100X Returns System: I Dominate the Age of Gods

Chapter 365. Business Meeting - 1

Inside a luxurious mansion in Riverdale’s capital, a brown-haired man crouched on the floor while a one-year-old baby squealed happily, sitting shakily on his back.

The man rested his hands behind him to steady the baby on his back and smiled as he gave him a playful ride.

It had become his daily routine now—playing with the baby. His dark circles and exhausted appearance from earlier had recovered significantly as he spent most of his days in the mansion playing with this little guy.

Suddenly, a soldier knocked on the massive door of the mansion, drawing the man’s attention. He quickly scooped the baby into his arms.

He then gently rested the baby across his forearm, belly-down, supporting him carefully like a kitten sleeping in a tree.

The baby squeaked for a few moments before the relaxing position lulled him into a sleep. Meanwhile, the man walked toward the entrance while carrying the baby to see who had arrived at this hour.

As soon as he reached the entrance, the soldier bowed deeply. "Master Jaden."

Jaden Draconis nodded slightly and asked, "What happened? I told you not to disturb me unless it was urgent."

The soldier tensed but still spoke. "Young Master, it was important news, and the Duke wanted you to be informed immediately."

Jaden’s brows furrowed seriously. He calmly ran his free hand over the baby’s back while asking, "Go ahead."

The soldier nodded. "Master, as you know, Young Master Alfred left for an expedition with his aides a week ago."

Jaden nodded. "What about it?"

The soldier broke into a slight sweat before speaking. "The Guardians that had tagged along with him as emergency protection returned injured, and they delivered bad news."

Jaden’s eyes sharpened. "What happened? Did my brother return?"

The soldier lowered his gaze to the floor. "The Duke is calling for you, my lord," the guard spoke in a heavy voice.

A hint of panic appeared on Jaden’s face as he looked at the baby sleeping silently in his arms. Today was Emily’s assessment; an instructor from the main mansion had arrived to oversee it, and Emily was currently undergoing a rigorous evaluation of everything she had learned in the past few months.

Jaden had promised to look after little Stav during the test, but now he would have to break that promise.

Jaden slowly turned and found Emily standing there, looking at him with concern. She gently took the one-year-old baby boy from his arms and said, "It’s okay. You should go. We can complete the evaluation some other day." A small smile appeared on her face as she spoke.

Beside her stood the stern lady instructor. She had not objected after hearing the voices from outside.

Emily had recently begun cultivating and was now officially a cultivator. Even as a C-rank cultivator, she was capable enough to hear the sounds from the entrance clearly.

Jaden looked at her with pursed lips and then gently ran a hand across her face, streaking his fingers around a few locks of her hair. That earned both of them a disapproving glance from the lady instructor standing by their side.

Jaden turned and hurried away with the guard.

Meanwhile, as silence settled in the mansion, the instructor looked toward Emily with a frown. "I’ll never understand how someone like you managed to gain Lord Jaden’s attention, but I must warn you—things rarely end well for concubines of humble origins that are forced into noble families."

"There are many examples I could count for you, but that would be unnecessary. I believe you are intelligent enough to understand what I mean."

"Stay safe," the instructor muttered before leaving through the mansion gates.

Emily watched the departing figure with a trace of nervousness before shaking away her thoughts and caressing the baby in her arms.

She walked toward the side hall to sit and feed her baby when she suddenly froze.

A young man sat on the couch before her; he had sapphire blue eyes and dark hair. It was William. She did not know him personally, but she had seen the broadcast a few days ago.

The Crown Prince of the Eternal Sun Empire sat before her.

Suddenly, before she could ask any questions, the mark of a servant in her rang, and instinctively a realisation settled into her mind.

She gasped as she realized that the same person was actually the Eternal Sovereign she had pledged loyalty to - the one who had changed her life forever.

Emily was about to kneel when she felt a force preventing her knees from buckling.

"There is no need, Emily," William said. He personally would have felt bad if a nursing mother knelt before him while holding her child.

William stood up and walked over before looking at the baby with a gentle smile. "Can I hold him?" he asked.

Emily nodded with a smile and gently handed the baby to William, who scooped him up somewhat awkwardly. The baby sensed the movement and stirred restlessly, on the verge of waking up and crying.

Emily tensed slightly. She did not want to embarrass the lord.

To her relief, William only sighed awkwardly, sensing the restlessness of the baby before gently patting its back and handing it back to Emily.

It was tough to hold a baby without waking him up, he thought before sighing, still, the little cute guy had melted his heart completely.

The thought of using his lunar abilities to calm the child had crossed his mind, but he refrained from doing so since he was unsure about using energy or magic on a baby.

William’s heart warmed again as he looked at the adorable child. It had been quite some time since he had seen a newborn.

Taking a deep breath, he returned to his seat and gestured for Emily to sit.

Since it was his first time meeting his money-making machine, William spoke with her about general matters regarding her past, her current treatment, and other aspects of her life.

"Lord Jaden treats me well," Emily replied with a faint smile, reassuring William that she was being cared for properly.

William chuckled and spoke teasingly, "Yeah, I saw that clearly."

His words made Emily blush deeply as she lowered her gaze in embarrassment. It seemed her lord had witnessed the moment when Jaden caressed her face.

"Don’t worry about the instructor’s words. I approve of your relationship, so everything will be fine," William reassured her, and his words lifted an invisible burden from her heart.

"Although..." William’s tone became firmer.

Emily stiffened, anticipating what he was about to say.

William looked at her with a neutral expression. "Emily, you are destined to make a name for yourself in the future. If you accept Jaden so soon and start a family with him, society will undermine your achievements and claim they only came because you married into nobility."

"So, I suggest you first establish your own identity and make a name for yourself. Only then should you fully accept Jaden into your life. Otherwise, you will remain in his shadow forever, and society will never acknowledge your accomplishments as truly your own."

"I could tell you not to care about society and simply follow your heart, but unfortunately, I want the best for the people who serve me," he said.

Emily listened silently, her eyes drifting away as she became lost in thought. She had grown up in the slums, and she clearly understood what William was trying to imply.