Chapter 53: Proudful Victoria Grayson.
Victoria stood at the top of the stairs, her silver hair softly shining under the warm light. It reached just to her shoulders, moving gently as a faint breeze passed through the hallway.
Her blue eyes glowed like jewels, pure and sharp, filled with pride and a hint of anger. With her delicate features, pale, smooth skin, and graceful posture, she looked like a princess carved out of a fairy tale.
Every step she took carried the elegance of someone who had been admired her whole life.
But at that moment, her expression was far from gentle. She glared down at Victor angrily, her lips pressed tightly together. Victor looked up and met her gaze; his face softened immediately, an apologetic expression forming as guilt filled his eyes.
He knew that look too well — the look of his daughter who was once again angry because he was late.
Victoria, however, had no thoughts of forgiving him. Her pride and temper were both strong. She walked down the stairs slowly, each step echoing through the hall, as if every sound carried her anger.
When she reached them, she crossed her arms and said sharply, "Dad, this is the fourth time this week that you didn't come to train me! You always get busy in the academy. Forget about it!"
Her voice was filled with frustration and anger. Victor sighed lightly, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Dear, I'm really sorry," he said softly. "I had too much work at the academy, so I couldn't come. I promise that I'll train you tomorrow."
Victoria's eyes narrowed. She didn't believe a single word Victor said. She took another step forward and said angrily.
"This is your third time promising me the same thing! You won't come tomorrow either, I know it. Do you know how hard it is to train alone? I want to master all the spells as soon as possible! I want to be number one in the academy when I join it this year — but you don't even come to teach me! How will I become the best like this?"
Victor's heart softened at her words. A part of him felt proud — proud that she had such determination — but another part felt embarrassed. He gave a helpless smile and said again, "I'm sorry, dear. I promise that I will definitely come tomorrow."
Victoria folded her arms tighter and said. "You're lying! I won't believe you, and I won't talk to you anymore!"
Mary, who had been standing quietly by Victor's side, finally spoke in her gentle but firm tone."Victoria, your father was busy, so don't cause a scene. We have a guest here, and you're being rude."
Victoria's anger paused for a second. She blinked and turned to her mother. "Guest?" she asked.
Then her blue eyes shifted toward Aiden, who stood beside Victor. For the first time, she noticed him clearly. He looked about her age, maybe a little older.
His black hair framed his face neatly; his sharp features made him look nothing like a normal boy. His calm posture and pale skin gave him a mysterious aura. He was handsome — far more than anyone she had ever seen her age.
Victoria, who was used to attention and admiration, felt something stir inside her. But her pride quickly rose again. She thought to herself coldly, Hmph, even though he looks better than most kids, he'll still be the same. Just another boy who will like me and follow me around like the rest. They're all the same — disgusting.
But when she looked into his eyes, her confidence shattered. Aiden met her gaze calmly. His face had no smile, no curiosity, no emotion. His eyes were completely emotionless, dark, and still, like the deep ocean at night.
It was as if he was looking through her — or perhaps, as if he was looking at something dead.
A chill ran down Victoria's spine. For the first time in her life, she felt fear. In her fourteen years, no one had ever looked at her like that. People always looked at her with admiration, envy, or desire. But this boy… this boy looked at her as if she were dead to him.
Her heart trembled, and she quickly looked away, turning toward her father. Victor saw her frightened expression and sighed silently.
He knew what Aiden had gone through — the pain, the loss, the emptiness — so he didn't blame him for scaring Victoria like this.
Victor said softly, "Victoria, this is our guest, Aiden." Then he looked at Aiden and said, "Aiden, this is my daughter, Victoria. She's thirteen years old, the same age as you, so you can be friends."
Victoria suddenly hid behind her father's arm, peeking from behind him with wide eyes. Her pride had melted away completely. She looked like a frightened child, her earlier arrogance gone, replaced by fear.
Mary frowned slightly and said, "Victoria, where are your manners? Greet our guest properly."
Victoria hesitated for a moment. Then, in a small shaky voice, she said, "H-hi…"
Aiden looked at her and nodded quietly. He didn't say a word, his expression still calm and cold.
Victoria stiffened again, her heart beating fast for reasons she didn't understand. Victor noticed how tense she was and sighed once more. He said, trying to ease the moment. "Let's go, Aiden, we have to wash up and eat dinner."
Aiden nodded silently and followed him. Meanwhile, Victoria moved closer to Mary, gripping her hand tightly.
As they walked away, Mary looked at her daughter and asked softly, "Victoria, why are you so scared of him? You're a brave girl. You shouldn't be afraid. Did you forget that you're a mana cultivator?"
Victoria blinked as realization struck her. She muttered to herself. "Yes, why did I react like that? I'm a genius. I became a mana cultivator at thirteen, and I'm a dual elemental mana cultivator! He should be the one afraid of me, not the other way around."
Her expression changed. The fear in her eyes slowly turned into pride again. She clenched her fists and thought angrily, I'll make him pay for scaring me like that. She had no idea that Aiden, too, was a mana cultivator and one that was far beyond what she could even imagine.
Aiden stood in the bathroom, quietly washing himself. The cold water ran down his pale skin, clearing the dust from his body. He looked into the mirror for a moment, his dark eyes reflecting no light.
Then he turned away and left the room. On the bed were clean clothes — black pants and a dark black shirt — neatly folded. Victor had asked a servant to buy them for him.
Aiden dressed in silence. The black outfit matched his hair and eyes perfectly, making his presence more striking. He looked like a prince of darkness, elegant yet distant — someone who didn't belong in this world.
He left the room and walked down the stairs; his steps were soft and steady. A servant guided him toward the dining room. When Aiden entered, Mary turned to look at him — and for a moment, she was speechless.
She had already thought the boy was handsome, but seeing him clean and dressed properly, she was stunned. His calm expression, sharp eyes, and perfect posture made him look even more graceful.
He was easily the most handsome child she had ever seen.
Victoria, on the other hand, felt a sting of jealousy rise in her heart. She glared at Aiden angrily, her lips curling slightly. Aiden noticed her stare but ignored it completely, sitting down at the table with quiet grace.
Victoria saw him ignore her as she felt even angrier. All of them sat there as they waited for Victor to arrive.
Moments later, Victor entered the room wearing a white suit. His calm and elegant presence filled the room as he sat at the head of the table.
He smiled warmly and said, "Aiden, this is your first time eating with us, and this dinner is to celebrate your welcome. So don't be shy — eat whatever you want. Think of this house as your own, okay?"
Aiden simply nodded. Then everyone began to eat. The sound of cutlery filled the air softly.
After a while, Mary looked at Aiden and asked, "Aiden, you'll be enrolling in the academy this year, right?"
Aiden replied calmly, "Yes."
Mary smiled gently as she continued. "Then you must be a mana cultivator, right? What elemental affinities do you have?"
"I'm a dual elemental mana cultivator," Aiden said in his cold, even tone. "I have water and fire affinity."
He had already decided to hide the other elements he used against Michael. He didn't want anyone to know he was tri-elemental like his teachers. For now, he wanted to stay quiet, low, and unnoticed.
Mary's eyes widened a little in surprise. Her daughter, who was hailed as a genius, was the same age as him and was also a dual elemental cultivator. That meant they were equally talented.
She nodded in admiration as she said. "Wow, you're a dual elemental cultivator just like Victoria, and you're also thirteen. That's amazing."
Victoria, who had been silently eating, froze. Her mind went blank for a second. He's a dual elemental, too? she thought in disbelief. The boy who scared her — the one who looked so calm — was just as talented as her. Her competitiveness flared up like fire.
She looked at Aiden again, her eyes full of challenge. She wanted to beat him.
Victor saw her expression and smiled faintly as he said, "Aiden, why don't you have a duel with Victoria tomorrow? She wants to train, but she doesn't have a proper partner. It'll help both of you grow."
Aiden shook his head as he replied. "No. I can't fight her. She will end up getting injured."
Victoria slammed her hands on the table and said angrily, "Why would I get hurt, huh? You think you're stronger than me? We're at the same stage, so don't act so arrogantly!"
Aiden looked at her with his calm, lifeless eyes. "It's not about being at the same stage," he said quietly. "It's just that you haven't had any proper training."
Victoria's face turned red with anger. She opened her mouth to shout, but Victor spoke first. "You don't have to worry, Aiden," he said kindly. "I've trained her personally. She won't get injured."
Aiden looked at him, his voice cold but steady as he said. "That's why I said she hasn't trained properly. How can a father teach his daughter truly well? You would always care for her, always avoid hurting her. But in a real fight, will your enemy do the same? Will they just stand still and let her attack? Will they hold back like you do? Have you ever thought about that?"
The room fell silent. Victor wanted to say something, but he couldn't — because every word Aiden had said was right. He had trained Victoria just like he had described..
Mary finally broke the silence with a soft laugh as she said. "Aiden, you don't have to worry about hurting her. We have a healer in the house. She can heal her instantly."
Then she smiled and added, "Besides, I also want to see what kind of training you went through, and how good you actually are."
Aiden nodded simply. "Okay."
The rest of the dinner passed quietly. Victoria kept glaring at Aiden now and then, but he didn't react. When the meal ended, a servant came to take Aiden to his room.
He sat on the bed, deep in thought, the quiet of the night surrounding him. For a moment, his eyes softened as he stared out the window. Then, slowly, he lay down onthe bed as he drifted into sleep.
Author's Note: This chapter marks Aiden's new life with the Graysons and his first steps towards revenge. Stay tuned for more updates.