Rivik lifted his head with a confused snarl.
"What?" he barked. "What is it about, Ivira?"
Ivira stood straight.
White hair, shimmering like frost. A calm glowing crimson eyes. But her fingers… they trembled.
She repeated her order with a steady voice.
"My husband can stay."
As soon as she uttered that, the whole chamber fell silent.
Every breath paused.
Every thought froze.
Every person looked at her like she had spoken forbidden words.
The blood slaves stared with wide eyes.
The blood maids held their mouths.
Even Rivik blinked, stunned.
They were speechless. Truly speechless.
He forgot to breathe for a moment. Blink. Blink. Blink. No… he must be dreaming.
"D-Daughter," he whispered, shaking. "What… what did you say?"
He sounded like everything he knew had been thrown upside down.
Ivira never defended Cain.
She never even looked at him with more than bored indifference.
She never called him husband.
Not once.
Not even in private.
Not even by accident.
So why now?
The blood maids exchanged looks.
The blood slaves leaned forward, curious.
They also thought she never called him husband.
So they couldn't help but lean forward slightly.
However, Cain was the most stunned of them all.
He stood still.
His heart felt like it missed a beat.
His mind spun.
She… said husband?
He remembered the past.
He remembered the cold years.
He remembered every humiliation she gave him.
He remembered how he carried her when she was injured and she told him to drop her.
He remembered cleaning her sword for her, only for her to tell the servants to redo it because he "smelled like a mortal."
He remembered lining her blood chamber with a protective blood amulet he bought with his own blood crystals, only for her to never ask who did it.
He remembered skipping his own mana improvement sessions to silently support hers.
He remembered feeding his blood essence to stabilize her breakthrough.
Kneeling by her bed. Sick. She told him to stay away. He stayed anyway. He cried until she became fine. She didn't even thank him.
He remembered giving her half of his lifespan to save hers.
He remembered giving away a treasure that could have elevated him to Elder Rank, because she needed it more.
He remembered bending until he broke.
Not once was he acknowledged.
But now—
She called him husband.
Cain's brows furrowed in deep confusion.
Why isn't she hating me? Why isn't she disgusted? This isn't right. There's something fishy around here.
Rivik shook off his shock first.
"Daughter," he said, voice tightening, "answer your father. Why would you let this brat stay? Cain is not worthy to listen to Moonshade family matters."
Cain nodded internally.
Yep. I'm not worthy. Absolutely not worthy. Keep talking, old man.
Ivira lifted her chin, with her crimson eyes glowing, she asked.
"Father, why is he not worthy? He is my husband."
Immediately, there was silence again.
They froze like statues.
Even Cain felt his chest tighten at the strange shift.
The blood maids and blood slaves all widened their eyes again, wondering if the world was about to collapse.
Rivik croaked, "What… did you say?"
Ivira exhaled slowly.
She stepped forward.
"He is my husband," she repeated clearly. "And no matter what you think of him, he has the right to listen to family affairs."
Rivik slapped the side of his coffin with irritation.
"How in the bloody abyss is he worthy?!" he roared. "This brat has no position! No contribution! No nobility! He can't fight! He can't improve his mana fast because of his low level talent. He can't even sweep the halls properly! He is a useless ornament! A man who has nothing—NOTHING—to offer this family!"
Cain nodded again in his head.
Yes. Valid points. Keep going. All facts. I agree, old fart.
But outwardly he kept his head lowered and trembled pathetically.
Ivira held her ground.
"He is not a blood slave," she said.
"He is not a blood maid."
"He is not a blood attendant."
"He is not a blood butler."
She kept going, her voice strong.
"He is not a decoration. He is not an outsider. He is not a tool for convenience. He is not a servant for errands. He is not something you can cast aside. He is not a bargaining chip."
She inhaled deeply, then spoke the words that stunned the world.
"He is my husband. He is part of the family."
Rivik stared at her like she had gone insane.
Ivira turned toward him fully.
Her crimson eyes glowed.
"Father," she said, "I just broke through to the Eighth Stage Blood Realm. Please don't jeopardize my happiness."
Rivik was stunned again.
Your happiness?
Don't tell me you chose him to be your husband because…
He couldn't help but clenched his jaw.
He glared at Cain with pure disgust.
Cain quickly lowered his head.
He shook like a frightened puppy on purpose.
Rivik couldn't refute Ivira when she was in such a rare good condition.
He exhaled sharply.
"Fine," he said through gritted teeth. "My daughter, I apologize."
Then he looked at Cain.
He snorted loudly.
"Hmph! You lucky son of a blood bitch!"
Cain nodded pathetically.
"Yes, Father-in-law…" he whispered.
But inside, his thoughts burned.
You damn old corpse. You're lucky my Overgod blood put Ivira in a good mood. If she wasn't glowing from the benefits of my power, I would have blasted this coffin with your bones still in it. I'd use you for target practice. Repeatedly. You hear me!? I'd do it repeatedly.
Rivik pointed at him sharply.
"Just stand there and listen!" he ordered. "Do not move. Do not speak. Do not breathe loudly!"
Cain nodded like a whipped dog.
Inside, he rolled his eyes.
Then—
"Father!" Ivira snapped sharply.
Rivik jolted in shock.
"What now?!"
Ivira glared at him.
"He is my husband."
Rivik stiffened. The old man almost choked.
"W-Why do you keep saying that?!"
Ivira didn't answer him.
Instead, she turned toward Cain.
Her expression shifted. It became serious, heavy but soft.
She spoke softly but clearly.
"Cain… I must explain our situation. You need to understand the danger our family is in."
Cain tilted his head.
Does she think I have a choice not to?
He listened carefully.
Ivira continued.
"Even though I broke through… disaster still hangs over the Moonshade Family. Father made a grave mistake. He told the Crimson Blood King that the Moonshade should seek allegiance to the Demon Emperor."
Cain blinked once. Welp! Can't help it. The old man was a fool indeed.
Ivira clenched her fists listening to that. But she continued.
"But the Crimson Blood King thought it was treason. He struck my father down. He branded our family as traitors."
She shook her head.
"To prove our loyalty, we were given a mission. A deadly one."
Cain already has an idea what she would say.
"We must defeat the rising Lycannis Family," Ivira whispered. "If we fail… we all die."
Cain's heart tightened with recognition.
The Lycannis Family… the lycan clan that rose with impossible strength.
He remembered them vividly.
He remembered their prodigy—the one who tore through the hierarchy and became a King within two years.
He remembered the rise so powerful it shook the Demon Emperor's throne.
He remembered how they swept through rivals like a storm.
He remembered Moonshade's fall.
He remembered their annihilation.
And he remembered that he survived only because the Moonshade Family had cast him away earlier.
They threw him out.
They abandoned him.
And he walked away free just before their downfall.
Ivira felt a chill run through her body.
She could hear his thoughts.
So… the Moonshade Family really died? It was that bad? Did that really happen? Father ruined us that much? We… we all died…?
Her breath quickened.
A shiver crawled up her spine.
But then… she froze.
Because suddenly, Cain thought something else.
Something dark.
Something sharp.
Something dangerous.
Something that made her heart stop cold in her chest.
And that thought, shocked Ivira so much she forgot how to breathe.