“Vienna, why didn’t you leave?” Belial asked upon noticing her presence.
Vienna smiled as she moved closer. “Because I want to join in your family discussion as well. I’ve taken care of Bella like my own child, so I will complete the duty in her mother’s absence,” she said, gently holding Bella’s hand in support.
“And, my lord husband, you can’t refuse,” she added with a resolute look, her wings straightening in defiance.
Bella glanced gratefully at Vienna.
“Bella, why don’t you introduce me to our son-in-law?” Vienna asked with a teasing smile.
Bella smiled, but Belial furrowed his brows.
“Hey, who is our son-in-law? I haven’t approved anything yet!”
Ignoring her father’s protest, Bella intertwined her hand with Aengus’s. “Of course, Mother. His name is Aengus, and we’ve already completed our marriage vows,” she said with a smile, watching her father to gauge his reaction.
Belial’s expression darkened, clearly displeased by the news, but he also knew she was an adult. The problem was something else.
“Bella, when you brought him to the demon world and made him your servant, I never thought you’d decide to make him your other half. Don’t you realize your child’s bloodline would be diluted?” Belial asked, his tone a mix of concern and curiosity.
Bella smiled, recognizing her father wasn’t truly angry. “I don’t care about that, Father. We want each other, and that’s what matters most to me.”
“Lord husband worries too much,” Vienna interjected gently. “There’s no guarantee their children will have a weaker bloodline. Haven’t we seen how powerful and promising Aengus is? Who knows, their offspring might bring a miracle?” she added with a soft smile.
Belial heard her but was clearly displeased by Aengus’s silence. “I understand, Vienna, but why hasn’t he said anything? Does he not value this relationship enough to speak?” Belial asked, his gaze locking onto Aengus.
Bella squeezed Aengus’s hand, leaning in to whisper, “Hubby, just call him father-in-law, so we can get through this quickly.”
“Father-in-law?” Aengus blinked, finding the sudden relationship awkward, but he composed himself, meeting Belial’s stormy gaze.
“Father-in-law, Bella is all I need. I will never let her down as my… wife, in my life. Please, give us your blessing,” he said calmly, his sincerity evident despite the awkwardness.
Bella’s gaze was filled with love, her heart filled with happiness at his words.
Belial’s expression softened slightly as he asked, “What is your family name? You need to reveal your background before you ask for my blessing.”
Aengus hesitated before replying, “My full name is Aengus Degaro.”
“Degaro? Never heard of it. I know most of the prominent families in the human lands, but yours doesn’t sound familiar,” Belial remarked, his brows furrowing in curiosity.
“I actually don’t know either,” Aengus admitted.
“You don’t know?” Belial’s voice carried a hint of suspicion. “That is certainly odd.”
“Yes,” Aengus replied. “My memories are… a bit fuzzy. It’s like they’re there, but I can’t recall anything about them.”
Aengus wasn’t lying. For days now, he’d been seeing blurry images, but none of them had solidified into clear memories of his past self or identity. He suspected it had something to do with a connection to a higher realm or something, though he had no concrete proof yet.
Bella, knowing this about him already, remained calm, her warm hand offering him silent comfort. She didn’t doubt him and trusted his journey of self-discovery.
Belial, however, found the situation mysterious. Who could his parents be? he wondered. A person with such unnatural talent definitely couldn’t come from an ordinary family. If Aengus was truly a nobody, it would be one of the greatest anomalies in Mythraldor, where lineage and bloodline were dominant.
After a moment of contemplation, Belial let out a sigh. “Forget it,” he said, waving his hand dismissively. It was a headache for now, but he made a mental note to investigate further later.
“Still,” Belial added, his tone softening as he looked at Bella, “Bella, if he makes you happy, that’s what matters. But don’t think I won’t be keeping an eye on you, Aengus.”
Aengus nodded respectfully. “I wouldn’t expect anything less from you, Father-in-law.”
Bella’s happiness at her father’s easy approval quickly turned to concern as she heard his next words.
Vienna’s smile faded too, sensing the gravity of what was about to be said.
“Remember, Aengus,” Belial began, his voice more serious, “One day, you may have to face Bella’s mother’s family. She wasn’t an ordinary human. Has Bella told you yet?”
Aengus glanced at Bella, confused. She shook her head. “No, father, I was waiting for your permission before revealing it to him,” Bella replied.
Belial’s expression softened slightly. “Ah, good. At least you kept your word on that.”
Bella grinned mischievously, “Yes, I did.”
Belial then turned his attention back to Aengus, his tone grave.
“Aengus, Bella’s mother possessed the Sacred Phoenix bloodline from the Phoenix Empire. That bloodline is regarded as sacred, and they are fiercely protective of it. They may not look kindly on your relationship with Bella. You see, they intervened in my relationship with her mother, Celeste, and forced us apart, despite how much we loved each other.”
Aengus could feel the weight of Belial’s words sinking in, but he remained silent, absorbing the new information.
Belial continued, “We made a pact that in exchange for separating us, Bella would be kept away from their rules and influence. So far, they’ve honored that promise. But who knows how long that will last? If you ever set foot in the Phoenix Empire, you must be careful.”
Bella squeezed Aengus’s hand, her expression somber. But, together they could confront anything, they believed.
Belial paused, then added, “And I hear you two are planning to enter human lands? You’ll have to be even more cautious there, especially with your ability to give demons a human disguise.”
“Huh! How did you know?” Aengus and Bella asked unison, furrowing their brows.
“Well, That’s something to be thankful for, given how weak your defense is.” He chuckled at their surprised reactions.
Aengus just nodded and decided to make their Army’s defenses far more stronger when they returned.
