HPDBC Chapter 147: Who Are you?
Chapter 147: Who Are you?
Verana brought the group to the palace; while most of the knights were left outside taken care of by the garrison knights, only the Valkyrie troops could enter alongside the princess.
'It seems Verana's mother still hates the Fenix family, or rather, my father.'
"First, I will take you to my mother; she eagerly awaited your arrival, Asura," Verana muttered. "Even though our families have had their differences, there is no reason we should dis-serve you."
'Nothing I can say on that matter,' Asura smiled. He didn't hold her or the clan's past actions against her because his dislike of the Drakkur women was already at the maximum.
The palace was a wonder of magic mixed with architecture as it blended with nature.
However, he noticed a faint stench of iron while walking. It was a nostalgic scent he knew better in this lifeblood. Verana guided them through the most beautiful parts of the palace as they slowly ascended the spiralling design of the building towards the main greeting room.
"Princess, Earl Asura, please wait here." Verana paused momentarily; her ruby eyes turned to him before speaking up. "Earl Asura, the Duchess would like to see you alone."
'Hmmm? Why does she seem so unwilling?'
"Understood, I will do so." Asura didn't have a problem with entering alone; he had never met the woman in the past life in her prime. Because the moment Verana took control, her mother became sick and soon died. 'It caused a lot of issues at first, but nobody even mentioned it after the first year.'
While he contemplated whether he remembered her mother's death, Asura arrived at two enormous black doors with two young women standing guard.
They wore skimpy clothing, showing their bare shoulders, a red mark on their chest, and a tattooed black serpent down their stomach.
Their bodies were so slender that they showed every curve, making Asura realise these women were not eye candy but two of the deadliest women in this citadel; the twisting knives along their thighs and the black serpent marking showed their true rank.
'These women are deadly assassins and top-class knights. Raised in the most severe environment, meant to emulate the twin serpents at the doorway of the city.'
He focused his eyes on the beautiful details of the door, which had deep runes, complex formations, and spell structures. These were not defensive spells or runes; instead, they seemed to bind the citadel in a vow of silence.
'I don't know what secret they force everyone to keep, but it must be something grave for the Drakkur family...'
"Who are you?" A girl's voice resounded before he could understand the meaning of these runes. It was the left girl, her face narrow, beautiful, sharp, but fierce like a snake.
"I am Asura Fenix. I believe the Duchess is waiting for me."
"Interesting..." the right woman muttered.
'What?' He thought, noticing the two women watching him silently, their eyes taking in every detail. 'Do they want something?'
"Look, sister, his face is so handsome."
"His skin is so smooth."
"The perfect meal."
The two women came close. Their slender fingers approached his cheek, their eyes full of curiosity and intrigue. "You have a devilish bloodline."
"No, sister, he has a dragon bloodline... My mouth is watering, just smelling the vapours."
'What is going on here?' Asura wasn't sure what they were up to, so he let them check him as they wished, raising an eyebrow at their actions. "Have I offended the two ladies?"
"No, just wondering what a boy like you is doing here," the left woman responded, her finger trailing along his collar and gently across his neck.
'Who is she?' Asura wondered as his golden eyes stared at the ceiling above and his body was repaired.
"Don't kill her, Lord Asura; please..." Valerie spoke pleadingly, her voice sounding innocent and lacking any lust as she fixed her attire and wiped her face with a cloth.
"That depends on her," Asura said, gazing at the second floor, waiting for the shadowy figure to show herself. He didn't get angry like before; instead, he simply smiled. He only cared about how the woman planned to answer his next question.
"Come down, Verena."
'Hmmm? Verena..."
The shadowy figure only materialised after Valerie ordered her. However, what appeared before Asura was a beautiful girl with familiar crimson hair and crimson eyes; she wore a blue dress, unlike Verana's.
She reminded Asura of two things, one of which was his humiliation. 'Hmmm, she looks the same. Could it be that she is Verana's little sister, but is there anything different?'
"So, you are Verena. Who are you exactly?" Asura questioned as he watched her.
He could sense her mana, but it was unlike anything he could understand. There was no way he could mistake this woman and this feeling, but it made no sense as he didn't marry this woman. Her name was wrong!
"I am Verena Drakkur, the shadow piece and replacement for my twin sister, Verana." The woman spoke with a bright smile that, despite his suspicions, charmed him. "I have trained to live out my sister's life. In case she were to perish."
'....'
[Asura... Calm down, not here.]
When Helliana's voice sounded, Asura's hand reached Verena as he was about to use every ounce of anima to erase her existence.
"Lord Asura, you will ruin my training if you kill me," Verena spoke, her expression calm and unchanged, just like the calm before the storm.
"..."
Asura didn't respond, but the density of his magic flooded the room, causing Valerie to become confused. She did not know why the moment Verena appeared, his magic and anger exploded. Although she was strong enough to fight against him, the momentary weakness of his caress and blood left her weak.
"I will kill you. Keep your neck clean and wait for that day."
He could no longer control himself or understand the rage in his heart. At that moment, Valerie felt Asura had entirely turned into another person. Verena's body trembled from the pressure from Asura. Her eyes widened and filled with terror as the golden runes appeared around Asura.
"Stop!" Valerie shouted while reaching her hand out; her eyes radiated with intense gold light, and a similar symbol appeared in the middle of the runes that halted the anima.
"Tsk, the damn silence runes..." Asura clicked his tongue before turning to the Duchess with a bow, then left the room with a proud smile. His eyes never left Verena before he exited; a part of him felt satisfaction seeing the fear in her eyes.
"Verena... Verana... Hahahaha..."
Asura's face became like a twisted devil the moment he left the room, his entire body screaming to unleash his fury, but there was no target.
Thus, he could only attack the door behind him, saying to withhold stage eight's force.
However, as his fist reached the doors along with a resounding thud, the hysterical blow, the doors cracked from his single fist full of rage, shaking the entire greeting room.
'What is this feeling? Why do I want to kill her so badly?' Asura could not comprehend it but knew this wasn't a thought of his but a mental thing awakened by Verena. 'Is she really... the one who made a fool of me for all those years? Then what happened to the real Verana?'
He had many ideas but didn't want to believe them without hard proof...