The Third Prince Of Darkness

Chapter 160: On the future

"Ah, what does it matter? Is His Excellency Ethan a stranger?" said Isabella's mother.

I was quite surprised when Isabella, with a flushed face, slipped into the other room to hide from me. After all, it was rare to see her flushed, especially when we weren't in the bedroom.

"Oh, don't mind her, Your Excellency. She's been acting strange all day. Can you believe I even saw her put on makeup for the first time? She didn't even touch her face on her own wedding day!" Isabella's mother continued.

"Mother!" Isabella's shout came from the other room, and her mother smiled and gestured as if to zip her lips.

"By the way, my lady, may I ask your name?" I asked quickly, trying to change the subject.

"Oh, right, my name! Let me introduce myself properly, Your Excellency. I am Diavana, the proud mother of Queen Isabella. It is an honor to meet you." She said, bowing her head in front of me.

"Pleased to meet you, my lady. Please, raise your head."

Diavana lifted her head and gave me a slight smile. Just then, a tall, broad-shouldered, elderly man with a commanding aura entered the room. Despite some white hairs in his beard, he looked no older than his early Forties. Undoubtedly, this man was the wealthiest person in the Kingdom of Asina after me. He approached with a stern expression on his face.

"Pleased to meet you, Your Excellency. I am Tywal Rebbillone, Isabella's father and head of the Rebillone family's branch in the Kingdom of Asina," he said in a deep, gruff voice. For a moment, I felt as if I was facing a battle-worn general.

"Likewise, Mr. Tywal. It's a pleasure to meet you. You have truly raised a wonderful daughter," I said, and at that moment, I noticed the shadow of Isabella, secretly listening behind the door.

"Hah. You act far beyond your years, Your Excellency. But I must admit, the real credit goes to your parents. You've impressed even an old, worldly man like me with your accomplishments."

Just then, Luciana entered the room with Lyra in her arms, followed by Avanne, and lastly, Isabella slipped in through another door. The atmosphere in the dining room suddenly became more lively.

"You're right, Mr. Tywal, especially my mother—she's exceptional. I am her creation," I said, kissing my mother's cheeks, catching her off guard with my sudden compliment.

"Kiss me too! Kiss me too!" squealed Lyra, who was both startled and thrilled in my mother's arms.

I kissed Lyra on her cheeks, making her giggle sweetly. As laughter filled the room and everyone smiled, we gathered around the table. Servants were setting the table with the delicious dishes they had prepared. Luciana sat down, gently setting little Lyra on her lap and giving her a kiss before taking the chair beside her. Lyra, however, seemed reluctant to leave my mother's side. Watching this scene, I felt a strange sense of peace and happiness.

During the meal, everyone shared both old memories and new stories. Tywal appeared to be a quiet observer, but it was clear from his careful gaze that he was listening intently. From time to time, he would join the conversation with a faint smile, particularly when listening to stories of Kayle and my childhood, laughing heartily. Isabella, on the other hand, sometimes gave her mother a reproachful look or avoided her gaze with a shy smile.

Then, Diavana turned to Luciana with a warm tone, "Ah, Luciana, when I first saw Ethan, I knew he had a strong yet tender spirit, much like yours. But to see how he has matured over the years... I don't know what he is to you now, but the deep emotions in your eyes are clear whenever you look at him."

Luciana, a bit embarrassed, nodded gently in response to Diavana's words. Then, with a soft smile, she looked at me. "No matter what, he's still my little Ethan. He will always be my one and only son," she said, then hugged and kissed Lyra.

As the meal concluded, everyone lingered to chat a bit longer, savoring the warmth of shared laughter and memories. However, as the night wore on, Tywal, with a serious look on his face, drew the room's attention to himself. As Isabella's father, he was both a respected figure within the family and someone whose words carried weight.

"Your Excellency Ethan," Tywal's deep voice resonated, "some time ago, after hearing about you from Isabella, I felt a strong desire to see and meet you myself. With the respect held for you and your family in the Kingdom of Asina, I have no doubt that you will contribute greatly to our kingdom in the future. I wanted to express my trust in you, as well as my support."

I listened carefully to Tywal's words for a moment and bowed my head slightly in gratitude. Tywal had openly declared his loyalty to me, a significant support, even though my claim to the throne was already secure.

After chatting for a while longer, Isabella's parents were the first to retire to their rooms. The rest of us gathered by the fireplace, talking and laughing. Luciana and Isabella had, without a doubt, become best friends by now, with little Lyra standing between them, listening to their conversation. I took a seat in a armchair, watching them quietly. Just then, Avanne entered with a tray. Despite there being plenty of servants in the manor, she had personally prepared coffee for us.

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As we sipped Avanne's coffee, my mother turned to me, and, like a line of dominoes, the other ladies followed suit.

"Well, dear Ethan, why did you say there would be dozens more grandchildren in the future? Have you already set up a harem for yourself?" she asked, drawing particularly focused looks from Isabella and Avanne.

"What's a harem?" a sweet voice chimed in.

"Oh, darling, a harem... it means having lots of mothers," Luciana said, playfully pinching Lyra's chubby cheeks.

"Then isn't that a good thing?" Lyra asked in her cute, soft voice.

"…Yes, I suppose it is. But it's bad to keep it a secret from his mother," Luciana replied.

I then turned to Avanne. "It's very late. Shouldn't you be putting her to bed?"

Avanne nodded and stood up shyly. "Excuse me, Your Majesty, but… well, it's time for Lyra to go to bed," she said to my mother.

"Oh, of course, of course. You can take her," said Luciana, giving Lyra's chubby cheeks a kiss before letting her go.

Muah-Muah-Muah!

"See you later, darling!"

After Avanne took Lyra away, my mother turned back to me. "Well, don't you have anything to say, little Ethan?"

"… Heh. Yes, I am surrounded by many women," I said with a sigh.

"Then tell me a little about them!" Luciana said, rushing over to sit beside me.

Even though the armchair I was in was meant for one person, my mother squeezed in next to me, forcing us to sit very close.

"Come on, tell me! I want to know who each of my daughters-in-law is!" she said.

"Alright, alright," I said, giving in, then took a sip of my coffee and started to explain. "First, there's my fiancée, Evangeline, whom you already know. She's an extraordinary woman and also quite cunning, but her feelings for me are genuine. Then there's Ellera, the most talented of the snow fox tribe and even wealthier than I am. She's a woman with no expressions or emotions, yet she has a big heart. Next… there's Anna(Roxanne). She's someone who is obsessively in love with me and whom I trust completely. And then there's Princess Catherine of the Tiamat Empire, whom I hope to make one of my wives someday, even if our relationship hasn't developed as much as the others. She plays the role of a cold princess but is actually a fragile soul with a large, tender heart. Besides them, there are two others who've become somewhat obsessed with me over the past few days, though I'm not sure about them yet. Oh, and… there's one more woman whom I won't tell you about for now. She's incredibly special and important to me—a woman who can turn me into both a gentleman and a beast, all at once," I said, casting a secret glance toward Isabella with my last words.

"Wow, that's quite a lot of women. And I hope you have a good reason for not telling me about that last one! … But what about… what about the mother of your child?"

Luciana's question caused a brief silence in the room. Luciana staring at me, and I could feel Isabella's gaze was especially intense. To lighten the weight of the question, I tilted my head slightly with a sincere smile.

"My relationship with Avanne is quite complicated… But I do plan to accept her."

Luciana snuggled closer to me, her eyes fixed on me. For a moment, there was silence, but the complexity of my emotions was evident in every word. "What about Lyra?" she asked suddenly, her voice softening. "Will you officially accept her as your daughter?"

"Yes, I will accept her... but before I can do that, I have to take the throne and kill my father, Richard..."