As Angron led his sons into orbit, Caelan stood before Claudia's gilded palace, gazing at the bronze serpents coiled around its spires.
Before leaving, he wanted to bid farewell to the friends he had made in this world.
But as he lingered, Caelan suddenly realized that aside from this cold, luxurious palace, he had nowhere else to go.
On his first day in this world, Caelan found Angron atop a snowy mountain.
The second day, he found Mira in a village.
The third day, he picked up a group of slaves on the road.
The fourth day, he arrived in Desh'ea.
And for the next six months, he stayed here.
Though he never felt much interest in Claudia, when he looked back, this place seemed to be the only trace he'd left in this world.
Aside from Angron, he hadn't formed any real bonds with anyone.
Even Mira spent more time with Enor and Clest than with Caelan.
Caelan had poured all his energy into Angron, nurturing him like a sapling with meticulous care.
But beyond that?
Aside from Claudia, who clung to him uninvited, there wasn't much else.
Had he become cold?
No.
Caelan touched his chest, his heart was still warm.
So why didn't he have other friends?
He still cared about Mira. She was the only one besides Angron who shared memories with him. Caelan had always treated her like a daughter, just as he had with Philly.
But what about the others?
If not for him, Oenamaus would've been Angron's foster father.
Caelan and Oenamaus should've been close friends, like Caelan and Thengir. Caelan never looked down on Oenamaus for being a slave. So why hadn't they become friends?
Oenamaus respected him deeply, even willing to die to protect him.
Because Oenamaus knew that while Angron was the liberator, Caelan was the one who taught him how to liberate.
But this relationship was far from friendship; it was more like a cold, superior-subordinate dynamic.
Why had it turned out this way?
Caelan paused in the dim corridor, pondering. It wasn't a mystery. The answer was clear as day, Claudia.
That woman always clung to him, constantly talking about his genes. Caelan suspected even Erda's obsession with the Emperor wasn't as intense as Claudia's.
Claudia was theatrical, yet oddly sincere. She never lied, as if she had figured out Caelan's weak spot in advance.
Caelan hated being lied to, so he always taught the Primarchs to be honest. He led by example.
Claudia, though a High Knight, was spotless; even audits couldn't find fault with her.
House Octavia had no registered slaves. Even the maids served Claudia voluntarily.
Aside from her love of drama and exaggerated behavior, she had no dirt.
But what if her theatrics weren't an act, but her true nature?
Her sincerity bordered on obsession, clearly aimed at pleasing Caelan.
But if she wanted to please him, why not act more naturally? Caelan liked many types, demure like Dorothy, cute like Sylvia, even Medea wasn't out of the question. Before crossing worlds, he often fantasized about buying a sex robot once technology advanced.
Sex robots could meet his needs, wouldn't fight over assets, and could be customized to his preferences, the ideal partner.
If Claudia had toned it down, even if he knew she was faking, Caelan might've been moved.
Unless her theatrics were her sincere response, her true nature, and she didn't want to fake it and risk harming their relationship.
At first, Caelan found that idea absurd. Who's born theatrical?
But then again, maybe it wasn't impossible.
Some people are born cold, some repressed, some cheerful, why not theatrical?
If Colchis could produce Erebus, a born villain, why couldn't Nuceria produce Claudia, born sincere and theatrical?
If Claudia desperately wanted to show her best side to Caelan, like wanting to be Angron's mother, then maybe her theatrics were her best side.
People hate theatrics because they associate it with bad character.
But Claudia was different. Though Caelan found her manipulative, he couldn't call her bad.
She always clung to him, taking up his time. He was so busy dealing with her, he had no time to bond with others. That subtly weakened his ties with everyone else.
In the end, aside from Angron and Mira, Claudia was the only one he could say goodbye to.
So… who was she?
Caelan had spent a long time with her, knew her manipulative ways well, but beyond that, he knew almost nothing.
He knew her name, Claudia Octavia. He knew she was theatrical, sincere, and obsessed with his genes. But what else?
Nothing.
Until now, Caelan hadn't felt anything was off. But looking back, it was strange.
People are contradictions.
Angron cried once as a child, but cried for a whole day.
He was mature, determined to liberate the world from a young age.
He was resolute, like all Primarchs.
Sometimes childish, wanting to stay small to spend more time with Caelan.
But when duty called, even with deep reluctance, he shouldered it without hesitation.
Claudia, on the other hand, came across as pure as that.
She never got angry. Caelan had never seen her upset. Even when he rejected her, she showed no frustration or disappointment.
Because she knew rejection was normal. Acceptance would surprise her.
Yet she persisted, believing her efforts would one day succeed. Even if she couldn't have Caelan's body, his heart would do.
Even when Caelan compared her to a fish chasing a monkey, her anger seemed staged, just to show how much she valued his genes. Angron hadn't sensed any real anger.
Someone obsessed with genetic purity would surely be angry at being called a fish.
But Claudia wasn't.
Yet she genuinely desired Caelan's body and genes, wanted to have his child.
It was contradictory, but maybe not.
If Claudia only cared about Caelan's genes and not her own, that would explain her attitude.
But why?
Where did this obsession come from?
Caelan had only come to say goodbye, but the more he walked through the cold palace, the more he felt something eerie about Claudia.
"Master," Enor emerged from the shadows of a weathered column, bowing gracefully.
Though Claudia was their mistress, she had declared Caelan her beloved, so the maids called him "Master" too.
"Where's Claudia?"
"She's waiting inside. She told us to wake her when you arrived."
"She's awake now?"
"Yes."
"Take me to her."
Enor turned with elegant poise, her flowing garments fluttering just enough, leading Caelan forward.
If Claudia was theatrical, so were her maids.
Though dressed as maids, they carried themselves with noble grace, tinged with pride.
It didn't make sense. You couldn't explain it by saying they were once noblewomen. The fall from grace should've left them lost, like Lady Liulichuan, who perfectly embodied a fallen noble turned maid.
Their demeanor suggested they weren't truly fallen. Serving Claudia had elevated them beyond their former status.
Like going from chicken head to phoenix tail, a leap in class.
"My dear, you've come," a lazy, sultry voice drifted from the throne. Claudia reclined on the gilded seat, a faint smile on her lips.
"You okay?"
Caelan sensed something off. If she used to be a pampered Persian cat, now she was a ragdoll in heat, every glance brimming with restless desire.
Translation: she was horny and wanted to jump him.
Bang!
The heavy adamantine doors slammed shut. The maids in black-and-white uniforms stood silently in the shadows of the gilded columns.
Caelan had no doubt that if Claudia tried to assault him, they'd help. Some might even sneak a taste.
They didn't need much, just a sip of the overflow.
"What could be wrong?" Claudia laughed like silver bells. "I just realized I like you even more than before!"
"You're in heat?"
"Exactly." Claudia lifted her chin elegantly, her swan-like neck stretching. Her smile was regal, but her eyes burned.
"The child's not here, but you know I'm sincere."
"I came to say goodbye, and you want to jump me?"
"What?" Claudia tilted her head, voice dripping with honey. "Is that… not allowed?"
Caelan subtly stepped back. "No need to rush, right?"
'Mistake, I hadn't brought Angron.'
'Guys really need to protect themselves out there.' Caelan was already planning how to subdue the maids without hurting them and escape quickly.
She lowered her gaze, biting her lip, voice tinged with rare vulnerability. "But if I don't do something now, I'll lose you forever."
"How could that be? We'll meet again."
"When?"
"Once I've found all the Primarchs, I'll revisit their homeworlds. See if they're still on their paths. I'll meet old friends then."
Claudia tilted her head. "Old friends? Including me?"
"Don't you have any self-awareness? If you hadn't clung to me every day, how would I have failed to make any friends besides you?"
Claudia blinked, her moist eyes shimmering with stubborn light. "So… we're friends?"
"Isn't that obvious?"
"I want to hear you say it out loud~" Her voice trailed off sweetly, like a cat playfully pawing at its owner's heart.
"Yes," Caelan gazed into her dewy eyes. "As long as your intentions remain true, we'll always be friends."
"Is that a promise?"
"What, do I need to give you a timeline too? Like being friends for life?"
"No counter-questions!" Her voice trembled with spoiled insistence, like a puffed-up kitten throwing a tantrum. "Right now, immediately, give me a clear answer, or I'll pounce on you!"
"It's a promise," Caelan nodded. "A lifetime isn't out of the question."
If she were sincere, he would be sincere too; that was his principle.
Of course, sneak attacks on enemies didn't count.
Once someone was an enemy, who cared about honor and chivalry?
Claudia's request wasn't as heavy as a Primarch's. Just a promise to be lifelong friends, Caelan could easily agree to that.
After all, a mortal's lifetime is short. A few hundred years later, even the prettiest woman would become a skeleton in the dirt.
Still, when that time came, he'd light incense at Claudia's grave to honor this strange friendship.
Claudia suddenly broke into a radiant smile, blooming like spring flowers. "Then my heart will never change for a lifetime!"
"I meant your commitment to humanity's liberation, not your thirst for my body!"
"It's the same thing," Claudia said playfully. "If you won't let me thirst for your body, why should I dedicate my life to humanity's cause?"
"Why wouldn't you? Aren't you human?"
"I could be. Or not." Claudia lounged lazily on the gilded armchair, her silk gown rustling. "If you want the horse to run, even if you don't feed it sugar, you should at least dangle a juicy treat in front of it, right?"
Caelan wanted to cover his face. 'What kind of wild lines are these?'
'You're even pretending anymore!'
But regardless, the sultry tension in the air finally dissipated like morning mist. Claudia sat up gracefully, fingers brushing imaginary stray hairs from her temple. In an instant, she returned to her usual elegant, aloof demeanor, back to being a regal Persian cat instead of a ragdoll in heat.
'Wait a minute, why did Enor look so disappointed?'
'Didn't expect you, with your delicate demeanor, to be thirsting for me too!'
"So… what was that just now?"
"Some lowborn brat pissed me off. So I wanted to pounce on you before you left. Even if I couldn't have your heart, I'd at least have your body."
"You sure you could pounce on me?"
"Who knows unless I try? It was my last gamble."
"But now…" Claudia tilted her head, flashing a smile both innocent and seductive. "Do you think I have the potential to be a Primarch's mother?"
Caelan nodded. "You do."
"Really?" Claudia's fingers trembled, her violet-blue pupils contracting sharply. Her lips parted, releasing only a breathy whisper.
"Don't sell yourself short. I think you're better than the Primarchs' birth mothers!"
Claudia might be strange, but her support for Angron was genuine and wholehearted.
Whatever her motives, that effort couldn't be denied.
She didn't just want Angron to call her "Mom", she truly wanted to be a good mother. Even if it was all based on Caelan, that still counted for something.
If Erda had Claudia's drive and sincerity, she could've just gone to the Emperor and said she was so thirsty for him it was causing repression. The Emperor, no matter how busy, would've gladly obliged. Things wouldn't have ended up like they did.
Claudia suddenly raised her slender hand to cover her lips, letting out a few silvery giggles.
She clearly wanted to hide it, but couldn't.
Because the results of the past few months didn't compare to what she'd stumbled into today. If she'd known it was this easy to get a promise, she would've tried pouncing on Caelan ages ago!
This must be what Caelan meant by compromise.
When she only talked about thirsting for his body, he wouldn't agree.
But when she actually tried to act on it, he agreed to let her thirst for him.
That realization made Claudia's eyes sparkle, her fingertips tremble with joy, like a cat that had successfully stolen a fish, curling up smugly in the shadows.
That brat probably never imagined things would turn out like this.
"No matter what, I win!"
Her fingers still hovered near her smiling lips, but her eyes now gleamed like a hunter's. To earn more promises, she'd now have to dedicate her life to humanity's liberation.
.....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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