My Living Shadow System Devours To Make Me Stronger

Evangeline sighed, her head throbbing from a splitting headache. She wasn't sure if it was the five hours of being questioned by the academy—having every bit of information pried out of her by sly professors—or if it was just the weight of her abundant mental stress.

She'd been subjected to a physical examination first, then a mental one. And strangely enough, it wasn't her own volatile mental state that had shocked her.

No—it was Damon's.

She'd seen his mental health evaluation results, and they were... unbelievable, to say the least.

If he had been diagnosed with a serious mental illness, Evangeline would have nodded solemnly and accepted it. But no… it had been the opposite.

Damon Grey was completely and utterly mentally sound.

In fact, the academy had run his tests multiple times just to be sure. Each result came back the same—he was perfectly sane.

Too sane, even.

"Looks like he won't be needing a mental health quartermaster… that's so unfair."

Evangeline's shock vanished almost instantly the moment she remembered the real reason why the academy's scans thought that.

'That bastard wears a crown that keeps him sane as long as he has it on…'

So much for group therapy sessions…looks like she wouldn't be seeing him for a while.

The academy probably had no idea they'd unleashed a madman onto the world—worse, they were giving him preferential treatment.

And that was the problem with Aether Academy.

It was a meritocracy.

And right now, Damon Grey was their star student.

Still, Evangeline couldn't help but think about him.

She hadn't confirmed it yet, but it seemed he was related to her allegedly dead aunt.

Worse—he was her cousin.

She wasn't sure if her father and grandfather had figured it out yet, but she knew now. All those stories her father told her about her aunt's death were lies.

'So many damn liars in this family… but what can I expect from people related to Damon…'

'It's like they have no morals. They lie without blinking.'

She had been afraid that someone at Lumos or the academy would discover Damon's identity, but it seemed that hadn't happened.

"Which is a relief… I guess his dark hair doesn't look that much like ours."

She muttered to herself as she walked through the long hall.

"He probably got it from his father…"

Still, she had to protect that bastard—if not as a friend, then at least as family. She'd do whatever was necessary. She couldn't just abandon that wretch.

Even if he got on her nerves. A lot.

Evangeline allowed herself a small smile.

Suppose that's why they were always bickering. Sometimes, Leona said they sounded like an old married couple, and Professor Emeralda had once joked they were like siblings.

Evangeline smiled bitterly.

She wondered if Damon knew. No… if he knew, with his personality, he might confront her grandfather—well, their grandfather—and demand answers.

'Or worse… he might demand money and never come back.'

'He'd probably say something like, "Buy me out, Your Excellency, and I'll keep my relationship with you a secret. You don't want people finding out your daughter married a commoner and had a kid, right?"'

She could hear him saying it.

And her grandfather's reaction?

Just as explosive as Damon's.

"That's probably where he gets that egotistical personality of his…"

They really had a lot in common. Her grandfather was called the Golden Sun—not because of his light attribute magic, but because of his ego. Like the sun at high noon, overwhelming and blinding.

They even said he was the kind of man who would say "no" to the gods.

Evangeline didn't know the full extent of his reputation.

"Oh, and they both love tamberry cake…"

She could think of more than a few similarities.

She seemed to recall her grandfather had a very good impression of Damon.

Which was rare—most people couldn't stand that unpleasant bastard.

'I wonder if he'd still like him if he knew he was his grandson…'

What was she supposed to do?

Keep Damon away and preserve the family name—and his life?

Or bring him back, risk losing face, and endanger Damon?

There were too many ways it could all go wrong.

If they didn't kill him outright, they might use him as a political pawn. And what about his sister, Luna—who Evangeline had never even met?

"Ahh… this is hard…"

She was juggling too many psychotic men in her family.

A short-tempered grandfather.

A scheming father.

And Damon—who was both of them rolled into one… with a dash of insanity.

"They won't listen to me. At all…"

It was painfully simple in this equation.

Evangeline was the weakest. Her grandfather had the most power, then her father… then Damon.

She was too weak to influence them. Damon was too weak to decide his fate against them.

"I can try appealing to Father… but even if he agrees, Grandfather has the final say. He is the Grand Duke…"

It still bothered her.

Her grandfather hadn't left his wing in years… and yet, he suddenly came out the moment she returned from Lysithara.

She smiled faintly.

Was it because he missed her… or was he suspicious?

She shook her head.

No, that couldn't be it.

If he were suspicious, why would he give her this letter?

Before she left, she had been summoned—and given very clear instructions.

The Grand Duke had his eyes on Damon. He saw him as a bright talent of the era.

He wanted to recruit Damon to their side—at any cost.

To that end, Evangeline had been given a task.

As the daughter of House Brightwater… she was to do everything—and anything—to recruit Damon Grey.

And until that task was complete, she had been temporarily granted the authority to act in the Grand Duke's name.

Evangeline clenched her fists.

"I must dedicate myself to this goal…"

As she walked away, she had no idea…

That the wretched men in her family already knew everything.

And were simply setting her up…

As a honey trap.

For Damon Grey.