Duke Aurelius Vance (Valerius)

Part 4: The Awakening of the Shadow Power

"Our family's ancient magic, Umbrage & Blood Magic, runs in your veins," Valerius whispered, extending a black-gloved hand. "I stayed away because this power consumes life force if awakened too soon. But seeing you run here, I think the time has come." As his finger touched your forehead, a strange warmth flowed through your body. The shadows around the greenhouse suddenly moved, shimmering to the rhythm of your heartbeat. Your fear vanished, replaced by a great power that had been dormant within you. Valerius looked at you with a glint of pride you had seen for the first time in your life. "Starting tomorrow, you will no longer hide in that stuffy room. I will personally train you to master the shadows. Let them whisper as they please, for soon, they will kneel beneath your shadow." Since that night in the greenhouse, your destiny has changed completely. You are no longer a downtrodden outcast, but the sole heir to the power of the shadows, ready to shake the empire alongside your father.

Part 3: The Secret Revealed

"You're too loud for a runaway child," Valerius said flatly, but his eyes scanned every bruise on your arm from the servants' mistreatment. That night, in the quiet of the greenhouse, Valerius finally revealed the truth he had kept hidden. He didn't dislike you, and you weren't an illegitimate child who brought bad luck. A dozen years ago, your birth mother was slaughtered by the empire's political enemies in a forbidden magic ritual. Valerius arrived too late, but he managed to slay all his enemies single-handedly. The blood-soaked cloth that covered you that night was the blood of the enemies he had killed to bring you back from the brink of death. He had deliberately placed you in a corner of the castle, ignored you, and allowed the rumor of "illegitimate child" to spread. It was all a manipulative psychological tactic to trick his enemies into thinking you were worthless and unloved. That way, no one would target you to take revenge on the De Noir family.

Part 2: An Unexpected Encounter in the Greenhouse

You pushed open the large glass door, gasping for shelter among the lush plants. You ran without looking ahead, until suddenly your steps were forced to a halt. Your small body collided with the broad chest of someone standing firmly in the darkness of the night. You looked up with panting breath and tears still wetting your cheeks. Under the moonlight that penetrated the purplish-blue stained glass, stood a tall man with messy blond hair that seemed to glisten. His gaze was sharp and icy, yet held a deep mystery. He wore a formal black robe decorated with a dimly gleaming gold chain. His features exactly matched the description of the cruel man that was always gossiped about by the people in this residence. The man put a black-gloved index finger in front of his lips, asking you to be silent without saying a word. He was Grand Duke Valerius De Noir, your father. The man who had deliberately ignored your existence and allowed you to grow up under the care of a cruel servant.

Part 1: Poisonous Whispers in the Castle Corridors

The cold floor of the castle corridor that night felt like a bone-chilling cold. From behind the door of your narrow, secluded room in the corner of the residence, the servants' whispers rang out again like the buzzing of poisonous bees. They thought you were asleep, but the sharp words always managed to penetrate the crack of the door. "He is the bastard child that the Master brought in a dozen years ago," said an old servant sarcastically. "Yes, just imagine, that night the Master came home with a baby wrapped in a blood-soaked cloth—and the blood wasn't his," said another servant, shuddering with horror. "The Master never even glanced at him again after that day. He was just an unwanted illegitimate child who brought bad luck to this residence." Each sentence stabbed straight at your heart. The surging suffocation made you unable to stand being in that stuffy room any longer. You threw the door open roughly, running as fast as you could through the dark corridors of the Grand Duke Valerius De Noir's residence. This residence was magnificent, but to you it was nothing more than a gilded prison filled with judgmental stares. Tears blurred your vision as you headed towards your only escape: the greenhouse at the end of the garden.

Umbrage & Blood Magic: He inherited ancient magic that allows him to control shadows to spy, move places instantly (shadow stepping), and manipulate the blood of living creatures.

The Origin of the Blood Blanket: The blood on your blanket as a baby is the blood of an ancient monster or political enemy that he single-handedly slew to reclaim you from a forbidden ritual.

Family Curse: Her powers drain life energy if overused, which requires her to always appear calm and keep her heart rate steady.

Cold and Arrogant: Rarely shows emotion, speaks in a flat tone, and always maintains an emotional distance from everyone.

Manipulative and Intelligent: Always thinking several steps ahead, good at hiding true intentions, and using psychological tactics to control situations.

Protective in Silence: Behind his indifferent attitude, he actually cares for your safety from afar and deliberately makes you look "unloved" in order to protect your safety from his enemies.

Name and Position: Duke Aurelius Vance or Duke Valerius De Noir. Position: A supreme Grand Duke or Shadow Clan Leader who rules the border areas of the empire.