The Conquerors Path

'How long did I sleep?' I thought as my eyes went toward the clock on the ceiling. Seeing that just an hour had passed, I let out a sigh as I focused back on the ceiling. Right now, it's difficult for me to move with Aria above me and Clara clutching onto my right hand. Both their sleeping faces are cute, and I just want to keep looking at them.

'Come out.....' Just as I thought so, Farah appeared beside the bed. She knelt over as she responded. 'It's good to see you well, master.' Farah spoke into my mind.

'Thanks, you can stand up.' Just as I spoke, Farah stood up from her kneeling position, her red blood eyes focusing on me.

'So how is it? Do you think you can fit in now?' I asked.

'I can master. You just have to give me the order.' Farah replied with a stoic face, but I could still feel some jealousy flowing from her as her gaze moved toward the two lying close to me. Seeing such behavior, I smiled inwardly. Such a situation means that Farah is finally maturing into a true person, into a true woman.

These days, I left Farah outside to travel all around the place. I had instructed her to get an extensive idea about everything so that she would be able to join the academy. In such a way, she will be very useful to me. In the light, she will play some key roles that I want her to play.

'Did you enjoy it?'

'Yes, but not as much as being with you.'

Farah replied, and I could only let out a small chuckle at her words.

'Get back in.' Just as I commanded, Farah's body flashed as she nestled inside me, her voice being heard again.

'I'm hungry.'

'Don't worry; I will feed you later.'

Hearing my words, Farah joyfully turned silent while I continued to lay there in the bed. It was only a few minutes later that Clara finally opened her eyes. Seeing so, I asked in a low voice.

"Slept well?"

"It was the best."

Clara replied with a smile as she slowly rubbed her eyes. Her mind soon gained focus as she looked toward Aria.

"What do you plan to do with her?"

"I have my ways. Now go and set up lunch for me and Aria."

"Ok!"

Replying enthusiastically, Clara placed a kiss on my cheeks before flashing out of the room. Seeing this, I smiled wryly, soon turning my attention back to Aria. I slowly started to shake her awake.

"Sweety, wake up~"

"Mou~no~"

Aria replied in a sleepy tone as she kept shifting in my embrace. Such a cute look keeps my smile on me as I kept slowly shaking Aria.

"Come on sweety, wake up, and let's have some food."

Finally, Aria relented as she opened her eyes and took her head from my chest.

"Ok, but I want to keep hugging Daddy."

"Sure."

I easily agreed as I sat up on the bed with Aria clinging onto me tight. Soon, I sat up on the bed while supporting Aria, who wrapped her arms around my neck, her face close to my neck as she seemed unwilling to let me go. Such endearing acts were only making my heart want to keep her like this while the children I had back in that place flashed in my mind, making me feel complicated for a moment.

'No time to dwell there.' Pushing off those thoughts, I went to the washroom, and quickly cleaned my and Aria's faces before settling back in the chair in my room. I didn't do anything much as I kept playing around with Aria. Soon a few minutes passed after which Clara entered inside the room with a tray of food.

"Hope you all didn't wait long."

Clara spoke as she entered inside, the tray soon coming to a stop in front of me and Aria as Clara soon started to arrange all the food. Though what was funny is the fact that as soon as Clara entered inside the room, Aria clung to me tight while she spoke to Clara in an adorable voice.

"My daddy....."

"Hehehe....of course, he is your daddy; I won't take him away from you....."

Clara spoke as she moved her hand to pat Aria's head, but before she could even reach Aria, Clara's hand froze. In fact, her entire body froze, only her eyes could move as she now looked at Aria with a hint of dread.

"Darling, don't bully her, let her go."

I spoke as I patted Aria's head, which she accepted, and in doing so, she let go of Clara, who now looked at Aria with 100% more vigilance than before. Her eyes moved towards me, seemingly asking where I found such a monster to which I just shrugged my head, understanding the issue. Clara soon served the food and left the room.

"Call me when it's done."

With that, she closed the room, leaving me with an array of food and an anticipating Aria, who keeps melting to my pat. With mastered movements, I started to move the foods, and soon, I started to feed Aria, who took it all in with gusto. While doing so, I also kept feeding myself. This went on for 15 minutes after which the food was completely cleared.

Wiping away the grease from Aria's mouth, I placed a small kiss on her cheeks before calling Clara, who entered and professionally took away all the food, which once again left me with Aria, to whom I took out some play toys, giving it to her as I left her to her own devices as I sat beside her, looking at her play. I smiled in contentment before moving to the communications I have to deal with.

'This is from Lora.' Seeing the recorded message, I played it. Soon Lora's voice filled my mind as her words flowed. At first, it was just about her never-ending love for me and how she misses me, but the end contents of the words made me frown.

'This is something...' I didn't expect for Lora to come to the idea of me being betrothed to Olivia so soon. I did expect such an idea to fill her one day, but I had anticipated for such a daring idea to come to birth after I had moved my relationship with Lora to a much more physical and living base.

'Sigh...I can't control reality, after all....' Looking at it from several angles, this is bad for me. The current dynamics between the women in love with me is a very thin balance, and a small quake will set off a catastrophic reaction that might bring out a shit load of blood into the world.

'But it isn't necessarily dangerous.' My mind soon became focused as several plans kept flashing through my mind. If I were to play my cards right, this could become something good for me. From what I can understand now, this engagement idea only exists between Olivia and Lora. This means I have some wiggle room to create a scenario that would end advantageously for me.

'Then again, I should be careful; one can't underestimate what jealousy can do...' Quickly forming some ideas, I kept it there. For now, it would be better to plan deeper when I have more information at hand. Having thought enough, I took up my communication orb and connected it to Lora, while doing so I placed a small barrier to make whatever I say only last between me and Lora, keeping Aria out of the loop.

The waiting only took a few seconds after which the connection was established. Just as it did, I heard an anxious voice from Lora.

"Hey love, were you busy?"

"I was. I had something to do these 2 days, hence I only saw your message now."

"Oh, that's okay."

My reply seemed to have calmed Lora down as her voice seemed calmer when she replied back.

"But darling, can you tell me what all this engagement idea is all about?"

I asked back in a stern voice.

"It's just as I spoke in the message. This would be the perfect way for us to be together more without arousing any suspicion."

Lora spoke with a calm voice, to which I replied with an agitated voice.

"But darling, I only want to be with you. Didn't we promise to find out a way? Plus, what about Olivia? I care about her and I don't want to force her and play around with her life like this, it's wrong."

For a moment, there wasn't a reply, as only silence remained, but soon Lora's voice was heard again.

"Then what else can we do? I know this is not right for Olivia, but is anything right here? We wish to be together, and we can't, then isn't only death the way out?"

Hearing such a dark tone, I felt a shiver down my spine. The image of the game where Austin burned with Lora flashed through my mind. Of course, such a thing can't happen now, but then again, I can't have Lora's mind be disoriented; it would be dangerous.

Keeping up suspense, I didn't say anything for a moment, until I did.

"Sigh.....this isn't something we should be talking about over the communication orb, Lora. Take a leave and come to the academy under the pretext that you want to meet Olivia."

"Really! I will be there soon!"

Hearing such an excited voice, I'm sure others would doubt if this is still the ice-cold Empress of the Empire. Though it isn't nice to know that she is rushing forth to betray her husband and possibly the Empire.

"Um, see you soon, darling, I love you."

"I love you more."

With that reply, I cut off the call, clutching my head, and slowly rubbed it.

'Guess that will give her some breathing room.'

Thinking of such, I took up the communication orb, connecting to Olivia.

'I Guess it's time to build a new scenario.'