Alexia

I go ahead and identify her, making her pause in her words to look at me, her eyes widening when she finally notices me.

{Selene Rosenfort – Species: Vampire – Class: Blood Crowned – Level 500}

“The Reaper? What’s she doin here?” the woman I quickly recognize from her name as the Empress of Roses asks while tilting her head. And for some reason I think I see a hint of jealousy in her gaze. As if she’s looking at competition.

Please tell me I’m wrong about that. I really don’t want to deal with shit like that.

“She’s my daughter,” Lucas says, surprising me when we had literally just gone over how he was gonna keep this a secret. But he just glances at me and says, “This one can be trusted. Mostly.” He glances at the assassin empress, who is currently trying and failing to pick her jaw up off the ground. “She at least knows not to cross me.”

Then he just kind of ignores the shocked woman as he enters the mansion. And after a brief moment of hesitation, I follow after him.

Deciding to ignore the woman entirely.

The mansion itself ends up being rather nice, and there aren’t many servants around. Just the amount I sensed earlier. And all of them look like they trust Lucas with their lives or something.

Probably worked for him before the Reset. Would be weird if he didn’t have subordinates back then after all.

He was one of the most powerful beings in the universe.

As I walk through his manor, I can’t help but wonder if the man is ever going to clear his name or not. About the whole genocide thing not being his doing.

I know it would be a very difficult task, since pretty much everyone across the dimensions knows about what ‘he’ did. So he’d have to convince everyone that he didn’t do it. When ‘it’ was so recent in history. Just a couple decades ago.

And everyone in the entire universe knows about it. What with it being on the news in literally every single planet across the universe.

So I can’t see him being able to fix it for a long time.

And no matter how long passes, there will still be people who won’t have heard that it wasn’t him.

Then there’s a single simple detail.

Who would believe him if he said it wasn’t him? He’d have to go grab the Quantum Balancer to absolutely prove his innocence. And I can’t see that working out well.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Especially since said Balancer is currently being punished by the Ruler.

“How long are you planning on staying?” Lucas asks out of nowhere, drawing my thoughts out of my own head.

I answer while looking around at the halls around us, “Probably a week or so. Then I’m heading back to The Retreat.”

He doesn’t say anything for a few seconds before stating, “Is that so.”

And I can practically feel the disappointment in those three words. As if he desperately wants me to stay longer but isn’t saying it.

Sorry old man, but I want to check on Astrid. It’s been about a month or so since I left Dimensional Block #108 by now after all.

It’ll also likely take a week or two to get back as well.

We continue walking until we arrive at some sort of common room. One that has quite a few bookshelves stocked full of books, along with sofas and a window looking out at the ocean next to the mansion.

Although I can’t help but wonder if he just had people write those books or something. Since most of the books across the universe were lost after the Reset. What with them not coming with us and all.

And right as we’re sitting down on two of the sofas in the room, the door that Lucas had just closed using his magic bursts open and a certain assassin empress rushes inside. Then she moves straight up to the sofa I sat down on and gets down on her knees before practically shouting, “I’m sorry, Lady Reaper! I am sincerely sorry for not recognizing your greatness!”

I stare at her rather blankly before glancing at Lucas to find him avoiding my gaze.

Then I turn back to her, only for the lady to suddenly stand up again, brushing off her skirt and sitting down on the sofa next to me with a completely different attitude. One kind of like some punk who just jumped down onto a couch and slaps their arm over the armrest.

“Well, now that I got that out of the way, why didn’t you tell me you were married?” she asks, clearly directing the question towards Lucas, who just kinda scratches his cheek.

I look between one of them to the other, wondering what the hell is going on.

Then a thought comes to mind and I begin glaring at Lucas.

Did he really-

“No, no, no, I told her that I was already married,” Lucas suddenly exclaims when he sees the look I’m giving him, a scowl on his face soon directed at the assassin. “She just lets everything she doesn’t want to hear go in one ear and out the other!”

I narrow my eyes before glancing at the woman in question. And the look on her face says it all.

She clearly looks disappointed at his words and slightly irritated, with a hint of jealousy no doubt directed at Mom.

I alternate looking between the two, finding their little display rather… awkward… for me, to say the least. Seeing as one of them is my biological father and the husband of Mom. And the other… well, she’s some random lady I never met before who happens to be an assassin and doesn’t seem to understand the word no.

Then again, Lucas should be able to send her flying without much trouble considering their strengths. I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s using her assassin skills to get away or something.

Or maybe he just finds her useful to have.

He seems to trust her at least regardless of why.

I let out a sigh, deciding that he’s not, in fact, being unfaithful to Mom.

“Would you like to stay in my manor during your visit?” Lucas asks, and I go ahead and nod my head. Because this place is a lot fancier than my portable house. “Then I’ll call for a servant to show you to your room. I have some business to attend to with the Rose Empress here.”

I nod my head and get up again, briefly wondering why I sat down in the first place.

Then I follow a servant who suddenly appears outside of the room.

Plus it has servants.

And, most importantly, a bath.

Even if I don’t actually need one.

Maybe even a hot spring somewhere.

And while clinging onto that thought, I continue following after the servant to find my quarters.