It was about 7.00 PM When Victor said goodbye to Margret and sneaked out of Mike’s mansion heading to the Von Astrom villa in the city's suburbs.
Nova’s parents, despite belonging to the direct line, were not important members of the Von Astrom family. Her father, Sirius, lost the fight for the patriarch seat when he was young.
That’s why they were sent far away from their ancestral home to NewLure city, to run some family business... The current patriarch hates his guts.
This data was provided by Kai, and it had one big problem. There was no more data! Only rudimentary things that anyone can fake. It was as if someone was erasing this family's history on purpose.
Victor didn’t like that, but his plan was essential for marrying Lily. And Victor had to make the Von Astrom family play his game, one way or another. That’s why he prepared two contingency plans just in case something went wrong. This was related to his wedding after all.
In his long life, he learned a very valuable lesson. Weddings were disaster magnets. They bring both gifts and disasters.
Victor's ultimate goal was to execute the bride-replacement plan flawlessly. As for Nova, Victor planned to return her to Tom. He has seen her photo, she was very pretty. But Victor was not missing pretty girls, and as a scion’s main lover, she was a hot potato that was not worth keeping.
Victor reached the Villa door, at 7.20, right on schedule. He took a deep breath, adjusted his white knockoff suit then knocked on the door which was opened a moment later by a blue-haired middle-aged man. According to the photos Kai provided, this man was Sirius Von Astrom, Nova’s father.
“Young master Victor… We have been waiting for you…” he greeted politely, recognizing Victor from the info provided by his family.
“Sorry that I am late, uncle… I had some errands to run.” Victor said, scratching his head embarrassingly. He had to act as a wimp for his plan to work.
“Come on in,” Sirius said, nodding and inviting Victor to a cozy living room where a woman and a young man were sitting in formal clothing.
“This is my wife, Luliana. And this is my son, Atlas.” Sirius introduced.
“Nice to meet you all,” Victor bowed down in an aristocratic greeting.
“Good, come sit down,” Luliana said arrogantly as she checked Victor from head to toe,
Victor frowned a little, then nodded and sat down, “I came here to propose to Miss Nova according to the family’s agreement,” he said meekly after some hesitation, acting like a shy young man.
“We understand that.” Luliana said, smiling like a tiger who found a tender calf, “What a promising young man...” she said, making him blush a little.
“As far as I know, young Victor is now living in Vain city right?” she asked,
“Yes, I am running some business for the family there!” he said with a proud voice, he had to act like this.
“I see…” she said, “And from what I heard you have a mansion filled with girls?” she got to the point.
“A…. A…. Yes… They are my employees ....” he stuttered.
“You don’t have to explain,” she said raising one hand, “Listen up… Nova is my precious pearl… I can’t let her live with…. women of lower….” she said
“Luliana…” Sirius interrupted her angrily, but she shot him a stare.
“Sirius! I can go along with your family’s plan, but Nova must not suffer!” she scolded making him quickly shut up and retreat to his corner of shame.
Victor quickly realized that Luliana was the man of the house.
“I don’t understand what aunt means…” he said, acting a little fidgety. Luliana was acting according to his expectations, but something was bothering him. His intuition was warning him about danger, like how a rabbit's senses warn him about the approaching tiger.
He quickly activated his appraisal skill, inspecting every person in the room.
NAME: Atlas Von Astrom
LEVEL: 10
CLASS: Pyromancer
AUTHORITY: 2
Strength: 32
Agility: 35
Intelligence: 40
Luck: 26
Charm: 22
Order: 13
SKILLS :
FireBall, A
Fire Whip, B
Ignite, B
Fire Resistance, C
Fist Arts, D
Endurance, D
Dagger Arts, E
Sword Ars, E
Quick-Steps, E
Charm, E
Playboy, E
Boot Licking, F
Evade, F
EQUIPMENT:
Defense Talisman, D
FATE STATUS
FATE’S POWER: D
SUMMARY (STABLE)
NO DEFINED FATE
DESTINY LIST < 10 ORDER POINTS TO UNVEIL>
Atlas was a typical annoying teenager. Nothing dangerous here. Next…
NAME: Sirius Von Astrom
LEVEL: 59
CLASS: Pyromancer
AUTHORITY: 5
Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.
Strength: 157
Agility: 165
Intelligence: 172
Luck: 25
Charm: 30
Order: 36
SKILLS :
Firestorm, S
Fire Whip, A
Fire Resistance, A
Fist Arts, A
Endurance, B
Ignite, B
FireBall, B
Cleaning, C
Dagger Arts, C
Boot Licking, D
Spear Arts, E
Sword Ars, E
Evade, E
Damage Resistance, E
Stun Resistance, E
Cooking, D
QuickSteps, D
Charm, F
Playboy, F
EQUIPMENT:
Defense Talisman, A
Storage Ring, E
FATE STATUS
FATE’S POWER: D
SUMMARY (STABLE)
NO DEFINED FATE
DESTINY LIST < 10 ORDER POINTS TO UNVEIL>
This guy was not bad at all! Considering his age, he could have secured himself a good position in his family.
It was either that the infighting in the Von Astrom family was very intense, or this man was just a wimp who feared his wife. Victor was more inclined to believe the latter after looking at him acting like a good puppy and sitting to the side.
Both Sirius and his son were pyromancers, which was the most common class in the Von Astrom family. As far as Victor knows about 50% of them had fire-related classes. For example, George, his father’s butler, who himself was an exiled member of the Von Astrom family, had a Fire Lord class. Which was a very rare and strong fire class.
But those two were not dangerous for him, he can kill both of them in seconds… That left one possibility.
NAME: Luliana Bluerose
LEVEL: 79
CLASS: Amazon Warrior
AUTHORITY: 7
Strength: 232
Agility: 220
Intelligence: 204
Luck: 26
Charm: 32
Order: 40
SKILLS :
Beheading Punch (INSTADEATH 1%), SS
Silver Lance, S
*Killer kiss, S
Fist Arts, A
Spear Arts, A
Endurance, A
*Breaking Bite, B
Dagger Arts, B
Music, B
*Charm, B
Evade, C
Singing, C
Quick-Steps, C
*Camouflage, C
Poetry, C
Sword Ars, D
Painting, D
*Fire Resistance, D
Poison Resistance, D
Damage Resistance, D
Stun Resistance, D
Sewing, E
Cooking, F
Cleaning, F
Knitting, F
EQUIPMENT:
Heavenly Sect Inner Disciple Token, S (CANCELED)
Storage Ring, A
Defense Talisman, B
BLOODLINE AWAKENED
??????????????*
FATE STATUS
FATE’S POWER: C
SUMMARY (DECLINING)
NO DEFINED FATE
DESTINY LIST < 10 ORDER POINTS TO UNVEIL>
Victor paused, he didn’t anticipate something like this. Another hidden expert.
This woman was simply scary… Too scary. She was very strong, had an awakened bloodline, and on top of that was an inner disciple of the Heavenly sect like his elder sister... No, she was a former disciple.
Why would someone as important as her spend her days with a wimp husband?
Victor was mistaken. He had to apologize to Sirius. This man was not a wimp at all, he had every right to fear his scary wife.
Victor realized that he must be careful. This family was more dangerous than expected.
Should he reconsider his plan…. No. His marriage with Lily must not be delayed any longer, no matter what. The Von Krone might decide to pull her out at any moment.
“What do you think?” Luliana asked as she relaxed in her seat after presenting Victor with a list of demands.
“About what?” Victor wanted to ask, but looking at her eyes he chose to not tell her that he was completely spacing out.
He thought for a moment. “I will have to ask my father?” he said. A very open answer.
“You are a MAN! YOU must make that decision,” she told him angrily, ignoring her husband's glares. “It is only some change money for someone like you, and the separate mansion doesn't need to be too big!” she said.
“Oh…I… I understand…. I will do my best to fulfill your requests,” he hesitated and said… He will need to fulfill nothing as pretty soon she will be the one begging him.
Atlas who was sitting to the side was nodding like an idiot. As if all of this money will end up in his pocket.
Although this household belonged to the Von Astrom family, they only had an average income. And Sirius was very strict with the allowance he gave his children.
“Good, now to my last condition. The family had told me that you were planning a double wedding, is that right?” she asked a few moments later. Like a snake trapping the mouse when he was most vulnerable.
“Yes… it was my father’s idea…” he lied.
“If you want to marry my daughter that can’t happen… Even if you marry another woman, my daughter must have her own wedding! And as I said before, she will have to be the main wife! … Or I swear that I will ruin this thing!” she threatened. This was her bottom line. Although she left her sect to marry Sirius, she still had the pride of an inner heavenly sect disciple, and she will not let her daughter suffer.
“I… I… D…. But…” he stuttered nervously, wiping his sweaty hand with his white expensive jacket.
“Stop stuttering…Why don’t you go and see the bride first?” she said, “Atlas, take young Victor to your sister… she should have prepared,” she added, she was sure that this little chick would do whatever she asked for after seeing her charming daughter… Hopefully, that girl would stop acting stubborn and give up on her fantasies.
“I understand,” Atlas said standing up abruptly, “follow me,” he said, sneering at his new rich brother-in-law. His mother was trying to probe Victor’s strength since the moment he stepped into the room, and according to his observation, this kid was a total fool. He seemed to have come straight out of his family's greenhouse, without any life experience.
Victor bowed to his supposed future mother and father-in-law then quickly followed after Atlas, nearly stumbling on the carpet on his way.
…
“Honey! You should act more respectfully!.... The family is after us….”
“F*ck the family, they are targeting you on purpose…”
Victor could hear Sirius arguing with his wife as soon as he left the room.
“Follow me…” Atlas said with a smirk, guiding Victor down a flight of stairs into the basement. “My sister was a little naughty, so the family ordered us to lock her up. I hope you don’t mind,” he added opening a wooden door and walking into a room that except for the fact that it was in the basement looked like any little girl’s room, where a passing unicorn defecated all of his rainbows and then exploded like a glitter bomb.
A very pretty girl was sitting there on her colorful bed, dressed in a long dress, Looking away, not intending to welcome her new husband, or even look at him. Nova Von Astrom… Victor had already seen her photo, but to tell the truth, the real thing was way prettier.
For a second there he was tempted to just go on with the wedding… But no, he will never give up on his wedding with Lily. This might be his only chance to pull something like this.
Victor took a deep breath, calming himself as he appraised Nova.
NAME: Nova Von Astrom
LEVEL: 0
Abnormal State:
LOCKED, S
CLASS: Fire Starter
AUTHORITY: 5
Strength: 5/18
Agility: 5/17
Intelligence: 5/20
Luck: 22
Charm: 34
Order: 10
SKILLS :
Fire Sign, S
Fire Resistance, S
Logical Analysis, A
FireBall, B
Ignite, C
Charm, C
Endurance, C
Fist Arts, D
Dagger Arts, D
Sword Ars, D
QuickSteps, E
EQUIPMENT:
Escimar's Prison Bracelet, S (Power Locking, Tracking)
FATE STATUS
FATE’S POWER: SS (DARK SCION)
SUMMARY (STABLE)
SET FATE : [Birth Fate] Burn the world and feast on top of its ashes.
DESTINY LIST < 10 ORDER POINTS TO UNVEIL>
Victor was flabbergasted.
Why was everything going against his expectations? Was it Alex’s fault? It was definitely her. That girl was a jinx.
Another Dark scion? Of all the available fates she had to be another f*cking Dark Scion! And on top of that one with a very clear goal, destroy the world!
“You look stunned! Do you like her? She is pretty cute, but you better be careful, she can bite.” Atlas, who was standing behind Victor said after noticing that Victor froze in his place.
The poor lass did not realize that the little sister he looked down on was a disaster in the making. She might even be the real reason behind this household's shitty luck.