Ascendant Path of a Lustful Vampire

Chapter 465 465: May Nature smile upon you…

"Ha!" Revon laughed, "Girl, my legitimacy is not what is on trial here."

"Oh, but I think it is," Kaya said and then laughed a little because as she spoke, things began to make even more sense,

"You know, I never let myself think it was you. When that oppressive air bore down on my shoulders and made me want to run as far away from the Manor and never look back, I tried not to think it was you who wanted me gone so badly.

I suspected everyone else; Kyrus, Kaide, Lillian, even the Manor workers. Everyone except you.

Hell, rather than suspect you, I was more open to the idea that it had nothing to do with me. That I just happened to be the one perceptive enough to sense it."

"What are you getting at?" Revon asked.

"I'm just saying, maybe I wasn't entirely wrong. Yes, I'm a consequential target of your emotions but I'm more of a representation of what's really bothering you. The one the unwantedness targeted was actually you.

You, yourself, felt so much pain, sadness, and regret for how your life came to be that your own emotions forced you out of your home.

It's why you were never home. It's why you go from meeting to meeting and reside in residences within the County even when you could very well rest your head at home.

You didn't want to be here."

"No, I didn't want YOU here," Revon retorted.

"That's part of it," Kaya nodded, "But it's not all of it, is it?"

When she started, Kaya had felt like she was rambling but once she really hit her stride, the layer of Nature energy around her grew bolder and she could see the Malevolent aura of pain, sadness, and regret get thrown into disarray and grow weaker as a result.

"Nonsense!" Revon said and driven by the negative emotions within him, he rallied himself and yelled,

"I NEVER WANTED YOU!"

*WHUUUMMM!!!"

The force that was released by those words was so great that its impact was felt by Kyrus and Kaide who were behind Revon and hadn't even been the force's target. They felt as the negative emotions began to sap and devour what positive emotions they might have and doubled over, wincing in pain.

The force hit Kaya's layer of Nature energy but couldn't destroy it, allowing her to remain impervious to its effect.

"That's probably true," Kaya said in a level voice like she hadn't just been hit with an attack powerful enough to destroy her emotional spectrum,

"But you wanted 'her', didn't you?"

The 'her' referred to Kaya's mother, whom Kaya didn't know by name and had never referred to out loud as her mother.

Kaya continued.

"Normally, I'd dismiss it as a brief tryst but if you're here, almost two decades later, still letting it affect you so much, it couldn't have been so simple.

She must have been something special.

So, for the first time, I ask; Father, will you tell me about my mother?"

There was a moment of silence. Kyrus and Kaide had recovered somewhat from the emotional attack and looked between their father and sister, expecting another outpouring of malevolent emotional force that they had no idea how to shield themselves from.

But it didn't come.

Instead, Revon squared his shoulders.

"I don't speak of her," he said but there was something strange about his tone.

"Maybe you should. Might be exactly what you need," Kaya answered in the tone of a therapist.

And that was exactly what this needed to be at its core: a therapy session.

When the Malevolent Aura of emotions had been without a host and just existing and casting doom and oppression all over, it couldn't be reasoned with. That was why Kaya had been ready to go at it with force.

But now that it had, combined with Revon, it could actually be spoken to. This was a bit of a double-edged sword though. On one hand, Revon hosting the Malevolent Aura of emotions made it possible to reason with it but on the other hand, the Malevolent Aura was now whole. It now existed in the body of its originator, a capable Mage with access to actual magic and not just emotional attacks.

Sure, emotional attacks are dangerous since they are immune to physical attacks or magical attacks with physical effects. However, that was exactly what Kaya was equipped to battle at her current Magic Circle. If things get complicated and she has to contend against her father's magical strength, she really might not have a chance.

Still, so far, Revon, imbued with the Malevolent Aura had only attacked Kaya verbally. His words may pack emotional punches but he had not yet considered using his actual magic.

So there was hope to end this before things went awry.

Whatever was bothering Revon was the reason this entity even existed at all and if he could finally be made to confront his emotions and work through his issues, a battle could be avoided.

"I don't need to talk about her," Revon snarled but there was no emotional bite to his words. He wasn't attacking.

"You feel anger," Kaya said.

"I—" Revon started and then stopped like he wasn't sure what he felt.

He was long into the marriage with Lilian at the time. Their kids were grown, and already taking part in the matters of the County. Revon didn't want for anything and yet, happiness eluded him.

He just felt stifled and before long, he had the great idea for adventure. No real destination just a desire to go sightseeing. Revon had many experiences during his adventures but none were as wonderful as 'her'.

Kaya took on the Aiesling family's black hair but her eyes, those beautiful leaf green eyes, were just like her mother's. Her face as well. The Aesislings were a good-looking bunch but Kaya's beauty went a step beyond. Another thing she got from her mother.

Revon never planned for things to go so far. He and she had just connected so much that the vows he had made to Lillian completely slipped his mind as he committed his transgression.

But it wasn't even the fact itself that was Revon's biggest source of shame. It was how ready he had been to toss his vow aside completely. If Kaya's mother had just accepted to return to the Aeisling County with him as his bride, Revon was ready to cast Lilian and his sons out.

Whatever turmoil would result from it all, he would face gladly as long as he had her by his side. But she wouldn't go with him. In fact, she laughed in his face when he even suggested it.

"The Forest is my home. I will not leave it behind for your kind's putrid desire for industrialization." She had said amidst mocking laughter.

She would not budge on that decision no matter how hard he pleaded and Revon, unable to bear to lose her, suggested he simply never return. That he'd abandon his family at the County, have them believe he was missing or dead so he could spend the rest of his days with her in the forest.

And again, she had laughed.

"Look around, Revon," she had said, "Do you see any of your kind?"

Assuring him that she had enjoyed their time together, Kaya's mother and her fellow elves had sent Revon away from their home while performing a ritual that made it impossible for him to ever find his way back there.

Revon returned home. He was overwhelmed with sadness at the loss, and a little ashamed but overall, ready to put it all behind him.

But then, months later, while Revon was away on business, a baby was delivered to the Grand Manor with a note written in elegant green scrawl that was read by Lilian who received the 'parcel';

"Dear Revon,

It's been months since we parted.

You seemed so determined to leave your life behind and stay with me. It could not be and you were oh so distraught. But perhaps, maybe this little one, a sign of our time together, will afford you a piece of the Forest… and me.

May Nature smile upon you…

… And our Little, Kaya."