Chapter 20: Dawson Family [II]
The twins exchanged a worried glance. Neither of them understood what their father was talking about. The more he spoke, the more it sounded as though he knew something about Starlight Dawson and her family that they didn’t, and Mikhail would stop at nothing to find out what it was, especially now that he had taken an interest in her.
After the Lunar Lottery mistake, he had assigned some of their best investigators to gather everything there was to know about the girl. Every citizen’s records were stored within the Empire’s databases, so obtaining information should have been simple.
But somehow, very little had been found about that family. It was as though they had appeared out of thin air. At least Starlight and her two siblings had complete records dating back to their births, but their parents were another matter entirely. Their files seemed to begin in adulthood, as though they had simply materialized one day without any documented childhood, family history, or place of origin. There was no record of where they had come from before arriving in the Empire. Coupled with the abnormalities discovered in Starlight’s blood and the Emperor’s current reaction, the mystery surrounding the Dawson family suddenly seemed far more significant than Mikhail had originally believed. Perhaps his father already knew exactly who they were.
"Father," he said carefully, "do you know something about the Dawson family?"
Alexander fell silent for a moment. His expression grew complicated, as though he were debating how much he should reveal. Finally, he leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees. "I don’t know much about Lucius Dawson," he admitted. "But I know enough to understand that he is not a man anyone should ever provoke."
Both twins stiffened. The Emperor let out a slow breath and shook his head.
"I met him many years ago, long before werewolves revealed themselves to humanity. Long before the barriers separating humans and werewolves were broken." His gaze darkened slightly. "All you need to know is that Lucius Dawson was the one who helped make that possible."
The twins stared at him unblinking.
Alexander continued. "He was the one who helped break the isolation that existed between our kind and humanity. Without his assistance, we would never have been able to integrate into human society the way we did. We would never have gained the opportunity to mingle with humans and search for a way to break our curse."
Mikhail and Nikolai exchanged another glance. Things were becoming far more complicated than either of them had imagined. To think the mysterious Dawson family was somehow connected to one of the most important turning points in werewolf history.
Neither of them had expected that.
Alexander leaned back and rubbed his temple. "In many ways, he was a savior to our people," he said quietly. "At the very least, we’re no longer marching toward extinction thanks to him."
His expression hardened. "But he only asked one thing in return. He told us never to interfere with his life or the lives of any family he might one day have."
Alexander let out a humorless laugh.
"At the time, I didn’t understand why. Back then, Lucius had no family. Then one day he disappeared without warning. Years later, after we’d fully integrated into society and established control over the Empire, he suddenly returned with a pregnant woman."
The Emperor shook his head slowly. "We offered him everything. Wealth, land, titles, influence. We offered him and his wife a place among the highest ranks of the Empire in recognition of everything he had done for us." His jaw tightened. "He refused all of it."
The twins remained silent. "He insisted on living quietly. He wanted no attention, no recognition, no rewards. It was almost as though he was hiding from something." Alexander frowned. "In the end, we respected his wishes and left him alone."
The room fell quiet. Then the Emperor pointed at them. "And now the two of you have gone and dragged his daughter into the center of the Empire’s attention."
His voice rose noticeably. "You not only broadcast her name across national television for the entire Empire to hear, you even placed her on the Apex Rankings. The two of you seem absolutely determined to make sure that girl attracts as much attention as possible."
The twins shifted in their seats. Neither of them needed to ask how their father knew about Apex. It wasn’t as though the system was some closely guarded secret. While it was exclusive to Asterion Academy, the Emperor could access any information he wanted with a single command.
For a brief moment, Nikolai felt a tiny bit vindicated. After all, he had tried to talk Mikhail out of placing Starlight on the Apex Rankings. At least now he wasn’t going to be the only one being blamed for the situation.
Mikhail, on the other hand, looked deep in thought. Unlike Nikolai, he wasn’t concerned about being reprimanded. His mind was fixed entirely on what his father had just revealed.
The more he learned about the mysteries surrounding Starlight Dawson, the more intrigued he became. If her father had gone to such lengths to hide his family, then there had to be a reason. Why help werewolves integrate with humans when his own bloodline seemed far more compatible with werewolves than ordinary humans? Or was it his wife’s bloodline that carried the mystery? What exactly was he hiding from, and how would he react if he discovered they had already tested Starlight’s blood?
"I can already imagine Lucius’s reaction when he hears about this," Alexander muttered, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose. A headache was beginning to pound behind his forehead.
After a moment, Mikhail spoke. "Father, do you perhaps know what Lucius is?" he asked carefully. "Because he’s definitely not human and obviously not a werewolf."
Alexander lowered his hand and looked at him. "You think I don’t know that?" he said flatly. "A being capable of breaking a barrier established by the universe itself is no ordinary man." The emperor’s expression hardened. "And I have no desire to find out exactly what he is, for curiosity is often the fastest path to disaster."
Alexander leaned back and sighed. "Besides, that was also part of our agreement. We do not investigate him, his origins, or his secrets. In return, he helped our people survive."
His gaze locked onto Mikhail’s. "So don’t even think about trying to uncover the truth. Some doors are better left unopened."
Mikhail didn’t agree with his father.
A door was meant to be opened in the first place. Why put a door there if you never wanted anyone to open it?
"The man could level this entire Empire if he wanted to," Alexander continued grimly, oblivious to his son’s thoughts.
"You would be wise to leave him and his family alone. As for the mess you two have created, I’ll find a way to smooth things over with Lucius when he returns."
Mikhail lowered his gaze thoughtfully, a trace of concern appearing in his eyes. How would his father react if he discovered that Starlight’s blood had already been tested? It seemed he would have to shut down the research project before it attracted unwanted attention and clean up any traces that remained. At the very least, he needed to know how much time he had before Lucius returned.
Not that he had any intention of giving up on Starlight. If anything, everything he had learned today only strengthened his conviction that she was the key to breaking their curse.
"Father," Mikhail said carefully, maintaining a calm expression. "Do you know where Lucius is currently? Or when he’ll be coming back?"
Alexander immediately narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Why do you want to know?"
Mikhail remained silent.
The Emperor snorted. "Lucius doesn’t tell anybody where he’s going. He disappears whenever he pleases and reappears whenever he feels like it."
His expression hardened. "You’d better not be planning something." Alexander pointed at both twins. "In the meantime, you two need to make sure no more attention is drawn to that girl." His voice carried the unmistakable tone of an order. "I’ve already instructed the media to stop spreading stories about her throughout the Empire. The last thing we need is even more publicity surrounding her."
He exhaled heavily. "We need to find a way to quietly remove her from the spotlight and eventually get her out of Asterion Academy without attracting attention from either the public or human rights groups."
For a brief moment, something dangerous flashed across Mikhail’s eyes before vanishing just as quickly. The corner of his mouth twitched.
Get Starlight out of Asterion Academy?
That was the exact opposite of what he intended. He had no plans whatsoever to let the girl slip through his fingers. If anything, he wanted her closer than ever. Every new revelation only increased her value in his eyes. Fortunately, none of those thoughts reached his face. Instead, he inclined his head respectfully.
"I’ll take care of it," he said.