"Didn't you hear? I said that we were talking about leaving this sealed space, of course. Could it be that you don't want to return to your true home?"
Davis raised his brows as he had an amusing smile on his face.
"Don't talk nonsense!" Nero Alstreim couldn't help but deny that claim as he waved his hand, "How can there be something like leaving?"
Davis's jaw dropped a bit as he didn't know what kind of nonsense Nero Alstreim was spouting. He blinked.
"Do you want to leave this place or not? Don't tell me you don't want to?"
"You...!" Nero Alstreim pointed his hand as he trembled.
He obviously wanted to return home, but why was a brat talking about it, acting as if he could lead them away? That was what he denied.
He was already having hopes and nightmares, wondering if that dark-attributed magical beast would take them away from this sealed space since the time Ezekiel Alstreim gave his answer, but in this place, Davis Alstreim was claiming that he would take them out to his daughter.
How could he not think he was deceiving her with his sweet, honey-coated words?
But on second thought, he became confused. Didn't Davis already reject his daughter? Why was there a need for him to deceive her? He instantly thought that it was to gain her trust that she would now even block his path and defend him.
That was why he was extremely angry over him.
Nero Alstreim promptly tried to calm down as he spoke, "Explain yourself...!"
Davis nodded his head in complacency as he clapped his hand once, "Nadia, come out!"
Nero Alstreim narrowed his eyes, wondering who this Nadia was as he looked left and right. However, he didn't see nor sense anyone appearing, but when he saw his daughter's startled expression, he went stiff as he turned around to look.
A tall, dark wolf stood before him, staring at him with wide golden eyes that made him not want to abruptly react as he felt that he was already locked onto by it, his life in danger even though he did not feel a sliver of hostility from it. He trembled, his eyes quickly moving to confirm Niera's safety, only to see that she was not harmed or taken hostage by Davis.
"What is the meaning of this?" He asked, still not believing that 'that' magical beast was in front of him. He didn't sense a thing, and even now, he failed to see any kind of magical beast aura leaking out from it. It was as if it did not exist other than the realm of his visual prowess, making him inwardly gulp in nervousness.
"That's my girl... You can relax." Davis clapped his hand again as if he was commanding Nadia to stay her hands, but in reality, it was a hypnotic note to Nero Alstreim, saying that the unexpected situation was over, and there wasn't any real need to be afraid.
As anticipated, Nero Alstreim let out a deep breath as he turned to look at him.
"I can't understand. If this Nadia is your magical beast, then why did you threaten us to leave the cave and even make us do such a thing as making a sacrifice?"
Nero Alstreim appeared dumbfounded by this revelation.
"To see all of your characters for myself, whether if you're all worthy enough to be let out of this space by yours truly..." Davis uttered in a solemn tone, seemingly not at all kidding, even with that wide smile on his face.
It just cast a chill in his back, making him want to take a deep breath again to calm down. However, his lips moved.
"For what?"
"Because you all would be inevitably angered when you get back, but I'm also sure that it isn't anything of concern, considering that your daughter wished for it."
"Nora..." Nero Alstreim purple pupils trembled as his expression went awry, "What happened to her? Did you lie to me?"
"No, I didn't..." Davis shook his head, "She's repenting as we speak for the mistakes she had committed as well as volunteered to atone for Grand Elder Valdrey Alstreim and Grand Elder Elise Alstreim's mistakes. She is a very caring soul like Niera who didn't forsake you all for petty love."
"So you can say..." Davis's smile faded, "They're collectively repenting for their mistakes in the Alstreim Family's Prison except for your daughter because she had decided to become a maid for my parents..."
Nero Alstreim looked shocked that he didn't know what to say. A maid of all things?
He couldn't understand.
Looking at his confused expression, Davis decided to enlighten him one last time, "Didn't I say that your daughter chose this path as a maid for herself because she wished for it? I meant that because she loves my father the way Niera first fell in love with me..."
"You are lying..."
Nero Alstreim shook his head in disbelief while Davis blinked at his own words, feeling that it was awkwardly similar to what he had experienced with Niera, but she went one step ahead because of the trial that he had kept for Ezekiel Alstreim. It made him feel that these sisters were very... open about their love.
"Well, you can check for yourself after you return, but I'll warn you that if you go so far as to harm my people, I will not hesitate to kill you."
"Davis...!" Niera Alstreim squealed, looking as if she was going to cry.
Such words hurt her heart as she wished for nothing but peace even after hearing the story.
Davis shook his head, "I'm just warning your father. It is him who would decide what I would do him after we leave this place."
"Don't say that..." Niera shook her head as tears fell, "I wish we would not fight anymore."
Davis's heart softened, but he didn't say anything to her and instead looked at Nero Alstreim.
"You heard your daughter. I don't wish for struggle as the issue back in the family was already settled. I just hope that you won't start it again when I take you and your people back."
Nero Alstreim lowered his head as he began to think and contemplate in all seriousness. The amount of information he had to swallow was small, but the content was significant that he couldn't carelessly believe the words that came from Davis's mouth.
After a while of silence, he couldn't help but stay.
"Still, she was only repenting for a careless mistake and her grandparents who took care of her like father and mother. You all went too far..."
"Too far?"
Davis's eyes narrowed with dislike.
"Nero, she almost killed my mother with her ignorance while Weiss Alstreim ruined Edgar Alstreim's life with the spoiled help from Grand Elder Elise Alstreim. Your daughter and Grand Elder Valdrey Alstreim carelessly let in two Yantra Family spies who were plotting the collapse of the Alstreim Family. Don't you think that this bit of remorse and repentance is in order?"
Nero Alstreim became stunned.
Her daughter's mistake had almost caused his mother to die? His lips quivered.
"But-"
"My mother was extremely merciful...!" Davis's sapphire eyes turned sharp as a strand of soul force almost shot out, "Don't test our patience as we're already doing our best to maintain peace instead of massacring like we initially planned to..."
Nero Alstreim's heart trembled as he felt a chill up his spine!
What was this feeling of reverence he felt just now as if it was something that came from his soul? It felt weird, but it only lasted a moment. Still, everything he had heard was too much to process that he stayed mute.
Davis promptly calmed down, realizing that he had become too emotional at that moment.
"I wanted you to know all of this so you won't lose your mind but be prepared when you return to the Alstreim Family." He let out a breath and before reaching out his hand towards Niera, who looked at him with complex emotions while shedding tears. He wiped her tears away and held her cheek.
"I apologize for scaring you, but I have made things clear now..."
Davis returned his gaze towards Nero Alstreim, "I can bring you out, along with your wife, but as for your grandpa and all others, they would have to wait."
"What? Why?"
Nero Alstreim was ecstatic inside as he felt some kind of hope after seeing the magical beast and believed that Davis's words had some truth to it but now, why wasn't the others allowed, especially his grandfather Ezekiel Alstreim was not allowed?
"You already heard it when you were listening to our conversation..."
"You...! I just got there and wasn't sure of what you were talking about! I was more worried about how you were taking advantage of my daughter!" Nero Alstreim's face flushed red in shame, but his expression quickly became solemn.
"Tell me, or I can't be assured..."
Davis inwardly sighed, wondering why he had to explain more, but when he looked at Niera's hopeful expression, he opened his mouth.
"That's because your grandpa's wife is in prison for the wrongs that she had committed by ignorantly helping that scum Weiss. Do you think he's going to stand by and watch? No, because from the way you all acted when you're going to sacrifice each other, I already know the answer. It would be obvious that Ezekiel Alstreim would seek revenge. But if it is after a month, Grand Elder Elise Alstreim's sentence would've ended, and he would not be able to hold a grudge against my family."
Davis waved his hand, "It is simple as that..."
"I see..." Nero Alstreim nodded, understanding but not really believing in it as he turned to look at Niera.
"Niera, do you really love him?"
Niera, who seemed to have calmed down, gently nodded her head, "I want him, father. I can no longer imagine a world without him."
Nero Alstreim became mortified. Such words wouldn't be normally said without reason, and he believed that his daughter wouldn't simply say such a thing without conviction, so the most likely reason he could think was that they had already done the deed with each other.
If that was the case, he felt like that there was nothing he could do to save her in case if Davis was really deceiving her. He couldn't help but wryly ask.
"What makes you believe him so much that you would declare your love for him like this...?" His tone was additionally tinged with helplessness and worry, realizing that it was time that he should let go of her.
Niera Alstreim blinked, wondering why she spouted such words herself. She lowered her head and contemplated and suddenly remembered that time. Taking a deep breath, she raised her head and spoke.