Killed Me? Now I Have Your Power

Kaden entered the meeting room with soft steps, his blood-red eyes watching with subtle amazement as he took in the different kinds of elements dancing around in such a harmonic way that he was almost tempted to just sit in the middle and enjoy this feeling.

That's how comfortable and mystical the atmosphere truly was.

But Kaden couldn't afford to do that, could he?

After all, from the moment he stepped inside, two pairs of eyes had locked onto him with an intensity that went beyond comprehension.

One was loving—the kind of gaze that lit up like a sky full of stars each time it found you, the kind of eyes that screamed affection without needing to say a word.

The other was… neutral but stern. Not hate, not love—just the cold, measured scrutiny one might give a passing stranger, the kind of look that says I see you, but doesn't necessarily care what it sees.

And yet, there was a weight behind that second gaze, a heaviness that made Kaden apprehensive as he steeled himself and approached with calm, measured steps, letting each footstep echo through the room in a rhythmic way that matched the slow pounding of his heart.

Soon, he stood in front of them and took in the scene.

He immediately recognized Meris, who sat calmly at the table just beside her mother, wearing a blue-silver dress styled in a modern Victorian design, with matching jewelry that only enhanced her elegance.

She saw Kaden and smiled wildly, greeting him with a look that poured affection into him without needing a single word.

How did she do it, you'd ask?

Let's just say that eyes can reveal more than you can imagine.

But Kaden simply nodded in return, unsure of what to say or even do, still a little awkward with it all.

He then turned his attention from Meris to the woman he assumed was her mother, the Matriarch of the Elamin.

She had deep purple hair and violet eyes that crackled with purple lightning, wearing a matching dress that clung to her figure in a way too sinful to describe properly without risking being labeled something else entirely.

Kaden bowed slightly in a gesture of respect.

"I greet the Matriarch," he said simply, his voice calm and smooth.

There was no hesitation, no fear, no stress in it.

It was serene.

Mayari looked at him for a long moment before finally nodding, "Nice to meet you. Take a seat."

At her words, Kaden sat down directly in front of her, so that now he was face to face with Mayari, while Meris sat quietly at her right side.

The tension was thick.

Not a word had been exchanged beyond that, but Kaden could tell—Mayari was not thrilled with what Meris had told her.

'Is that the reason why I have to convince her? Ah… bothersome,' he couldn't help but think, already sighing inwardly.

"I have other things to do, so let's get straight to the point. Do you know the reason why I called you here, Kaden Warborn?" Mayari asked bluntly, wasting no time.

He didn't respond immediately. He had two options—act clueless or face it directly.

What was the best move?

To Kaden, the answer was obvious.

"I do know the reason," he answered calmly before continuing without pause, "I was especially going to ask for a meeting myself, because I wanted to tell you that I've fallen for your daughter."

He stopped there.

His expression remained quiet, but a subtle smile tugged at his lips.

Meris, seated beside her mother, instantly felt her heart begin to pound so hard she feared it would echo through the room, and even Mayari glanced sideways at her daughter, surprised at the visible effect Kaden's words had on her.

And that was exactly Kaden's goal.

Because if he had acted clueless, he might've inadvertently hurt Meris's feelings or made others question his intelligence—and really, what other reason could he possibly be here, if not for Meris?

So he acted decisively.

But… was it really the right choice?

"I see," Mayari responded slowly.

"But you've got quite the nerve, little Warborn, to say that to my face without shame."

"Because if I remember correctly… you already have a fiancée, don't you?" she added coldly, and immediately Meris's expression shifted in panic as she snapped her head toward her mother.

"Mother, it's not—!"

"Shut up."

Mayari's voice folded down with sharpness, stern and final, her violet eyes turning toward Meris without the slightest hint of softness.

"I am speaking to him, not you."

Meris gritted her teeth but said nothing more, staying silent as she prayed that Kaden wouldn't freak out, wouldn't fold, wouldn't abandon her now.

'Expected question,' Kaden thought.

He would've been a fool not to anticipate this.

But that didn't mean he had a perfect answer that would satisfy Mayari—because truly, what could he say?

Still, he had to speak.

"Well, matters of the heart are a mystery to us all, Matriarch. I would like to know myself why my heart beats for two women so strongly… so much that I can't help but pursue them."

Mayari raised an eyebrow at the unexpected honesty.

Meris's heart clenched, feeling both pain and warmth at once, hearing him speak like that.

But Kaden didn't give either of them the time to react properly.

"Yes, I know it's selfish. I know it's arrogant of me to even desire the heiress of the Elamin as one of my wives… and not my only one."

"I know all of that. But I truly love them, and I can't imagine letting go of either."

Well… love was a big word.

He was falling for Meris, slowly.

But Rea? Not really.

Still, oh well—sometimes you had to push the right buttons, had to act a little sentimental and vulnerable if you wanted your words to land the way you needed them to.

And now that he had done that, there was one more thing he needed to say.

"Matter of fact, I'm even ready to go against the tradition of my family in order to be with Meris."

Then he stopped.

Simple words, right?

But far from it.

Going against tradition was already a big deal in this world, traditions were left behind by ancestors, and no one dared to disrespect them.

But to do that within the Warborn?

Those brain-dead lunatics who wouldn't even hear you out before either beating you into submission or renouncing you altogether?

Well…

That was something interesting.

Because by saying what he had said, and by acting the way he had acted, Kaden had done one thing in this meeting so far:

He had proven that he was not a typical Warborn.

And you know what happens when someone breaks away from the beliefs of those around them?

They're either scorned or congratulated—either rejected for defying the system or praised for breaking the matrix.

And in this case?

"Interesting," Mayari murmured as she leaned forward slightly, her violet eyes now looking at Kaden a little differently and now…

She was intrigued.

As expected.

People are always fascinated by anything out of the box.

And our dear Kaden was exactly that.

—End of Chapter 134—