The Banquet was celebrated successfully without any problems or interruptions. However, despite being successfully handled, nasty rumors still circulated to the nobility like a wildfire.

One of those rumors was about Gabriel's behavior when he faced the king, not only wrong impression about him was the content of the rumors, but it was also fueled by Maria Eleonor's previous relationship with the King.

Because of this, not only Marquiss Antonio was worried about the rumors but also the other elders of the Velasquez clan.

"Are you really going to pick him as your successor? Look at the rumors around, it is okay if the rumors are only baseless but his impertinence in front of the king is something that isn't shallow! Your son was labeled as a fool!"

Mikhail Antonio closed his eyes.

"You don't need to worry about those rumors, they will immediately die just like the other rumors," Mikhail Antonio explained to Henzel, the third son of his father, the previous marquis. "However, Henzel, I hope you didn't come to my manor just to complain about the rumors?"

The Marquis glanced at his brother.

"As your brother, I am deeply concerned about the future of our clan. He might be your son, but he grew up as a commoner. I don't want to criticize your son, but if you're going to choose someone like that as your heir, I'm afraid our family will be doomed."

"And do you want me to choose as my heir? Your Son?" Antonio asked coldly. "Don't take me for a fool, Henzel. I know why exactly are you doing this. Whether my son grew up as a commoner, he is the only heir of the Velasquez family."

"Brother---!"

"Enough Henzel, you are not a child anymore," Antonio Mikhail took a deep sigh. "Just wait and see, Gabriel will prove himself as my heir. However, if he failed to prove himself, I will strip him myself as my heir."

Antonio glanced at the sunflowers that were planted by his wife in the garden. The marquis dropped his eyes when he remembered Riella, the late marquessa. This is her sanctuary, her favorite place in this manor.

The marquis didn't know what is inside of the head of his son Gabriel when he asked for the 'Golden Estate' from the king. The truth is he is also worried about his son's decision, but he knows that there is a reason behind that bizarre request from the king.

'Golden Estate' is one of the powerhouses of the kingdom. Half of the estate has the richest soil, while the other half is rich in mana resources. The kingdom will suffer a loss if they lose the golden estate, but for some reason, the king granted that estate to his son.

Ian gave that estate to Gabriel, which is something strange.

There must be a reason why Ian gave that land to Gabriel so easily.

The answer is simple.

The 'Golden Estate' is about to fall into doom. After the crack in the mystical forest appeared, monsters started to swarm in the Golden Land, and the rich soil in that place started to become toxic to the crops.

The reason why Ian gave that land to Gabriel, is to let Gabriel take the responsibility for the disaster on that estate. If the Golden estate became doom in the hands of Gabriel, all of the faults will be directed to Gabriel.

It's not like Ian wanted to point out all the faults to Gabriel, it was Gabriel himself who proposed this to the king. He doesn't know what's running around Gabriel's mind, but Ian will have the upper hand in this proposal.

There must be a reason why Gabriel asked for the Golden Estate despite knowing what's happening to that land.

What might be the reason?

Is there possibly that Gabriel can resolve the problem of that estate?

Both the King and Antonio Mikhail couldn't figure it out.

"Are you eager to make Gabriel as your heir because of that woman?" Henzel, Antonio's 3rd brother suddenly asked. "Don't tell me you letting your emotions ruin your decisions because of that woman."

Antonio suddenly glanced at his brother with a deadly gaze. His hand clenched on his lap tightly as he grits his teeth.

"Watch your mouth, Henzel."

"I knew it! You still think of that filthy woman after all!" Henzel laughed mockingly ignoring the formality for the head of their family. "What is there to watch when it comes to that woman? That woman gave our family a shame, no wonder her son is like her."

"That bitc---"

CLANGGGG!

Before Henzel could finish his words, the table suddenly flew away, and the next thing that he knew is someone grabbed his face tightly behind him. Henzel felt pain as the grip on his face became tighter as if trying to choke him.

Fear crept into his body when he suddenly felt a sharp thing poking at his neck. Henzel's body trembled when he felt the killing intent from the person behind him, as if Thanatos, the death himself, is standing behind him, Henzel begged for help.

"B-Brother... Help..." Henzel asked for Antonio's help, but even the marquis couldn't do anything but to glance at the person who is standing behind his brother. "B-brother!"

"Gabriella..." Antonio mumbled with wide eyes.

He couldn't react to what is he witnessing.

It can't be...

Blood started to drip from Henzel's neck when the perpetrator pushed the sharp thing on his neck. Henzel didn't feel the pain of his wound because of too much fear.

"What did you just call my mother, Uncle?' Gabriella, who had a terrifying look on her face suddenly asked. Her eyes were glowing as if a predator ready to attack her prey, her hand gripped the face of his uncle tightly leaving wounds causing her nails.

Her fearless grip will surely leave marks on her uncle's face.

"W-who... are you?" Henzel asked in fear.

"Daughter of a b*tch?" Gabriella cackled coldly. "I was so happy to meet you again, uncle, but your mouth seemed to be something to be cut off. You're too loud."

"Sister Gabriella, that's enough!"

Gabriel who was following his sister suddenly shouted as he hugged her sister away from that man. When Gabriel pulled away from his sister, Henzel suddenly fell to the ground unconscious with a hand mark on his face and a wound on his neck.

Gabriella snickered as she threw the fork that she used to ground before looking down on her uncle. "His mouth is too loud, shouldn't we teach him a lesson?" Gabriella asked with a grit in her teeth.

"Sister!" Gabriel shouted as he shook his sister's shoulder. "What's happening to you?!"

"That damned---"

"G-Gabriella..."

Gabriella suddenly calmed down when she heard Maria Eleonor's voice. Her eyes went wide as she suddenly glanced in her hand. "What the f*ck happened?" she suddenly mumbled before covering her mouth.

"Sister..." Gabriel mumbled before glancing at his dumbfounded father.

It wasn't the first that he saw Gabriel's other side, but this is one of the rarest cases.

"WHAT THE HECK, SISTER?! ARE YOU DRUNK?!"

Gabriella became dumbfounded when her brother shouted at her. She stared at him with an innocent face. "W-What drunk?" She suddenly asked when she felt her head dizzy. "I didn't kill someone..."

"I KNEW IT, YOU'RE DRUNK!" Gabriel shouted before motioning his hand at butler Nico, and Selena, Gabriella's lady-in-waiting. "Take her to her room, I 'll take care of this incident," Gabriel told them as he rummaged something from his coat.

Maria Eleonor took a deep sigh when she saw what Gabriel took out from his coat.

One is a healing potion and the other one is a rare potion that can make someone forget what happened to him in the previous 2 hours.

Gabriel is cleaning up his sister's crime in front of his father.

"Let's talk later, Gabriel," Antonio Mikhail told to his son. His eyes went to Henzel's sorry state.

Gabriel nodded his head while trying to make uncle Henzel to drink the two potions.

"Sure."

What the hell happened?!

••••••••••••

Inside of the mystical forest, a man with a golden hair was standing in the middle of the dead monsters. Blood was scattered everywhere. That place was drenched in a murderous aura that frightens every monster nearby.

The man smirked as he brush his hair with his bloodied hand.

His eyes suddenly went to a cave that he once couldn't enter. That cave was where Lucius hid his body when he went to the mystical forest, that cave was once protected by his barrier that's why the man cannot enter that place.

The scanned his phoenix eyes to observe that cave.

"Unfortunately, I can feel Evan's aura coming into this place," The man mumbled before laughing. The man ripped off his clothes when he saw a pond inside his cave of Lucius. "I need enough power to break out through this prison before he comes here."

The man glanced at his reflection in the clear cave. He smirked in satisfaction upon seeing his perfect body and flawless face being reflected in the pond. He's already old if he will only be based on his current age, but because of his enormous mana, his face remained handsome and younger.

A pair of golden dragon wings suddenly appeared behind his back as he bathed in the pond. "I wonder if my son is enjoying his reign on my kingdom," The man mumbled as he washed the blood from his body.

"I can't wait to take it back."

That's right, this man is the Previous King of the Ibanez kingdom. Ian's father, and Yohan's grandfather. The tyrant who ruled Ibanez with an iron fist and tyranny.

"And most of all, I can't wait to see how Riella's daughter grew up."

Emperor Ayan...

And the og Gabriella's nightmare.

•••••••••