CHAPTER 165: CHAPTER 165: A BIG DRAMA

Vaelen’s POV~

When I heard my uncle was finally coming back, I rushed down to receive him. Honestly, I was worried. He had gone out alone, without guards, without any support. That was not like him. So yes, I was tense the whole time. But now that he was back, I could finally breathe a little.

I was ready to greet him when the car stopped. But then... I froze.

Because someone else stepped out. A young girl.

At first I was just shocked to see anyone come out of his car. My uncle was the coldest person I knew. He never brought anyone back. Not even friends, because he had none.

But this girl... she looked like him.

The same silver hair. The same sharp features. Not exactly the same, but close enough that no one could deny they were blood-related.

That alone shook me. But then something else hit me, even harder.

She looked like Selene.

For a second my breath got stuck. My whole body stiffened. Selene’s face flashed in my mind, and now I was seeing almost the same face standing in front of me.

That meant... Selene looked like my uncle. Not completely, but enough. At least sixty percent.

My heart pounded at the thought. Why? Why did Selene look like him?

Just the thought of her was enough to make my heart ache, because the current news that was widely circulating had also reached me, and it came with proof I couldn’t deny.

I forced myself to push that thought away. This was not the time. I needed to know who this girl was first.

And before I could even ask, my uncle opened his mouth and introduced her. "My daughter, Serena."

I was stunned, but not surprised. I had already guessed from their looks. Still, the words hit me hard.

His daughter.

I had a thousand questions. My uncle had been alone his entire life. A bachelor. He never left the palace for more than twenty years. He lived like a shadow, in silence, cut off from everyone. And now suddenly he went out and came back with... a grown daughter?

How was that even possible?

Did he just suddenly wake up one day and think, Oh, I have a daughter; let me go and fetch her back? What kind of man does that?

For a moment I almost laughed at the stupidity of it. I never thought my uncle could be like that.

I looked at the girl again. She looked calm, almost gentle. Her face was serene, not timid, not arrogant. Just simple.

I could only hope she would bring some light into my uncle’s dark life. He had lived shut away for so long, without joy, without company. Maybe she could be that for him.

But then he did the worst thing.

After introducing her, he turned around and left. Just like that.

He left his daughter with me.

Did he just do that? Really? How could he? How could he abandon her so quickly? Shouldn’t he be the first one to guide her, to show her everything, to make her feel welcome?

But no. He just walked away, as if it was nothing.

I sighed hard. But too much is expected from him. I knew him; he was awkward and cold, and maybe he didn’t even know how to show care. But still, this was too much.

Fine. If he wouldn’t do it, I would.

If he wanted to act like this, then I would take the lead. I would take responsibility.

Because someone had to.

I looked at the girl for a while before finally speaking.

"Hello. My name is Vaelen... I am the eldest son of the Lycan King."

She nodded at once, very calm. "My name is Serena."

The name hit me like a punch. Serena? For a moment I froze. Serena... Selene. My friend’s name was Selene. The one who had gone through such a terrible accident.

My chest tightened. Their names sounded almost the same. And she even looked a little like her. I felt my eyes dim. Before I could stop myself, I asked quietly, "By any chance... do you know someone named Selene?"

She blinked, confused, and then shook her head. "No."

That little hope I had in my heart died instantly. Of course not. I was probably going crazy. After hearing the news about Selene, maybe I had started searching for her in everyone I saw. Pathetic. I shook my head and let it go.

I smiled a little at Serena. "Let’s go. I’ll show you some places. Where do you want to stay? My uncle has the entire palace to himself. You can stay here if you want. Or in my palace. Or if you want, we can even build a small palace for you, but that would take time. Everyone here usually has their own."

Serena answered right away, "I can stay where my father stays."

I sighed. "Good, girl. You should interact more with Uncle. You must have already noticed...he is a cold person. Don’t mind his cold attitude because he has a heart of gold. He has always been like that. Even I have never heard him speak a long sentence. But try to get to know him more."

Then I looked at her more carefully. There were still questions in my mind. Who was she really? Where did she come from? And what about her mother?

So I asked, "Where are you from?"

She did not hide anything. She looked straight at me and said, "I am a witch."

I almost choked. The word came out of her mouth so suddenly, but I didn’t say anything and only motioned her to continue. She sighed in relief and spoke again.

"My mother is a witch. In fact, she is the mother of witches. You must have heard about her. Yes, she is my mother. And I myself didn’t know your uncle was my father until yesterday."

She stuck her tongue out as she said it, and for a second I almost laughed. Damn it. She really was bold.

But inside, my head was spinning.

So... Uncle actually had a child with his former fiancée? And he never told anyone?

And was it not that the witch mother was actually his bastard father’s white moonlight and his uncle’s former fiancée?

I swallowed hard. The gossip from years ago came rushing back. Everyone thought Uncle had no interest in his fiancée, and he liked the younger one. But now...he had a child. With the elder daughter, not even the younger.

This was a big drama. A very big drama.

And me? I was not stupid. I knew better. If Uncle wanted this to stay hidden, I would never say a word. Not to anyone. Not even to my shadow. My lips were sealed.

I cleared my throat and changed the topic. "Anyway... Uncle must have told you already. He has a younger brother. I am his son. I also have a younger brother. If you meet him, just avoid him. And if he makes you angry, just punch him in the face. Don’t think twice."

Her eyes widened, but I didn’t explain more. Better leave it at that.

After that, I showed her around. Casual things here and there. Explained how the palace worked, where the important rooms were, and so on. Slowly, she began to relax, and by the end of the tour, she had even chosen a room for herself.

When it was time for me to leave, I said, "If you need anything, just call the maids. If you want to meet me, tell them...they will call me. For now, rest here. I will come back to take you to dinner."

And with that, I left her to settle down.