Primordial Villain with a Slave Harem

Chapter 1088: A Tyrant’s Apology

"Daughter... Is this man your ally?"

The fragile voice belonged to none other than Jasmine’s mother, Gina.

The woman stood at her daughter’s side with her hand interlocked with Jasmine’s. The poor woman looked as though she were afraid that letting go would make the girl vanish once more. Her face was ashen, worn thin by years of betrayal and chains, yet her posture carried a quiet dignity despite her broken and battered body, the result of Aurelion’s extreme cruelty.

She had spoken those words dryly, as if the weight of life had wrung all passion from her throat. But more than that, she seemed to be taken aback, scared even.

Together, mother and daughter bore witness as Quinlan, the Primordial Subjugator, passed his judgment on the captured royal guard. His decree was absolute, sentencing her not merely to slavery but to eternal servitude.

Jasmine’s blue eyes narrowed as she cast her gaze toward Quinlan.

"Quin! You’re traumatizing my mother! Don’t you care about your mother-in-law’s first impressions of you?" The brown-haired beauty even managed to equip eyes that were an equal mix of reprimand and dejected puppy eyes all at once, a true master manipulator at work. She was a very talented merchant, after all.

Gina’s head snapped right toward her daughter. "Mother-in-law?!"

Quinlan examined his beloved woman’s expression for a few muted seconds, then burst into laughter. The sound was genuine. "Ah. My bad there," he admitted with a smile that told Jasmine he did not feel like he’d done anything wrong. After all...

"In my defense, this Cassandra woman was not only very sharp but also far too loyal to the Valorian family. Loyal enough to swear some binding oath that empowered her very class. She even cast a spell called ’Oathbound.’ I had to ensure that she got as strict orders as possible, or we would have faced problems down the line."

Indeed, Quinlan did not sever the link, fearing that not only would Cassandra lose her powers, but the royals might even notice something being awry. Instead, he surrounded and trapped the binding oath with orders of the Primordial Subjugator, ensuring it continued to exist but fully under his control now.

"I know, my love..." Jasmine’s eyes softened, but her lips tightened. She turned her gaze to her mother, who stood quietly beside her.

The woman’s mind was troubled, visibly so. Seeing Quinlan’s merciless words carve into Cassandra’s essence had shaken her. Jasmine understood why instantly. Those words, that tone of control and authority... Gina had been haunted by them throughout her entire adult life. Not from Quinlan, but from Aurelion, her husband.

The difference was that Aurelion had lacked the power to make them real.

Quinlan’s eyes followed Jasmine’s glance, and he immediately understood as well. His previous amusement disappeared as if it never existed in the first place.

He stepped forward, steadily approaching the pair until he stood before the weary woman. Then, without any further flair or hesitation, he bowed deeply.

"I apologize for my lack of foresight. I forgot to consider your circumstances and should’ve expected a lingering trauma to exist after all the horrors you’ve been through."

Gina’s eyes widened. Shock rushed across her tired face. Then Jasmine’s hand tightened around hers, anchoring her, and suddenly, it all became clear before her.

This man was not Aurelion.

Aurelion had never bowed. Aurelion had never apologized.

That’s not to say Gina didn’t find the man before her incredibly threatening, no. She did, very much so. But she trusted her bright daughter’s decision, and combined with her previous realization of the difference between him and Aurelion...

Her lips trembled, but she caught herself quickly, forcing her voice back into its dry monotone. "You have nothing to apologize for."

Gina’s head lowered. "Instead, it should be me. I should be groveling on all fours in gratitude for all you’ve done for me. You saved my life back then, and now you’ve reunited me with my beloved daughter."

Tears welled in the woman’s eyes as she spoke, her brittle mask of composure finally shattering in full. Her hand trembled as she lifted it, brushing against Jasmine’s cheek with the gentlest of touches, looking as if she feared her daughter might shatter if she pressed too hard.

A mother’s ultimate loving tenderness.

"Finally..." her voice broke, and soft sobs spilled through her lips, "... after twenty-five years, I can see the gem of my life beneath the bright sun instead of being surrounded by the prison’s suffocating darkness." 𝑅𝐚𐌽𝔬BĘs̩

Hearing that tone, understanding those words, and seeing Gina’s expression, Jasmine’s composure crumbled instantly. Her eyes flooded, her lips quivered, and in the next heartbeat, she threw herself into her mother’s arms. The hug was tight, desperate, tender. Two fragile souls clung together as they slowly felt the weight of misery leave their shoulders, replaced by blissful liberation.

The nightmare, which seemed to go on forever, had finally ended.

As soon as she felt her daughter’s hands around her frame, Gina’s sobs grew heavier, muffled against her daughter’s shoulder, and Jasmine only held her tighter, burying her face into the crook of her neck.

Quinlan’s and the others’ gazes lingered for a moment, but then they turned their attention away, giving them the privacy of that moment.

Instead, their gaze fell back on Cassandra. The guard still lay on the ground where she first landed after being defeated.

"Liora, is she ready?"

The priestess looked up, meeting his eyes. She gave a single steady nod.

Quinlan’s hand cut through the air, and a portal shimmered open before them. His eyes bore into Cassandra’s.

"You will return to the capital. You will tell them you were ambushed by masked assailants after the robed spy used a strange displacement spell on you. You became overwhelmed and forced to go on the defensive. But because of your refusal to submit, you fought against the odds until their time ran short and they withdrew. That is your story. You are to notify me using [Master’s Link] when you are being questioned. Once you are cleared, you will return to your duties and keep your eyes on the royals for me."

Cassandra raised her head. "Yes... Master."

She rose shakily to her feet and, without another word, stepped into the portal to carry out her new orders.