Sitting next to Luna, Theos made himself comfortable while maintaining an elegant posture.
Observing Luna at his side, Theos began to speak in his deep, magnetic voice. "You see, I sought you out because I know that you have a unique path—the path of shadows, don't you?" Theos' words came quickly, without feeling rushed or anxious. On the contrary, he felt calm and serene, as if he was in total control of the situation.
Luna's frown deepened. With a slight nod, she confirmed Theos' words and waited for his next statement.
Theos' gaze became icy, almost dark. "I want you to use your shadows to observe a certain area outside this mansion," he said, his voice carrying complete dominance and coldness.
"And what happens if I don't accept your request?" she asked, curious.
"You die," Theos replied without hesitation, as if it were perfectly natural. His nonchalance conveyed how little he cared about taking a human life.
Luna nodded, a flicker of fear sparking in her heart. Although she had only asked out of curiosity, Theos' direct and indifferent answer left her surprised. She understood exactly how far the man next to her was willing to go to achieve his goals.
If even disobeying such a simple request can result in death with such indifference, I don't want to imagine how he would react if he felt anger, Luna concluded in her mind.
Instead, Theos flashed a faint smile when he saw that she agreed. "Very well. You may begin. The coordinates are north of the mansion, just outside, thirty paces west. There should be some movement nearby. Don't be alarmed by what you see; just tell me," he ordered quickly, leaving no room for discussion.
The meaning was clear: Whatever you see, tell me, and then keep your mouth shut forever!
"Alright," Luna nodded again, ready to fulfill the request.
It was a sudden turn of events, but there was nothing she could do now. Death wasn't very pleasant, and the person in front of her didn't seem easy to deal with.
"Shadow Eyes," Luna chanted softly, directing her accumulated mana into her eyes.
With such a simple request, she didn't have much reason to refuse. With her [Shadow Eyes] spell, she could see everything in shadow within a large 100-meter radius.
Theos already knew this; he had bonded with her. The first spell he learned was [Shadow Eyes], and she had mastered it early in her life. Now, it seemed, it was no different.
Suddenly, Luna began to watch everything around her—the shadows of the noble guests at the meeting. But she went further: outside the mansion, into the cold night, where endless shadows filled her large field of vision, which she directed toward the coordinates Theos had given her.
"I see something," she said to the man beside her, frowning and sharpening her gaze.
What she saw with [Shadow Eyes] left her paralyzed, as if she had turned to stone, completely petrified. Her entire body stiffened as she blinked several times, trying to assure herself that what she saw was not an illusion, but reality.
"Phew," she put her hands over her mouth, holding back the urge to vomit while completely deactivating the [Shadow Eyes] spell.
She turned pale with nausea and struggled not to throw up, but it was useless, especially since the center of attention at the banquet sat right next to her.
"Uh, Miss Luna, are you okay?" asked Alice worriedly. She had heard the entire conversation standing next to Theos and could tell that what had happened was due to what Luna had seen through the spell.
Luna didn't answer but looked at Theos with even more horror and fear. "You… What are you going to do with them?" she asked, trembling.
Theos raised an eyebrow in surprise and curiosity, but his mouth formed not an answer, but four simple words: "What did you see?" That was all that mattered to him.
Luna bit her lip, torn between speaking or remaining silent. The depths of his eyes—one as black as a black hole, the other a blood-red coldness—made her feel as if she were being absorbed by them little by little.
"I… I…"
---
Watching his sister and the other young man completely ignore him as they chatted, Alan felt angry—furious, even.
Damn, how much I would like to hit that guy, he thought, but he felt helpless. It was impossible from any point of view. This young man, though a stranger, exuded the aura of a nobleman of the highest rank—a duke, or even a prince.
But all the princes in the kingdom were well known, so he would have to be a duke, like all the young master dukes recognized worldwide. Except for one.
Remembering the last and most important duke, Alan unconsciously swallowed his saliva.
Of the great Fallen family… a young man whose name is not even known, referred to as 'The Fallen,' a figure whom some in the family respect more than the current head of the family itself. As he thought about the rumors circulating about the young master, duke, and the most mysterious character in the world, Alan's head began to ache.
And maybe the duke is the one sitting next to my sister now. Watching the scene unfold, how his sister displayed so many emotions and expressions in such a short time, Alan almost jumped in anger but held himself back.
Time. Time always fixes everything, he thought, unaware of how wrong he was
~