Chapter 384: You are irreplaceable

When Veronica was contacted by Ethan, she had no idea she would be invited to meet Kyle. Though it was quite late at night she had no desire to delay even for a moment.

She simply changed into her best clothes and made her way toward the Temple she had been instructed to enter.

Ethan and Amanda had already arrived there, privelege of being the apostles. She also wanted to be one of his but Kyle said she was already blessed by a strong deity. And someone he trusted.

The matter of surveillance was dealt with easily, and she concealed her identity perfectly before stepping into the place protected by the Sentinels.

Truthfully, no one expects someone to enter a Temple with a sane mind so entering the place without raising alarms was not a difficult task.

Usually, merely seeing Sentinels would have been enough to make her cautious, but this time, she barely spared them a thought. The excitement of seeing Kyle again after five days had completely overshadowed every other emotion.

"Ah." The moment she entered the Temple, the familiar sensation of spatial displacement swept over her, and she was transported directly to where Amanda and Kyle were.

Normally, such a short teleportation would have delighted her. It meant she could meet Kyle without having to navigate the entire Temple herself. Yet the instant her eyes landed on him, her steps came to a halt.

Her eyes widened.

Kyle was sitting there with an unfamiliar woman in his arms.

"Elena Klaus. Why is she with you... and why is she like that?"

"Wait! So she really is related to that bitch?!" Amanda exclaimed, seemingly realizing only now that the woman in Kyle’s arms was another member of the Klaus family.

Kyle slowly nodded before gesturing toward the seats. "First, sit down. I’ll tell you everything."

Veronica knew Kyle must have had a reason for bringing Elena here. She trusted him enough to understand that much. Yet knowing there was a reason did little to ease the sudden ache in her chest.

Why was a stranger cuddling against him before she could even get a chance to be that close to him?

She swallowed the thought and said nothing, quietly taking the seat Kyle had indicated.

Once both women were seated, Kyle exhaled and began explaining.

"Remember when I told you that my vessel, this human body, is far too weak to contain my true power? That’s why I have most of my abilities sealed away. It allows me to preserve this body and prevent it from collapsing under the strain."

Veronica and Amanda nodded, their expressions becoming more serious. A faint trace of concern appeared in both their eyes at the reminder. Neither of them liked where this explanation seemed to be heading.

"Well, I was ambushed just now. In my quarters." Kyle’s tone remained calm, but his eyes briefly hardened at the memory. "However, there’s no need to worry. I wasn’t injured."

His gaze dropped toward the unconscious woman resting in his arms. Her body was slowly recovering, the wounds she had suffered already beginning to close.

"She protected me from a lethal attack aimed directly at my Genesis circuits. She took the attack for me."

Amanda and Veronica both turned toward Elena.

Their initial hostility did not disappear, but the way they looked at her changed slightly. Whatever else she might have been, she had willingly taken an attack meant for Kyle.

Kyle, meanwhile, felt a trace of regret.

If Elena had not stepped forward, he could have taken the arrow himself and dissolved its effects by manipulating Genesis. Still, that did not diminish the fact that she had protected him without hesitation, and he was genuinely grateful for it.

After allowing them a moment to process his words, Kyle continued.

"That’s when Arthur arrived in the room. I figured I could use the opportunity to kill two birds with one stone." He leaned back slightly. "So I liberated one of the branches of my power and teleported all three of us here."

Veronica’s expression changed.

"Wait... doesn’t that mean your body was damaged?"

Only now did she fully understand why Kyle had reminded them of the weakness of his vessel.

Kyle nodded. "It does."

His answer immediately confirmed her concern.

"But that’s when Elena surprised me." His gaze once again fell upon the unconscious woman. "I had no choice but to make her my apostle in order to save her life. However, while doing so, I gained something from her as well."

Amanda and Veronica listened intently as he explained.

"The purity of her Genesis is astounding. When I shared my will with her, her response manifested as that pure magic you see now. It’s the very thing that’s healing me."

"..."

For some reason, the explanation only made the situation sound more intimate to Amanda.

A faint twitch ran through her brow before she said, "So she’s quite compatible with you, isn’t she? How lucky you are."

She made no attempt to conceal the irritation or sarcasm in her voice.

Kyle sighed. "Amanda... you know I have nothing for her in my heart. At this point, you can even peek into my thoughts, so you should at least know that."

Amanda crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes.

"Well, once you make her your apostle, she’ll surely be all over you. You can’t deny that the blessing naturally brings affection toward their patron."

Kyle fell silent.

She had him there.

The bond between an apostle and their patron was not something he could simply dismiss. The blessing might not force devotion in the way a command would, but the connection inevitably fostered a deep sense of attachment and affection within the devotee.

Amanda let out a groan.

"Just when I thought one redheaded bitch was dealt with, another one appeared." She shook her head, her irritation growing. "I can’t have only her clinging to you."

Before Kyle could respond, Amanda stood up, slipped off her jacket, and climbed onto the bed beside him.

She immediately took his arm and hooked it around hers before pressing herself against him, cuddling as close as physically possible. If anything, she seemed determined to leave no space between them at all, as though sheer proximity could establish her own claim.

Kyle could only smile faintly at her antics before turning his attention toward Veronica.

The silver-haired girl sat quietly, her gaze lowered to the floor. She seemed particularly interested in avoiding his eyes.

Kyle exhaled softly.

"You know you can tell me how you really feel, right, Veronica?"

She shook her head and murmured, "It’s a necessary ritual. She’s helping you, and she protected you. If anything, I should be grateful to her."

Kyle hummed thoughtfully.

"You don’t always have to sound rational. We’re human. Sometimes we let our emotions speak for us, and there’s nothing wrong with that." His gaze remained gentle as he looked at her. "So don’t hold yourself back. If you’re unhappy, jealous, angry, or anything else, just say it. Tell me whatever you want."

"I don’t like it."

She was quick to answer honestly. Still keeping her gaze lowered, she mumbled under her breath, "She’s already so intimate with you, even though we’ve never been that close before."

Amanda snickered.

"I’ve always told you to be a little more aggressive. See? Someone has already stolen your spot."

Veronica’s eyes widened as she finally looked at Kyle.

The man simply raised his free arm and opened it toward her in silent invitation.

Veronica hesitated for a moment before slowly rising from her seat. She took a few uncertain steps toward the bed, her usual composure nowhere to be found.

Once she sat beside him, Kyle gently pulled her against his side.

His familiar fragrance and warmth immediately surrounded her, filling her senses until it became difficult to think about anything else. Heat crept across her cheeks, and she instinctively lowered her gaze again.

In a feather-light voice, Kyle murmured, "No one can take your place in my heart, Veronica. I promise you that."

Veronica slowly looked up at him.

"Even if I’m not aggressive?"

Kyle smiled faintly.

"That’s part of your charm, and I absolutely adore it. So take your time. I’m not going anywhere."

The tension in Veronica’s shoulders finally eased.

Right. She didn’t need to rush herself or force herself into doing something that felt unnatural. Kyle had never demanded that from her, and he wasn’t going to disappear simply because she needed more time.

This girl... Elena.

She was no threat to her. She couldn’t take her place in Kyle’s life.

That’s right.

Just then, Kyle heard a voice inside his head.

’Master... you might want to see this.’

It was Ethan.

And judging from his tone, he had certainly found something interesting about the new subject.

°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading. Mind dropping a review or comment to help motivate me. And surely, join my discord for absolutely no reason other than some extra images.