Hearing Liliana’s words, the couple fell silent.
The human woman’s fingers curled around the edge of the table, tension running through her hand.
The Light Fae man’s glowing markings dimmed even more as they both turned the question over in their minds.
’Does that even matter?’
After all, the only reason they were still here indulging Liliana’s antics was, first, her air of mystery, and second, the faint glimmer of hope she seemed to offer.
If she was daring enough to plant her castle in the open light of day despite being a member of the Underside, it was clear she had no fear of the Aegis Law Pantheon’s authority.
And yet, for them personally, it felt pointless to imagine freedom when the Pantheon’s grip loomed so completely above their lives.
Any attempt at real resistance would only lead to more suffering.
The silence lingered, thick with unspoken acceptance of that truth.
Liliana watched them for a moment longer, then gave a small shake of her head.
"They’re still doubting me, huh?" she thought, a faint smile tugging at her lips. She couldn’t really fault them for it—after all, she hadn’t done much beyond talking a good game so far.
Still, she didn’t mind lending them a hand, especially considering how much they had helped her in return, without even realizing it.
[Eternal Contracts (God)]
HUMMMM!!!!
At that moment, a strip of black cloth appeared out of nowhere, hovering above the table.
Slowly, red letters began to form across it in smooth, careful strokes, each word carving itself into the dark fabric as if guided by an invisible hand.
When the final line settled into place, Liliana released the contract and let it drift forward until it hovered directly in front of the couple.
"Take a look," she said. "It may suit your needs."
The human woman reached out carefully, steadying the floating cloth with both hands, and began to read aloud.
"The signatories are granted complete autonomy within the world of Cylas... The Creed and Decrees of the Aegis Law Pantheon shall bear no binding authority over them...
They may protect themselves, resolve conflicts, and act according to their own judgment without any Angelic oversight or limitation..."
When she finished reading, silence hung between them.
The Light Fae man kept his eyes fixed on the red lettering, as if afraid it would disappear the moment he looked away.
The woman let the contract drop a little, her face shifting somewhere between shock and careful consideration.
She glanced at the man beside her, her voice laced with dry disbelief.
"She’s got to be kidding, right?"
He stared at the red lettering, equally stunned, before turning to Liliana with a sigh.
"Look... we know you’re strong. We can both sense it," he said, continuing, "But one contract against an entire Pantheon?"
He shook his head.
"That’s hard to believe."
It was difficult to decide whether the offer was genuine or some elaborate jest.
They could feel Liliana’s strength... the blurred edges of her presence made that impossible to ignore—but the idea that a single contract could stand against an entire Pantheon felt almost absurd.
Liliana’s smile stayed serene and unhurried.
"There’s no hidden catch," she said. "Everything here benefits you. If it doesn’t work, you lose nothing. If it does... you’re free to do whatever you want. Just give it a shot."
The man shook his head deliberately slowly.
"How exactly are we supposed to test something like this? The moment we even try to defy the Creed or the Decrees, we’ll only end up paying the price for it."
Liliana gave a light shrug and gestured toward the heavy doors behind them.
"Take it or leave it. The choice is yours."
While this was Liliana’s first attempt at extending her influence into another world, she was far from inexperienced when it came to establishing the Dark Hold.
’It works every time,’ she mused to herself. ’Offer something irresistible... but make it seem like it’s not much.’
It was essentially the same strategy she had used back on Kalpa ages ago, though this time she wielded far greater power to ensure everything unfolded without a hitch.
After her words... A long moment passed.
The woman looked down at the contract again, then at the man beside her.
Something shifted in her expression... decision hardening beneath the uncertainty.
She leaned forward; pen poised over the red lettering and signed her name.
The man lingered for a moment, watching, then let out a quiet breath and scrawled his signature beneath hers.
The moment the final mark settled into the cloth, both of them felt it.
HUMMMMMM!!!!
A deep, resonant surge rolled through the chamber.
It wasn’t painful at all—in fact, it was the complete opposite.
It felt as though something immense and unseen, a presence that had quietly pressed against them for as long as they could remember, suddenly released its grip and just... let go.
The human woman’s breath hitched.
Her shoulders, which had carried a constant, unnoticed tension for years, dropped as though a heavy boulder had been lifted from them.
She pressed one hand flat against her own chest, eyes wide, feeling the sudden clean space where restriction used to live.
"She... was not joking," she whispered, almost disbelieving. "I feel no... resistance anymore."
Before the beings of Cylas... or virtually anyone, they constantly felt as if chains were locked around their very existences... but in this moment...
The only explanation of what they were feeling... was freedom.
The Light Fae man stared down at his own hands.
The luminous markings along his cheekbones flared bright and steady for the first time since they had entered the castle, no longer dimmed by any external weight.
He flexed his fingers slowly, then again, as if testing whether the freedom would vanish the moment he acknowledged it.
A short, stunned laugh escaped him.
"You...," he said, voice low and rough with emotion. "How did... you do this?"
He glanced at the woman next to him, and when their eyes met, the silence between them seemed to stretch.
In that quiet moment, they both understood the same thing without needing to say it aloud: they had the power to act now, to make their own choices.
For the first time, the oppressive rule of Cylas no longer loomed over them like a sharpened blade at their necks.
The woman exhaled, her breath trembling before it curved into something almost like a smile.
"We’re... actually free," she said.
The Light Fae man turned to Liliana, the caution he’d carried since stepping into the chamber easing into something that looked more like sincere respect.
He gave a small, polite nod.
"What is it you want from us in return?" he asked. "We are willing to offer anything."
Liliana gave a slight shake of her head, the blood-red hat tilting with the movement, while a quiet smile lingered on her lips.
"You’ve already done more than enough," she said gently. "Go on... enjoy the love you share."
The human woman’s eyes narrowed just a touch, suspicion flickering there as she struggled to accept the absence of any cost.
"Are you sure?" she asked.
Liliana only nodded and made a light, dismissive gesture with one hand—two small waves toward the door, as if shooing them along.
Then she lifted her wine glass again and returned to the slow, unhurried act of sipping her blood, attention already drifting away from them.
The couple exchanged one final glance.
Understanding that no further argument would change her mind, they rose from their seats and left the chamber without another word, the heavy doors closing softly behind them.
Liliana watched the doors settle into place, the faint smile still resting on her lips. She raised the glass once more, took a slow sip of the dark blood, and spoke quietly into the empty chamber.
"True expansion... starts now."
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter