Devouring Monarch: Rebirth of the Profane Phoenix

"Don\'t cry like a baby—you\'re a grown man, Garret!" Her voice was laced with a sternness that cut through the air better than Garret\'s sword.

In the living room, filled with early morning sunlight, the beautiful Ophelia was treating her husband\'s wounds.

Although her words may sound sharp, her hands were gentle, and her gaze affectionate. She gently massaged the special medicine to help heal his deep wounds.

"My wife, why are you so stubborn? I couldn\'t take you with me. Our cute little girl needed to be safe!"

"Our cute little girl also needs her damn father!" Once again, her voice contained a sharp tone of bitterness and anger.

"Ophelia!"

Garret looked at his wife with a hard expression. All his growing life, that was the way his father taught him to protect those he loved, no matter the cost. However, seeing his wife so upset made him doubt—doubt his father, doubt his mindset.

"What could I have done!?"

To his surprise, her face suddenly changed. Her lips trembled, and her eyes closed tight, the appearance of tears now obvious.

Ophelia\'s arms wrapped around her beloved husband. His body filled with ointment and scars, old and new, as she leaned on his broad shoulders.

"I know, I\'m sorry. But the thought of losing you is more terrifying than death itself, my love."

Garret looked at his beautiful wife, her soft blonde hair cascading over his shoulder. He leaned forward, with a single finger wiping away the warm tears from her eyes. "My love, I promise you. From now on, I shall not put myself at risk and to live for you and our child."

"Really?" Her nose sniffed while peering up at her husband.

"I swear, from this battle on, I have already passed the torch to Asura. He will do a fine job, better than I ever could."

Ophelia narrowed her eyes before giving a swift elbow to her husband\'s wounded chest.

"Ack!? Woman that hurt, your husband is going to die! Murdered by his wife!?"

"Idiot, don\'t put yourself down. You fought for your people, family and me. There is nothing wrong with that. Do you think I would have waited so long for you to accept me if you weren\'t worth it? You big oaf!"

\'She reminds me of when we first met and fell in love. Your existence saved me, with those cute cheeks like a squirrel and your lovely button nose....\'

Garret watched his wife for several moments without speaking, only his rugged hands stroking her silky golden hair.

"You\'re spacing out again. Oh, why won\'t you ever listen to me?" Ophelia said, playfully rolling her eyes.

"My love, come here. My injuries may need a bit more attention."

"Kya?! What injuries might they be—Mmmph!?"

Suddenly kissed by her husband, it seemed his lovely wife was surprised. They embraced each other for a short while before parting, as Garret could only smile. "The injuries on my heart, haha."

"You\'re an idiot!"

"You love it. Don\'t be so cruel."

"That\'s for treating me so roughly, hmph!"

Ophelia quickly smacked her husband\'s broad chest but could not wipe off the sweet smile on her face.

"Oh no, my injuries have grown worse. I need another kiss!"

However, his lovely wife had already left the room with a breeze in her step. "Hmph, then you should make her heart race, and she might!"

Garret sat there silently and shook his head. \'Those eyes were full of joy. I never want to see the day when it is full of sorrow... I would rather die a thousand times. Ophelia.\'

He leaned back in his chair as one of the senior maids finally entered with an envelope stamped by the royal family.

"Thank you, Bryn. You should take a rest for tonight. I will cook for my wife."

"Yes, My Lord."

"Bryn, when Asura returns. Bring him to the Lord\'s study and teach him what your mother taught me. He is now the earl and your true lord. Tell him his father is expecting good things."

"Ah, very good, My Lord." The maid smiled and bowed as she walked backwards.

Garret smiled at her before grabbing the letter and tearing open the seal.

\'I wonder what those two are doing right now? Those two kids are always causing trouble!\'

—Lord Garret Fenix,

I hope this letter finds you well. We shall reward you generously for you and your realms\' service to our kingdom.

As a token of my appreciation, please accept this 30% tax relief and a 50-gold stipend for 5 years. I have also allowed you to choose one piece of magical gear from my treasury and an extravagant title for your future knights.

Defenders of the Phoenix Glade, and officially. Phoenix Glade Knights.

Your name will live on forever.

Please choose one of these items.

- Red Dragon\'s Crossbow

- Royal Elven LongBow

- Golden Camellia Ring

- Omen Blade

- Spirit of the Phoenix

The Royal family welcomes and values your future service as its eastern protector.

Signed, Her majesty the queen

Whilhemina Rosalia Silvara

***

Garret read the letter. He noticed that the queen\'s way of speaking hadn\'t changed since the academy. With a grimace on his face, he leaned back and took a deep breath.

"Maybe I should let Asura decide. To test his first choice as the new Earl."

The second letter seemed to be a status report; the seal was from the royal academy, which caused his heart to beat faster. \'Why would the academy send me a letter now, during an official state of emergency?\'

His deft hands broke the wax seal and read the letter.

"What does this mean?"

Garret\'s face suddenly changed, his expression extremely grim.

"Why is Amalia fighting in another kingdom? The call to arms was for our children to defend the South!"

Without hesitation, Garret\'s figure swept across the mansion. Several servants greeted him, but he didn\'t have time for pleasantries. His body rushed into his study to make sure the previous letters and notifications never mentioned this truth.

"How could she leave when the sword saintess is currently in this territory? No...!"

Garrett then realised that the saintess Sigurd likely came here first, and the extra troops were sent to help her repel the monster kingdom\'s attack.

However, the letter he had just read stated Asura was fighting in the south and making significant honours for the family, while Amalia and a few elite students were sent to the east with the saintess to push back the threat from the monster kingdoms.

"Ophelia! Where is Ophelia?"

Garret\'s voice roared like a lion through the mansion.

This was not a command for his servants but a request to his wife. The reality that his daughter could die in another kingdom at any moment was driving him mad with worry.

"What\'s wrong? My love, did something happen?"

"Ophelia, Amalia is fighting in the east, over the border!"

Garret turned around. His worried expression shocked his wife as her gentle hands touched his shoulder. Her words caused him to freeze still, a look of shock in his eyes.

"I know, she told me."

"What?!"

"When you were fighting to protect our future. She came here with a compact unit and told me she was going to the east and hoped to protect us from monsters. Our little girl wanted to protect us, my love. I knew you\'d be furious if you found out, so I didn\'t tell you."

"Ophelia, our daughter could die! Did you not think about that?"

Garret was now livid. Although he and his wife were angry with each other for different reasons, their expressions and emotions were the same.

"You think I don\'t know that!? Do you think that\'s why I didn\'t tell you? Because I wanted to keep you calm or make you feel like an idiot because I knew!? Do you know how much I worry about her too!? But that girl knows everything about her birth and the future. How she isn\'t really related to you or Asura by blood!"

"!?!"

"She fights in the east, not just for you or this kingdom. But for Asura, because they are targeting him. He is the one and their reason for attacking Lyndwrym so relentlessly. The cult of the fallen sun seeks him, and they will not stop until the beautiful green meadows of the Phoenix glade burn!"

Garrett turned around and grabbed his wife by the arms. "Ophelia. What are you saying? Why would the cult be after my son!?"

"Do you really not remember? That woman you called your wife, shouldn\'t you ask her?"

"Freyja is dead!"

"Is she?"

"Ophelia!?"

Her words and icy gaze took Garret by surprise. His hands almost shaking before his grip loosened, and he stepped back, his face full of doubt.

Before he could leave her, Ophelia wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly, her swollen stomach touching his hand, causing his feelings to loosen.

"You old fool, do you think I am some blind and stupid housewife? Remember who I am, who I was. There is nothing I wouldn\'t do for you, Asura, Amalia and this girl inside me."

Ophelia pressed Garret\'s palm firmly against her belly and waited for several seconds as tears suddenly flooded her eyes.

"How can you be so careless? Did you forget that day? The day she left us, and you told me the truth?"

"I..."

Garrett\'s mind went back to that day, to his promise to a young woman with silver hair and talents far beyond this world and Ophelia.

"She needed to perform a ritual; otherwise, she would die of a curse from a powerful existence. For that, she needed my blood, and I gave it. That blood and life essence allowed her to create a vessel, but that vessel was born from her naturally. Asura, that\'s right... My son was born from blood and essence. How can this be?

Why did I forget?"

The sound of his wife\'s soft sobs forced him back to reality. He turned around to see her body shake as her tears ran down her face and dripped onto his palms.

"I asked her because you seemed to struggle to accept him as yours. Forgive me if you feel this is a betrayal."

Garrett held his wife, her body falling into his arms before he kissed her forehead.

"You silly woman, did you think I would hate him for the truth? He is my son, our son. All three of us. I remember why. I\'m sorry. From the start, I knew your reason for helping her, and now the miracle finally happened, and she is inside here."

His rough hand stroked Ophelia\'s stomach, a small thump kicking his hand as he couldn\'t help but smile. In the past, they were lovers, but because of her inability to have children after an examination, her family cast her out, and he denied their permission for marriage.

That was when they were approached by Freyja, the academy, a close friend of Ophelia and offered to heal the wounds that made her infertile.

The pair hugged together in silence, allowing their minds to come to terms with the current situation.

"Garret, we will fight and win. No matter what happens, we will not lose our children to a terrible existence or anyone else! Will you trust me?"

"Of course, Ophelia. We need to speak to Freyja to learn the true enemy we are fighting in the shadows. I want to protect my son. He has suffered enough."

"I\'m glad. I once had the mages test his bloodline after the ceremony and found that he shares a complete father-son relationship with you. However, his mother wasn\'t Freya."

The sudden news shocked Garret at how sneaky and sly his wife could be!

But he was confused.

When he was present for the birth, how could he not share the same blood? He could remember Freyja\'s eyes, filled with such deep affection and joy, as she looked at her child.

Her love was so intense that when he couldn\'t use magic.

She went mad! Not long after, vanishing after swearing to return those powers to him, claiming his damaged core was her fault.

"You\'re right. We should meet his mother and see if she can help Amalia this time."