I Was the Stepping Stone novel Chapter 17

Chapter 2

I slowly wrote his name in King Dravon’s hand, then quietly whispered my intentions to him.

The King paused for a moment before nodding. “Since you insist… so be it.”

“I will see to the wedding arrangements myself.”

His gaze fell on Aether. “You are to remain behind closed doors for reflection over the next few days. Do not make a fool

of yourself before the ceremony.”

For once, the always-cold expression on Aether’s face softened with satisfaction, as if he had known I would eventually

agree.

I ignored the look in his eyes and let mine drift to a corner of the hall, where a young man stood quietly. He was strikingly handsome, and his eyes, filled with arcane power, were completely different from what I remembered in my past life.

The King dismissed all the other deities, leaving only me behind to exchange a few private words. When I finally stepped

out of the palace, I was surprised to see that Aether hadn’t left yet.

Beside him stood Shael, dressed all in white.

The moment she saw me, Aether took her hand and approached.

“Serin,” Shael said, casting me a brief glance, “thank you for making it possible for Aether and me to be together. If my

parents are watching from the heavens, I’m sure they would be overjoyed…”

As she finished speaking, she gently wiped her eyes, tears brimming. Seeing her so grief-stricken, Aether immediately

moved to comfort her.

“There’s no need for you to thank her,” he said, his tone full of tenderness. “I only ever wanted to marry you. It’s she who should be thanking you for being so magnanimous. If you hadn’t agreed, I would never have taken her as a secondary

wife.”

The warmth in his voice vanished the instant he turned to me, his gaze cold and unfeeling.

“Your actions led to the death of Shael’s parents. Now that she’s chosen to forgive you, shouldn’t you offer her some

treasures or divine artifacts as compensation?”

Shael’s parents had once been kind to me. They were Feathergale wanderers who had taken me in and treated me as their own. Tragically, they died during a siren attack while they were out traveling. It was that event that awakened the divine

flame within me, which ultimately led the Starfire family to find and reclaim me.

In my previous life, I felt endlessly guilty over their deaths. I tolerated and indulged Shael in everything. It wasn’t until the moment before I died that I learned the horrifying truth-Shael had lured the siren to kill her own parents. Just to eliminate

She had orchestrated their deaths for her own gain.

I stared at them in silence, my expression unreadable.

Chapter 2

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Sensing something was wrong, Shael tugged lightly at Aether’s sleeve.

Seemingly reminded of something, Aether cleared his throat and said, “Serin, I have something to discuss with you.”

His tone was more measured than usual, a rare shift that only ever happened when he needed something from me.

I cast him a lazy glance. “What is it?”

“You heard what the King said today. Shael has limited divine power. After the wedding, she’ll be vulnerable to

mistreatment.”

I raised a brow, half-smiling. “You’ve already given her countless enchanted artifacts. Who would dare harm her now?”

Back when I loved him, I always wanted him to have the best. Each time I gave him a powerful artifact, it would magically

end up with Shael the very next day.

He seemed to recall that, too, but instead of looking guilty, he responded with utter conviction. “Artifacts are no substitute for real divine power.”

Then, without hesitation, Aether spoke the true purpose of this conversation. “I want to borrow your Heartflame Core.”

For a moment, my mind went blank. The memory of having my Heartflame Core carved out while I was still alive surged

through me like wildfire, so vivid it felt as if my chest were burning all over again.

The hatred roared to life within me. My fingers itched to draw a blade and strike the two of them down where they stood.

But I forced myself to hold back. Death was far too easy a release for them.

I kept my voice calm. “Do you know what it means if the Heartflame Core was separated from its host? I would lose all my

divine power, and it could even cost me my life.”

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