My Wives are Beautiful Demons

Chapter 76: Are you selling your daughter because of this?...

Vergil kept his eyes fixed on Raphaeline while his mind raced with strategies.

'If I expand the target of the cut... No, that won't work. I can't even get close to her. Her aura is vast and oppressive, and any attempt to attack would be disintegrated before it even touched her.'

He knew that a direct confrontation would be a death sentence. Raphaeline was not an ordinary opponent; her presence was imposing, and challenging her head-on seemed like madness. But he also understood that someone so irrational needed to be confronted. The woman had sold her own daughter, and Vergil could not let that go unpunished.

"You're staring at me too much, boy. You're going to end up falling in love," Raphaeline said, her smile cold and taunting. She hoped to destabilize him, but what came next took her by surprise.

"It's true; you're one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen in my life," Vergil replied lightly, but then added, "Too bad you're not even 10% of Sapphire's greatness and only 5% of the incredible woman Ada is." His words cut like blades, striking Raphaeline at her weak point.

Her eyes shimmered with purple, the same glint Vergil had seen in Ada. There was no doubt that the temperaments of mother and daughter were similar.

"You have some guts, kid," Raphaeline said, her aura intensifying with every passing second. "And a complete lack of common sense. Why don't you stop acting like a fool? We both know you're just trying to provoke me."

Vergil, undeterred, responded with even more boldness: "We know you just want to scare us, so stop acting like a lunatic."

"M-mother..." Ada murmured, her voice trembling. Unlike Vergil and Katharina, who could handle Sapphire's aura pressure, Ada couldn't cope with the overwhelming force of her own mother. The tension was starting to visibly affect her.

Vergil noticed Ada's discomfort and, rather than backing down, made a decision. He raised his own aura, filling the room with the warmth of his presence. It was a heat that enveloped the three women—Ada, Katharina, and Sapphire—with a sense of comfort, like a gentle embrace. However, for Raphaeline, it felt as if every shadow, every fear, was trying to invade her mental barriers.

'!!!'

Surprise filled the room. The women felt Vergil's comforting warmth, but Raphaeline… she felt the weight of something much darker.

"Enough." Sapphire's authoritative voice cut through the air, interrupting the invisible duel of auras. Her gaze was fixed on Raphaeline. "You're not in your own home. Behave, child."

Silence fell over the room. Raphaeline took a slight step back, and the clash of wills gave way to tension that was still palpable but contained.

Vergil didn't let the moment of control slip through his fingers. As the tension in the room began to dissipate, he observed Raphaeline closely. The question that had been bothering him for a long time echoed in his mind, and he knew now was the perfect moment to confront her.

"Why are you so intent on marrying Ada off to an heir of the Arcontes?" Vergil asked directly, his words sounding calm but loaded with curiosity.

Raphaeline smiled, but the smile didn't reach her eyes. It was a cold, empty gesture, almost as if she were amused by Vergil's persistence. She shrugged casually, as if the topic weren't that important, despite everyone knowing otherwise.

"Is he always this straightforward?" she questioned the air, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Some traditions need to be upheld, don't you think? Old families like mine follow a... shall we say, very specific path. And Ada's union with an heir of the Arcontes would guarantee certain... benefits. It shouldn't be that hard to understand."

Vergil wasn't fooled by her vague words. Raphaeline was playing a game of manipulation, trying to shift the focus away from the real reason. He narrowed his eyes, refusing to be distracted. "Benefits for whom, Raphaeline? For you? For Ada? Or for that Arconte who seems to be behind all this?"

Raphaeline let out a low, mocking laugh, crossing her arms as she kept her gaze fixed on Vergil, deliberately avoiding the question. "You worry too much about things that don't concern you, kid. Ada will marry whoever I decide. And you... you're nothing more than a temporary obstacle. Your charm and provocation will only take you so far."

Vergil's aura flickered briefly, but he quickly steadied himself. He knew she was intentionally dodging the issue, and that only heightened his suspicions. Why was she so obsessed with this alliance? There had to be something deeper at play, and he wouldn't rest until he uncovered the truth.

"You talk as if you've already made the decision for Ada. But I think she has something to say about that, don't you?" He glanced at Ada, who, despite visibly struggling against her mother's pressure, stood resolutely by his side.

"I've chosen my own path, mother," Ada finally spoke, her voice breaking the silence. "And it doesn't involve being a pawn in your political alliance games. If there's something you need from me, say it clearly, or I'll live my life alongside whoever I choose."

Raphaeline's expression hardened. She took a deep breath, her previously unyielding composure wavering for just a moment before she regained control. "Do you really think you understand the consequences of your choices, Ada? The responsibilities that come with our name, our lineage? There's so much more at stake than you realize."

Vergil sensed that the true answer was close, yet still just out of reach. Raphaeline was reluctant to reveal her real obsession with the Arcontes. "So tell me, Raphaeline," he pressed, "what exactly is at stake? Because all of this seems more than just tradition. You're hiding something, and everyone here knows it."

Raphaeline sighed in frustration. "You're perceptive, I'll admit. But even if I wanted to, I couldn't tell you everything. Not now. There are forces at play that you, in your arrogance, can't even begin to comprehend. Things that go far beyond what this little circle can see. Ada's marriage is more than just a tradition. It's a necessity."

Vergil slowly stepped closer, his eyes locked on hers. "And these forces are forcing you to sacrifice your own daughter? Because that's what it seems like, Raphaeline."

Her eyes flashed briefly with a mix of rage and hesitation, but she maintained her composure.

"Stop lying to him, you old whore." Sapphire's voice broke through the tense atmosphere, shattering the moment. "She wants to marry Ada because of a sword." The room fell silent.

For a brief second, Raphaeline lost all composure, her eyes flashing with uncontrollable fury. "Sapphire, how dare you...?" she began, but was interrupted again, this time with no chance of regaining control of the situation.

"She wants to marry Ada because of a sword," Sapphire continued, her voice cold and disdainful, as if exposing an ancient, filthy secret. The silence that followed was almost palpable, the tension escalating with each passing moment.

Vergil frowned, his suspicions finally crystallizing into something more concrete. "A sword?" he asked, turning to face Raphaeline with renewed curiosity. "So that's it? All this theater, all this pressure, over some stupid weapon?"

Raphaeline remained still, her face rigid and composed, but now without the facade of calmness.

"You don't understand what you're talking about, Sapphire," Raphaeline retorted, her voice hardening as she tried to reclaim control of the situation. "That sword is... much more than an ordinary weapon."

"Of course, of course it is," Sapphire replied with a mocking smile. "The Blade of the Rising Sun, an ancient katana, forged, they say, for the sun goddess herself, Amaterasu. Who would've thought, right?" She let out a derisive laugh, clearly relishing the tension her revelation had caused. Her tone was defiant, and Raphaeline's expression twisted slightly with irritation.

Vergil's anger grew with every passing second. His fist clenched involuntarily, the pressure around him intensifying. The mere mention of that sword and its purpose set something within him boiling. He looked at Raphaeline, his eyes burning with frustration and a silent question: How could you?

"Then it's true," Vergil said, his voice low but heavy with restrained fury. "You were willing to use your own daughter for a weapon? All of this... all this manipulation, for an ancient sword? Some worthless piece of junk is worth more than my wife?"

Raphaeline held her rigid posture, but something in her eyes flickered—a fraction of hesitation that did not go unnoticed. She felt control slipping from her grasp. "Shut your mouth, kid. You don't know anything," she replied, her voice firm as she tried to regain dominance. "That sword... it's a relic with a power you can't even begin to comprehend. It should have been mine from the start."

The atmosphere grew even heavier, the air around them suffocating. Vergil's rage surged like an impending storm, his murderous intent filling the space. In a split second, he vanished and reappeared right in front of the Demon Queen, an intimidating distance away. His eyes gleamed with lethal desire, and the tension between them was palpable.

"So this is it?" Vergil spoke, his voice low yet threatening. "If I kill everyone and take the sword, you'll stay quiet, won't you?" The glint in his eyes was sharp, and his presence felt overwhelming.

Raphaeline, taken aback by his speed, barely had time to respond before he continued. His unwavering confidence shone through every word.

"Sapphire," Vergil commanded, not taking his eyes off Raphaeline, "announce a Blood Armageddon. I want to face the fool who dared to dream of marrying my Ada."