Killed Me? Now I Have Your Power

It was kind of an unexpected scene.

When Kaden accepted to come to this meeting, he didn't expect all this to happen to him. He didn't expect to end up officially with Meris during the meeting.

He thought he'd have to flirt with death again just to convince the Matriarch.

But nothing like that happened.

The Matriarch was surprisingly someone easy to talk to. She was someone who listened, and if what you said intrigued her, then you had already won.

Just like Meris. You just have to interest her and you've got her.

Like mother, like daughter, I guess.

So right now, Kaden was about to go back to his house, after securing a deal with Mayari.

What's the deal, you ask?

Fine. Let me enlighten you, folks.

It's a pretty simple one. First of all, Mayari accepted the relationship between Meris and Kaden.

How could she not, after witnessing the effect Kaden had on Meris?

That girl became an entirely different person when it came to him, and besides, Mayari liked Kaden, so she didn't mind.

There was also another reason… she couldn't let her daughter's first kiss not be with her man, right?

Yes. Yes. You guessed it.

Mayari snuck a peek when the two lovebirds were kissing, thinking they were alone in this world.

She was also the one manipulating the garden to make it more romantic.

What a mother.

But that's not all. Beyond just accepting the two of them to be together—and even agreeing to officially marry them when Kaden succeeded in making his family more… open-minded—the two of them had already discussed the many benefits they would enjoy together.

But here's the thing, these were benefits Kaden couldn't give by himself. Or at least not to the level Mayari wanted.

He didn't have that much authority in his family. Yet.

Only his parents could offer that. Meaning…

He had to talk to his parents and convince them.

Easier said than done, honestly.

But he'd figure it out.

He always did.

So now, as Kaden was about to embark once more on a turbulent travel—yes, again with an Earth Master—he glanced at the beautiful mother-daughter duo and gave them a gentle smile.

"It was an unexpected meeting, but I loved every second of it," he said, showing his appreciation.

Mayari and Meris smiled back.

"It was nice knowing there exists a unique Warborn out there," Mayari said, teasing softly.

Meris stepped forward and hugged him lovingly, without shame.

"I'll miss you dearly, my love," she said as she snuggled her head into his chest, searching for warmth.

Kaden hugged her back with a soft, fond smile. "I'll miss you too," he said gently, closing his eyes to savor this last moment of love.

After a moment, they separated, still looking at each other.

"What will you do next? Do you plan on going back to Fokay soon?" Meris asked, holding his hands.

"Before going back to Fokay, I need to go on a little travel," he responded.

"Where to?" she asked, tilting her head in curiosity.

"East Darklore."

Silence.

Both mother and daughter looked at him strangely.

"Why would you go that far?" Meris couldn't help but ask. After all, the distance between Waverith and East Darklore was massive. It wouldn't be an easy trip.

"I need a special material that can only be found there for my father to forge a weapon," he lied through his teeth with ease.

He couldn't exactly tell them that he was going there just to be killed by a death-affinity beast and come back, right?

Well… maybe he could, since they wouldn't believe him anyway, but better not take the risk.

Hearing him, both Mayari and Meris's eyes lit up in understanding, and they nodded.

"I wish you a good travel. Next time, we should go somewhere together!"

"I would've accompanied you if I didn't have someone breathing down my neck every single second to train," Meris said, her voice bitter and accusatory at the end.

Mayari just stayed silent, deciding not to lower herself to argue with a 15-year-old girl.

She was better than that.

Kaden, too, wisely decided to say nothing. The matter between mother and daughter would stay between them.

Finally, after some more talk, Kaden departed again—within the earth.

Leaving behind a pair of mother and daughter still standing there, watching the spot Kaden had just vanished from.

"Isn't my Kaden the best?" Meris suddenly said, her voice full of love.

"He is. If he doesn't change along the way, then he is worthy of you," Mayari said softly behind her, her violet eyes fluttering with mysterious emotion.

Meris scoffed gently.

"Don't worry. He won't be like that man who claimed to be my father," Meris said coldly, making her mother smile awkwardly.

"And I truly pray that he won't be like him," she said sincerely.

Silence followed, until—

"Where is he now?" Meris asked.

"Where else? In their own family," Mayari said with a shrug, making Meris want to curse out loud.

"Why? Why all this? Why marry into our family and wait until I'm born just to go back to his own family?"

"What, did I disappoint him somehow? Did he want a son and not a daughter? Then what?" Meris continued to throw out the questions that always plagued her.

She never dared ask them before, afraid of the answers. But after today, after being with Kaden, she felt energized, confident, unstoppable.

But all these questions…

Mayari didn't have answers for them. Hell, she was asking the same questions herself.

Why?

"I don't know."

She truly didn't.

"You didn't try to find out?"

"I didn't."

"Why? Did you not love him enough to care why?"

"I have duties. I'm a Matriarch. I can't just chase after love when thousands of people count on me," Mayari said before turning and starting to walk away.

Meris's voice echoed behind her—

"Do you still love him?" she asked, curious about how her mother really felt.

But Mayari just shook her head.

"I didn't love him the same way you do with Kaden," she said with a light chuckle.

"So after 15 years… the love faded away, my dear," she added, her voice holding no hidden feelings, no regrets.

She then disappeared.

Meris stood there before a small smile curled her lips.

'I knew my love for Kaden is unique!!' she thought with emotion, holding onto only that part of everything her mother had said.

What a lovely girl.

—End of Chapter 140—