Mature beauties

Velriona listened carefully to Neonidas's words, yet the noble veil on her face turned into a fragile coldness. His determination and ambition, forged with hatred, were both terrifying and impressive. For a moment, she envisioned the chaos Neonidas spoke of in the future. Could it be true that both she and her daughter would lose everything, and this girl named Avelina would triumph? Moreover, could Avelina kill her daughter and get away with it? To Velriona, this was an unbearable future.

"So, what do you want from me?" Velriona asked, now looking at Neonidas in a different light.

"For now, not much. Just stay by my side. Once I've gained enough strength and everything else is in place, I'll tell you what you need to do, my Empress. Perhaps you could visit me at the duchy sometime," Neonidas replied, with an obvious hint in his tone.

The Empress couldn't understand this young man who dared to make such bold remarks. Why was he wasting his time on a woman like herself, old and already married? Velriona couldn't comprehend Neonidas' intentions.

"I thought you were hopelessly in love with Allea."

Hearing Velriona's words, Neonidas smiled faintly, a smile that was both mocking and dangerous. His eyes gleamed like those of a predator trying to pierce the Empress's soul. "If Princess Allea wishes to be with me, I'll work to make her happy. But honestly, loving a woman who chose another man in my previous life is meaningless. Besides, Allea doesn't love me either. Chasing after an impossible relationship is pointless. Now, I've grown to prefer mature beauties like you. "

Velriona was stunned by Neonidas's words. His indifference and overwhelming confidence unsettled and intrigued her. Even someone as experienced as she was struggling to decipher such a complex and dangerous mind. But was this merely a game for Neonidas, or was he genuine?

"You're an incredibly arrogant man, Neonidas," Velriona said in a stern tone, though her eyes reflected a thoughtful gaze. "For someone your age to speak so boldly to an empress is both brave and reckless. Under normal circumstances, you would have already paid for your words with your life. But if what you say is true, and you really will save my daughter, I might be willing to cooperate with you, despite your arrogance."

Neonidas took Velriona's words as a sign of victory and bowed slightly, smiling. The sly glint in his eyes reflected his intelligence and confidence. "Your ability to recognize the truth so quickly is admirable, Your Majesty," he said in a tone that mixed subtle mockery with genuine praise. "My arrogance may seem bothersome, but I assure you, it's merely a side effect. Once my true power emerges, you won't see me as arrogant, but as indispensable."

Velriona carefully studied Neonidas's overconfidence. The young man moved like a predator, hiding his strength and waiting for the right moment to corner his prey. Such daring confidence could only stem from madness or genuine brilliance.

"Shall I tell you what will happen when you become strong enough, Neonidas?" Velriona said, her tone now carrying a sharp edge of threat. "If you fail, the chaos you speak of will consume you before it reaches me. I'm taking this risk for my daughter's life. But if your plan threatens her, I will destroy you with my own hands."

Neonidas responded to Velriona's words with an even broader smile, as if he relished the challenge. "I wouldn't expect anything less from you," he said, bowing his head with mock humility. "Your threats seem like a testament to your love for your daughter. But rest assured, Your Majesty. Everyone involved in my plans will either rise to the top or be completely annihilated."

Velriona took a deep breath, leaning back as she tried to make sense of her conflicting emotions. She didn't want to trust Neonidas, but the seriousness of his words affected her, nonetheless. This young man's true intentions were still unclear, but one thing was certain: Neonidas would either become the savior of the empire or its greatest downfall.

"For now, leave," Velriona commanded in a cold, authoritative voice. "But know that I'll be watching you closely. If you make even one wrong move, I'll be the first to notice. And when that happens, I will end all your plans myself."

"I eagerly await your visit, Your Majesty," Neonidas replied, bowing one last time before leaving the hall with unshakable composure.

Velriona sank into deep thought as she watched him go. This young man's move seemed like only the beginning of a much larger game.

---

A few hours later,

"So… Are you seriously telling me you'll establish a magic center for me? With what money and what stock of mana stones?" Zalira asked.

Neonidas noticed that his sister had looked worse than usual lately. She seemed more tired, her face practically screaming with exhaustion.

"Isn't working this hard all the time exhausting? I think you should accept my offer. As for your questions, don't worry. Everything will be ready just in time," he replied.

Zalira frowned slightly at Neonidas's confident words. His calm and dismissive attitude was infuriating, especially given the scale of his plans. "Neonidas, you're as manipulative with words as ever," she said firmly. "But instead of grand promises, why don't you try being realistic for once? Mana stones are hard to come by, and setting up the infrastructure for a magic center takes months, not days."

Neonidas shook his head with a calm smile in response to his sister's worried look. "If you don't trust me, think of it as a game, dear sister," he said with a hint of a little smile. "Accept what I'm proposing. Let me carry out my plans and see the results. If I fail, everything will turn out as you predicted. But if I succeed… the magic center will only be the beginning. Things you can't even imagine will become possible."

Zalira took a deep breath, noticing the determination in Neonidas's eyes. His boldness made her wonder if he was an extraordinary visionary or a fearless madman. "Fine, let's say I accept," she said at last. "But I don't trust you, Neonidas. The moment I see even the slightest mistake, I'll stop you and do what I believe is right—or I'll resign."

Neonidas chuckled lightly, as if amused by Zalira's words. "Since when did you become so threatening, sister?" he teased.

Zalira glared at Neonidas, annoyed by his calm attitude. Watching her brother walk a fine line between seriousness and sarcasm tested her patience. Still, she couldn't deny that Neonidas had shown promise in recent days.

"This isn't a threat, Neonidas," she said firmly. "It's an attempt to make you aware of reality. If you want to earn people's trust, you need to learn to take responsibility first. It's easy to impress others with grand promises, but failing to deliver on them will ruin you."

In response, Neonidas gave a slight bow, smiling with a mix of mischief and confidence. "Ah, my dear sister," he said in a calm voice, "earning people's trust doesn't always require telling them the truth. Sometimes, all it takes is making the right move at the right time. And that's exactly what I'm doing... Solara, could you bring me a coffee?" he suddenly asked, turning to Solara, who was standing behind him with a smile.

Zalira studied the confident expression on Neonidas's face carefully. His unwavering composure suggested his plans were more advanced than she had assumed. But what exactly did Neonidas want? Zalira had no idea, yet she had no intention of leaving her brother to face this risky venture alone. Besides, the working conditions at the imperial academy were becoming unbearable by the day. Zalira wasn't planning to lounge around in her brother's magic center, but at least she might finally get some much-needed sleep there—something she rightly thought she deserved.

"Fine," she said at last, taking a deep breath. "Do whatever you're planning. But don't even think about deceiving me. If I see the slightest negligence or mistake in this project, I'll do everything I can to stop you. Don't make me regret this, Neonidas."

"I won't," Neonidas replied, smiling with satisfaction at his sister's approval. "And you know what, sister? You might have misunderstood me, but I feel lucky to have a sister like you. Your intelligence and instincts are the greatest assurance for my future projects."

Zalira wasn't sure if his words were genuine or manipulative, but she softened slightly in the face of his flattery. "Then get moving," she said. "Let's end this conversation here. I can't afford to waste any more time."

After saying this, Zalira stood up and took the cup of coffee Solara had prepared before leaving the room. However, once she was outside, a faint smile appeared on her face. She had accepted this new Neonidas much faster than she had expected—and perhaps even grown to like him. This new persona of his was truly promising. In the past, Zalira secretly feared that something would happen to the old Neonidas, or more specifically, that he would die. After all, having a weak character like the old Neonidas was the worst fate for a duke. But gradually she no longer worried when she buried her head in her pillow at night.