My Living Shadow System Devours To Make Me Stronger Chapter 847 - 848: Casual Revelation

With a somber gaze, Evangeline stared out the window. A portion of the city lay in fractured ruins, yet despite the destruction, she observed the citizens navigating the debris. They were already working together to clear the streets and resume their daily lives.

Such was the stubborn resilience of life.

This universe, after all, had been forged by the Goddess of Doom. The Mother of the Circle of Inevitability possessed a cold, almost cruel detachment. Destruction did not move her to tears, nor did survival inspire her praise.

However, those forged in the fires of conflict were undeniably hardy.

This was the reason the survivors simply persisted despite the mounting casualties. Stopping was a luxury they could not afford. To remain stationary in the face of death was to forfeit the chance to truly live.

Evangeline’s fist tightened.

The sheer magnitude of a fourth-class advancement was staggering, far eclipsing the third class. She remembered how effortlessly the warden had demolished massive structures. Cities could be permanently scarred by his mere whims.

This was power with the potential to reshape the very landscape.

While Evangeline might eventually replicate such devastation, it would never come to her with such ease. For her, every blow would require intense concentration, personal cost, and perfect discipline.

Yet, she questioned if that was truly her desire.

No.

She had no wish to bring such ruin upon innocent civilians who had never asked for war.

She once believed her path as a third-class Sunwarden had provided all the clarity she needed, but she now understood that many questions remained unanswered. Far too many.

For the time being, survival was her only option.

She simply lacked the strength required to alter the course of the world.

She remained a mere child of the present, not yet a legend of the future.

Turning her attention back to the room, she looked toward the shadowed corner. Damon was seated there on a woven mat, his spine straight and his legs crossed in a state of unnerving tranquility. The shadows seemed to embrace him instinctively, as if greeting one of their own.

What made her so fundamentally different from him?

Frustration bubbled in her chest as she bit her lip. Why did he make everything look so effortless, as if the weight of the world was light on his shoulders and even failure was beneath him?

She dismissed the thought with a shake of her head.

She knew better than anyone that his path was not easy.

Damon bore the heaviest burdens and was his own harshest critic. Nevertheless, she found it impossible not to measure herself against him.

Comparison is the thief of joy.

Yet, it is a universal instinct to compare oneself to those perceived as peers or equals. It was a subconscious habit she could not break.

Evangeline continued to watch him as he sat with his eyes shut.

Damon’s brow twitched slightly.

"If you’re thinking about the kiss from earlier, it meant nothing to me, so don’t beat yourself up over it."

His characteristic arrogance immediately grated on her nerves.

"I wasn’t thinking about that. Besides, I’m not a child. It was just a kiss."

Opening a single eye, Damon let out a smirk.

"Really? Then why was your face so red?" He let out a soft laugh. "I can’t believe you used the chained knights as an excuse to steal a kiss from me. I’m going to tell everyone about this."

A low, vibrating hum began to resonate through the air.

Evangeline’s fingers conjured a sharp beam of light, its brilliant glow washing the room in golden radiance.

"We take this to our graves," she warned, aiming the light directly at his chest.

She looked ready to blast him if he uttered another word.

Damon merely smiled, keeping his eyes closed once more.

"Did you lose weight, Eva? I mean, you look a heck of a lot different."

Confused, she momentarily looked down at herself.

"No... I don’t think so."

Damon opened both eyes fully.

"Oh. Guess it was just my imagination. Could’ve sworn your breasts shrank."

Bang.

A burst of light erupted, scorching the wall right behind him. The stone blackened and splintered from the force of the blast.

"You really want to die?"

Damon laughed, waving his hand as if the threat were nothing.

"Relax. I’ve got food here. We’ll get you back in top shape."

He placed a hand over his heart in a dramatic gesture.

"I wouldn’t want our old grandfather thinking I wasn’t looking out for you."

Evangeline started to lower her hand, but then she froze.

Her breath hitched as her eyes went wide. She whipped her head toward him with such speed that her hair trailed behind the movement.

"Huh... what did you just say?"

Damon looked at her with a raised eyebrow, seemingly puzzled.

"What? I said you weren’t eating well."

She shook her head violently.

"No. No, after that. What you said about looking out for me."

Damon blinked, his face remaining neutral.

"I said I wouldn’t want our grandfather thinking I didn’t look out for you, dumbass."

Her hands began to tremble.

The insult didn't matter.

It was because he had said "our grandfather."

Not "your grandfather."

Her voice was strained as she spoke.

"You... you know."

Damon stretched his limbs, rolling his shoulders to work out the stiffness.

"Know what?"

Gritting her teeth, she lunged forward and grabbed his collar, her fingers digging into the material of his awakened shell armor.

"That... we... are... you know..."

Damon looked at her hand and gave it a light tap.

"Spit it out. Why are you acting mysterious?"

Evangeline bit her lip, overwhelmed by frustration. This was a massive family secret—one so well-hidden that she hadn't even been told directly. She had been forced to solve the puzzle on her own.

She sat down directly in front of him, her golden eyes locked onto his while the chilly desert night air seeped into the room.

"That we are related... by blood."

Damon's eyes narrowed, and a look of shock crossed his features.

"We... are related by blood?" His voice wavered. "I—I... we... how... I can’t believe—b-but I’m a commoner..."

Evangeline grew even more bewildered.

Wait.

This didn't add up.

Was he truly unaware?

Or—

"Hahaha!"

Damon suddenly doubled over in laughter.

"You should’ve seen your face. Of course we’re related. I already figured it out."

Crossing his arms, he wore a smirk that was as cool as it was irritating.

"It’s basically an open secret at this point. Anyone who matters in Valtheron already knows. At least some of them." He began counting them off on his fingers. "The Astranovas. Seras Blade. The Emperor. Oh—and you."

He leaned back slightly.

"You’re really cute when you’re flustered, you know that?"

Evangeline felt a profound sense of relief, as if a massive burden had been removed from her shoulders.

It made sense.

If the truth had been apparent to her, Damon would have certainly discovered it as well.

She moved forward and pulled him into a tight embrace.

"Right... what did I expect? You’d already know."

She pulled away, her expression turning into a frown.

"Then why didn’t you say anything? Grandfather and my father would’ve welcomed you and Luna back home."

Damon gave a casual shrug.

"At first, it wasn’t a big deal. Mostly, I didn’t trust them." He paused for a moment. "But after looking into things related to my mother, I figured they weren’t so bad. Especially since she wanted us to find the old man."

He crossed his arms once more.

"Later, it became political. I’m the son of a commoner father. That would stain the Grand Duke’s name. His only daughter, declared dead, suddenly having a son with a nobody."

Damon’s grin turned sly.

"That’s why they tried to get the two of us married."

He looked at her with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"So... wanna get married?"

She didn't hesitate to scoff.

"Screw off."