"There’s no way you wouldn’t be aware of my daughter’s feelings for you!"
Katherine stressed while pressing him against the shelf.
She might have become addicted to him, but that didn’t mean she allowed l.u.s.t to overpower her completely.
That’s why she didn’t care when she failed as a wife and as a noble descendent. But when it came to her daughter, she could never allow herself to fail.
Never.
Not even if the cause was the man whom she d.e.s.i.r.ed from every fiber of her existence. The same man whom she promised owned her just to get him inside her.
Zed looked at her thoughtfully. If he wanted, he could overpower her by transforming into Kiba.
But he didn’t because there was truth in her words.
After all, as an expert seducer, the thing he excelled the most was the matter of the heart. So, he obviously realized Sophia has fallen for this side of his personality.
"I know what she feels for me," Zed whispered. "And in my own way, I reciprocate her feelings."
"No, you don’t!"
"Forget loving her; you haven’t even made the smallest of gestures containing love!"
Zed lowered his eyes. He knew she was right.
"M.a.k.i.n.g. .l.o.v.e is the greatest way to express love, but you... you haven’t even given her a kiss!"
Katherine hissed.
"Forget kiss, you didn’t even ask her for a date!
"You know she’s shy in matters like this and couldn’t take the first step... but you can, and yet you didn’t!
"So tell me, when would you stop playing with my daughter’s heart?!"
Katherine lifted his head and stared into his eyes. She wanted an answer, and she wouldn’t let him go even if he transformed into Kiba. She was ready to risk her life for this.
"Haah~"
Zed couldn’t help but sigh.
"You know who I truly am... and yet you think I should act on my feelings?"
Katherine’s eyes widened. In all her anger at his inactions, she forgot the significance of him being Kiba.
It wasn’t just the antagonistic relationship Sophia shared with him. But also the fact that being Kiba meant... he could never be monogamous.
It was the opposite of Sophia... and even her to an extent.
Ever since she was f.u.c.k.e.d by him, she hasn’t touched her husband.
She was monogamous.
And for her daughter, being monogamous was the eternal truth.
She could only make love with the man she loved...and based on her feelings, it was only Zed for life!
But if she ever came to know he was also the shameless scoundrel then...?!
"I might be the villain for you, but I have my bottom line."
Zed said as she let go of him.
"And I would never cross it first."
"!!" Katherine stumbled back, realization dawning over her.
Then the only way her daughter can get what she wants...is if she takes the first step!!
But how?! Her daughter was far too shy!!!
"I need to do something!" Katherine concluded in her heart.
Zed, in the meantime, picked the books and placed them back on the shelf. He then turned to the teleportation portal and said, "Let’s go before others become curious."
"....." Katherine eyed him before nodding. She adjusted her p.a.n.t.i.e.s and dress and then entered the portal.
✻✻✻✻✻
Meanwhile, in Section I, Sophia gasped as she checked the vast laboratory. It was completely white, save for the high-tech equipment and the experiment pods.
She looked around and realized it was far, far more advanced than the many labs owned by her family.
"Wow!"
She exclaimed as she stepped before a row of glass pods filled with creatures and items. Some were as small as an ant and some as tall as a ten-storied building.
Sophia saw a spider that was frozen while spitting out a colorful thread. In another pod, she noticed a chunk of ice emitting a dull l.u.s.ter that made her heart thump loudly. She felt if not for the pod, she would have been frozen to death.
"Just how did he build it?!"
Leyla and Heather were star-struck.
The lab was far more impressive than they thought was possible. After looking at it, they realized why Lord Harley and everyone was so interested in Zed.
Maybe the world didn’t know about this lab, but they knew of his expertise in genetic engineering. So they could conclude he must have an advanced laboratory with many wonderful resources.
Getting Zed on their side would mean access to those resources! He was a walking gold mine!
"Why can’t I feel anything outside?!" Heather frowned.
With her perception, she tried to scan the borders of the laboratory but found nothing—no soil, no landmass, nothing at all.
It was like the lab was in some independent space!
"Surely that’s impossible!"
Heather muttered, but then a chill raced down her spine as she thought of a possibility.
"Dimension Stone!"
It was a rare gemstone from the Celestial Elysian Plane that could establish an independent world.
Even with all the money in the world, one couldn’t buy it! That’s how rare it was!
"The family supposedly have two... and in one of them, there’s the Eternal Shrine of Soverigness Hestia!"
Heather recalled the things she was aware of.
While everyone was awe-struck, Rebecca was the only one to remain nonchalant. She picked her sleeping daughter from the wheelchair and put her on an examination table.
Only after that did she sat down and passed a cursory look at the lab.
"This..."
She was startled.
Not by the impressive setup but by a sense of familiarity she felt from the lab.
That stunned her despite her personality.
It was the first time she was in her son’s lab. So how could she feel it familiar?
She instantly knew the answer.
Castor Damon.
Years before he mysteriously disappeared in Delta City, she had been in his lab. The lab’s appearance was almost the same as that of Zed’s.
A possibility suddenly struck her.
Swoosh~!
Katherine emerged from the center of the lab, followed by Zed.
"Zed!" Sophia turned to him and exclaimed. "Your lab is impressive on all counts!"
She gave him a thumbs-up for his taste.
"Thanks," Zed replied to her with a kind smile. "Though to be fair, it is heavily inspired by someone else’s, so I don’t think I deserve all the praise."
Rebecca observed him from the corner of her eye. She has guessed a few things, but since they didn’t concern her and it wasn’t her matter to speak, she remained silent.
Katherine eyed Zed and then her mesmerized daughter.
"I will do what needs to be done!"
She resolved in her heart...
"I will be awakening Kirstie."
Rebecca said while tapping her daughter’s wrist. A current surged through the wrist, and Kirstie’s eyes snapped open.
"Mom?"
Kirstie muttered as her vision cleared. She saw her mother and the white ceiling and then slightly tilted her head to look further ahead.
Huh? How come I’m in a lab?
She wondered while shifting her gaze back to her mom.
Last she knew, her mother had returned from her battle with Lord Harley in an exhausted state. Minutes after returning, she only said that they were leaving and before she could ask why or where, she felt drowsy and fell asleep.
"We are in your brother’s lab."
Rebecca informed her.
Brother?
Steve has no lab... wait!
Kirstie jerked her head to the side and saw the face she has seen many times in the portrait she had.