I've been transported into a Western fantasy game, and my dad wants me to marry my sister.

The chill of the underground chamber seeped into her bones, but it was nothing compared to the extinguished light in Eleanor Blackthorn's eyes.

A month has passed since that nightmarish night.

Eleanor was confined to the magnificent bedroom on the top floor of the castle, a room that had once belonged to her mother.

The bedroom window was sealed shut, the door was locked from the outside, and meals were delivered by a maid.

At this moment, Eleanor sat slumped on the edge of the velvet bed.

She wore an exquisite nightgown, and her long, dark brown hair, meticulously combed by her maid, hung lifelessly over her shoulders.

Her hands rested unconsciously on her lower abdomen, which was still flat, but she knew that something was quietly changing.

Her eyes stared blankly at the Blackthorn family crest tapestry hanging on the opposite wall.

The embroidered pattern of grotesque thorns entwined with a sword, once a source of pride for her, now seemed like a curse branded into her vision.

I'm no longer crying.

In the first few days, she cried until she fainted, until her throat was hoarse, until she thought she would run out of tears.

She smashed everything she could in the room and scratched the door with her fingernails until her fingertips bled.

She thought her father would still love and care for her as before.

But all is in vain.

Every day, the maid would bring in food and a cup of pale pink medicine.

She refused, went on a hunger strike, and was then forced to drink it.

The medicine made her feel weak all over, made her drowsy, and also allowed a strange warmth to quietly take root deep in her lower abdomen.

Her eyes grew increasingly vacant, like a hollowed-out puppet.

Occasionally, she would think of Ying's red eyes—initially a beastly desire, but later, in those nauseating intimate encounters, she even caught a fleeting glimpse of pain and bewilderment.

This is probably just her own imagination, isn't it?

It doesn't matter anymore.

It doesn't matter anymore.

The sound of a key turning came from outside the door, but Eleanor's eyelashes didn't even flutter.

The butler, Kerwell, and a maid carrying a tray entered.

On the tray sat a bowl of steaming broth, a few slices of white bread, and that familiar pink potion.

Kerwell did not leave the food as usual.

He walked to the bedside, bowed slightly, and looked at Eleanor with an almost eerie excitement on his face.

"Miss, please have your meal." His voice was softer than usual, but it made Eleanor's stomach churn.

She didn't react at all.

Kerviel gave the maid a wink.

The maid stepped forward, skillfully pinched Eleanor's chin, and tried to force the broth down her throat.

Eleanor did not resist, letting the warm soup drip down her chin and stain her clothes.

Kerviel watched this scene with even greater excitement in his eyes.

He suddenly pulled out a small metal disc from his pocket—a low-level detection magic device purchased from the Western Mage Council, usually used to roughly detect life fluctuations or simple elemental reactions.

He gently placed the disc on Eleanor's lower abdomen.

The crystal at the center of the disc shimmered with a faint but steady pale green light.

Kerwell's hand trembled slightly.

He took a deep breath and probed again.

The light remained, even slightly clearer than before.

"She's pregnant...she's pregnant!"

"Master! Miss is pregnant!"

Kerwell sat up abruptly, his suppressed voice trembling with excitement.

He practically jogged out of the room, his hurried footsteps echoing through the stone corridor.

A faint ripple finally appeared in Eleanor's empty eyes.

She slowly lowered her head and looked at her lower abdomen. The fingertips of the hand that was resting on it curled slightly.

Then, silence returned.

Blackthorn Keep Main Banquet Hall.

Calvin Blackthorn stood before the enormous floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking the territory he ruled.

The setting sun painted the fields and the outlines of distant territories blood red.

He's been in a pretty good mood lately.

Although he lost Lydia Sias, Eleanor's union with the Shadow was progressing in the direction he had envisioned.

What kind of outstanding offspring will be born from the union of the Shadow Bloodline and the Blackthorn Family?

As long as the child is born, the bloodline will be passed down stably...

"Master! Master!"

Kerviel practically stumbled into the banquet hall, his usual sullen composure completely gone, his face flushed with wild joy.

Calvin turned around, his brow furrowed slightly, a hint of displeasure at the butler's lapse in composure: "What's the matter that you're so flustered?"

"She's pregnant! Miss is pregnant!" Kerviel rushed to Calvin, so excited he was incoherent.

Time seemed to stand still for a moment.

Then, Calvin's lips slowly twitched upwards, forming a smile that grew larger and more distorted.

"Hahahaha!!!" A deafening burst of laughter erupted, filling the entire banquet hall.

"Good! Good! Good! Eleanor is pregnant! My good daughter, you have not disappointed your father!"

He strode to the liquor cabinet, grabbed a bottle of spirits he had treasured for many years, and took a big gulp straight from the bottle.

The spicy liquid rolled down his throat, but it only made him more excited.

"The Blackthorn Clan of the future will also possess the power of noble bloodlines!" He brandished the wine bottle, his eyes burning with ambition.

"With our bloodline, we have the stepping stone to a higher level! Viscount? Earl? Even higher! Those who once looked down on us, thinking we were just nouveau riche who rose to power through speculation and marriage, just wait and see!"

He slammed the bottle down on the table with a loud bang, but his eyes gradually cooled, becoming shrewd and calculating.

"but……"

"This bloodline was ultimately obtained through illegitimate means."

"Shadow's identity is a hidden danger that must be dealt with; the child needs a legitimate father."

He walked to the window, his back to Kerwell, and lowered his voice.

He turned around, a cold glint in his eyes: "Once the child is born and his bloodline talent is confirmed... let Ying step into the limelight."

"Give him a legitimate status."

"Hmm, a noble's orphan who died unexpectedly? Or perhaps a noble's son who has been living in exile?"

"Then, let him marry Eleanor, giving the child a legitimate birth."

"after……"

Calvin didn't finish his sentence, but Kerwell fully understood the unspoken meaning.

Once the tools are used up, they should be disposed of properly to avoid future problems.

"Your Excellency is wise." Kerviel bowed deeply.

"Come on, let's go see my daughter and my future grandson." Calvin straightened his collar, and his face once again wore that smile that mixed with affection and a desire for control.

Top floor bedroom.

Calvin gently pushed open the door and saw Eleanor still sitting on the edge of the bed like a doll.

A subtle, complex emotion flickered in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by burning anticipation.

He walked to the bedside, sat down, and reached out—the gesture was almost gentle as he stroked Eleanor's hair.

Eleanor didn't react at all; she didn't even move her eyes.

"Eleanor, my daughter, you are a hero of the Blackthorn family."

Calvin's voice carried a seductive gentleness: "The child in your womb will carry the future of our family and lead us to unprecedented glory."

His hand slowly moved down and gently covered Eleanor's still flat stomach.

Through the silk nightgown, he could almost feel the flame of life budding beneath.

"A child with the blood of shadow flowing through his veins... Oh... how perfect." Calvin murmured to himself, his eyes gradually becoming hazy, as if he could see through time and walls and see the distant future.

"He will be strong and wise, leading the Blackthorn banner to plant it on wider lands."

"They will have their own knightly order, their own magical advisors, their own city-state... no, perhaps a kingdom."

A smile played on his lips as he drifted into a beautiful fantasy: "And we, my daughters, will be recorded in history as the source of a great bloodline."

"Blackthorn will no longer be a small baronial territory on the frontier; we will become the founders of a legendary family..."

Just then—

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The urgent and heavy knocking on the door abruptly interrupted Calvin's reverie.

"Master! Master! Something terrible has happened!" came the panicked shouts of the captain of the guards from outside the door, his voice filled with unprecedented fear.

Calvin's face instantly darkened.

The wonderful atmosphere he had painstakingly created was ruined, which greatly annoyed him.

"Get in here! What's the matter that you're in such a panic!" he shouted sternly.

The bedroom door was flung open, and the captain of the guards scrambled in, his face ashen, his helmet askew, and his armor covered in what looked like water or sweat.

"Sir! They've broken in!" The captain's voice trembled. "The drill ground... the entire guards training there are dead! A hundred of them!"

"What?!"

"Who did it? How many people? Was it the army from the neighboring territory?"

Calvin abruptly stood up, his pupils shrinking sharply.

"I...I don't know who it is...There were only two people, a man and a woman!" the captain stammered.

"They appeared suddenly at the entrance of the training ground like ghosts. The blue-haired woman waved her hand... and countless water arrows were launched. The powerful force turned those who hadn't reacted into mush."

"Although the group formed a battle formation under the command of Captain Chuck, a high-ranking knight, they couldn't hold out for long and were all killed!"

"Nonsense!"

"Two people? And it's water magic? Even a high-level mage couldn't do that!"

Calvin kicked over the low table next to him.

"It's true, sir! I saw it with my own eyes! That man was standing by the training ground watching, and the one who made the move was the one with blue hair!"

She even... she glanced towards the castle!

The captain was almost in tears: "They're heading straight for the main castle! The guards on the way can't stop them at all; they explode whenever they touch water!"

A chill ran up Calvin's spine.

Blue hair? Water magic?

An absurd yet heart-stopping thought suddenly flashed into his mind—the aquamarine bloodline!

The one who escaped, Lydia Sias?

No, impossible. She's just a young girl. How could she possibly have such power?

Is the power of bloodline truly so insurmountable, so exaggerated?!

Only thirty days!!

It's gotten so out of control in just thirty days!!

"Bang—!!!"

A loud bang came from downstairs, as if the castle's heavy main gate had been smashed to pieces by some terrifying force.

Immediately following were faint screams and cries of alarm, and... the rushing sound of water rapidly approaching along the stairs!

Calvin's expression changed completely.

He grabbed the family sword hanging on the wall, and his mid-level knight's battle aura suddenly erupted, a pale red flame enveloping his entire body.

"Kevier! Take the young lady to the secret room! Activate all defense mechanisms! Captain of the Guard, gather all those still capable of fighting and block the stairwell!"

His commands were urgent and ruthless, but deep within his voice was a tremor he himself was unaware of.

However, it was too late.

The heavy, carved wooden door of the banquet hall, along with its frame and part of the wall, was instantly crushed into dust by an invisible force.

Amidst the swirling dust, two figures slowly walked in.

On the left was a stunningly beautiful girl with long, cascading blue hair. Her expression was aloof, and her features were so exquisite that they seemed otherworldly. Her platinum-gray eyes swept across the room, lingering on the slightly overweight Calvin for half a second, a hint of coldness flashing across them.

Standing on the right was a young man with black hair and brown eyes.

He was dressed in simple traveler's clothes, with no conspicuous fluctuations of battle aura or magic on his body; he simply stood there calmly.

But when he looked up at Calvin, those brown eyes sent a chill down the spine of the battle-hardened Baron Blackthorn.

The young man looked at Calvin, who was on high alert, at the butler and captain of the guard who were paralyzed with fear behind him, and at Eleanor, whose eyes were empty on the bed. A slight smile slowly appeared on the corner of his mouth.

His voice wasn't loud, but it reached the ears of everyone in the banquet hall clearly:

"Calvin Blackthorn".

"Thirty days east of the river, thirty days west of the river."

"Today marks the end of the thirty-day period."

"I, Lynn, have returned with my sister Leah to collect a debt."

When the name Lynn reached his ears, Calvin's mind went completely blank.

The son of that hunter from Graywood Village?

That ant that he could crush with a flick of his wrist and never even considered a threat?

But the young man before them exuded an unfathomable, abyss-like, subtle pressure.

Super-order...

A word that filled him with despair burst out uncontrollably.

The weak fighting spirit of a mid-level knight is like a candle in the wind in the face of a super-level being.

A cold, powerless sense of despair began to spread from Calvin's feet throughout his body.

He seemed to have seen the true future that belonged to Calvin and the Blackthorn family.