My Living Shadow System Devours To Make Me Stronger

Chapter 1129: Chapter 1130: Seven Years

The spring dew of the early morning left behind a calm and serene atmosphere. Beneath a large pavilion, an opulent circular table stood surrounded by gardens of vibrant greenery and colorful flowers, some releasing faint wisps of magical light into the air.

Beautiful maids waited around the pavilion, each eager to attend to the needs of those gathered there.

At the head of the table sat the Grand Duke. His golden hair shimmered beneath the morning sun as he calmly speared a cherry with his fork and took a bite.

This table was reserved mostly for family.

After all, who else could enjoy such a peaceful moment with the Grand Duke of the empire?

There was his son, Cassian, whose bright golden hair and cold eyes resembled a distant sun. Beside him sat his wife, the lady of the household. As always, she wore a gentle smile, though there was nothing weak about it.

She sat beside Luna, the two of them engaged in a quiet conversation of their own. Luna was her niece, though she could hardly be called young anymore. She had long since become a grown woman.

Perhaps Annalise still felt guilty about the difficult childhood the grey-haired girl had endured. She had given Luna all the affection of a mother while understanding that she could never truly replace the girl’s own mother, who had been her husband’s younger sister.

Next to them sat Iris Vale.

Though she shared no blood with anyone at the table, she was still family. The young woman had once been a fallen noble, but she had reclaimed both her title and lands. Even so, she still chose to live with the Brightwaters.

Annalise watched them all with tender affection, absentmindedly brushing a strand of platinum-blonde hair behind her ear as the breeze swept through the pavilion.

Eventually, her gaze shifted toward the three people seated opposite her.

One of them was her daughter, Evangeline, with her golden hair, bright eyes, and ever-present gentle smile.

The second was... unusual.

The young man possessed some of the Brightwater features if one looked closely enough. The cold, brooding look in his eyes was especially similar to her husband’s, though Annalise could not help but find it strangely adorable despite the fact that most people would be terrified under such a gaze.

He was her nephew.

His dark hair and equally dark eyes made him an anomaly within their house.

Between him and Evangeline sat a young girl with long golden hair and eyes that shone like the sun itself. She wore a white dress, her small face dull with boredom as she poked absentmindedly at her breakfast.

Ranar was ten years old now.

Ten years had already passed since her birth.

Countless rumors surrounded the extraordinary child. Many even suspected that she was secretly the daughter of Damon and Evangeline.

Honestly, even Annalise herself had entertained that possibility once or twice. The girl looked far too much like a typical Brightwater.

Alas, Evangeline was not her birth mother.

Though she had been the one to raise her.

”What seems to be the problem, Ranar dear?” Annalise asked softly.

The young girl continued poking at her food without eating. After a moment, she raised her head, only to look away again.

”It’s nothing,” she replied quietly.

The atmosphere around the table immediately changed.

The old Grand Duke set down his fork and smiled warmly.

”Tell me, my dear. Did someone hurt you? Is there anything you want? Don’t worry. Your great-grandfather will get it for you.”

Cassian nodded in agreement with his father.

”There is nothing to worry about. Tell us and we’ll destroy them.”

Oddly enough, their words only seemed to worsen Ranar’s mood.

She shook her head.

”No, it’s fine.”

Her golden eyes drifted toward the garden.

”What can you give to a girl who already has everything?”

Evangeline sighed and gently placed a hand on Ranar’s head, running her fingers through her hair.

”Alright, tell me what it is.”

”You’re moping about something, aren’t you?”

Damon had no intention of involving himself in whatever this was, so he quietly lifted his teacup and continued drinking.

Ranar bit her lip and lowered her head.

”I don’t have...”

Her voice trailed off.

What could she possibly lack?

She was the spoiled little princess of House Brightwater.

She had everything.

Evangeline squeezed her shoulder gently.

”Come on, out with it.”

”If you tell me, maybe I can make it better.”

Ranar shook her head.

”It’s embarrassing.”

Now Damon was interested.

What could possibly embarrass this little devil? She was practically the incarnation of disaster, and that was true in more ways than one.

”Well, what is it?” Luna asked from the other side of the table, resting her chin on one hand. ”You can’t be embarrassed here. Remember, I used to...”

She coughed awkwardly.

”I mean, I still bathe you sometimes.”

Ranar’s face immediately reddened.

She already knew there was no escaping this conversation. With Luna present, she was doomed.

Finally, she slammed both hands onto the table.

”I have no friends, okay?”

Boom!

The table shattered.

Cracks spread through the afatin stone before pieces of it collapsed onto the floor.

The material was famous for its durability.

A ten-year-old had just broken it with a casual slam.

”...”

For several seconds, nobody knew how to react.

Evangeline forced a smile.

”Ah... but you do have lots of friends.”

”A lot of noble children come here trying to befriend you.”

Ranar crossed her arms and puffed out her cheeks.

”Because their parents force them to.”

”They just want to build rapport with our household, not because they actually like me.”

”Most of them can’t even meet my gaze and huddle together like rats.”

Damon honestly couldn’t blame them.

”Honestly, I wouldn’t blame them either.”

He shrugged as he took another sip of tea.

”I mean, I’d be scared too if I saw a ten-year-old at the Fourth Class Advancement.”

”Damon!”

Everyone at the table shouted at once.

He blinked.

”What?”

Ranar slowly turned toward him, glaring with enough hostility to start another war.

Damon sighed and reached out to pat her head.

”I mean, it can’t be that bad. You have Croft and Scar. They play with you all the time.”

She slapped his hand away.

”Wow, thanks a lot, Father dearest.”

”My best friends are a squirrel and a raven.”

She stood up from her seat and turned away from the table, her small fists clenched tightly at her sides.

For the first time that morning, her voice sounded genuinely upset.

”I just want to be a little normal.”

A flash of golden light burst around her.

The next moment, she was gone.

Silence fell over the pavilion.

Evangeline slowly turned to Damon and glared at him.

Damon looked away and rubbed the back of his neck.

”...Fine.”

He stood up from his chair with a sigh.

”I’ll go talk to her.”