Dimension System: SSS Rank Talent Awakening

Chapter 168 The Family's Secrets

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Dabi finally got what headmaster Raghnall Ferrin meant this morning.

All the secrets are revealing.

Dabi said.. "What do you want from me?"

What if I didn't want be part of the family?

You abandoned me and my siblings. After so long time, Now why did you come? What's your motive?

"I want you to send Aunt Nazu back."

"I want to help you," Tessa said earnestly. "You are family, Dabi, whether you accept it or not.

We didn't abandon you. We were forced to stay in the shadows by the family rule and other reasons.

But we always try to look after you and your siblings after your parent's death.

I also send Butler Beriz when you have problems with the ventore family. You can't hate us Dabi. We are family.

Just put yourself in our situation and think how much helpless we were.

Your father just left the family and became a Commoner.

You know how everything works in noble and royal families. We couldn't show any weakness, otherwise, our enemy would take advantage of the situation.

We royal family has more enemies inside our family than the outside.

Your grandmother and 'I' your aunt have done everything we could do to make sure you and your siblings have a good life.

We choose the best person from the servant to look after you. As you know how Nazu is. How much she cares about you and your siblings.

With that explanation, Dabi's is calmer now than before. Before his mind was full of anger, rage, and a lot of questions.

Almost half of the questions answer was given in the explanation by Tessa Asterius.

"The times ahead will be very hard." Tessa Asterius said to Dabi.

And as much as I wish it were otherwise, your connection to the Asterius line means you are part of this conflict.

"You can't run from it."

"I never wanted any of this," Dabi said bitterly.

"I know," Tessa said. "But destiny rarely cares about what we want."

She moved toward the door, pausing to glance back at him. "Think about what I've said. And when you're ready, I'll be here to answer your questions."

With that, she left the room, leaving Dabi alone with his thoughts.

When Dabi returned to the main room, Beriz was playing Eli and Mira.

He was telling stories of his travels. The two children were laughing, their earlier apprehension forgotten.

Dabi's gaze softened as he watched them. Whatever his lineage, whatever burdens the Asterius name might bring, he would protect his siblings above all else.

But as he sat down beside them, a single thought gnawed at the back of his mind.

What would his father have wanted him to do?

The answer remained elusive, buried beneath layers of uncertainty and doubt.

For now, Dabi resolved to focus on what he could control. The rest would come in time.

The heavy silence in the room was punctuated only by the ticking of a clock.

Dabi sat across from Tessa Asterius, the ornate locket still clutched tightly in his hand.

Every word she had spoken so far felt like a blow, unraveling the fabric of the life he thought he knew.

But it wasn't over.

Tessa's sharp green eyes bore into his, her calm demeanor contrasting with the storm brewing inside him.

"You deserve to know everything, Dabi.

The truth about your family, the conflicts that shaped your father's decisions, and why Aunt Nazu has appeared now, after all these time."

Dabi leaned back in his chair, folding his arms. "Then start talking," he said, his voice cold but steady.

Tessa inclined her head, her expression resolute. "Very well. Let's begin with the royal family's conflict."

"The Asterius royal family has always been a beacon of strength and unity," Tessa began.

"But that unity is a facade. Beneath the surface lies a web of schemes, betrayals, and power struggles."

She paused, her gaze distant, as if recalling memories she would rather forget.

"Your second grandfather Lord Kael Asterius is at the center of it all.

He's my uncle, my father's big brother and your great grandfather, though I hesitate to even call him that."

"What does he want?" Dabi asked, his voice edged with suspicion.

"Power," Tessa replied simply. "Kael was denied the throne decades ago, passed over in favor of his younger brother, your grandfather.

That rejection festered into a deep resentment. Over the years, Kael has amassed influence, building a faction loyal to him.

His goal is to dethrone the current ruler, King Alden Asterius, and install himself as the supreme ruler of the Asterius line."

Dabi frowned, his mind racing. "What does this have to do with me?"

"Everything," Tessa said gravely.

"You're a direct descendant of the royal bloodline, the grand child of the king, and therefore, a threat to Kael's ambitions.

Before your father suppose to be the new ruler of our family. But he denied and fight will the family for your mother.

Now that you have became famous and stronger. He will target you. After your father you are next in line. Discover stories at empire

If he learns of your existence, he won't hesitate to eliminate you and your siblings to secure his claim."

Dabi sat in stunned silence, the weight of Tessa's words sinking in.

The thought of his siblings Eli and Mira being dragged into this dangerous game of politics ignited a spark of anger in his chest.

"And Aunt Nazu?" he asked, his voice tight. "Where does she fit into all this?"

'Tessa's expression softened.'

Nazu was one of the royal family's most loyal protectors a skilled operative tasked with safeguarding its members from external and internal threats.

When your father left the royal court, it was Nazu who orchestrated his escape and ensured his safety.

After his disappearance, she turned her attention to you and your siblings, working from the shadows to protect you."

Dabi's brow furrowed. "Then why has she been absent more one year?"

Tessa hesitated, a flicker of guilt crossing her face. "Because we believed it was safer that way.

Kael's spies are everywhere, and any overt action to protect you could have drawn attention.

Nazu has been working covertly to dismantle Kael's network and ensure your safety. Her recent actions are part of a larger plan to neutralize his power."

Dabi's mind was spinning, the pieces of the puzzle slowly falling into place.

But one question still nagged at him, when Dabi saw the locket photo of his father and grandmother he finds kora the nanny looks similar to his grandmother, a suspicion he hadn't voiced until now.

"Kora," he said suddenly. "Our caretaker.

Is she one of your people too ?

Why does she look so similar to photo in the locket....

Where does she fit into all this?"

For the first time, Tessa's composed facade cracked. Her lips pressed into a thin line, and she averted her gaze.

"Kora isn't just your caretaker," she admitted finally. She doesn't just look like the photo. It's her own photo.

"She's your grandmother."

The words hung in the air like a thunderclap.

Dabi shot to his feet, his chair scraping loudly against the floor. "What?" he demanded, his voice rising.

"You're telling me the woman I've been trusting with my siblings is my grandmother?"

"What he hell's going on? Why did she became a nanny ?" Why didn't she tell me anything ?

Tessa stood as well, her expression firm. "Because it wasn't safe for you to know.

Kora your grandmother has been in sick since your father left the royal court. When she heard you are coming to live in capital with your siblings.

She just somehow gets better and secretly left the royal family and became your siblings nanny. She just wanted to live happily with her grandchildren.

She chose to live in obscurity to protect you and your siblings from Kael's reach.

As your caretaker, she could watch over you siblings without drawing attention."

Dabi's hands clenched into fists, his anger warring with a sense of betrayal. "So she's been lying to us this entire time?"

"She was protecting you," Tessa said gently. "Everything she's done has been for love, you and your siblings safety.

The love and care she's shown you and your siblings are genuine. But her true identity had to remain a secret for your sake and hers."

Dabi paced the room, his emotions roiling like a storm. The revelation about Kora, combined with everything else he had learned, was almost too much to process.

"Why now?" he asked finally, stopping to face Tessa. "Why tell me all of this now?"

"Because the time for secrecy is over," Tessa said firmly.

"Kael's plans are accelerating, and the danger to you and your siblings is growing. You need to know the truth so you can prepare for what's to come."

Dabi's jaw tightened. "And what exactly is coming?"

Tessa stepped closer, her gaze unwavering. "War," she said simply. "A war for the Asterius throne. And whether you like it or not, you're part of it."

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