Silence.
A silence so complete that even the ticking wall clock sounded like a warning.
No one moved.
No one breathed.
Even the tea on the table seemed too afraid to steam.
Seraphina sat there with perfect calm, as if she hadn't just dropped a nuclear bomb in the middle of breakfast.
"It concerns his future wives."
Those words still echoed in the room like a curse.
I stared at her.
She calmly took another sip of tea.
Beautiful.
Elegant.
Absolutely dangerous.
Across the table, Kavya blinked twice.
Then slowly turned toward me.
"Aarav."
Her voice was too calm.
That was never a good sign.
"Yes?"
She leaned forward.
"How many wives exactly are we discussing over breakfast?"
I considered jumping out the window.
Riya still looked like her soul had temporarily left her body.
Ananya had reached the stage beyond anger.
Pure judgement.
Mother sat frozen with a spoon in hand, trying to process whether this was romance or a family disaster.
And Father—
Father simply watched.
Quiet.
Still.
His eyes moved from Seraphina to me.
Not surprised.
Not shocked.
Observing.
Calculating.
Like a man watching a game he already understood.
That bothered me more than everything else.
I cleared my throat.
"This is a misunderstanding."
Kavya nodded seriously.
"Yes."
"Obviously."
She pointed at Seraphina.
"The mysterious, beautiful girl with red eyes came to our house at sunrise, called you important, and mentioned future wives."
She crossed her arms.
"Completely normal misunderstanding."
I hated how strong her argument was.
Seraphina placed her cup down.
"It is not a misunderstanding."
I closed my eyes.
Of course.
Of course, she said that.
Mother finally spoke.
Softly.
Carefully.
"Aarav…"
She looked at me like she was trying to protect me from my own life.
"Is there something you want to tell us?"
Yes.
Actually.
Ten vampire heiresses were trying to marry me because of an ancient bloodline, and I may become the king of monsters.
But somehow I felt that would not improve breakfast.
Before I could answer, Father stood.
The simple movement changed the room.
Not loudly.
Not dramatically.
But instantly.
Authority.
Calm.
Control.
He folded the newspaper neatly and looked at me.
"Come with me."
Not a request.
A statement.
Then he walked toward his study.
The room stayed silent.
Kavya whispered,
"Oh, you're dead."
Riya looked genuinely worried.
Ananya just nodded like justice had finally arrived.
Seraphina, traitor that she was, looked far too entertained.
I stood and followed Father.
The study was on the first floor.
A quiet room lined with bookshelves, old wooden furniture, and a heavy desk near the window.
The moment I entered, he closed the door.
Click.
For a few seconds, he said nothing.
He stood by the window, hands in his pockets, looking outside.
Then—
without turning—
He spoke.
"You fight like someone who has killed before."
My body went still.
No hesitation.
No confusion.
Straight to the truth.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
I kept my voice neutral.
"That's a strange thing to say to your son."
Father gave a small smile.
Still facing the window.
"And yet not wrong."
He turned.
For the first time since I woke in this body—
I truly looked at him.
Not as a father.
As a man.
And what I saw was not ordinary.
The calm heartbeat.
The measured breathing.
The eyes that missed nothing.
This man had lived through violence.
Real violence.
His gaze locked onto mine.
"Who are you?"
Direct.
Sharp.
No games.
I could have lied.
A normal person would have.
But instinct told me that lying here would be a mistake.
So I asked instead,
"Who are you?"
For a moment—
silence.
Then Father laughed.
Not loudly.
But genuinely.
"Good."
He walked to the desk and opened the bottom drawer.
From inside, he took out something wrapped in old cloth.
He placed it on the table and slowly unwrapped it.
A silver dagger.
Ancient.
Beautiful.
Deadly.
The moment I saw it, my vampire instincts reacted violently.
Silver.
Not ordinary silver.
Hunter silver.
Holy engraved.
Made to kill things like Seraphina.
Or perhaps…
things like me.
Father rested one hand on it.
His voice became quieter.
"A long time ago, before I became a husband… before I became your father…"
He looked at the blade.
"I hunted monsters."
The room felt colder.
I said nothing.
Because I already knew.
I had felt it the moment I heard his heartbeat.
Father continued.
"Not the kind from children's stories."
"The real kind."
"Creatures wearing beautiful faces."
"Ancient blood hiding behind noble names."
Vampires.
Of course.
He looked at me again.
"But then I met your mother."
His expression softened.
"And I chose peace."
That part, I believed.
Completely.
He was not lying.
He truly had left that world.
At least… he had tried.
Then his voice hardened again.
"So tell me honestly."
His eyes locked onto mine.
"Is that girl outside dangerous to this family?"
Not to me.
Not to him.
To the family.
That was the real question.
That was what mattered.
I thought about Seraphina.
About the hunters.
About the blood bond.
About the world now moving around this house.
Then I answered truthfully.
"Yes."
Father nodded once.
No anger.
No shock.
Only acceptance.
"I thought so."
He picked up the dagger and offered it to me.
I looked at it.
Then at him.
"What is this?"
His answer came without hesitation.
"If monsters are coming for my family…"
His voice was calm.
Deadly calm.
"Then my son should not fight unarmed."
For a second—
Something in me shifted.
In both lives, trust had always been a weapon.
A weakness.
A lie before betrayal.
But this—
This was not manipulation.
This was a father handing his son a blade and saying:
I stand with you.
Slowly, I took the dagger.
The silver burnt slightly against my skin.
But I held it.
Father smiled faintly.
"Good."
Then he added,
"And for the record…"
He walked past me toward the door.
"If there are truly ten future wives involved…"
He opened the door.
"Please warn your mother slowly."
Then he left.
I stood alone in the study.
Holding a hunter's blade.
Staring at the door.
And for the first time in a very long time—
I understood something dangerous.
This family…
was worth killing for.