Yes, of course I like her.”
Vivianne’s eyes widened.
Oswald frowned at her reaction.
“Why are you surprised?”
He seemed genuinely baffled by her reaction rather than by the question itself.
His brows drew together as though he couldn’t understand why Vivianne got so surprised by something that seemed perfectly obvious to him.
“Vivianne is… fun.”
“Fun?” Vivianne repeated.
“You’re never boring.” Oswald shrugged.
“You play with the pups. You argue with me. You do strange things without thinking twice.”
His expression softened slightly.
“I like having you around.”
Vivianne’s face warmed.
She had always thought of them as characters in another world.
NPCs.
People created by someone else, following a story she had somehow been thrown into.
But they weren’t mere characters.
They had feelings.
Those Affection points were no joke and Oswald actually liked her.
Thanks to Oswald’s words, her cheeks are as red as her hair now.
Across the room, Ophelia gave her mate a knowing look.
Julian caught the look and immediately understood.
If his fated mate wanted to see her brother stumble into love, Julian was more than happy to help.
His brother-in-law was finally being honest.
He leaned back comfortably, his arm still resting around Ophelia’s shoulders.
“Since we’re all getting along now, perhaps there’s something you should know about the Phoenix clan.”
Vivianne’s attention snapped toward him.
“The Phoenix clan?”
Julian nodded.
“Do you know about their lost civilization?”
Vivianne shook her head.
“They were once one of the most prosperous nations in this world. Their people were powerful, wealthy, and highly skilled in magic.” He paused.
“Then, in a single night, their civilization disappeared.”
Vivianne’s expression changed.
“Disappeared?”
“Destroyed.” Julian’s voice became more serious.
“Nobody knows exactly how it happened. There were no survivors left to tell the story.”
Vivianne’s fingers slowly curled against her lap.
“Not a single soul was left from that fallen kingdom.”
So I really was the last one.
She had heard the rumors before.
The Phoenix clan was gone.
Extinct. Visit g.com for the full chapter.
Nothing more than a forgotten legend to most people.
But hearing it from someone who actually knew about the Phoenix clan history made it feel different.
“The Phoenix clan was especially famous for their fire magic. They could control flames far better than most other races.”
Vivianne glanced at her hand.
Her pathetic Fire Lv.
1 could barely produce a flame larger than a matchstick.
Somehow, I feel like I am doing a terrible job representing my ancestors.
Julian continued, “But their fire wasn’t only used for combat.”
“What else could it do?” Oswald was intrigued now.
Julian’s mouth curved into a mischievous smile.
“It could bind their husbands.”
Vivianne blinked.
Oswald’s brows furrowed.
“Bind? Like a contract?”
“More like a bond. Phoenixes were known to have multiple husbands. Their fire could form a special bond with each of them.”
Vivianne nodded.
“Yeah, that’s what the villagers said.”
Julian chuckled.
“Rumors that were surprisingly accurate. The Phoenix clan called it the Flame Brand. It was said that, when the conditions were right, the Phoenix’s flame could mark those bound to her.”
Vivianne’s attention immediately went to Oswald’s right palm.
The faint Phoenix-shaped mark was still there.
A strange connection that had appeared between them.
“Once formed, the brand was said to last for eternity,” Julian continued with a thoughtful voice.
Julian noticed where Vivianne was looking.
His grin widened.
“The bond connects them by body and soul.”
Oswald’s ears twitched.
“Body and soul?”
Julian was entirely too amused by this.
“The Flame Brand could only form between a Phoenix and someone truly compatible with her. Once it appeared, the bond was extremely difficult to break.”
Julian’s expression grew solemn.
“As far as the old records say, only death could sever a Flame Brand.”
Vivianne swallowed.
There was something about the way Julian had worded that which made her suspect the Flame Brand was far more important than he was letting on.
“So… Phoenixes really did have several husbands?”
“Some did. Not every Phoenix had the same number. But multiple husbands were common among the royal bloodline.”
Oswald’s expression became thoughtful.
Then his eyes widened.
“So the rumors are true! Phoenix is a man-eater!”
Vivianne nearly choked.
“What?! I don’t eat men!”
Julian burst out laughing.
“You two really are a perfect match.” Julian wiped the tear at the corner of his eye.
Ophelia rolled her eyes.
“Don’t tease Vivianne too much, dear.”
Oswald visibly winced at the endearment.
He glared at Julian but he merely smiled.
It was still strange seeing the man who had once been his lifelong rival sitting so casually in the dining room.
His goddamn arm draped around his little sister’s shoulders as if he had always belonged there.
And somehow, even stranger, Oswald didn’t hate it.
If his sister was happy, perhaps he could tolerate the green wolf.
Perhaps.
Julian returned to the subject.
“There was another reason the Phoenix clan became infamous.”
Vivianne sighed.
“What now?”
“Their passion.”
Oswald’s expression immediately became suspicious.
“Why do I feel like I won’t enjoy this part?”
Julian’s brown eyes gleamed at Oswald and Vivianne’s scowl.
“Believe me you will. Phoenixes were known for having burning passion toward their compatible mates. Their emotions and desires could become much more intense than those of other races. To put it simply, they have… High. Libido.”
Vivianne sputtered on her drink.
Then Oswald quickly gave her a towel to clean herself.
“That’s… quite a reputation.”
Julian grinned at their interaction, then leaned forward slightly, as if he were about to reveal something scandalous.
“But that’s not the most interesting part.”
Vivianne narrowed her eyes.
“There’s more?”
“Oh, much more.”
Oswald was immediately suspicious of him.
“What could possibly be worse than that?”
Julian’s eyes flicked toward Oswald’s right hand.
More specifically, toward the faint Phoenix-shaped mark on his palm.
Oswald followed his gaze.
His expression slowly changed.
“Why are you looking at my palm?”
“Because, my dear brother-in-law, you might want to hear what happens when a Flame Brand is formed between a Phoenix and her mate.” Julian leaned back, looking far too pleased with himself.
Vivianne’s eyes narrowed.
“Why do you look so happy about that?”
“This is the best part nobody tells you about,” Julian said, his grin widening.
“The bond doesn’t only affect the Phoenix.”
Julian’s brown eyes flicked between them as his smile turned downright mischievous.
“It affects her mate, too. In a fun way.”
Oswald’s ears twitched.
For some reason, Vivianne had a terrible feeling that Julian and Oswald had very different ideas of what fun meant.