Chapter 1014: Haruna's Stubbornness and Fear.
"How did it go?" Haruna asked, a slight concern visible on her face.
"Complicated," Victor was honest, "but necessary."
Haruna nodded and sighed in relief. She wasn't too worried, and she knew her Husband would always protect them and ensure that nothing bad happened to them. But her slight concern couldn't be shaken off. After all, Ophis was her beloved Niece, the Heir of her older sister—the only thing ensuring that her Sister lived.
"Before we fell into our decrepit state, we talked a lot with Hana. She's a good woman. It's sad she didn't grow up alongside Ophis," Morgana sighed. Though it had been a long time since she had thought about it, she still had memories of what had happened.
"We can't change the past... But we can change the future," Jeanne said, in a subtle tone that suggested something everyone was thinking.
After snapping out of her thoughts and hearing Jeanne's words, Haruna spoke seriously, "If you're going to resurrect my Sister, you must make her your Wife."
"I will support you wholeheartedly."
Morgana and Jeanne looked at Haruna incredulously. They didn't expect these words from her.
"What?" Haruna raised an eyebrow.
"Aren't you being too extreme?" Jeanne couldn't help but speak up.
"No, I'm not," Haruna denied. "We're talking about my Sister here. I'm dead serious."
"If Darling manages to revive my Sister, I won't allow my Sister to go through what she went through again. This time, she must receive the best, and I know very well that Darling is the best."
"You're exaggerating, Haruna," Jeanne sighed. "Vlad wasn't bad to Hana, you know."
Despite her grievances with Vlad, Jeanne wasn't blinded by emotions like Morgana. Even though she wasn't treated very well by Vlad, the same didn't apply to Hana.
Vlad had favorites, and Hana was definitely his favorite.
"I don't care," Haruna scoffed disdainfully, her voice laden with venom. "I don't want Vlad near my sister. That man is cursed and should stay as far away from her as possible."
"I'm sure if my Sister returns, and by some miracle she decides to go back to Vlad, I'm absolutely sure he'll somehow ensure her death again."
"Is he that cursed?"
"Damn, girl. You're roasting him hard," Morgana chuckled lightly in amusement. "Something I don't mind, of course, but you're having a very fantastical view of things. Do you think your Sister will die again with us around?"
"Somehow, I'm sure that could happen. It's Vlad we're talking about," Haruna remarked.
Jeanne and Morgana just shook their heads. Morgana didn't care about Haruna's opinion of Vlad; to her, her relationship with Vlad was in the past, so she no longer held a grudge against him, especially now that she had her own Daughter with Victor.
Jeanne, on the other hand, couldn't help but think that Haruna was being unfair in her words. It was not like she was defending Vlad or anything; she just didn't want Haruna's illusions to become too extreme. Therefore, she was being the voice of reason here and bringing Haruna back to reality.
Haruna looked seriously at Jeanne, "I may be exaggerating, I know that, but I don't care whether I'm exaggerating or not."
"I simply don't trust my Sister with Vlad. If she comes back to life, I will ensure she's completely protected, even if I have to lock her in a basement." Haruna was feeling very protective now, so she didn't mince words.
"Vlad had one damn job when he took my Sister from my Clan. That damned man was supposed to ensure her safety." Haruna's eyes glinted slightly, her tails swaying dangerously behind her. "And yet he utterly failed."
"The Eldest Vampire? The Vampire King? The Ancient Monster? All these Titles mean nothing if he can't even protect his damn family."
Jeanne sighed. "You know you're being unfair. There was no way he could have known how dangerous the Elder Gods were. Remember, they're Beings even Darling had a hard time defeating."
"I know. And I don't care." Haruna nodded and squared herself as she looked even more intensely at Jeanne.
"His job was to ensure my Sister's safety, and he failed, so he doesn't have my trust. It's as simple as that. The results speak for themselves, and reality speaks for itself. He failed my Sister, he failed his own children, he failed his wives; he may be a great King, but he's a terrible family man."
At this point, not even Jeanne could say anything, because it was something she completely agreed with.
Victor gently stroked Haruna's head, running his hands between her ears. He felt Haruna's emotions stabilizing, her eyes becoming less intense, and the atmosphere grew lighter.
"... I apologize for losing control. It's not like me to lose control like that," Haruna spoke as she sighed in satisfaction at feeling Victor's caresses.
"It's okay, I understand where your frustration is coming from," Jeanne smiled gently.
"I won't force anyone to stay with me, Haruna. Hana is old enough to make her own decisions, and if she decides to stay with Vlad, we'll just have to protect her."
By the way Victor spoke, Jeanne and Morgana already knew he had made the decision to help Ophis.
And when the Head of The Household made a decision, everyone moved toward that goal. That's what happened with Jeanne as she immediately began to think about the implications of her Husband's actions. These thoughts took only several milliseconds before she opened her mouth.
"Victor, this—" Jeanne, who was about to warn about the dangers of Victor's actions, was interrupted by Victor himself, but he interrupted her by saying,
"I know, Jeanne. I won't do it now. First, I'll rescue my Wife. With Azathoth by my side, the Primordials can't do anything."
Jeanne sighed in relief.
"My decision still stands. I won't leave my Sister with Vlad, even if I have to intervene actively." Haruna wouldn't give up, even if her own Husband advised her to let her Sister make her own decisions.
By this point, Haruna didn't trust her Sister's decisions. The woman had decided to leave her Clan to venture with some old Vampire, and what happened? She died.
As the older Sister now, it was up to her to make her listen!
"That's your decision, my dear. Just know that I'll support you in anything," Victor smiled. He only advised her, and it was up to her to decide whether to follow that suggestion or not.
In the end, it didn't matter much to him; he was acting for his Daughter and his Wife. What happened next was something the involved parties would decide, but of course, Victor would always be nearby watching.
Haruna sighed. "Even though the current Vlad is different from the past in some aspects, and Vlad's current wife and his lover from the Snow Clan are kind, I still don't trust the man himself. What guarantees he won't mess everything up again in 5000 years?"
Haruna's stern expression softened, "I know... I just want the best for my Sister, and I know very well that she wasn't happy living with Vlad because of the other wives and Vlad himself, who was as perceptive as a door."
Haruna sighed. "Even though the current Vlad is different from the past in some aspects, and Vlad's current wife and his lover from the Snow Clan are kind, I still don't trust the man himself. What guarantees he won't mess everything up again in 5000 years?"
"When Hana returns in the future, I'll do everything to keep her away from him." The question wasn't 'if' but 'when' she'd return. Haruna knew very well that her Husband was a decisive man—if he said he'd do something, he'd definitely do it.
Victor shook his head and gently stroked Haruna's fox ears. Despite being a Dragon, she liked her Fox Form. There was also the fact that her Husband spoiled her more when she was in this form, so she frequently used her metamorphosis to mimic her old form.
"We'll discuss this further in the future, but I must say in advance that when she returns, let her make her own decisions regarding me. I'm not looking for more Wives and I'm very content with my current Family."
"So just be a good Sister and support her in everything while also protecting her, the same way I do with you, my little fox."
Haruna gently hugged Victor, resting her head on his chest, and then sighed. "Okay, I'll act that way... Maybe." Yeah, she definitely wouldn't.
Victor chuckled softly and advised her, "Even though sometimes I wish to keep you all just locked in my Inner World where you'd be safer, I know you'd hate me for doing that. I respect your free will and always support you, just as you do with me. It's through this healthy relationship that we've developed."
"Forcing someone's opinion onto another should only be done if that person is making a very grave mistake. But as long as she's not doing that, you should just help her as a good Sister."
Haruna understood what Victor was trying to convey. He was trying to prevent her from imposing her will on their Sisterly relationship. But she couldn't absorb it; she was too controlling and too afraid of losing her Sister again in the future. She preferred to have her Sister alive and hating her than dead where she couldn't hate her.
"Being involved with Vlad is a very grave mistake, so I'm right," she stubbornly stated.
Victor, Jeanne, and Morgana laughed.
"Let's put that aside for now," Victor said, stepping back from his Wives and placing his hand on his forehead. A white Energy formed in his hand, and then he gently touched the foreheads of his three Wives, allowing them to see all the events he had witnessed.
"Onee-sama..." Haruna spoke with tears in her eyes when she saw her Sister in the false-world.
"An Eldritch God of Infinity, huh," Jeanne remarked, looking to Victor for answers.
"I won't let the Primordials have influence over my Daughter," Victor growled. It wasn't like he had anything against the Primordials or anything; he was just extremely protective. After all, with his Daughter having the Divinity of a Primordial, the Primordial itself could make his Daughter its Herald. Victor would rather die than let his Daughters be under the influence of another Being.
"I agree. With our future plans, it's too risky. Our Daughters must be under our own protection. The fewer loose ends we have, the better for us," Morgana stated.
"I'll share these memories with the other Sisters," Morgana said as she left.
Jeanne looked neutrally at Victor and then sighed. "Darling, I'll support whatever you do. If you wish to oppose the Primordials in the future, that's fine by me, but... my brother..."
"I know, honey. I've thought about it already, and I wouldn't forget about that," he gently caressed her face.
"You know I wouldn't do anything to make you sad."
Jeanne rested her head against his hand. "I'm sorry for my selfish request."
"It's okay. I completely understand. Your brother went as far as Reincarnating a Guardian for you, not to mention helping me several times. He has my respect. If we do anything in the future, his protection is assured."
"Thank you, Darling."
"No problem." Victor chuckled gently, then stepped back with a serious look. "I need to go back; my Daughter is still going through her journey."
Since Victor arrived, he never took his eyes off Nero. If anything happened, he could be by her side in an instant. Within his world, he had absolute Authority.
"I'll go. I'll let Ruby know about Nero's progress. She's also very curious about what's happening," Jeanne said.
Victor nodded and disappeared.
Jeanne sighed as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She already knew Victor wouldn't do anything against her brother, but it was good to have confirmation straight from him. She felt safer this way. She looked at Haruna, who was still lost in the memories Victor provided. She smiled slightly and left Haruna to her own world; after all, no one would harm her here.
"I'll visit Ruby, and then I'll deal with the 'Guardian' my brother gave me," Jeanne narrowed her eyes. She appreciated the gesture, but she was already much stronger than the Guardian. "In defense of my brother, he never expected me to regain my Powers and become even stronger than before... I think I'll pay him a visit. It's been a while since I last saw him."
.....