Chapter 375
“So that’s what truly happened p>
Yian let out a long, ragged sigh, the crushing weight of guilt pressing down on his chest. “She really has suffered p>
The more he uncovered about Nina’s past, the more a toxic mix of remorse and regret consumed him. If only he had been less rigid back then. If only he had insisted that Setan meet his fiancée in person, rather than relying on cold reports and rumors.
Perhaps Setan would never have thrown away his chance with such an extraordinary female. Perhaps Nina would never have been forced to claw her way through the brutal, unforgiving wilderness alone.
A female once labeled fragile and powerless had survived the impossible, forging herself into the powerhouse she was today. How much agony, blood, and sheer willpower had that transformation required?
Yian silently cursed his past self for blind complacency.
Even Xinn’s expression softened with uncharacteristic sympathy. Looking back, Princess Nina had been remarkably gracious when they came to sever ties. Despite the profound humiliation of a broken engagement, she had never once made things difficult for them.
Rin sighed quietly, his weathered face hardening. “Blazing Flame City owes that female a debt. A massive one p>
Shaking off the heavy sentiment, the old patriarch pivoted back to the survival of his city. “Aside from her identity, Xinn, did your investigation yield anything else p>
Xinn straightened, his expression turning sharp. “I found troubling traces suggesting Elder Freen has been secretly communicating with Serpent City p>
The revelation instantly shattered the somber mood, drawing the room’s absolute focus.
“Do you have concrete proof?” Rin demanded.
“Not yet,” Xinn admitted, frustration clipping his words. “Only a string of encrypted clues and hidden meetings. I was rushing back to gather enough solid evidence to bring before the council p>
“There is no need to investigate Freen any further,” Rin cut in, his eyes darkening.
Xinn blinked, entirely thrown off. “What do you mean, Old City Lord p>
“Because Freen is dead p>
The word hung in the air like a physical blow. “Dead?” Xinn echoed in disbelief.
“I will assign other beastmen to unravel the threads connecting Freen to Serpent City,” Rin continued, his voice carrying a lethal, protective edge.
“Whatever venom is brewing over there, we cannot allow it to infect Blazing Flame City. Nina unknowingly did us a massive favor by cutting out that cancer before it could spread p>
Anyone playing double agent with Serpent City while masquerading as a loyal elder of Blazing Flame City had zero noble intentions. Freen’s secrecy reeked of a coup in the making.
Xinn was still reeling. “Elder Freen actually died? How p>
Rin nodded grimly. “If you are curious, ask the other elders later. They will catch you up on the bloodbath in the courtyard. For now, keep everything regarding Serpent City and Freen strictly confidential. I suspect Freen didn’t operate in a vacuum. There are likely still traitors hiding in our shadow p>
Now was the perfect, fleeting window to let those accomplices overplay their hands, entirely unaware that the eyes of the patriarch were already on them.
“Understood, Old City Lord,” Xinn replied instantly, before his curiosity finally got the better of him. “But… if I may ask, why have you returned from your seclusion p>
The old City Lord had locked himself away years ago, vowing to focus solely on his high-level cultivation. His sudden, forceful reappearance was a shock to the entire hierarchy.
Rin shot a pointed, blistering glare at his son. “You can ask the elders about that, too. It is a very long, very irritating story p>
The glare communicated everything. It was all because of my idiot son.
Yian rubbed the bridge of his nose, staring at the floor in acute embarrassment.
Truthfully, he bitterly regretted dragging his father out of retirement. Not only had the old man’s intervention failed to help Setan, but his aggressive tactics had nearly permanently severed Setan’s ties with the female he loved.
If Rin hadn’t tried to force the marriage issue so violently, Setan might still have a thread of hope.
But now? That chance felt microscopic.
Sensing the volatile family dynamic, Xinn wisely bowed. “Understood. I will take my leave p>
After delivering a few final, minor technical reports regarding Serpent City’s border movements, Xinn offered his formal farewells and slipped out of the council hall.
A heavy, ringing silence settled over the room the moment the heavy doors clicked shut.
Finally, Yian turned his full attention to his son, his voice dropping low.
“Earlier, out in the courtyard, you said Nina’s exile was directly connected to you. Setan… what did you mean by that p>
Setan lowered his gaze, his jaw tightening into a hard line. For a long, agonizing moment, he remained completely silent.
Then, he looked up, his voice quiet but utterly unyielding. “I cannot tell you p>
It wasn’t a request; it was a wall.
“But her exile was entirely my responsibility. That is all you need to know p>
The absolute truth of that chaotic night in Sin Beast City involved Nina’s deepest privacy and honor.
He would never weaponize or expose her vulnerability to anyone—not even to his own flesh and blood. If his father and grandfather dug deeply enough into the timelines, they might piece the horror together themselves. But it would not escape his lips.
Yian studied his son’s rigid posture, seeing the fierce, protective instinct burning in his eyes. Slowly, the older lion nodded. “Then I won’t ask. And I won’t investigate, either p>
Some truths were better left buried if it meant protecting the woman his son cherished.
Setan took a slow, grounding breath. His expression smoothed into an eerie, unwavering calm. “Grandfather. Father p>
The profound gravity in his tone immediately locked the attention of both older beastmen.
“Nina will likely leave Blazing Flame City very soon,” Setan stated flatly.
The room grew suffocatingly cold.
“And when she leaves, I am going with her p>
Yian’s eyes widened in shock. Rin’s face instantly contorted into a mask of rage.
Setan didn’t hesitate, driving the final stake into the ground. “I may never return. As for Blazing Flame City… you had better choose another City Lord p>
“Have you lost your mind?!” Rin roared, slamming his fist down on the stone armrest of his chair. The impact echoed through the high rafters like a crack of thunder.
“For the sake of a single female, you are willing to abdicate your throne? To abandon your entire clan p>
The old patriarch’s eyes burned with furious betrayal. The position of City Lord was the pinnacle of honor, power, and sacred responsibility—a title beastmen bled and died for. Yet Setan was treating it like worthless dust.
Setan met his grandfather’s lethal stare without a single tremor.
“I owe Nina a debt I can never fully repay,” his voice was steady, resonant, and entirely devoid of doubt. “I will spend the rest of my life making amends. And p>
A rare, heartbreaking softness flickered across his sharp features.
“Because I love her. I cannot stay here while she walks the world without me p>
Even if Nina never forgave him. Even if she never accepted him into her circle, and even if she chose to love someone else, he would be her shadow. He would guard her from the periphery, fight her battles, and accompany her until his lungs drew their final breath.
Before Rin could unleash his fury, Yian spoke up, his voice heavy with defeat. “Father… Setan isn’t wrong p>
Rin snapped his head toward his son, his expression incredulous. “You are defending this madness p>
Yian let out a long, weary sigh. “The truth is, our family failed Nina first. We brought this ruin upon ourselves p>
He looked at Setan, remembering the desperate, feral way his son had thrown himself into mortal peril to shield Nina from Freen’s deadly arrays. Setan hadn’t hesitated to offer up his own life as a shield. It was in that terrifying moment that Yian finally understood the depth of his son’s devotion.
It wasn’t a passing infatuation or a political pursuit. Setan loved her far more deeply than any of them had ever realized—and a lion who loved that fiercely could never be bound by a throne.