Chapter 97: Personal Gains

"Big sister, congratulations on marrying a middle age... I mean, influential man," her sister teased, hoping to provoke Cyril further and relish in her discomfort in becoming a sacrificial pawn for the family.

She had always harbored jealousy towards her step-sister, resentful of the beauty that made even her own attractiveness pale in comparison.

The idea of Cyril being violated, subjected to the whims of a man she did not even love, brought a twisted sense of satisfaction to her heart.

And she wasn't alone in this lined of thoughts.

Her stepmother, biological sisters, brothers, cousins, uncles, and aunts all saw her as nothing more than a useful tool, finally good for something despite being a bastard child.

The truth was, the only reason she was given money, schooling, maiden training, and a luxurious lifestyle was because her family saw it as an investment .

They believed that if she didn't carry herself well, then no matter how beautiful she was, she wouldn't be able to catch the eye of an influential family.

After all, why would a wealthy person want to marry someone lacking in manners and elegance?

'Go on, get frustrated, get angry, feel hopeless, ' her step-sister taunted inwardly, eagerly anticipating Cyril's reaction. She longed to see her composed demeanor get broken.

However, Cyril's response was not what her step-family had anticipated.

Instead of rising to the bait, Cyril remained silent, refusing to give them any sense of satisfaction .

"I'll take my leave now. If you need me with anything else, feel free to contact me," Cyril announce, maintaining a tone of respect.

She knew that displaying anger and frustration right now would only serve to inflate her half-sibling's ego further.

"You may leave," her father nodded in agreement.

No further words were necessary, as Cyril's silence spoke volumes, indicating her lack of opposition to the arrangement.

"Thank you, Father," she bowed her head respectfully.

Then, she turned towards the others and offered a polite smile. "Thank you for having me."

Despite the weight of the situation, her facial expression showed no hint of frustration.

Instead, it was filled with an unexpected sense of relief, as if she had just come to a decisive realization.

'Has she gone mad?' her step-sisters and brothers wondered silently.

They couldn't fathom why Cyril looked so composed and even relieved in the face of such a forced situation.

Surely, she couldn't be genuinely happy about it?

Without looking back, Cyril continued walking until she reached her ride.

Once settled in her car, she quickly picked up her phone and opened the Veiled Nights app.

People in such situations were often easily swayed by a helping hand, leaving them indebted and owing a favor.

Just look at George; he was now a loyal servant because he had no other option but to rely on Reign. So he wanted to replicate it with Cyril.

The bonus was, he did not dislike her personality. She was clever and knew how to carry herself, so he believed she would be a good servant for him.

Of course, just doing a job for her was not enough to make her loyal, but he already had a plan in mind to make her completely dependent.

After all, when they were all talking, Reign, using his enhanced senses, hid in the ceiling and overheard everything.

'Hewlet Pantheon Corporation, huh?' A grin appeared on his face as plan formed in his mind.

'To think that I would get an additional pawn just by doing some side quest,' He chuckled to himself, trying to convinced himself that all of this was for his own benefits .

Little did he know that there was more to it than just his personal gains.

He was under the impression that his choice was logical because he would gain something in return, not because he genuinely listened to and sympathized with her.

But what change his heart?

The answer to that came after he experienced a near-death encounter while fighting the parasite.

That event tempered his mind and willpower, and after growing more powerful, he began to experience something he had missed from his old world.

Puberty, that's right. Reign was finally experiencing it, albeit very late.

But in his case, he was so deluded by his Monster Mindset that he didn't even know the difference between "not disliking" and "liking someone."

It was to the point that despite his high IQ, he didn't even realize the subtle signs.

She was beautiful in his eyes, but so was Anna.

She smelled good in his opinion, but so was Anna.

She acted quiet and carried herself well, but so did Anna after she evolved .

She had a problem that needed his assistance, but so did Anna.

But in the end, Cyril was the only one he actually tried to help, even risking being discovered by attempting to massacre a wealthy family in Summit City.

What was so special about her?

***

Authors Note:

Anna vs. Cyril: Which team are you on?