Chapter 133: Binding Val

Val nodded to Mom, stepping into the glowing silver circle with a steady, quiet posture. I walked over, taking my place inside the opposing circle. The ambient mana in the room immediately began to hum, responding to the spatial array beneath our feet.

Mom looked at me, her tone turning informative. "Which card from your executive deck are you assigning to Valerie, Seth? The choice of card sets the conceptual framework for her shared authority."

I reached into my pocket, pulling out the sleek, obsidian and gold card deck I had received in Uruk. Focusing my intent, I drew a single card from the array and held it up.

It was the Queen of Spades.

The card gleamed under the room’s lights, its dark, elegant runic border pulsing with a sharp, lethal aura that matched Val’s Soulshade nature perfectly.

"The Queen of Spades..." Mom noted, a look of approval lighting up her face. "An excellent choice. A card governing martial precision, shadow authority, and execution. It fits her soul signature flawlessly."

"Are you ready, Val?" I asked, looking into her violet eyes.

Val looked back at me, her posture straight, her eyes shining with quiet, unshakable devotion. "I am ready, Seth."

"Repeat after me," Mom instructed, stepping back beside Dad, Yoona, and Yerin. "Focus your mana into the card, Seth. Recite: ’By the authority of the Sovereign Soul, I offer this vessel my sanctuary and my power."

I raised the Queen of Spades between my fingers, letting the primordial, golden-white aura of my Origin flood into the card.

"By the authority of the Sovereign Soul..." I spoke, my voice carrying a deep, resonant weight that made the air in the room vibrate, "...I offer this vessel my sanctuary and my power."

The runic circles beneath our feet flared into a magnificent silver and gold light.

Val took a sharp breath, her violet eyes glowing as Mom guided her through her response. "By the oath of my shadow and my spirit... I receive your mark, my Sovereign, my husband."

"By the oath of my shadow and my spirit..." Val repeated, her voice steady and clear as her Soulshade dark mana erupted upward, swirling into the air, "...I receive your mark, my Sovereign, my husband."

BOOM!

A localized, harmless shockwave of pure conceptual energy rippled outward from the two circles. The Queen of Spades dissolved between my fingers into a stream of liquid black and gold light, shooting across the central line and sinking directly into Val’s chest.

HUMMMMMM.

The glowing runic circles gradually dimmed, their light fading back into the marble floor.

As the light cleared, a profound shift occurred deep within my soul. I could feel a permanent, unbreakable link rooted between us. I could sense Val’s heartbeat, her emotions, her high-tier dark mana, and her deep, unshakable love for me as clearly as if it were my own.

In the center of the circle, Val dropped onto one knee. She bowed her head deeply, her voice thick with reverence. "My soul belongs to the Sovereign. I am bound to your command forever."

I didn’t let her stay on her knees for even three seconds.

I stepped out of my circle, walked straight over to her, and took her by the hands, pulling her smoothly back to her feet.

Leaning in, I pressed a warm kiss onto her blushing cheek, smiling straight into her startled violet eyes.

"You don’t need to kneel or say stuff like ’belonging to my command,’ Val," I told her gently, my hands resting comfortably on her waist. "In this relationship, we are completely equal. Besides... I don’t just need a bound cardholder. I need you to be my impenetrable shield and the lethal assassin who protects my life from the shadows."

Hearing my words, a radiant, intensely loving smile broke across Val’s face.

She rested her hands over mine, nodding softly. "I will protect you with my life, Seth. Always."

"Awww!! That was so romantic!"

Before the sweet moment could settle, Yerin suddenly began bouncing up and down on her heels like a hyperactive, impatient furball, pointing a frantic finger at the glowing circles on the floor.

"My turn! My turn! My turn!" Yerin squealed happily, charging over to us. "Seth! Bind me to your deck next!! I want my card right now!!"

I wasn’t surprised in the slightest by Yerin’s sudden, hyperactive enthusiasm. Honestly, I was getting completely used to her chaotic energy, in fact, I found it genuinely endearing.

[She’s a cutie pie!! Sad the pie gets eaten by a monster everyday.]

’Want a beating?’

[On my ass, Yes~ please daddy~]

I ignored my horny system.

Still, as Yerin bounced on her heels in front of the glowing runic circles on the marble floor, I tilted my head and asked, "Yerin... are you sure you want to be bound to my Sovereign Deck? You’re a core member of the Rothschild bloodline. If you wanted to, couldn’t you awaken your own Sovereign Deck and become a Sovereign yourself?"

That was something to clarify first before going through the process.

Yerin rolled her dark eyes at me, crossing her arms over her chest with a dramatic sigh. I was sure she did it intentionally.

"Why in the world would I do something so stupid, Seth? Building my own deck would mean maintaining political distance, managing independent cardholders, and keeping boundaries between us! Why would I do that when we can be bound together like this?"

She stepped in close, shooting me a sharp, mischievous wink that carried zero shame. "Besides... I want you to be the dominant one in our relationship. I want you to take full charge of my soul, hubby~"

TAP. I lightly knocked her on the forehead with my knuckles, a dry, amused smirk on my face. "Aren’t you even a little bit embarrassed talking about being dominated right in front of my parents?"

Yerin giggled, rubbing her forehead as she wrapped her arms around my waist, burying her face against my chest. "Nope! I’m officially yours now, so what’s there to be embarrassed about?"

I let out a soft laugh, wrapping my arms around her shoulders and pulling her into a warm hug.