Chapter 195

Chapter 195

(Lord Shevek’s Pov)

As soon as those words left my lips, I felt the bitterness I held in for years grip me harder. That bitterness was the reason why I never accepted Ryker to become my heir.

But compared to Ryker, whom I could tolerate more, considering I raised him too, Eros was a different case.

My mind flashed to the past. I felt my body weaken, and I moved to find a place to sit on the podium before I continued.

I looked at Eden. She was shocked.

Her lips parted open as if she wanted to say something, but no words came out.

She deserved to know the truth, my beautiful daughter. I still found it hard to believe she was mine. Rose had done a fine job with her.

Rose…

I shook my head and fell back on track.

“When I found out that Eros was your mate, I was not happy.”

“Tell me everything.” Eden whispered

Everyone else in the room, Eden’s three friends, and Ryker stared at me.

I frowned when I noticed Rose come into the hall. This was a story I never wanted to share. I hated that she would see how vulnerable I once was for a woman.

“I’m not sure I should-”

“You have to!” Eden snapped. “You owe it to me.”

That was true. After all I had done, I had no right to hold back.

I took a moment before I started.

“As a young vampire, my father had made me the heir to his coven.” I smiled. “My father was my role model. He was everything I wanted to be. He loved me very much, and he never hesitated to let me know. My mother was the same. It was a happy union for them.”

I chuckled. “I wanted a union like that. Their marriage made me believe that the beloved’s bond was strong enough to overcome all. I wanted to find my beloved so we could recreate a marriage just like my parents.

“Who was she? Your beloved?” Rose asked. “How did you meet her?”

She was closer to us now, and she had her gaze fixed on me as she listened to what I said next.

I shrugged. “Her name was Lyraea. She wasn’t from a family of noble blood. I was walking through the territory one day, and I spotted her as a maid working along with other maids.”

The events unfolded in my memory. The way Lyraea’s smile captivated me that day.

“The moment I saw her, I knew instantly that she was the one.” I looked at Rose. She had a similar effect on me, but I was too broken and bitter to allow it to overwhelm me. I continued.

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“I went over to her and introduced myself. I called her my beloved and claimed her. She was delighted, or I thought she was. I couldn’t imagine how she might have faked that kind of happiness I saw. But it felt real enough.”

“What happened after?” Eden asked.

“We started a relationship. It wasn’t something I wanted to hide. I wanted everyone to know I had found the woman I wanted to spend my life with. And she was incredibly beautiful and soft–spoken like a delicate flower.”

“I see.” Rose whispered.

“What about your parents? Were they in support of your beloved who was a maid?” Eden asked.

I shook my head. “Not really. Well, my father wasn’t against her; he would have preferred a better match. However, he knew that I was in love, and he didn’t push too far. My mother, however…”

I chuckled. I thought of how right she turned out to be.

“My mother never liked Lyraea. And that was surprising. She loves everyone. My mother has always been frail and had a kind heart. I could easily understand that she didn’t like the fact that Lyraea was just a maid, but I couldn’t understand why she hated Lyraea as a person. She always said it wasn’t going to work out.”

I frowned.

“That made me mad. I couldn’t imagine how my mother could hate a woman I loved with great passion. Lyraea was not pleased. She didn’t like meeting my parents because she felt they hated her since my mom failed to hide her displeasure.”

“Did you ever ask her why?” Eden said.

I shook my head. “I didn’t. There was nothing my mother could have said to me at that time that would have made sense… However, since Lyraea refused to come to my home, we found a spot that we would always meet and spend time together.”

Eden nodded.

“Then one day, Lyraea told me that her family had earned a spot to work in the palace for the royals. She told me the pay and recognition were too good for her parents to pass off. They were going to move. I wasn’t happy.”

I remembered how hard I begged and the promises I had made to her if only she would stay behind.

“I could have done right by her; my family was very wealthy. There was nothing she would have needed that I wouldn’t have been able to give her. I just wanted her to stay with me.”

“Did she stay?” Eden whispered.

“No. She left, and I couldn’t stop her because she was excited about it.” I smiled.

“I’m sorry. I know how that must have felt.” Eden said. “Being apart from your beloved must have been hard.”

I nodded. “It was. But we found a way around it. Lyraea and I would send letters to each other, professing our undying love. It was almost as if she was close to me, and I talked to her every day.”

“At first, it was satisfying, but after a while, the letters reduced. She wouldn’t reply to my letters for days, even weeks, and

“What did you do?” Rose asked.

“I went to the palace. My parents and I got into an argument over that decision, but I refused to listen. I went to the royal kingdom to meet with her.”

“You saw her?” Someone else asked. It was one of Eden’s friends, the lady.

I nodded with a frown. “Oh yes, I did. I saw her in the arms of