MIGHT AS WELL BE OP Chapter 1060: Engagement

Anthony gazed intently at Tiara; he perceived her hesitation to talk, but it held no importance. Bryan had already shared the complete story with him, rendering her silence irrelevant now.

Tiara let out a sigh as she started her tale, "after our graduation, I returned home, you know, the usual, celebration with my parents and all that. After all, nobody has graduated during the first year of the Omni Peak Academy," her tone stayed even and hushed, though beneath that evenness lingered a subtle undercurrent of deeper burden, something tightly controlled.

"I received a month off from my master to relax, wander freely, and pursue whatever I desired. She warned that my training afterward would be pure torment," she halted briefly, as if reliving her master's precise words, before pressing on, "yet upon my return a month later, I encountered not just my master, but her alongside the Blood Queen, Elara Bloodmoon. The pair revealed a proposal to me, one involving my betrothal to the Blood Queen's son," her voice trailed off faintly at the close, laced with clear contempt.

Tiara exhaled deeply while reclining into her chair, as if that day remained vividly etched in her memory, every instant carved indelibly into her thoughts, defying erasure despite the passage of time, "naturally, I wished to reject it, but what choice did I have? Back then, I was merely an S ranker. Could I defy the Ruler and Queen of the Vampire Domain? No way. Even now in the King Mana Realm, I remain far too feeble to voice dissent," she declared, shaking her head in bitter resignation, her lips twisting faintly in self-reproach.

"Thus, I've been betrothed to her idiotic son for five years—five years enduring his foolish yet striking features, five years sharing the same structure for sleep, five years feeling his aura nearby, five endless, oppressive years," she stopped, as if those years still weighed heavily on her heart, then concluded, "it's no different from outright slavery to another," with emphatic resolve.

Her statement plunged the control room into a thick hush for several moments, a weighty quiet that hung palpably in the air, until Anthony broke it with a steady yet inquisitive tone, "and what about the Omni Peak Academy Vice Principal, your so-called master? She took no action?" he inquired, truly intrigued, his eyes locked on her as if dissecting every nuance of the affair.

"Sigh, during the initial week, I resented my Master for failing to rescue me from this mess," Tiara resumed, her voice gentler now, colored more by remorse than fury, "but eventually, I learned the engagement news was delayed a month precisely because my Master fought to undo it. She bargained with the Blood Queen to reconsider, yet nothing my master proposed sufficed," she breathed out while explaining, her grip tightening subtly on the armrest, "she even clashed repeatedly with the Blood Queen on my behalf that month, losing time and again, persisting relentlessly despite their vast power divide."

Tiara shut her eyes upon uttering those final words, seemingly to suppress any rising tears, her face briefly contorting before regaining composure.

'Though the Vice Principal holds Planetary level strength, she can't rival Elara Bloodmoon. The Blood Queen earned her title for good reason,' Anthony mused inwardly, picturing himself trapped in a forced betrothal to someone he neither loved nor favored.

And judging by her account, Tiara could barely stand her fiancé's very existence, even after a full five years. Normally, one might adapt to another's proximity over such time, regardless of feelings, but she hadn't—which revealed the depth of her loathing for the imposed fate.

'Her support falls short,' Anthony concluded silently, reaching a stark and unforgiving verdict.

Indeed, the Vice Principal wielded considerable might, yet insufficiently so. Tiara's influence stretched further to encompass the whole Omni Peak Academy, where the Vice Principal could summon alumni to unite—a formidable assembly under ordinary conditions, all elements of her formidable standing that ought to count.

Yet it proved inadequate still. After all, one side represented an Academy; the other, an entire Domain. Barely a thought was needed to see the victor in open conflict, the chasm between them too immense to close by determination alone.

Bryan, watching from the sidelines, felt a pang of sympathy for Tiara; he wouldn't liken his past constraints to her current chains, given their vast disparity—like comparing dusk to dawn. He enjoyed substantial liberty; she possessed none.

Though venturing from his Dragon Domain risked detection, Bryan recognized he could employ potent artifacts to slip into other Domains for leisure exploration—a privilege utterly denied to Tiara.

"It appears your master exerted every effort," Anthony remarked with a heavy sigh, his words conveying subdued respect for the valiant, if futile, attempts.

"She truly did. Battling the Blood Queen over me was no simple task for her," Tiara affirmed with another sigh.

"Is she hurt? Vampires boast insane regeneration, but at Planetary level, even their extraordinary healing might prolong wounds for over five years, or even centuries," Anthony questioned, his interest mingled with subtle worry.

"She's okay, or so she claims," Tiara answered promptly, though the full honesty of that assurance hung in doubt.

Anthony gave a silent nod, his mind adrift, clearly churning through layers beyond his outward calm.

Bryan itched to inform Tiara how Anthony had aided his own predicament; armed with that, she might plead for his assistance—a tempting prospect hovering in his thoughts. Yet doubt gripped him: reveal it or hold back? Was he overstepping? After brief deliberation, he dismissed the idea with a resigned headshake, opting for restraint over intrusion.

If Anthony chose to intervene, he would; Bryan figured it wiser to abstain. Returning to beseech his father wasn't foolish in theory, but Bryan knew the man wouldn't act without profit. Why jeopardize ties with the Blood Queen for free?

Moreover, for the Blood Queen to dissolve the betrothal, she'd demand compensation eclipsing her present gains. What could surpass the boon of a grandchild from her line, offspring of two Royal-grade Vampire Bloodline bearers—a progeny poised to bolster her domain's might even more?