Killed Me? Now I Have Your Power

Chapter 411: Chapter 411: Valentine

Chapter 411 – Valentine

Cough! Cough! Cough!

Rea coughed irritably as the rising pale dust curtained all around the landscape. For a moment, nothing could be seen except clouds that completely blocked her sight.

A heartbeat later, everything settled down, her eyes regaining visibility. Rea, sitting on the ground because of the storm of swords, raised her head upward.

Her eyes immediately rested upon the pair of crimson star-lit eyes of Kaden, looking down on her, smiling mischievously.

"My bad," Kaden said, stretching his hand toward her. "Did I perhaps go too hard?"

"You cheated." Rea spat, irritated.

"I did not." He defended himself. "This was sixty percent of my full strength when I was at Master rank."

"It cannot be." She protested, voice filled with hidden disbelief, finally taking his hand.

Kaden pulled her up, making her stand in front of him.

Rea wafted away the dust gathered on her clothes. Her movements caused clinking sounds from all her rings.

Kaden stared at them, but said nothing. Though his lips twitched.

"How can you be this strong?" Rea couldn’t help but ask, glaring at him from the corner of her eyes.

"Strange, people tend to ask me this question quite a lot." Kaden chuckled. "But I just trained a lot."

"Should I say as expected of the famed Child of Blood? The one born with myth already in his name."

Kaden winced with slight embarrassment. "Don’t say that. It’s quite embarrassing. Besides, Rea, I am no longer the Child of Blood."

"Huh?" Rea exclaimed, puzzled.

"I am called the Lord of Blood now. It’s not for you to call me that, though. And how? I bet you would like to know the tale, Rea. After all, it’s the tale of how the Warborn became ruler of Waverith, called the Red Crown, and your family one of the Silver Crown."

"Red Crown? Silver Crown?" Rea cocked her head, strangely, cutely. "What are all these things you are talking about?"

"Before all that," he began, smiling as he leaned his face closer to Rea, his scent and warmth slamming into her, "you lost, didn’t you?"

Rea yelped and staggered two steps back in surprise at the sudden closeness. Her face was painted red, as if blood had gathered there in great quantity.

"I-I—!" She stuttered.

Her eyes widened.

Immediately, she used her fear control to steady her nerves, calming her stomping heart.

’Curse! I just let my guard down and all this happened!’ Rea thought embarrassingly, cursing herself for such a pitiful display.

Gathering herself within seconds, she parted her lips once more, trying not to show anything outwardly.

"I lost!" She said a little too strongly. "I will cook and make the tent just as we decided."

Without waiting for an answer, she pivoted and dashed toward the mountains.

"Let’s go! We’ve lost enough time already."

Kaden was left behind, looking in the direction she had gone.

Slowly, a smile crept onto his lips.

"Did Rea just blush?" He inquired with a chuckle, his voice holding an incredulous tone.

’Lady Rea indeed blushed,’ Reditha laughed. ’She was really cute.’

’It’s because, sweetie, you are too handsome!’

Reditha rolled her eyes at Blanche. This chicken was like a fangirl for Kaden.

If Rea had Einar, Kaden had Blanche.

But what Reditha didn’t know was that there was a whole group of people worse than Blanche.

And another was about to rise.

The Wheel was already turning.

Kaden laughed. "Blanche, do your thing."

Wordlessly, phoenix-like wings made of crimson-gold fire erupted behind his back.

He flapped them, and he disappeared in a thin line of fire, ripping through the air dangerously easily.

Reaching Rea on his way, he picked her up effortlessly within his arms and continued.

No words were spoken.

Rea lay within his embrace, eyes too wide with surprise to utter even a single word.

Inside her earring, Einar was even more speechless. She had never seen her beautiful Rea act this way. Not only that, it was also the first time she had seen a man like Kaden.

But at those exact thoughts, strangely, her mind summoned a memory. The memory of a man she once saw with the Disciple of Grief.

’...Dancer,’ Einar remembered the name, frowning. ’Where even is that man-whore?’

...

Meanwhile, in the Empire of the Damned, a rather weird scene was taking place inside the personal chamber of the Empress.

"Can you leave me alone at least for once?" Lydia irritably said, looking at the now grown-up Valentine clinging tightly to her robe.

She now looked like a respectable young princess, with magnificent crimson hair and deep, shadow-like pools for eyes.

Valentine wore a fitting white robe adorned with swirling red lotuses, looking defiantly at her grandmother.

"Please, play with me, Grandma! Just like yesterday! Please! Please!" She chirped, clenching Lydia’s robe and pulling it with her erratic movements, refusing to let go.

The Empress of the Damned was exhausted. She sighed, stopping herself from smashing this girl into the wall.

Since Asael’s departure, Valentine had refused to let go of her.

She always sought her, pestering her to play with her. At the beginning, Lydia always refused, not even giving the child she had never acknowledged a second glance.

Lydia seemed to have forgotten how adamant a child could be about something.

And Valentine was worse, for Asael never refused her anything. She had become a spoiled child who couldn’t take a no.

So the young princess neither discouraged nor abandoned her pursuit for days, months, and even a year.

Finally, Lydia relented, as she couldn’t hurt Valentine in any kind of way because of her Oath with Asael.

She played with her granddaughter one time. Lydia found it completely annoying and bothersome.

She swore to never do such a thing again.

Yet days later, she accepted again after Valentine’s evolved skill of ’annoying grandma until she accepts’ was cast on her.

The second time, it was still very much infuriating for her. Still, a break from the burdens of the empire was appreciated.

The third time, Lydia accepted more easily and told Valentine she was being annoying four times less than usual.

The fourth... the fifth... and just like that, Lydia played with her granddaughter at least one time every week.

Now there were not many complaints, and she actually came to enjoy those little moments. For there were times when she forgot everything and focused on how hateful her granddaughter could be.

Lydia even created a personal notebook where she listed, every time she played with her, the things Valentine did that were infuriating.

However, the Empress of the Damned couldn’t always allow her granddaughter to have her way every time.

With Asael gone, and Rose only giving her daughter minimal attention — focusing solely on her training and the tasks she was given — Valentine needed someone to educate her properly.

So Lydia stared at Valentine, opened her mouth to berate her, yet no words left the bounds of her mouth as Valentine’s black eyes bored deep into her.

Instantly, her mind flashed with the memory of Asael. Her heart softened. She cursed inwardly in irritation before sighing.

"Thirty minutes." Lydia said sternly, raising three fingers upward. "Only thirty minutes, Val."

Valentine beamed. "YES!" She jumped around her like an overexcited bunny. "Let me choose the game today, Grandma!"

"No. I choose. And no debate about it. Don’t worry, we will play the one you like the most."

She smiled evilly. Valentine shuddered.

"G-grandma?" She stuttered, slowly backing away from her.

"Today we will increase the difficulty," Lydia said. "Instead of three, there will be five squirrels. You will catch them with all your other senses except your eyes."

Valentine collapsed.

"NO!"

Lydia approached her, stretched her right hand, then held the collar of Valentine’s robe tightly before dragging her toward the training room.

Valentine didn’t stop squealing until they arrived, complaining about how she hated this ’game.’

All of that while Rose watched from afar, biting her lower lip until she tasted blood.

—End of Chapter 411—