"Davis, you're here!~" Claire smiled with joy as she saw her son return.

"Yea..." Davis pursed his lips as he walked towards him, his mind running numerous calculations in utter confusion.

'Okay, I know mother said that she enslaved her but to think that Nora Alstreim would really act as a maid...' His brows couldn't help but imperceptibly twitch.

Once Nora Alstreim finished pouring tea for both Claire and Logan, she bowed and took two steps back, like a maid. Her cheeks were crimson, but she seemed to hold whatever embarrassment she felt. The only thing different was that she still wore the Young Mistress's specific and unique white robe.

She appeared alluring in her plight, but it seemed like his parents were living the high life.

"Nora, get a seat for my son," Claire spoke cordially.

Nora Alstreim bit her lips before she reluctantly moved towards a chair and placed it beside the table they sat over. Just as she was about to leave their side, that melodious yet grating voice echoed again.

"What are you doing? Be respectful~." Claire added with a smile.

Nora Alstreim's lips trembled before she looked at Davis and gestured, "Please sit, young master..."

Davis sat and saw Nora Alstreim move away. Only then, he turned to look at his mother, a wry smile hanging on his face.

Claire knowingly answered, "She's going to be my maid for a thousand years. If her performance as a maid is up to my liking, I will treat her really good~."

She emphasized, making Nora Alstreim lower her head in shame and anger.

But what could she do other than endure?

She had already determined herself to be a slave for a thousand years, forgoing her youth and the time of vibrancy. However, she didn't want it to end like this, and Claire said something similar, telling her that it was possible to shorten her sentence if she was obedient.

That was why she went out of her way to listen to every word that came out of Claire's mouth.

"Claire, don't go too far..." Logan solemnly spoke, "She's still the Young Mistress..."

Claire's expression fell, her eyes becoming sharp, "What did you say?"

"I said that you're going too far!" Logan pressed as his gaze became sharp, "Nora is a good and innocent woman who should not be punished at all!"

"You!" Claire widened her eyes as if she couldn't believe whose side he was taking, "Don't you know that her ignorance and irresponsibility is the cause for my suffering?"

Logan retorted, "Yes! But didn't you say also say that without her, you wouldn't have met me!? Didn't you say that she was your friend!?"

Claire's pupils trembled before she harrumphed and turned her gaze away, sipping the tea in silence.

Davis had his eyes narrowed for a while as he listened to their conversation. While they looked as if they were fighting, he could sense with his Heart Intent that there were no hard feelings between them. It was almost as if...

'Fuck! Are they playing good cop and bad cop!?'

He cast a glance with the corner of his eyes and saw that Nora Alstreim had a complex expression while she stared at Logan.

'Damn, she's so naive...'

He couldn't help but feel sympathy towards her plight. She was naive, unable to scheme, bullied by his mother and father. Honestly, he could see what they were planning, but it was a bit outrageous even to him. It was almost as if his bad habits had stuck to his mother.

Just a few days ago, she schemed two Grand Elders out of their wealth, and now, she was manipulating her friend's feelings.

'Did my actions unwittingly change mother...?' He felt a bit convinced by his own thoughts.

After all, a bad example is needed to follow. Claire wasn't originally scheming like him.

"Nora Alstreim, leave for now. We have a few family matters to talk about." Logan spoke without changing his expression as he looked at Claire.

Nora Alstreim saw both of their expressions before she nodded, leaving towards another room in the hall. She entered and closed it before a formation light sprang up, sealing the door and its surroundings.

Davis's brows twitched upon witnessing that scene. Nora Alstreim was trapped like a damsel in distress in the Purple Guest Palace.

After she left, Claire spoke, "Davis, it's not like what you think it is... We were not fighting..."

"I know..." Davis reached out his hand for his father's cup of tea before he took a sip, looking at their astonished reactions.

"It is rather obvious to me that you two are hoodwinking Nora Alstreim, and I could also tell why..."

Claire and Logan became shocked before the former's expression became crimson while the latter's expression fell, his eyes narrowing down in suspicion.

"Mother, I was the one who recommended you to 'recommend' Nora Alstreim to father."

"Brat! So it was you!" Logan stood up in anger, "I was wondering why Claire would start speaking bullshit, telling me to attract Nora Alstreim's affection-"

"No! It was something I decided!" Claire interrupted, her expression serious.

Logan frowned, "What do you mean?"

"Hmph! If some random women from the Loret Empire can become your concubines, then why not Nora? She loves you, and the way I see it, you stand to gain as you also get a beauty!"

"You!?" Logan flared, "Do you see my oath to you as nothing more than a decoration?"

"Calm down, father..." Davis was rather calm himself, "Can't you see that mother is also reluctant?"

Logan became taken aback as he looked at Claire's affronted expression. It was like he slapped her in the face for what she was doing when it should be a favorable opportunity to him as well.

He calmed down and sat back, his expression complex, "What are you thinking, Claire?"

"I want you to make Nora your woman after you earn her complete trust..." Claire took a deep breath, "This way, she will not hold a grudge towards me, and we can become sisters in a real sense."

"But what you're doing... It's exactly the opposite... You're earning her ire while I earn her affection." Logan felt confused, "How will you two become sisters at this rate...?"

Initially, Logan didn't understand what Claire wanted to do, but since she pleaded to just follow her words, he did it. However, the more he followed her words, the more he felt that it was almost like Claire was planning to introduce Nora to him to take her as his woman.

He felt absurd, and when he finally asked, Claire didn't refute. However, until now, he didn't explode since he couldn't understand her thoughts and thought that she was just playing around, teasing him a bit overboard.

"Didn't I say that I would treat her based on how she performs?" Claire coldly uttered.

"Nora is an innocent woman I ruined with my own hands! Right now, she already knows that what I did to her grandfather, as I have already told her. It isn't strange if she secretly possesses hatred towards me, wanting to ruin my family. How can I allow that? But how can I kill her either?"

"This fate... I don't want it..." Claire's eyes turned moist before becoming determined.

"That's why the only way I can bring us together is through you, husband!"

"However, I will not allow you to have emotions towards her until I say so..."

"So selfish..." Logan interjected, but Claire continued with a somber expression.

"Didn't I accept your selfishness in accepting those six concubines...?"

Logan pursed his lips as he could not say anything against this matter.

Claire watched his expression before she took a deep breath, revealing her intent.

"If she accepts your love but tries to use you against our family or me, I will kill her myself. The same way, if she doesn't use you to possess an advantage against us, I will accept her as my sister."

"This is the oath I have taken for myself!"

Claire declared, causing Logan to sigh in dismay.

"Claire..." Logan couldn't help but remind, "In case if you forgot, I literally took an oath, declaring that I would have no relationship with any other women other than the seven of you."

"You did..." Claire nodded as if she didn't forget, "But for whom did you take it for?"

"Was it for you or me?"

Logan narrowed his eyes, "For you..."

"Very well..." Claire adjusted her voice, "I swear that I will not hold anything against you, and allow you one last time to take another woman called Nora Alstreim as your woman, my only friend whom I wanted to get close with since childhood."

Claire seemed to seal the coffin with the nails as she finally declared.

"This way, with your current soul prowess, you should be able to exterminate your Heart Demon by yourself."

Logan gnashed his teeth in anger. He knew what she said was plausible. It would've been virtually impossible for him in the past, but with his soul prowess grown in addition to obtaining consent from the woman he made the oath for, he knew that he could exterminate the Heart Demon upon introspection.

Oaths were like that, sometimes impregnable, sometimes flimsy. As long as one could untie the knots that bound the heart, they would be able to let it go. That's why it was a double-edged sword.

"Is Nora Alstreim so important to you? Why not just let her go?" he couldn't help but ask.

Claire shook her head, "She would become my enemy if I let her go, and I would have to vainly kill her with how I humiliated her grandfather and deceived half of their complete wealth. Therefore, I want her to be yours so that she can choose us instead."

Davis's eyes lit up. It looks his mother has indeed thought a lot about his words. He also confirmed that it was because of his bad influence that she became like this, but he had no words to offer because he wasn't opposed to this plan at all.

He turned to look at the uncertain yet hesitating Logan.

"Let me put it this way, father..."

"It was Mother who was against you in being with other women, and after you made an oath that she is still your everything, it is Mother who has accepted you in being with other women. If a few random strangers with your children from the past can be your women, then why not the person whom she thinks of as her sister, whom she had done something wrong to and wants to make up for it?"

Logan wavered.

'Wait... I'm starting to understand Natalya's thoughts for myself...' Davis abruptly mused.

No wonder Natalya wants her little sister Fiora to be together with him. It was because Natalya knew that he would give her a better life, and at the same time, care for her than anyone she could possibly imagine!

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