The Villainess is my fiance: But she is gentle towards me

His father stood up and smiled.

The moment that smile appeared, a familiar aura burst out of him and crashed straight into Vivian.

"Huh…?" Vivian staggered back, his vision shaking.

His heart sped up so fast it almost hurt.

Then, out of nowhere, images of his mother and his little brother flashed in his mind.

Warm moments, soft memories, followed by a sharp, unbearable pain that dug deep into his chest.

"What… is this…?" he whispered as his knees gave out.

He collapsed onto the floor.

His body wouldn't move.

His emotions were spinning out of control, growing stronger and heavier with every passing second.

It felt like his heart was being turned inside out.

After a while, the aura vanished.

The pressure lifted.

Vivian gasped for air just as his father stepped forward and held out his hand.

Vivian grabbed it and forced himself up, still panting like he had run for miles.

His father waited until he caught his breath, then spoke gently.

"This is my Genesis," he said.

"The shape of my emotions. The shape of what I understand."

He gave a small smile.

"When a person reaches a deeper truth in their heart, it becomes something real. Something others can feel."

"That's what you just experienced. It's not meant to hurt you… it's meant to show you how strong a person's heart can be."

Vivian looked down at his trembling hands.

The echo of the aura still lingered inside him, quiet but heavy.

His father rested a hand on his shoulder.

"One day, when your heart becomes clear… you'll create your own Genesis too."

His father gave him a long, steady look, the kind a person gives when they can clearly see the thoughts running through someone's mind.

"It might happen tomorrow," he said softly, "or it might take many years, just like it did for me. But one day, when you understand your own emotions, and when you understand the world around you, you will form your Genesis Heart. That's where you'll hold your understanding."

He paused, letting the words sink in.

"And when you have your own Genesis Heart… only then can you stand against another person's Genesis. Only then can you face their emotions with your own."

Vivian's breathing slowly steadied.

The trembling in his hands faded bit by bit as the weight of his father's words settled inside him.

After a moment, Vined leaned forward slightly.

"Do you understand now?"

Vivian nodded.

He sat back down quietly, still shaken but no longer lost.

Vined nodded in return and took his seat as well.

The room settled again, the heavy moment passing.

And the meeting continued as if a new door had quietly opened inside Vivian's heart.

Vivian didn't say a single word as the meeting went on.

His body was present, but his mind was somewhere far away.

That feeling from earlier… that crushing pressure, the way his emotions lost control, he still couldn't believe it.

He couldn't stop replaying it in his head.

He hadn't even been able to defend himself.

A tiny doubt crept into him.

Would he ever be able to do something like that?

He didn't know.

Until now, he always believed his talent would carry him forward, that reaching Grandmaster was only a matter of time.

But after feeling that aura… he finally understood why the world said the Grandmaster stage was the hardest to reach.

Was it even possible for him?

He didn't know the answer.

But one thing burned clear in his chest: he had to reach it.

No matter what. No matter how long it took.

Time passed quietly.

The meeting eventually came to an end, and dawn light was already touching the windows.

Vivian rose from his seat without a word.

His steps were slow, almost dazed, as he walked toward his room.

His thoughts were too loud, too heavy, for him to notice anything else.

The others watched him leave. No one tried to stop him.

No one tried to speak.

They all understood, Vivian needed silence more than anything right now.

Meanwhile, Charlotte had just finished her morning training.

Sweat still clung to her forehead as she picked up her towel and turned toward the palace.

She was planning to go straight to Vivian.

But before she could take a single step, Vikram's voice stopped her.

"Not now. Don't go to him."

Charlotte turned, confused.

Her uncle was putting away his training gear, his breathing steady as always.

"Why?" she asked, frowning.

Vikram didn't answer right away.

He folded his arms, thinking for a moment before speaking.

"His father showed him the path to reach Grandmaster," he said slowly.

"Not the power… the path. The understanding."

Charlotte blinked. "So he's trying to figure it out?"

Vikram nodded.

"He's shaken. That's normal. Anyone would be. And from what I've seen, he won't reach Grandmaster soon. He lacks clarity."

His voice was calm, almost casual, as if discussing the weather instead of a legendary realm.

"If it was about talent, he'd reach it in a few months," Vikram continued.

"But it depends on understanding. On enlightenment. So no… it'll take longer."

He let out a quiet sigh, thinking about it more deeply.

Then his gaze shifted to Charlotte.

She was frowning at him, clearly unhappy with what he said.

Vikram almost chuckled. She had no idea what he was thinking.

'But she is different,' he thought. 'She wouldn't even need 3 years. Maybe not even 2.'

Not because she had more talent, though her talent was nothing short of frightening.

It was because of her clarity.

The way she understood her own heart.

The way she faced herself without fear.

She had a clarity that almost no one else possessed.

Her feelings for Vivian weren't hidden from anyone, not her family, not the servants, not even Vivian himself.

And strangely enough, that clarity, that firm and honest emotion, would become her greatest strength on the path to Grandmaster.

It wasn't weakness.

It wasn't distraction.

It was her anchor.

Vikram let out a soft sigh as he looked at her.

"Go have your breakfast," he said gently.

Charlotte puffed her cheeks in a small pout, clearly unhappy but not willing to argue.

She turned around and walked off without saying anything.

Vikram watched her back as she left the training grounds, a faint smile touching his lips.

For all her stubbornness, she was growing into something remarkable.

Meanwhile, Charlotte walked down the hallway toward her room, her expression thoughtful.

Since she couldn't meet Vivian right now, her plans shifted instantly.

If she couldn't see him, then she'd use the time for something else.

Her mother.

Charlotte decided she would go find her and take a few pointers, very specific pointers, on how to make her presence, her influence, and her bond with Vivian grow even stronger.

If she couldn't be by his side this morning, she would at least make sure that when she did show up again…

he would feel her even more deeply than before.

As the thought hit her, Charlotte froze mid-step.

Wait.

Her mother had advised her wrongly last time.

She remembered it too clearly, the way her mother had whispered nonsense into her ears, making her feel desperate, scared that Vivian might do with someone else what he should be doing with her.

The panic, the jealousy, the burning fear… all of it had twisted her normally calm mind.

Back then she had been like some crazed worshiper, unable to think, unable to breathe.

And she had ended up rushing into his room and doing things she still couldn't speak of without wanting to bury her face in the ground.

She covered her face with her hands for a moment.

"Sigh…"

Just as she let out that breath, a soft playful voice drifted behind her.

"What did I advise you wrongly, my dear?"

Charlotte jumped a little. Her shoulders tensed.

But she quickly straightened her back and put on her usual calm face.

She turned around slowly.

"Mom… do you know how much I suffered because of your wrong advice?"

Her voice cracked just a little.

Behind a pillar, half-hidden like she was playing a childish game, her mother stood there giggling to herself, eyes sparkling with mischief, already preparing to tease her daughter again.

"If I hadn't come to my senses, it would've been really bad," Charlotte muttered, cheeks warming at the memory.

Her mother stepped out from behind the pillar, rubbing her temple as if she were the one suffering.

"My dear daughter," she said with a dramatic sigh, "I did not advise you wrongly."

She clicked her tongue, annoyed that Charlotte dared accuse her.

"I advised you the right thing. You just didn't understand my meaning."

Charlotte blinked at her, confusion written clearly on her face.

"What do you mean?"

Her mother's expression shifted.

The playful smile faded.

Her eyes sharpened in a way that made Charlotte straighten immediately.

"Listen," she said calmly, her tone suddenly serious. "I'll tell you the most powerful way to charm him with your womanly charm."

Charlotte leaned in without thinking, her heart jumping slightly.

"What do you mean? Isn't he already charmed by me? Tell me."

Her mother nodded in agreement, but she still continued,

"He is charmed by you," she said slowly, "but don't you want to charm him even more…?"