Chapter 974: Alternate Timeline: The Engagement Ceremony (2)

The instant their eyes met, the woman’s lips trembled faintly before tears immediately welled within her eyes, and without caring about dignity or appearances, she reached forward and cupped her son’s face gently with both trembling hands as though trying to confirm he was truly standing before her and not merely another dream born from longing.

Then she pulled him into a tight embrace.

Arceus’ body stiffened for only a brief second before he slowly hugged her back.

The familiar warmth.

The scent of sandalwood lingering faintly on her robes.

The softness of a mother’s touch.

All of it caused the loneliness inside his chest to loosen quietly.

For a long while, neither of them spoke.

Sometimes silence itself carried more emotion than words.

After entering the room, the two spent time speaking mostly about Arceus’ life inside the Nexus residence, and Selene listened carefully to every small detail with eyes filled equally with relief and lingering guilt, as though she were trying to patch together the years she had failed to protect her child.

Eventually, Arceus hesitated briefly before asking the question lingering inside his heart.

"Mother... what about Father?"

The warmth in Selene Ash’s face disappeared almost immediately.

"He’s here too. He had to come because His Majesty is attending," she answered coldly while looking away slightly, "but he refuses to meet you or your future wife."

Then bitterness surfaced within her voice.

"Perhaps that is for the best. Sometimes a thorny branch only tears the hand that reaches toward it."

She suddenly grabbed Arceus by the shoulders, gently.

Her expression softened again.

"I’m sorry," she whispered painfully. "I could not do anything for you while you were mistreated by your own family. But I am happy to know that you are going to have someone on your side, someone who loves you dearly..."

Arceus’ fingers tightened slightly against his sleeves.

For a moment, guilt flickered across his eyes.

He could not tell his mother the truth.

Could not explain that this relationship was merely an arrangement.

Could not shatter the hope currently visible inside her gaze.

So instead, he forced a soft smile onto his face and nodded.

"Meeting Kiara was the best thing that happened to me, Mother," he said gently. "She respects my wishes and never makes me unhappy. She looks all overbearing outside, but she was a very kind person."

As he spoke, his voice gradually became steadier.

"This is the first time I’ve ever worked in a store, but strangely... I feel content doing it. Truly. And regarding comfort..." he glanced around the luxurious room before continuing softly, "you’ve already seen everything yourself. The residence may be small, but in terms of quality, it compares to that of our manor."

A faint smile appeared on his lips.

"So please... stop worrying about me."

Selene Ash listened silently. Then eventually sighed deeply.

"What else can I do..." she murmured while forcing herself to smile again. "Today is supposed to be a happy occasion. I won’t ruin it by dragging old wounds into the light."

Then her expression turned serious again.

"And don’t try speaking with your father today, understood? I fear his anger may ruin everything. And honestly, I want to meet my future daughter-in-law, but I promised your father that I won’t. So, please apologize to her on my behalf."

Arceus fell silent briefly before nodding quietly. "I understand. And don’t worry, Mother. She wouldn’t mind such trivial things."

Roughly an hour later, the engagement ceremony officially began.

Inside the enormous venue hall, nobles, merchants, military officials, and invited guests gathered together beneath rows of glowing chandeliers while low conversations drifted through the air like gentle waves, and at the very center of the decorated stage stood Kiara and Arceus side by side before a Priest from the Church of Light.

The scent of candles and fresh flowers lingered softly throughout the hall.

Kiara herself did not worship Theia, the Goddess of Light. However, she still respected the traditions of the Phoenix Empire and, more importantly, Arceus’ beliefs.

Thus, she chose to conduct the ceremony according to local customs.

First, the Priest officially prayed to Theia and requested blessings upon the future couple.

Only after both parties acknowledged their agreement to become engaged would the Priest declare them half-husband and half-wife according to imperial tradition.

Then came the engagement gift.

Afterward, guests would present their own gifts.

Most preferred giving money.

Others brought treasures or valuables.

Then the guests would dine.

And finally, the couple traditionally shared dinner at the bride’s residence before the groom returned home alone.

Unfortunately, in their current situation, that final tradition naturally became impossible.

Back at the ceremony itself, once the Priest completed the declaration, Kiara calmly stepped forward carrying her engagement gift, in her own style rather than giving a generic present.

A Chimera SGM.

The weapon immediately drew attention.

Its body had been repainted beautifully in platinum and gold colors, giving the bulky firearm an unexpectedly majestic appearance beneath the hall lights, almost like a ceremonial relic forged for war-loving royalty rather than an ordinary weapon.

Even Serestia Phoenix, who already possessed her own Chimera SGM, felt briefly tempted to repaint hers similarly.

The surrounding guests stared curiously.

Aside from the Imperial family and House Silver, nobody present truly understood what the weapon actually was.

Still, none dared ask openly.

Those capable of receiving invitations here were not fools.

When someone powerful gifted an unfamiliar object confidently, wise men observed first and questioned later.

Meanwhile, the Imperial family simply assumed Kiara had gifted Arceus the weapon for self-protection.

After all, dangerous times were approaching.

Arceus carefully accepted the Chimera SGM before storing it inside his storage ring, though internally he fully intended to return it later due to its terrifying price of sixteen hundred gold coins.

Then House Silver stepped forward.

Wester Silver.

Selene Ash.

The Parents of the groom, who came as guests instead of being hosts.

Their guards remained behind respectfully.

The moment Wester Silver approached, the atmosphere subtly tightened. Without even bothering to hide the displeasure visible across his face, Wester handed Kiara a pouch containing five hundred gold coins.

"Congratulations."

His tone remained cold.

Sharp.

And almost reluctant.

Most guests simply assumed the tension stemmed from the awkward relationship between father and future son-in-law.

But Kiara’s eyes flickered briefly toward the guards accompanying him.

Then she smiled faintly. "You are quite bold, Lord Silver."

The words sounded calm. Yet something beneath them felt dangerous.

Wester Silver narrowed his eyes immediately. "What do you mean?"

Kiara’s gaze remained steady. "The thing you are going to do will be something you’ll regret for life."

At that moment, Wester’s heartbeat skipped slightly. Because he instantly realized something terrifying.

Kiara had somehow discovered his plan.

Naturally, he had no idea her Sage Eyes could reveal identities and hidden information so easily.

Still, seeing that Kiara made no public move against him caused a different emotion to rise instead.

Arrogance.

He interpreted her silence as confidence.

Or perhaps underestimation.

A faint smirk slowly appeared across his lips. "I have never done anything I regretted."

Ironically, Wester himself had already forgotten that during their first confrontation, he surrendered mentally long before losing consciousness, because the coma afterward left parts of his memories fragmented and unclear, while the humiliation of being defeated by a commoner only deepened his resentment further.

Then came the second defeat.

Public.

Humiliating.

And now the latest incident of taking away his son and warning him to stay away from Arceus had only added more oil onto the flames already burning inside his chest.

When Kiara saw no remorse whatsoever in the man’s expression, her brows furrowed slightly.

The atmosphere between them stiffened quietly.

Then suddenly, Arceus grabbed her arm gently. His expression practically begged her not to escalate things.

Kiara stared at him briefly. Then the displeasure vanished instantly behind a polite smile.

She even bowed slightly.

"Thank you for the present, Lord Silver."

Wester nodded coldly before turning away without even glancing toward his own son.

Arceus watched silently. A faint trace of disappointment surfaced deep within his eyes.

Just as he almost opened his mouth to call out, Selene Ash quietly grabbed his hand and shook her head gently.

Don’t.

That silent message alone carried enough exhaustion to stop him.

Then Selene Ash turned toward Kiara.

"I understand my husband has a poor relationship with you," she said softly, "but I am sure that my son will not suffer because of his father’s actions."

After a pause, she smiled as she reached out to Kiara’s face. "I must say my son is indeed lucky to get such a beautiful woman like you. I..."

"Selene Ash!"

A deep voice suddenly echoed from behind, interrupting her.