Hearing his sudden question, Lilith paused mid-meal, her eyes narrowing as countless emotions flickered through them. Slowly, she set down her utensils and fixed her gaze on Sol, who looked more serious than she had ever seen him.
She had known this moment would come eventually—if anything, she was surprised it had taken this long. Silence lingered between them as she searched for the right words. She longed for him to understand why she had acted as she did, why her choices had been so heavy.
Motherhood had never been something she desired. Before her daughter's birth, she believed herself wholly unsuited for it. She was a warrior—her life a path of blood and battle, not nurture. So when her daughter was born, their relationship suffered; strained at best, near frozen at worst. Her daughter despised her, deeply and wholeheartedly.
With Sol, however, Lilith had tried to be gentler, though she always maintained a distance. She knew his growth into the man he was had little to do with her upbringing—but that truth was all the more reason why she owed him honesty now.
"I know my orders may feel confusing, maybe even meaningless. Still, I give them because I believe you must face this step eventually. Please understand, Sol—I have always had your best interests at heart."
Sol only nodded. Never once had he distrusted her. Though she was Queen Regent of Lustburg—ruler of humanity without divine blessing—she had never sought to control him or claim the throne for herself. Always, his well-being had been her priority.
Taking his hand, Lilith finally spoke the truth that weighed on her:
"Sol, whenever I look at you, I see my elder brother. In your frame, your golden hair, your crystal-blue eyes—there's no doubt you are his son."
Her tone softened as her hand caressed his hair. She missed her brother dearly—the rock and light of her life who was gone forever. Sol, in her eyes, was more than an heir. He was her last piece of him—the only person she truly loved.
"You are everything I could hope for, Sol. Strong, brilliant, full of promise. But…" She faltered, her hand clenching tightly, almost drawing blood. "It isn't enough. Like your father, you lack the burning ambition to rise above all others, the resolve to make the world cower beneath your shadow."
Mars Luxuria—her brother, Sol's father—had been the mightiest human ever born. A hero. A legend. His strength had made kingdoms tremble, his growth limitless, and in his final years, he surpassed all before him, leading the last war against a monstrous enemy.
Her eyes burned with feverish intensity as she leaned forward. "Sol Dragona Luxuria, you are his son—the heir of Lustburg, the future king, the child of the hero who saved this world. This heritage is both blessing and curse. It will weigh on you for the rest of your life."
She warned him that no matter what he did, people would always compare him to Mars. Success would be taken for granted; failure would be scorned. He would not be allowed the luxury of mistakes. For years, she had shielded him from this cruel world, but once his awakening came, she could protect him no longer. When that time arrived, he would have to fight—for his authority, his life, his kingdom, and his loved ones.
"Tell me, Sol… are you ready?"
His pride urged him to say yes. But his reason prevailed. After years of study and training, he knew truth from arrogance. He lowered his head and replied softly, "No… I am not."
For the first time, Lilith smiled with genuine relief. He had the humility his father never did. Talent was not enough; mindset mattered most.
"Sol, I wish for you to reach heights so high no one would dare compare you to your father. I want you to live the joyful life he never had. But above all…" Her voice cracked with grief. "…I pray you will not repeat his mistakes."
At his questioning look, she delivered the truth etched in her scars. "Do you know why your father, strongest of all men, feared by every kingdom, acclaimed even by the goddess, died?
It was not fate. It was not lack of strength. It was because of his naivety. Because he trusted the wrong person.
The hero of the mortal world died… because of a woman."
Her words struck Sol like a collapsing world beneath his feet.