The Grand Duke's Son Is A Heretic-Chapter 285

As Kael pushed the door open gently, a haunting silence met him. He stepped inside—and instantly froze.

A bone-deep chill surged through him, so piercing that it momentarily paralyzed his breath. It was not just physical—it gnawed at his soul, as if unseen phantoms gripped his limbs.

’This... this is colder than anything Father ever radiated.’

His eyes slowly adjusted to the dim light.

At the center of the room, beside a frost-rimmed window, sat a woman wrapped in a pale shawl. Her purple hair cascaded down her shoulders like faded silk, unmoving even in the breeze. She sat with unnatural stillness, back turned to him, staring at the gray drizzle beyond the window.

Kael couldn’t see her face.

But it was obvious—this was where the chill was coming from.

"You’re here,"

The voice floated in the air—soft, dry, and devoid of life. It was a voice that had long forgotten joy or pain.

Kael glanced behind him instinctively.

Seraphina, who had walked with him until a moment ago, had vanished.

He sighed.

’Coward.’

Walking forward slowly, Kael’s gaze drifted to the small table: two cups of tea sat there, untouched. There were small desserts—simple biscuits and fruit slices laid out neatly, as though prepared for a normal afternoon.

The room itself, however, was anything but normal. It was colorless, sterile. Monochrome drapes, washed-out rugs, pale furniture. Like the colors of life had been drained long ago.

Kael’s eyes paused on a shelf beside the wall. There were shattered picture frames—carefully reassembled and taped together with obsessive precision. Faces of the past—smiling Emilia, a young Ruth, and... an infant in swaddling with a little puppy like woman.

"I haven’t poisoned the tea," 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Kael turned.

For the first time, he met her gaze.

Emilia Veydrin-Salvatore.

Her face was still breathtaking—a noble beauty untouched by time. But it was hollow. Her cheeks were pale, lips colorless, and her once-bright purple eyes were dimmed into flat glass—lifeless, bottomless voids that mirrored nothing.

Only the faint flicker of a long-buried storm swirled within them.

"I’m not thinking about that," Kael said, pulling out a chair and sitting down without ceremony.

"Then?" she asked quietly, her head turning slightly, her eyes still fixed on him like some judge passing a sentence.

"I’ve listened to everyone’s version of your story," Kael replied, casually picking up a biscuit. "And I’ve reached a conclusion."

"...What conclusion?"

"That you were incredibly naïve."He looked her in the eye.

"Someone who thought life was a fairytale and believed worship would be enough. So when the dream cracked... you lost your mind."

The room fell into a profound, icy silence.

Then..

HAA..

HA. HA. HA. HAHAHA—

Emilia broke into laughter.

But it wasn’t laughter filled with joy. It was metallic and hollow without any emotion within.

A sharp, jagged sound, like nails on steel. So unnatural it made the lights in the room flicker.

She finally looked directly at him.

"So what now?" she sneered. "You came to mock me? To revel in the broken mess I’ve become? Or maybe you came for revenge?"

Kael blinked.

"Huh? Why would I do that?" he asked, genuinely puzzled.

"...You mean you don’t hate me?" Her voice trembled just faintly.

Kael looked out the window again, then slowly replied, voice low and thoughtful:

"You know... anyone else in my place would have hated you. Would have despised you for everything you did."

He turned back to her, meeting her empty gaze.

"But..."

A small, soft smile tugged at his lips.

"I know you loved me."

Emilia’s shoulders flinched.

Kael continued.

"I know that’s why you punish yourself every time you lost control. That’s why, whenever you hurt me—you hurt yourself even more. Because there was love inside you... even as the madness drowned it."

He reached out.

Emilia instinctively flinched away—but Kael gently caught her trembling hand and held it.

"I saw it. I felt it even as a child."

"You battled voices inside yourself, the madness eating away at you day by day but you fought back."

"You never stopped fighting."

Her lips quivered slightly, and for the first time in a long, long while her lifeless purple eyes flickered.

Just a glint and spark.

Kael chuckled lightly, rubbing the back of her hand.

"Your ’useless’ son grew up, you know. I’m strong now. Independent. No longer afraid of you."

"So..."

He looked into her eyes, firm and bright.

"It’s time for you to stop locking yourself away like a ghost."

He motioned to the sunlit garden beyond the window.

"The world’s still out there. Flowers, colors, people."

"So..."

He leaned in a little.

"...what do you say, Mom? Ready to step outside?"

Emilia stared at him, eyes wide—lips trembling, heart thundering for the first time in years.

And outside, a single beam of sunlight pierced through the gray clouds falling softly across the table.

However, the flickering light that had briefly shimmered across Emilia’s face dimmed the very next moment, like a candle struggling against the wind.

Kael’s brow furrowed."Eh? That’s not enough to melt your heart?"

He leaned back with a dramatic sigh, clicking his tongue.

"Tsk... tsk... Your son just gave you a high-quality, tear-jerking motivational speech. And yet, stone cold. I should’ve known—truly worthy of being a Duchess of the Veydrins. Guess the infection from that emotionless bastard runs deep."

A soft chuckle escaped Emilia’s lips before she could stop herself.

She blinked.

Then froze.

"...Did I just... laugh?" she whispered, her voice strange, as if she was questioning her own body.

Slowly, she slid her trembling fingers over her lips in disbelief, her eyes wide. Her lips had, indeed, parted in a genuine smile. But upon realizing it, they sealed shut again—quickly returning to that dignified, cold composure.

Kael tilted his head.

"Haa... it seems we need a few more sessions before you fully thaw out."

There was a moment of quiet between them, before Kael casually asked, "By the way... I’m curious about one thing."

Emilia tilted her head. "What is it?"

"Your rank and ability," Kael said, squinting.

"You were hailed as a genius in your time. I never got to see your power, though."

Emilia’s eyes dimmed for a second, as if weighing something in her head.

Then she turned toward the window, raised her pale hand, and with a flick of her fingers—BOOM!

A thunderous blast of light shot from her fingertips like a divine spear, striking a vibrant patch of flowers in the far corner of the garden with pinpoint precision. The explosion of light left behind a charred crater and swirling smoke.

Kael’s jaw dropped.

"WHAT THE—?! Why’d you shoot it in the middle of the garden!?"

He hadn’t even finished speaking when—

"WAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!"

A piercing scream erupted from outside.

Startled, both mother and son bent slightly to peer through the window.

What they saw below was chaos.

Servants ran around in frenzied circles, some diving behind pillars, others huddling under carts with wide, terrified eyes.

"Oh my god, oh my god—"

"Lightning!? From where!? There’s not even a single cloud in the sky!!"

"I swear on the ancestors I saw it come down right from heaven!! Is this a divine judgment!?"

"Lady Emilia’s favorite flower bed... it’s been annihilated!! Uwwwahhh!!!"

"We’re under attack! I repeat, WE ARE UNDER ATTACK!"

"Someone fetch the Duke! Wake the mages! Ready the defensive barrier!"

"NOOOOO!! The purple peonies! Those were rare hybrids! It took three years to get them to bloom like that!"

"I told you! This place is cursed!"

One elderly gardener dramatically threw himself to the ground, tears gushing.

"MY LIFE’S WORK! WHY WAS I BORN?!"

Kael’s mouth slowly fell open as he took it all in.

The servants, the screaming, the smoking crater.

He turned slowly toward his mother, blinking.

"...You just nuked your own backyard."

Emilia’s eyes flicked downward, her long lashes quivering ever so faintly. A faint red blush dusted her pale cheeks—a rare sign of embarrassment on her otherwise statuesque face.

"It... was a mistake," she muttered, looking away.

"I was careless."

Kael blinked, then laughed—short, disbelieving.

"Remind me never to piss you off."

Outside, the chaos continued.

"LIGHTNING CURSE! WE’RE ALL GONNA DIEEEE!!"

"Gather the clergy! Someone find Holy Priest Simon!"

Kael shook his head, still chuckling, and looked at his mother again.

Even in her flustered silence, the corners of her lips twitched, as if resisting a smile.

The ice, ever so slightly...was beginning to crack.

.......

The paper Luke was holding slipped from his fingers, fluttering noiselessly to the floor.

"What... did you say?"

His voice trembled—not from fear, but from disbelief—as he turned toward the servant who had delivered the impossible news.

"Your Highness," the servant repeated with cautious firmness, "Lady Emilia’s health has shown noticeable improvement since Lord Kael’s arrival."

"N-No... That can’t be..." Luke murmured, his voice weak, as though the words couldn’t fully leave his mouth.

Thwack!

A folded piece of paper shot across the room, hitting him squarely in the chest. He flinched and looked up in time to see Alina lower her arm with a snort of irritation.

"Why? Are you unhappy that your sister’s health is improving?" she asked coldly.