Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage

Chapter 912: To be Lady of House Alex Fury

CH912 To be Lady of House Alex Fury I

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Alex paused for a moment.

“I have some matters to discuss with you on the topic, but I happen to have an appointment very soon. I hope you can make time for me later,” Alex said.

“Of course, Young Master Alex. Just let me know when it is time. I will drop whatever I am doing and come over,” Asta quickly replied.

“You don’t have to go that far.” Alex laughed.

He turned and said to Zora, “I’ll quickly go get changed so we can get going.”

“Okay.” Zora nodded.

Alex made to leave. Zora and Asta looked at each other and bowed politely in greeting before Zora followed behind him.

Asta dropped onto the seat at the desk where she had been working, feeling a little weak. She breathed raggedly as she held her pounding chest.

Zora did not follow Alex into the bedroom to get changed. Instead, she waited for him by the door while he changed.

Alex came out a few minutes later.

“Alex, you go ahead. There’s something I need to take care of. I will have Udara meet you at the Palace,” she said.

Alex looked into her icy-blue eyes for a moment.

He walked up to her and kissed her.

“Okay,” he said. “I am leaving now. I will let you know how it turns out.”

Alex began walking towards the door.

“You are not going to ask me what I plan on doing?” Zora’s voice suddenly sounded.

Alex’s feet paused.

“I am but your humble serf. I trust my Empress no matter what she intends to do,” he said, then resumed walking towards the door.

He walked out, leaving behind a blissfully smiling Zora.

Once Alex was long gone, the smile was wiped from Zora’s face, replaced by a solemn expression. She turned and walked back to the study.

Seeing her—especially since she was alone—Asta jumped to her feet from where she sat.

“Lady Zora…” She lowered her head.

“We need to talk,” Zora said. “Please come with me.”

“Alright, my lady.” Asta nodded.

Zora led them back to the living room, where both women took seats at a table.

Zora looked towards the woman seated opposite her, then suddenly asked,

“You love my husband, don’t you?”

The sudden question caused Asta’s face to blanch. She jumped to her feet.

“Lady Zora, I—”

“Don’t bother denying it. I am a woman too. I can see it clearly.” Zora cut Asta off before she could mumble an excuse.

Asta felt her legs weaken and almost fell to the floor.

“I don’t blame you,” Zora suddenly said.

Asta looked up at her in surprise.

“I don’t blame you,” Zora said again with a smile. “My husband is a catch. Many women, especially those who are close to him, would throw themselves at his feet. You are no different.”

Zora paused and looked at the panicked Asta, unknowingly shaking her head.

“Take your seat,” she eventually said.

Asta woodenly sat back down on the chair.

“I am not here as a jealous wife to tell you to stay away from my husband. I may be the first Alex got involved with, but I am not his only wife.

“As a noble of the Virellian Empire and a scion of Clan Fury, Alex has the right, and the responsibility, to marry multiple women. I am not about to stop him from taking any woman available to him.

“However, as the wife in charge of the affairs of his House and home, it is my duty to vet any woman close to him, ensuring he doesn’t marry someone mediocre.”

Zora’s icy-blue pupils looked towards Asta, the warmth they had previously held for her husband gone as she delivered her verdict coldly.

“And I deem you mediocre,” she judged.

“Huh?”

The judgement struck Asta so strongly that she could not even voice a clear response.

Then again, Zora did not give her the chance to respond anyway. Alex’s Ice Empress continued coldly and imperiously,

“Alex is an extraordinary man who will go down in history. He will reach heights that many noble scions of his age and standing can only dream about. But to achieve this, he needs equally or sufficiently talented people by his side. And of the people he needs by his side, the demand for sufficient qualifications is most stringent on those who aim to become his wife.”

“Yes, Alex is different from most nobles. Yes, he has ensured that there is love in his relationships with all of us, his wives. However, make no mistake—he is still a noble. Even if he is willing to overlook inadequacy, his family will not, the people around him will not, his followers will not, and most certainly, his enemies or hostile forces will not.

“To become his wife, the candidate must be able to bear all of this burden and flourish in their own way—to have the ability to be his strength in their chosen way and, most importantly, not be a liability to him.”

“I—”

Asta wanted to speak, but Zora had no intention of giving her the chance.

She continued, “Alex will reach far—perhaps to an unknown, unexplored peak. To become his wife, the candidate must be able to walk towards that peak by his side, if not in front of him. At the very least, only a small step behind him.

“Amongst the criteria that I have stated, besides pandering to love and attraction, you do not meet any of them.

“Your background is of no use to him. In fact, it is a liability—but that is no fault of yours, and a noble House can be raised.

“You possess admirable talent in Space Magic, but that is all there is to it. Your talent is not extraordinary enough. I can snap my fingers, and women with better talent in the field will appear before me. In fact, Alex himself would technically make for a better Space Mage than you. After all, he can do that which you cannot.”

Zora paused, then took a proverbial step back.

“But then again, as before, talent is something decided outside of one’s control. So, I will not judge you too harshly for it.

“What I will judge are your effort, growth and results. Despite your sizeable allowance, your access to good teachers and the opportunities available to you—though admittedly veiled—you haven’t achieved anything too noteworthy.

“You may think what you have achieved is good enough, but measured against the yardstick of a Lady of House Alex Fury, you fall too far short. You should have achieved more than this. In essence, you are no different from the minimum generic Space Mage worthy enough to enter Alex’s eyes.”

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