THE GENERAL'S DISGRACED HEIR

Seraphina, still visibly shaken by David's confession, couldn't hold back her curiosity. "If you had such power from the beginning," she began, her voice hesitant but filled with wonder, "why didn't you use it for yourself? You could have made so much from awakening, um... you know, women." Her words trailed off, but the question hung in the air, demanding an answer.

David found himself in a tight spot, torn between truth and protecting the fragile trust he had built with these women. The truth—that they were all characters in a novel, unaware of the larger world—was unthinkable to share. If he told them, they might either go mad from disbelief or think he had lost his mind. But as their expectant gazes bore into him, David decided to twist the truth just enough to keep them close.

"I'm not completely sure myself," David began, carefully weighing each word.

"All of this only started after I crossed the threshold between life and death." His voice was steady, but inside, he felt the pressure mounting.

Everyone in the room was listening intently, eyes fixed on him, as if his next words held the answers to the universe.

"I don't know what's happening to me," he continued, his tone growing more sombre.

"Whether these powers I'm awakening are a gift from some gracious sovereign or a curse from an evil god. But one thing I do know is this: through it all, I made a choice. I chose to use my gifts, and because of that choice, we're together now."

His heart ached—not from the burden of his powers, but because of the half-truths he had to spin for the sake of their sanity.

Vivian's eyes shimmered with unshed tears. "I don't care about any of that," she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion.

"All I want is to be with you, young master." The sincerity in her words was palpable, and David could feel the weight of their shared bond pressing on him. His interference in their lives had changed them all, but they were willing to share that burden with him.

But Shay, ever the practical one, broke the intensity of the moment.

"So," she said, her tone serious, her expression unreadable. "You've slept with everyone in this room?"

David was taken aback by the abruptness of the question, especially in the middle of such a heavy moment. Still, he was relieved to have a question he could answer without bending the truth. "Yes," he admitted, glancing at each woman in turn, "except Seraphina."

Shay's face remained neutral, but something about the way she asked made David feel like there was more to her question. "But that doesn't mean I'm throwing myself at every woman I see," he added quickly.

"As I've told each of you, I want you to be mine, and I want to be yours." His voice carried a boldness, as though staking a claim not just to their hearts, but to the truth of his feelings.

"And I apologize for not telling you sooner that I share a connection with all of you."

For a moment, it seemed like the tension was dissipating. But Shay wasn't done. With an almost mischievous glint in her eyes, she leaned forward. "It doesn't matter how many people you love," she said, her voice calm yet carrying an undercurrent of challenge.

"What I want to know is... who among us did you sleep with first, and who did you propose to?"

Her question landed like a shockwave. David froze, completely unprepared for the turn-in conversation. Meanwhile, the other women's attention shifted sharply, each of them waiting for his answer, their curiosity piqued by Shay's unexpected line of questioning.

Caught off guard, David's mind raced. How could something so simple feel like the most complex question he'd ever faced?

David closed his eyes, letting a brief silence settle in the room, feeling the weight of the question hovering over him.

'This isn't going to end well. Something cliché is about to happen,'

he thought, bracing himself for what was to come. Without opening his eyes, he calmly delivered the answer that the four women had been eagerly anticipating.

"In all honesty, the first person I made love to was Shay," he revealed, his voice steady. He could hear Shay's sharp intake of breath. "And Shay is also the first woman I asked to be my partner," he concluded, feeling the intensity in the room spike.

Shay's lips quivered, her face lighting up with a mixture of surprise and triumph. Without hesitation, she stood up and walked toward David, who sat beside Seraphina on the bed. She pulled him into a tight hug, pressing his face into her petite bosom, a mischievous grin playing on her lips.

"Well, well, well," Shay began, her ego clearly soaring.

"It seems that the young master chose me to be his first lover. So, in short, as his first lover, I should take responsibility, not only as his partner but as your senior sister," she declared, her voice laced with confidence and a hint of arrogance.

David, still muffled against Shay, groaned internally.

'Oh no, I knew something like this would happen!'

he lamented.

As a passionate novel reader, he'd read countless stories of harem conflicts, and never in his wildest dreams did he think he'd find himself in such a scenario.

"What in the goddess' name are you spouting? Senior sister? Aren't I the eldest in the group?" Katrina snapped back, her eyes narrowing at Shay. The idea was simply absurd to her.

Vivian, who had been quietly observing, couldn't help but chime in, her tone light but pointed. "I don't want to seem rude, but aren't you a little drunk on power just because you're the head maid?" she remarked, raising an eyebrow.

Technically, Seraphina was the oldest in the group, but Luna, who preferred lurking in the shadows to protect David, wasn't present. Seraphina, however, remained silent. She hadn't yet made love with David, and the conversation left her feeling somewhat out of place. She quietly observed the brewing argument, wondering where she fit into all of this.

David, sensing the heat rising from the clashing personalities, knew he had to intervene quickly before things got worse. He could almost feel the sparks flying between the women, each vying for some form of dominance or recognition.

'Okay, okay, I need to act fast,' he thought, trying to summon the right words to diffuse the situation. There had to be a way to address everyone's concerns without adding fuel to the fire. He loved them all in their own ways, but navigating their complex dynamics was proving to be a far greater challenge than he had ever anticipated.

With a deep breath, David lifted his hands in a gesture of peace, ready to step into the fray and calm the brewing storm before it exploded.

"Before we continue, I should introduce your first sister," David interrupted, cutting through the tension in the room.

His words froze the heated argument in its tracks. A silence fell, and the women exchanged confused glances. 'Another woman?' they all thought, their eyes narrowing. None of them had seen anyone else involved with David, let alone a

"first partner."

Who could this mysterious woman be, and where had she been hiding?

David knew he had to explain everything now. Any further delay would only lead to more complications. Taking a deep breath, he decided to finally reveal the truth that he'd been keeping from them. With a hint of hesitation, he spoke a name that Seraphina instantly recognized.

"Luna, dear, would you mind coming out of the shadows?" David called out calmly.

At that moment, the shadows in the room began to stir, gathering unnervingly around David. Shay instinctively stepped back, her eyes wide with apprehension. The darkness swirled, twisting and coalescing until it formed the outline of a human figure. Then, with a sudden burst, the shadows dissipated, revealing a breathtaking woman standing in the middle of the room.

She was unlike anything the others had expected. Her silver hair cascaded down her back like a shimmering waterfall, and her golden eyes gleamed with a beauty that rivaled the morning sun. However, her aura was anything but serene. It radiated power—strong, dreadful, and dominant. The room's atmosphere grew thick with her presence.

Everyone's eyes widened, their thoughts echoing a singular question: *This monster is David's first partner!?*

Luna stood tall, her posture regal yet imposing, as if she were a predator watching over its territory. Her features hinted at beast folk ancestry—sharp, refined, and predatory. There was no doubt that she was dangerous, the very embodiment of strength and dominance. Yet, despite her fearsome aura, there was a certain calmness in her eyes as she gazed at David, a connection that spoke of history and trust.

Katrina, Shay, and Vivian were visibly shaken, trying to reconcile this towering, powerful figure with the concept of David's "first lover." Even Seraphina, who had suspected Luna's presence, found herself taken aback by the sheer force of the woman standing before them.

David, sensing their shock, remained composed. "This is Luna," he said softly. "She has been with me from the very beginning. She may not have been as visible, but she has always been by my side, protecting me, even when none of you could see her."

Shay, ever the bold one, was the first to break the stunned silence. "So… she's been watching us this whole time?" she asked, still trying to process the revelation and the time they made love together.

Luna's lips curled into a slight smile, her golden eyes gleaming. "Only when necessary," she replied, her voice smooth but carrying an undeniable weight. The air in the room grew heavier, as the women struggled to understand what this meant for their place in David's life.

But David, calm and unwavering, held Luna's gaze for a moment before turning back to the others. "Luna is part of this family, just as each of you are," he said, his voice steady. "I need you all to understand that."

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A/N: hey guys shameless author with the late chapter.. 'bowing to apologise'

I was revising this chapter over and over again since I knew how much you guys were waiting for this scene, tell me how the chapter was.

happy reading.