A Core Ship From The Start
Chapter 1502 - 1015: You are seeking your own death

Chapter 1502: Chapter 1015: You are seeking your own death

The next morning, Duanmu Huai walked out of his room looking refreshed and invigorated.

No wonder she’s a Nightmare lolita wife—her vast experience is almost on par with Ling’Nu. Moreover, as a Nightmare, her physical attributes far surpass the simple human qualities of Ling’Nu.

Hmm?

On the flip side, Ling’Nu, despite being human, has managed to possess techniques and experience comparable to those of centuries-old Nightmares at just her teenage years. It seems her nickname, "Genius Female Ninja," is well-earned.

Duanmu Huai stretched lazily and gathered his thoughts, then noticed a familiar figure standing at the railing on the far end of the corridor, back turned to him.

"Yo, Mio."

"Ah, Uncle."

Hearing Duanmu Huai’s voice, Naruse Mio turned around and greeted him.

"Good morning."

"Morning. What are you doing here?"

As he spoke, Duanmu Huai walked up to Naruse Mio’s side and looked ahead. Hanging on the wall of the hall in front of them was a portrait of an imposing man with red hair, dressed in elaborate attire.

"Who’s that?"

"I heard... he’s my biological father."

Naruse Mio looked at the painting again with a complicated expression. This trip to the Devil World hadn’t been pleasant for her. Initially, she had hoped that she could at least unite with her uncle through their blood connection. However, it seemed that her purpose here was destined to fail.

"Sometimes, I really wish this were all just a dream."

Naruse Mio lowered her head.

"I’m not the child of some Demon Clan. I’m just an ordinary high school girl, living a simple life with my family. Demons, nobles—they have nothing to do with me. I just want to be a regular girl, strolling through the streets with friends, shopping, chatting... instead of standing here, feeling like someone unwanted..."

"Blood relations are inconsequential in the grand scheme of things."

Duanmu Huai reached out and patted Naruse Mio’s shoulder.

"See? You yourself said it—those who raised you are your real parents. Even if this man is your biological father, he never spent even a day raising you... Hmm? Speaking of which, this is rather odd."

However, halfway through his speech, Duanmu Huai seemed to realize something, gazing at the portrait with curiosity.

"Odd?"

"That’s right. You were definitely born of your mother, which means Wilbert must’ve been married. But why isn’t your mother depicted in this portrait? Or better yet, does this castle contain any portraits of your mother?"

"Indeed... perhaps I should ask Banriya..."

"Creak—!"

In that moment, as the two conversed, the heavy doors of the hall below suddenly opened. Duanmu Huai saw a silver-haired maid walk inside respectfully, followed by several guards escorting a tall man with red hair striding into the hall. Sensing Duanmu Huai and Naruse Mio’s gaze, the man paused briefly, then looked in their direction.

The instant the man’s gaze fell upon them, an overwhelming sense of oppression emanated from his very being. Naruse Mio was struck by the terrifying aura, left trembling and unable to move—until Duanmu Huai placed a hand on her shoulder. Then, with a disdainful glance at the man, Duanmu Huai unleashed his own aura.

A crushing presence far surpassing the man’s oppressive force descended like a storm, blanketing the entire castle. Even the guards standing beside the man turned pale, collapsing to the ground under this soul-shaking, annihilating fear.

The man, however, remained standing, his face cold and tense as he stared at Duanmu Huai. Though his expression didn’t change, his clenched fists betrayed his intent.

"Yo, you must be Ramses."

Duanmu Huai patted Naruse Mio’s shoulder, signaling her to calm down, then stared at the red-haired man below with undisguised hostility.

"Quite the warm welcome you’ve given us. Thank you so much."

Slowly, Duanmu Huai descended the staircase toward Ramses. The latter stared back at him without uttering a word, while the maid, Rukia, drew her weapon and stepped protectively in front of Ramses.

"Silence, insolent fool! In Lord Ramses’ presence, how dare you—"

"I wasn’t talking to you. Get lost."

With just one glance, Duanmu Huai caused Rukia to let out a blood-curdling scream as if struck by an invisible Iron Fist. She was sent flying, slamming heavily into the adjacent wall.

Duanmu Huai then stepped up to Ramses, towering over him.

"There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you. After Wilbert’s passing, the subordinates who raised Mio were killed by Zorke, and she herself has suffered multiple assassination attempts. I suppose you wouldn’t be completely unaware of these incidents, would you? I heard that the Wilbert family had proposed assigning guards to Mio but that you refused. I’m curious—what’s your reasoning behind that?"

As he spoke, Duanmu Huai narrowed his eyes, glaring openly at Ramses.

"What’s the matter? The legitimate successor being alive makes you so uneasy you can’t wait for her to die, does it?"

"This is the fate of nobles."