"Bella, is that you?" Celeste asked weakly, her voice trembling with emotion.
"Yes, Mother. It's me—your daughter," Bella replied, tears streaming down her cheeks as she clung tightly to her mother.
"I missed you so much, Mother. Every moment you spent with me and Father was precious."
Celeste's eyes welled up as she gently cupped Bella's face. "Really? You've grown so big and beautiful, sweetheart. I thought... I thought you and your father would have forgotten me by now."
Bella shook her head, laughing softly through her tears. "Haha, so did I, Mother. But look at us—we still missed each other."
Celeste smiled faintly, nodding, but her joy was short-lived. She quickly stepped back, her expression shifting to one of concern as she sensed the fury emanating from the throne.
Phoenix Empress glared at Bella with fiery eyes, her small frame brimming with unyielding power. "Vile spawn, why are you here? You can't hide from me under that human skin. You reek of the same foul scent as your father," she barked furiously, her young voice cutting through the air like a whip.
Bella's irritation was clear as her gaze shifted to the throne, where the little girl sat with an air of arrogance. She blinked, speechless for a moment, before voicing her thoughts.
"Hey, who is this little girl? How can she have no manners?" Bella asked, her tone sharp and irritated.
The room went silent for a moment before chaos erupted.
"What?"
"This is blatant disrespect!"
"How dare she insult our Empress?"
"She's courting death!"
"Kill this demoness already!"
The elders trembled with anger at Bella's blunt words, their fiery auras flaring in unison as they glared at her.
Aengus and Vira both leaned closer to Bella simultaneously, their reactions vastly different.
Buzz...
Aengus muttered before snapped his fingers, and three thrones, intricately carved from Roc stone, materialized in an instant. One was placed deliberately on the same level as the Empress' seat, while the other two sat slightly below, exuding a sense of calculated dominance.
Gasps and raised eyebrows filled the hall as everyone watched the bold display.
Unbothered, Aengus walked over to Celeste's side, gently taking her frail hand in his own. "Mother-in-law, please sit here," he said warmly, guiding her to the left seat.
Celeste, still processing the fact that this man was her son-in-law, looked at him with wide eyes. Despite his intimidating aura, she could feel respect and genuine care radiating from his gentle smile. Mechanically, she allowed him to lead her to the throne and sat down hesitantly.
Bella, watching the scene, beamed with joy. Without hesitation, she took the seat to Aengus' right, her movements gracious and elegant.
"Thank you, Hubby. You're great as always," Bella said, leaning in and planting a kiss on his cheek, unbothered by the stunned silence of the room.
The blatant show of affection left the onlookers frozen, their attention firmly fixed on the trio.
Aengus, seated regally in the middle, responded to Bella's kiss with a casual yet deliberate kiss on the lips, eliciting gasps from the room.
Celeste, along with a few others, instinctively averted their eyes, unable to handle such blatant affection in public. The Phoenix Empress, however, and several of her elders were visibly seething at the audacity of the trio.
"Celeste, get down at once!" the Empress barked, her fiery glare aimed directly at her trembling daughter.
Celeste, feeling the weight of her mother's authority, instinctively moved to obey, her nervousness and ingrained fear compelling her to rise from the throne.
"Mother... don't..." Bella whispered, noticing her mother's hesitation as he pulled away from Aengus' lips.
Aengus' gaze darkened with irritation, releasing all the pent up emotions that he suppressed inside.
His darkened gaze swept across the room as the warmth in his eyes faded, replaced by an ominous rage.
The room seemed to thrum with his suppressed power as he unleashed a sudden, overwhelming wave of Fiend-Celestial Aura, a mix of chaos and divinity.
The air became suffocating, heavy with his unrestrained dominance, as his voice echoed like a thunderclap.
"QUIET!"