back to the Core Palace pavilion to finalize their preparations.
As they stepped through the warded gates of their courtyard, a figure practically sprinted toward them.
"Rhain! Seris!"
It was Liana.
She had been pacing relentlessly in the courtyard, her emerald eyes filled with intense anxiety.
"What happened in the meeting?" Liana asked breathlessly, looking between their solemn faces.
Rhain didn’t speak immediately. He simply led Seris to the stone bench and sat down, his dark grey eyes carrying a trace of exhaustion.
Seeing Rhain’s silence, Seris looked at Liana’s worried face, and gave an assuring nod.
"Sister Liana," Seris spoke softly, "Matriarch Seraphine has agreed to invoke a life-saving favor from the Old Dean of the Valdris Royal Academy. The Monarch will shield my husband from the Royal Court."
Liana let out a massive, shuddering exhale, pressing a hand to her chest, "Thank god... he’s going to be safe."
"But," Seris continued, her pale purple eyes lowering slightly, "in exchange for dragging the Emberford Family into this political war, my husband... has agreed to a marriage pact. He is going to be formally engaged to Lyra Emberford."
The words struck Liana like a bolt of lightning.
Her entire body went rigidly still.
Engaged. To Lyra Emberford.
For a long moment, Liana seemed to feel no sound around her.
Her mind was entirely consumed by Seris’s words.
She hadn’t even found the courage to confess her own feelings, and now, the man she had secretly loved since their days in Mirravele City was suddenly tied to another woman.
And not just any woman.
Lyra Emberford. The undisputed queen of Stormveil City. A nineteen-year-old Core Formation Realm expert who wielded a True Heavenly Flame and a Domain.
She looked at Seris, the breathtakingly beautiful fairy who possessed a True Heavenly Physique, whose power and status were already far beyond mortal reach.
And then she thought of herself.
Compared to them, what was she? A mere Outer Palace disciple struggling at the Essence Condensation Realm.
A girl who had to be rescued from petty extortionists just weeks prior.
Both of these women were at least a hundred times better, stronger, and more dazzling than her.
A crushing wave of inferiority threatened to swallow her heart. She felt like a speck of dust trying to orbit a blazing sun.
But then, as Liana stared at Rhain’s calm, silent profile, a different memory surfaced in her mind.
The memory of the day she had left the Silvercrest Clan flashed vividly in her mind. She remembered the solemn vow she had made to her father—that she would not return as a failure. That she would secure her place by Rhain’s side, no matter how steep the mountain was.
If Seris and Lyra were a hundred times better than her... then she would simply have to work a thousand times harder.
Liana lifted her head.
The sorrow and inferiority in her emerald eyes were gone.
"Take me with you," Liana spoke with a resolute expression, her voice carrying a stubborn firmness that surprised even herself.
Rhain frowned, his dark grey eyes narrowing.
"Liana," Rhain said strictly. "We are not going on a leisurely trip. We are fleeing from the wrath of the Royal Court. The journey to Valdris City will be a death march. If you come with us, your life will be in constant peril."
"I don’t care," Liana stepped forward, meeting his intimidating gaze without flinching. "I told you before, Rhain. I will not leave your side. If it is a death march, then I will march it with you. I am not staying behind in this city to forge weapons while my friends fight for their lives."
Rhain looked at her stubborn expression, fully prepared to reject her again for her own safety.
But before he could speak, a soft hand tugged at his sleeve.
Seris looked up at him, her pale purple eyes filled with gentle persuasion.
"Husband," Seris murmured softly. "Let Sister Liana come. If she stays here, the Royal Envoys might target her just to get to you. She is safer by our side."
Rhain looked at his wife’s pleading eyes, and then at Liana’s unshakeable determination.
"Fine," Rhain let out a defeated sigh. "Pack whatever you need tonight. We leave tomorrow."
A relieved smile lit up Liana’s face. "Thank you, Rhain. Thank you, Seris."
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The next twenty four hours passed quickly, and the second day arrived.
Within the Core Palace, Rhain, Seris, and Liana quietly packed their essentials.
Rhain also briefly withdrew a transmission talisman, sending a heavily encrypted, final set of orders to Vulcan at the Celestial Elixir Pavilion.
He commanded the mercenaries to completely severe any visible ties to him, to operate entirely on their own, and to aggressively expand their network across the dynasty while he drew the Royal Court’s attention away toward Valdris City.
He was not afraid of Celestial Elixir Pavilion running out of stocks, as he had already prepared enough pills to last for a few months.
He was just in short of Mystic grade pills that he will have to provide to the Domain masters who join the Celestial Elixir Pavilion.
But Rhain decided to think about that matter once his safety is secured after meeting the Monarch.
By the afternoon of the second day, their final preparations were complete.
Carmilla had secretly arranged a high-speed, stealth-inscribed skiff that would bypass the city’s standard aerial checkpoints.
"Everything is packed, husband," Seris spoke, walking out of the inner chamber with Liana close behind.
Rhain gave a firm nod. "Good. We meet Dean Carmilla at the central platform in ten minutes."
But just as he turned toward the courtyard gates—
The profound defensive arrays surrounding Seris’s pavilion suddenly rippled.
Rhain’s dark grey eyes narrowed sharply.
Few people had the authorization to even approach this sector, let alone request entry.
With a flick of his wrist, he parted the visual barrier of the array to see who was standing outside.
Standing alone before the frosted gates, dressed in a simple, unadorned cloak that completely hid her usual aristocratic elegance, was a familiar figure.
It was Elara Thunderwood.