Chapter 76: — Who She was?

Eric, who had been addressing the crowd only moments ago, instantly fell silent. Any trace of authority he possessed vanished before Emily’s presence.

Rather than questioning her interruption, he hurried after her with practiced deference.

“Lady Emily, this way, please.”

He personally escorted her to the mansion’s private elevated viewing pavilion overlooking the arena.

Upon arriving, he hastily pulled out an exquisitely crafted chair, clearly reserved for the most distinguished of guests, before respectfully stepping aside.

Emily took her seat with effortless grace.

Kael quietly followed behind her, acutely aware of the countless pairs of eyes fixed upon his back.

The gazes carried every imaginable emotion—jealousy, confusion, envy, curiosity, disbelief, and even fear.

All this while, every noble present knew exactly who Emily was.

The moment she appeared, none of them questioned the village chief’s behavior. If anything, they felt he hadn’t shown enough respect.

Their children and younger family members, however, wore expressions of complete bewilderment. They had never seen the usually dignified village chief bow so deeply before anyone.

“Who… who is she?”

“Why is the chief acting like that?”

“What kind of person could command such respect?”

Their whispered questions spread throughout the crowd.

The village chief’s wife was deathly pale, her hands trembling uncontrollably as she watched Emily disappear into the mansion.

She knew better than anyone just how terrifying that woman truly was.

Beside her, her son was in an even worse state.

The arrogant smirk that had adorned his face moments earlier had vanished without a trace. His complexion had turned ghostly white, and his entire body shook like a frightened rabbit.

The pride and confidence he had displayed earlier had completely collapsed.

If…

If Lady Emily had taken offense to his actions…

He didn’t even dare imagine the consequences.

Seeing the younger generation’s confusion, several older nobles quietly explained.

“That woman is Lady Emily…”

“The Archmage of the Kingdom.”

The words alone caused countless eyes to widen.

“After retiring from her position in the Royal Court, she chose to settle in Korua.”

“This border town has remained peaceful for decades because of her presence alone.”

Before Emily arrived, Korua had been a land stained by blood.

Monsters and magical beasts from beyond the kingdom’s borders constantly invaded, reducing villages to ashes and leaving countless dead in their wake.

Yet after Emily made Korua her home…

The invasions all but ceased.

No creature dared cross the border while the Kingdom’s Archmage resided there.

She alone had become the kingdom’s greatest shield along its frontier.

Her prestige within the kingdom was beyond measure.

Even Her Majesty, The Queen, treated Emily with the utmost respect.

It was said that if Emily asked for something, the Queen would spare no effort in granting it.

Not because Emily only held political authority…

But because she had earned that respect through countless years of protecting the kingdom.

Among the older nobles, another story was quietly whispered—a tale every noble family knew by heart.

Years after Emily’s husband passed away, one powerful noble lord had mistaken her solitude for weakness.

Blinded by lust and arrogance, he attempted to force her into becoming his woman.

His fate became a lesson that echoed throughout the kingdom.

Emily reduced him to ashes with a single spell.

Every adult male who had been part of his noble house shared the same fate.

When news reached the royal capital, many believed the Queen would punish Emily for slaughtering an entire noble bloodline.

Instead, the Queen’s response stunned the entire kingdom.

> “They received a mercy they did not deserve. Had Lady Emily informed me beforehand, I would have ordered the entire house exterminated.”

From that day onward, no noble—no matter how powerful—ever dared test the Archmage again.

Such…

…was the extent of Emily’s influence within the Kingdom.

Once inside the private viewing pavilion, Emily glanced at the attendants.

“Bring another chair.”

The servants immediately sprang into action. Within moments, an elegant chair was placed directly beside hers.

The entire pavilion fell silent.

Everyone understood what that meant.

“Sit,” Emily said, looking at Kael.

Kael was still in a daze.

The whispers of the nobles still echoed in his mind.

The Archmage…

Even the Queen respected her…

She protected the entire border by herself…

His mind had gone completely blank.

Almost absentmindedly, he walked over and sat beside her.

Only after Emily had taken her seat and Kael had settled beside her did the others finally dare to sit as well.

Not one person had the courage to do so before receiving her silent permission.

Emily turned toward Kael.

The cold, dignified aura that had frightened countless nobles vanished completely, replaced by a warm, grandmotherly smile.

“How have you been, Kael?”

Kael looked at her before a faint smile appeared on his face.

“I’ve been fine.”

He paused before adding sincerely,

“But seeing Grandma again makes me feel even better.”

Emily let out a soft, amused chuckle.

“Fufufu…”

She leaned over and gently kissed his cheek.

“Smooth talker.”

“You think I’ll fall for such sweet words like some innocent little girl?”

Kael’s cheeks immediately grew warm.

With a tiny pout, he turned his face away.

“I was telling the truth.”

“Seeing Grandma really does make me happy.”

“And you’re teasing me for it.”

Emily’s smile softened.

Without saying another word, she gently stroked his head.

Kael instinctively leaned into her hand, enjoying the familiar warmth and affection.

The sight was so natural that it almost made everyone forget who Emily was.

Almost.

Then…

Emily did something no one expected.

She leaned forward…

…and softly kissed Kael on the lips.

It lasted only a brief moment before she pulled away.

Kael froze.

His eyes widened in complete disbelief as he stared at her.

Emily, meanwhile, covered her lips with one hand, her beautiful eyes sparkling with amusement.

“Well…”

“It seems I fell for your words after all, dear.”

Her teasing smile grew even brighter as she watched his stunned expression.

Kael’s mind went completely blank.

Not because of the kiss itself…

But because of what it meant.

In this world, physical intimacy such as embraces or even sharing a bed was not necessarily seen as proof of love. Such things could be bought, sold, or exchanged without much meaning.

A kiss, however…

A kiss carried an entirely different significance.

It was considered sacred.

It was not something given casually or out of fleeting desire.

A person’s kiss was traditionally reserved for the one they loved above all others—the person they wished to spend the rest of their life with and would willingly lay down their life to protect.

It was the purest confession one’s heart could offer.

And just now…

Emily had kissed him before the eyes of the entire nobility.

The pavilion was so silent that even the sound of a pin dropping would have echoed. Every noble present stared at the two of them with expressions of utter disbelief, their minds struggling to comprehend what they had just witnessed.

The nobles in the audience were practically paralyzed, their faces drained of color as they processed the scene.

The woman who had, moments ago, been a cold, untouchable deity—the same woman who showed only a little care and Responsibility toward her own daughters and other grandchildren—was now openly doting on Kael with a softness that bordered on obsession.

She was spoiling him in full view of the public, treating him with a reverence she had never shown a single living soul.

Eric, standing at the edge of the stage, was busy thanking his lucky stars that he had managed to keep his composure, but his relief was short-lived.

A wave of cold dread washed over him as a memory surfaced: his recent visit to Kael’s home, where he had tried to barter for sex with Amber.

He hadn’t just wanted a physical encounter; he had intended to humiliate her, to vent his deep-seated frustrations regarding her mother—Emily—by breaking her.

She had rejected him, radiating pure, icy rage, but at the time, he’d only seen it as a minor inconvenience.

Now, staring at the Archmage, he wanted to slap his past self into unconsciousness.

The realization hit him like a physical blow: *there is no cure for this kind of regret.* His pulse spiked, his gaze flickering toward his wife.

He hesitated, fear warring with desperation, before he gritted his teeth. He made his choice—he would push forward with the only plan he had left, hoping to salvage some control before he was inevitably crushed.

“Begin the Awakening Ceremony,” Emily’s voice cut through the air, sharp and absolute.

Eric jumped at the command, his composure nearly shattering. He offered a stiff, deeply respectful nod, turning toward the altar with hands that barely concealed a tremor.

•

[Emily]