My Celestial Ascension

"It's very nice to meet you, Miss Zara. Please feel free to explore the palace. I'm sure your daughter would love seeing it," Crown Prince Daniel greeted her with a polite smile as he continued following Yuan and the others.

"That would be wonderful, and I'm sure my daughter would love to wander around," Miss Zara replied warmly before moving forward with Yuan and his wives.

Emperor Philip and the others stood frozen, taken aback by what had just transpired. Empress Selena was equally shocked as she watched Yuan and his wives follow Valeria without acknowledging them.

"I… I can't believe they just ignored us like that… It was as if we didn't even exist," Emperor Philip murmured, still in disbelief.

'Who are these people? Standing before them, I felt like a lamb surrounded by wolves… I haven't felt like this since facing my devilish sister,' Emperor Philip thought, swallowing nervously, his frustration and humiliation evident.

'This is the first time I've seen him look so defeated. He's always been proud and commanding,' Princess Elara thought, equally stunned by Yuan and his wives' indifference.

Emperor Philip let out a sigh and turned to his family. "Let's follow them. We should get to know them better. They must be remarkable if my sister is keeping them by her side."

"You're right; they're our guests, so we should still offer our hospitality, even if they've treated us somewhat coldly," Concubine Priscilla mumbled, sighing with discomfort at the situation.

"Indeed, Priscilla. We must treat them with respect and courtesy. Otherwise, we risk inciting Valeria's wrath—who knows what she might do if she's angered," Empress Selena added with a concerned look, well aware of Valeria's fierce temperament.

Valeria led them to a spacious, opulent room filled with rare and priceless decor. In the center of the room were several luxurious sofas, neatly arranged for guests.

As they entered, Miss Zara and Little Zoe looked around in awe; it was more luxurious than anything they could have imagined. Even Rose, Julie, Ava, and Leah were captivated by the grandeur.

This wasn't just any room—it was a space reserved for entertaining high-ranking nobles and royalty, a room that commoners could only dream of entering.

Valeria gestured casually toward the sofas, and Yuan and his wives settled comfortably opposite a few empty seats. Valeria herself, however, remained standing, waiting for her brother and his family to take their seats so they could begin.

Once the Imperial Family settled on the sofas, with a few members still absent, the air in the room grew increasingly tense.

'This is… incredibly awkward,' Empress Selena thought, feeling the need to break the uncomfortable silence as the tension lingered heavily in the atmosphere.

Empress Selena looked at Valeria with a serious expression before saying, "So, Valeria, would you mind introducing your friends to us? You should know we're very curious about them."

"Of course, why would I mind?" Valeria chuckled, moving closer to Yuan with a smirk before gently sitting on his lap.

"Meet Yuan, my husband," she announced, grinning widely as she leaned against him. Her eyes stayed on her family, eager to see their reactions.

"…."

Everyone's jaws dropped as Valeria dropped this bombshell on her family. The entire room fell silent, and everyone appeared dumbfounded, as if they'd just witnessed someone come back from the dead.

"W-What did you just say?!" Emperor Philip rose from the sofa, finally coming out of his daze, clearly in shock.

Empress Selena covered her mouth with one hand, stunned by Valeria's sudden, unexpected announcement that left the room silent.

After a moment, Empress Selena looked at Valeria and asked, "I-Is he really your husband? He's so young and handsome…there's no way he could be your husband; you're too old for someone like him."

Emperor Philip nodded, sharing his wife's disbelief, barely able to process what he'd just heard from his sister.

Seeing her family's shocked expressions, Valeria couldn't help but chuckle playfully. This reaction was exactly what she'd hoped for.

"Absolutely." Valeria nodded with a smug grin. "There's no need to hide the truth from you. Yuan is my husband. He accepted me as I am and loves me dearly, and I love him very deeply, too."

"After all, he defeated me in a duel…well, I can't even call it a proper duel since he beat me in under a minute without even breaking a sweat." Valeria grinned, proudly boasting about her husband.

Yuan wasn't just stronger; he was reliable, someone she could always depend on, and he took good care of her.

After hearing Valeria's words, the Imperial Family looked at Yuan, their faces a mix of shock and disbelief, struggling to process what she'd just told them.

'Unbelievable…there's no way he defeated her in a duel with that weak-looking body… she must be exaggerating,' Emperor Philip thought, a frustrated and skeptical look crossing his face.

"Since I've already introduced my husband, Yuan, let me introduce the others," Valeria continued, her tone turning sarcastic as she grinned widely and fixed her gaze on Emperor Philip. "After that, little brother, you'll need to explain what's going on here."

Emperor Philip swallowed nervously, beads of sweat forming as he met Valeria's intense gaze. He felt like prey standing before a predator, ready to be devoured.

Afterward, Valeria introduced Yuan's wives, along with Miss Zara and Little Zoe, to her family. Everyone was shocked to learn that the two identical women sitting on either side of Yuan were his mothers.

The room was filled with astonishment, as Anna and Grace both appeared strikingly young—as if they were in their mid-twenties. Moreover, most of Yuan's wives looked mature, though a few appeared younger. Still, it was impossible to guess their exact ages; each one looked no older than their early or late twenties, as if time flowed differently for them.

A few minutes later, as the shock wore off, Emperor Philip and Empress Selena introduced themselves, followed by the rest of the family, save for a few members not present.

Once the introductions ended, Empress Selena turned to Valeria with a mischievous smile. "So, Valeria, how far have you gone with this young man? Is he able to satisfy a woman of your caliber?"

"Don't underestimate my husband, Selena. He's far more capable than he looks—and he's someone I can fully rely on." Valeria replied with a smug smile, leaning comfortably against Yuan's chest.

"Is that so… Well, that would explain why he has so many beauties with him; he must be quite capable in bed, unlike *someone*." Empress Selena gave her husband a playful glance.

'Is she suggesting that I'm incompetent in bed? How could she! She's the one who drains my energy every single night—because of her, I barely have any left for my other wives…' Emperor Philip looked at his Empress, wide-eyed, in utter disbelief.

Shortly afterward, a few maids entered, bringing tea and pastries for the guests and promptly serving everyone.

Valeria took a cup from the table and helped Yuan take a sip before sipping from the same cup herself, a gesture that spoke volumes about their closeness.

A few minutes later, Valeria fixed a serious look on Emperor Philip. "What have you been up to, Brother? Everything seems a mess. Don't you think it's time to take the Empire's affairs more seriously?"

"What are you talking about? Everything is just fine. You're worrying over nothing," Emperor Philip replied calmly, his tone controlled and words measured.

"Hmph! You're even more pathetic than I thought, Brother. Are you really clueless about what's happening, or are you just pretending?" Valeria sneered, her gaze sharp with displeasure.

"What are you talking about, Elder Sister? I don't understand!" Emperor Philip asked, rising from the sofa once again with a puzzled expression.

"I see… Isn't the grand auction the day after tomorrow? Why aren't you increasing the city's security? The guards seem to be slacking off without training; most of them are drinking instead of doing their jobs." Valeria recalled everything she had witnessed while riding the flying sword, each sight fueling her anger toward her brother.

"Are you telling me you've overlooked all this on purpose?" Valeria asked, her voice cold and her expression serious.

Everyone turned silent, focusing their gazes on Emperor Philip, seeking answers, as they, too, were unaware of what was happening within the Imperial Capital.

After a moment of contemplation, Emperor Philip finally spoke. "I left the security arrangements to my son, Fedrick. He personally asked to handle it, and his mother, Agatha, begged me to let him take charge. I couldn't refuse, as it was the first time they'd asked me for such a responsibility."

"He seemed determined, too. In the end, I chose to trust him; after all, he is the Crown Prince and should bear some responsibility in managing the Empire's affairs."

"Unfortunately, I never expected him to disappoint me like this. You're right, Elder Sister—I knew about the situation but tried to keep it under wraps, hoping to resolve it quietly with Minister Vesta's help." Emperor Philip confessed, his tone defeated in front of Valeria.

"I just hope everything stabilizes before the auction starts," he sighed, realizing he'd made a grave mistake by placing his trust in his wayward son. Now, he would have to work harder to fix the consequences.