She couldn't argue back; she could only endure it.
She knew that swallowing her anger like this was pathetic, frustrating, and utterly useless.
But without any strength, to do otherwise would be suicide.
'What's dignity compared to my life?'
In the days that followed, she noticed that the heroine hadn't come to bother her.
'Something is fishy.'
「That night.」
She accidentally overheard a conversation between Jocelyn Grant and her paramour.
"Brother Young, why is our son so frail? Will he... leave me? I can't lose my child."
"It's alright, Jocelyn. I know of a Forbidden Technique. If we can get a high-grade Spirit Root to transplant into our son, not only will his body recover, but he'll also be able to cultivate in the future. Since that bitch's child has a Top-grade Spirit Root, it's perfect for our use."
"This... isn't that a bit much? She's my cousin, after all, my Second Uncle's child... I..."
Her tone was full of reluctance.
"Jocelyn, you're just too kind. Have you forgotten how selfishly and viciously that family bullied you? She owes you this. Besides, that child is an Evil Cultivator's bastard. For it to have such aptitude, it will surely become a scourge in the future. We'd just be ridding the Cultivation World of a menace."
"You're right, Brother Young. My cousin will understand our good intentions one day. We're doing this for her own good. Besides, I've heard that you don't die even if your Spirit Root is removed. For the child of an Evil Cultivator, becoming an ordinary person might not be such a bad thing."
Celeste Grant could hardly believe what she was hearing.
'These two are utterly shameless!'
Jocelyn Grant and her paramour's son had been born a year ago. When they threw her to the Evil Cultivator, Jocelyn's son was already several months old. Now, the child was over a year old.
Their son had a congenital defect that prevented him from cultivating, and his body was so frail he was expected to die young.
So they set their sights on Celeste Grant, planning to wait for her child to be born and then rip out the baby's Spirit Root to transplant into their own son.
Celeste Grant fell silent.
Jocelyn Grant must have some kind of treasure that could detect the Top-grade Spirit Root in her womb, which was why she was now coveting it.
'Shit! They're already scheming for my son's Spirit Root.'
'Even though I'm not the original villainess, the plot is still correcting itself.'
Saying her unborn child was the bastard of an Evil Cultivator, born evil and destined to become a scourge, and that their actions were to rid the Cultivation World of a menace. They even said she would surely understand their "good intentions" someday.
'Understand my ass!'
'Such a flimsy excuse. Do they even believe it themselves?'
'They want my child's Spirit Root, yet they paint themselves as so noble. They're utterly shameless. How could someone like that be the heroine? What was the author thinking?'
At this thought, Celeste Grant clenched her fists.
'That damn couple!'
'Absolutely depraved.'
'So your son's life matters, but my child's doesn't?'
'The villainess doesn't deserve to live, is that it?!'
'Well, I refuse to accept that.'
After hearing their conversation, Celeste Grant had used the few Spirit Stones she had to hire a carriage pulled by a Centipede Spirit Beast and fled that very night, determined not to fall into their hands.
Thankfully, everything had gone smoothly so far!
She clenched her fists.
'Heroine, you've really done it now. This won't end until one of us is dead.'
In the future, she would be the biggest stumbling block on Jocelyn's path of cultivation.
Celeste Grant got up, moved to the edge of the bed, and sat down, surveying the room.
It was a normal residence, not a pile of skeletons or skulls.
The room had wooden floors, and the furnishings were simple yet luxurious. Sunlight streamed in through an open window, giving it a warm and cozy feel.
'Why does my mouth taste like blood?'
But her body felt much lighter, and her breathing was smooth.
Her fingers touched the corner of her lips. Celeste Grant lowered her head slightly, immediately guessing that he must have done something. 'It can't be his own blood.'
As far as she knew, Javier Sinclair, as the leader of the Demonic Sects, possessed a Late-stage Divinity Transformation cultivation. You could count on one hand the number of people in the Cultivation World who could defeat him.
If he had fed her his blood, she, an ordinary person with no cultivation, would have simply exploded and died. So it must have been the blood of some Spirit Beast.
Compared to those irresponsible men who pull up their pants and leave...
'He's... not so bad, I guess.'
Her gamble had paid off this time.
It was just that when she learned his identity, a chill had still run down her spine. Cold sweat had broken out on her back in fear.
Javier Sinclair had someone buy her a quiet courtyard home in Breezewind Town. He even left two maids to take care of her. One of them was his own Left Protector, Nerida. For now, at least, her safety was guaranteed.
After settling in, Celeste Grant waited quietly for the local fated opportunity to arise.
As for Javier Sinclair, after bringing her here that day, he hadn't appeared for a solid half-month.
He was the leader of a Demonic Sect; Celeste Grant didn't expect him to care that much about this son. As long as he guaranteed her safety for now, that was enough.
「This afternoon.」
Celeste Grant was resting on a soft couch when someone approached and placed a bowl of soup, rich with Spiritual Energy, on the low table beside her.
"Madam, please drink it while it's hot."
Hearing this form of address...
She gave a dry laugh.
"Didn't I say not to call me that? You can just use my name."
"I can't do that. There's a clear distinction between ranks. You are The Exalted One's person, so this servant must call you Madam."
She had been drinking this soup for several days now. She knew it was something good, but she never asked what it was. She just drank it whenever it was brought to her. After all, if they really wanted to harm her, they wouldn't need to go to such trouble.
She picked up the bowl, finished it in a few gulps, and set it down.
"Nerida, what is this you've been giving me? It tastes pretty good."
Over this period, she felt her skin had even become fairer.
"This, you mean? Madam, this is Snow Creek Flower. Eating it helps replenish the Spiritual Power for the child in your womb. That way, your body won't be so weak."
"It's a good thing you found us, Madam. Otherwise, with your body's condition, you might not have survived until the child's birth."
Celeste Grant knew she wasn't lying.
The child in her womb had an Innate Spirit Body and a Top-grade Spirit Root. The amount of Spiritual Power it required had already exceeded her body's limits, and as an ordinary person, she had no way of providing it.
But hearing Nerida mention the Snow Creek Flower still made her pause.
"This is Snow Creek Flower? I've heard it's extremely rare. A single stalk costs three thousand Spirit Stones, and it's hardly ever seen on the market."
Nerida smiled and said, "Don't worry, Madam, there's still plenty in stock. The Exalted One knew you were weak, so he personally went to a Secret Realm and slayed a giant serpent. These were all gathered from the serpent's lair. It's enough to last you until the Young Master is born."
'That extravagant?'
'Wait a minute...'
"Are you saying he went to a Secret Realm to get these for me personally?"
'Could he be that kind? He's Javier Sinclair, the leader of the Demonic Sects. Shouldn't he be selfish and utterly self-centered? To think he'd be considerate of others... it feels like I'm still dreaming.'
The Left Protector seized the opportunity to speak up for Javier Sinclair.
"That's right! Madam, The Exalted One just looks like he has a bad temper, but he's actually a very good person. You see, he values you and the child a great deal. He's treating you so well; no one else gets this kind of treatment. And most importantly, The Exalted One is so handsome, isn't he?"
Nerida turned her head to the side.
'The Exalted One, praising you against my conscience like this is making me feel a little guilty.'
'Gentle?'
'Him?'
Celeste Grant gave another dry laugh.
'The leader of the Demonic Sects, who threatens to annihilate entire families on a whim... him, gentle? That's a laugh.'
'He must just be doing this for the child. It seems this Javier Sinclair acknowledges the baby after all.'
Thinking this, Celeste Grant said, "He's not doing it for me, but for the child. Still, please thank The Exalted One on my behalf."
After all, these were tangible things, far more useful than those men who were all sweet talk and wouldn't spare a dime.
"This Snow Creek Flower is so precious. Maybe I shouldn't eat it anymore. My body has already recovered."
Three thousand Spirit Stones a stalk, when an ordinary person couldn't even earn one Spirit Stone a day. Although she was once a rich, beautiful woman who never lacked for money, now, in this world, she was desperately lacking.
Nerida waved her hand dismissively. "It's fine, it's fine. If we run out, we'll just make The Exalted One go find more. If you can't use a man like this, what good is he?"
Celeste Grant: "..."
'Wait... Sister... that's your Exalted One. Aren't you afraid of being refined in the Ten Thousand Souls Banner for saying that?'
Nerida glanced at her.
Then she started laughing.
"Don't be fooled by how young I look. I'm the one who raised The Exalted One; he's like a son to me. When I found him all those years ago, The Exalted One was being chased halfway down the street by a pack of wild dogs."
She let out a soft laugh. "You can't tell anyone about this, or he'll definitely throw a fit. You'll find out in the future. The Exalted One is actually a pretty good person."
'Is this a secret I'm allowed to hear? I won't be silenced for this, will I?'
'No wonder Nerida's attitude toward Javier Sinclair felt different. It's like a mother and her son.'
"I... I really couldn't tell."
After drinking the soup...
Celeste Grant felt a little drowsy. She leaned back on the soft couch and fell asleep within moments.
The Left Protector, Nerida, covered her with a blanket, then picked up the tray and walked out.
As Nerida stepped out of the room, she saw the man standing in the courtyard.
With a wave of her hand, she set up a soundproofing barrier so their conversation wouldn't disturb the person resting inside.
"The Exalted One is here to see the madam."
"You should have come sooner. The young lady is heavily pregnant; this is when she needs care, and you're nowhere to be seen. Aren't you just like those heartless men who pull up their pants and shirk all responsibility?"
"When have I ever been irresponsible? And Nerida, what's this about me being chased halfway down the street by dogs?"
Javier Sinclair's face was cold as he looked at her grimly. "Nerida, are you itching to be refined in the Ten Thousand Souls Banner?"
Nerida: "Calm your anger, Exalted One. This subordinate is at fault... But if I go in, who will help you raise the child? When the Young Master is born, will you raise him? Exalted One, do you even know how to raise a child?"
He was actually unable to refute her.
He was fine with killing people.
But raising a child? He had absolutely no experience.
'Maybe I should go grab a few now to practice raising them.'