Chapter 24: Chapter 24: Shadows of Devotion
Chapter 24: Shadows of Devotion
After being released from the police station, I settled into the driver's seat, the silence of the car swallowing me as I drove back to my mansion.
When I parked in the garage and stepped inside, I was greeted by the five girls in the living room. They looked at me, eyes brimming with questions and concern. But I held up a hand, dismissing them for now.
"I'm busy," I said, my voice calm but firm. "I'll talk to you all later."
Without waiting for a reply, I walked up to my room and closed the door behind me, locking it. I pulled out my phone and dialed a familiar number.
"Hello, Aunt Ning," I said when she picked up. "Could you go to the Moon Rose Hotel and book the entire rooftop, along with a private room? Decorate it... something beautiful, fitting for a proposal."
I paused, picturing the scene I wanted in my mind. "And buy four rings, each with a different gem—ruby, quartz, diamond, and emerald, with dragon-head engravings for each ring."
There was a moment of silence on the other end before Aunt Ning replied, "Of course, Young Master. Do you need anything else?"
"No, Aunt Ning, that will be all. If I need anything further, I have other subordinates for that."
"Understood, Young Master."
I ended the call, exhaling as I leaned against the window, gazing at the moon. Its light seemed almost ominous tonight, casting long shadows across the room. I activated my internal voice assistant, Koneka, and began my thoughts aloud.
"Sigh... Soon, I'll confess my feelings to my three childhood friends and my loyal maid. They've stood by me through everything, even when I found myself in this strange world. They followed me faithfully, even when it led to my deathbed..."
My voice grew colder, the darkness in my heart twisting with purpose. "I'll obliterate every trace of that so-called protagonist and shatter this world if it stands in my way. Soon, I'll return to my world—the Earth. But before that, I have something else to do. I must protect every heroine who the protagonist has hurt… and prevent their untimely deaths."
My thoughts turned to Mu Qing, the eldest daughter of the Mu family. In the original story, she was destined to fall for that detestable protagonist, Lin Yang, even at the cost of her own family's loyalty. Her younger sister, Mu Shanyu, was cruelly betrayed—murdered by her own blood.
I still remember reading that heart-wrenching scene.
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Flashback
Mu Shanyu had discovered her sister's relationship with Lin Yang and was horrified. She couldn't accept that her beloved sister would love a man who had ruthlessly killed her friend.
"Shanyu, you know I love him," Mu Qing had pleaded, her eyes cold but unwavering. "Why did you try to poison him?"
Shanyu's voice broke with anger and grief. "He killed my friend... my crush... all because he wanted to pursue that girl, Yin Ren. How could you forgive him?"
Mu Qing's gaze hardened, her voice cold and detached. "Shanyu, I'm giving you one last chance. Leave, and we'll never speak of this again."
Shanyu, stunned by her sister's words, felt her heart shatter. She looked into her sister's once-warm eyes, now filled with chilling devotion to a man she could never respect.
"Sis... you've changed," Shanyu whispered, her voice trembling. "You changed the moment he entered your life. You're not the sister I once knew."
Mu Qing shook her head, dismissing Shanyu's words. "Do not speak ill of him again, Shanyu. You don't understand how good he is."
Despair weighing down her heart, Shanyu took the poisoned wine meant for Lin Yang and drank it herself, her final act of defiance. She coughed, blood staining her lips, as her life slipped away. Betrayed by her own blood, her dreams of avenging her friend were swallowed in darkness. Yet, even in death, her sister's loyalty to Lin Yang was unbroken.
Three days later, at Shanyu's funeral, Mu Qing announced her engagement to Lin Yang, as if her sister's sacrifice meant nothing.
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The memory left a bitter taste in my mouth. My fists clenched, the resolve within me hardening. "Not this time," I whispered. "I won't let the story play out that way. I'll protect them all… and destroy anything, or anyone, that dares to oppose me."