The Spider Queen

(Virvedean Star System- Planet Exereon)

(Private Estate- Meeting Room)

In the middle of the capital city of planet Exereon there was a famous mansion that served as a tourist attraction.

Of course, civilians were not allowed to approach its heavily armoured gates so many simply took photos from a safe distance.

The mansion was over five stories tall and towered over the surrounding buildings.

Outside of the mansion there were vast flower gardens carefully maintained by an army of servants and gardeners.

This magnificent home belonged to House Serpentinesa who were the rulers of the planet.

House Serpentinesa may only hold the rank of count but in the Virvedean Star System they were one of the three most powerful noble families.

Inside one of the many rooms of the mansion, a beautiful middle-aged noblewoman lightly sipped a warm cup of tea.

She wore a scarlet red dress with exposed sleeves that displayed her smooth and fair skin.

Rich black hair gently cascaded down from her shoulders and her beauty was enhanced by a sense of intelligence to her features.

Lady Beterica... the unofficial ruler of House Serpentinesa.

She was currently sitting down on a marble chair while a pair of maids stood quietly at attention behind her.

The maids did not make a single sound and one could see a faint sense of tension in their brows as if they were afraid of something.

The doors to the room swung open and Lady Beterica slowly placed the cup of tea down on the table in front of her.

An elderly man wearing a luxurious black robe stepped into the room.

There was a scholarly aura around him which was enhanced by the small book that he carried in his right hand.

"It is truly a pleasure to meet the famous Lady Beterica of House Serpentinesa," the Grand Tutor smiled kindly as he walked into the room.

"Alice, Elizabeth... leave this place at once," Lady Beterica coldly spoke. The two maids nodded and then exited the room quickly.

There was a brief moment of silence as Lady Beterica refused to speak.

Instead, her cold hazel eyes scanned the grand tutor's elderly face as if searching for something.

"And for what do I owe the pleasure of the 'famous' Grand Tutor of the Imperial Family?" Lady Beterica asked calmly.

The Grand Tutor laughed softly, and a grandfatherly smile flashed across his face.

He made his way over to the attractive noblewoman and sat down on an empty chair opposite to her.

"As you know... Duke Peterlor is dead," the Grand Tutor bluntly spoke and his eyes searched for a reaction from the woman sitting across from him.

He was going to be disappointed.

Lady Beterica simply picked up her cup of tea and took another sip as if the Grand Tutor's words had no effect on her mood.

"And? What does that have to do with me?" Lady Beterica coldly responded as she enjoyed the bitter aftertaste of the tea in her mouth.

"I know about the boy," the Grand Tutor whispered softly as he reached into the pocket of his robe and pulled out a file.

Lady Beterica took the thin sheet of paper from his hand and scanned its contents.

It was a genetic report done by the doctor who she had chosen to perform the fertilisation operation all those years ago.

If she had known that he had such loose lips... she would have killed him after she successfully got pregnant.

Still... there was no use in regretting what had already occurred.

"So what do you want?" Lady Beterica asked with an unflustered expression on her face.

"Your son can challenge Rokan's daughter for the position of the head of House Peterlor. I will give him my full support," the Grand Tutor promised solemnly.

"In addition, my allies are prepared to offer aid and will provide him with the political capital necessary for such a claim."

There was another long moment of silence as Lady Beterica closed her eyes and seemed to be mulling over the Grand Tutor's offer.

The elderly man leaned back in his chair and smiled confidently.

He was sure that she would accept since it was well known that Lady Beterica hated House Peterlor.

What better way to get revenge than to have your son inherit the house of the man you hated... the man who killed your children.

"Have you ever lost a child?" Lady Beterica finally broke the silence with a simple question.

"No... I have not had any offsprings," the Grand Tutor replied softly.

"I see..." Lady Beterica whispered as she leaned forward.

A trace of sorrow flashed across her face as she opened her mouth and continued to talk,

"Children are a part of you. I had a beautiful baby boy called Seth and a gorgeous baby girl called Emily."

"I hated my husband but... they were the only good that came out of that marriage."

"I still remember them as babies... back then I was afraid to let the wet nurse touch them without being in the room."

"I was so scared that something would happen to them if they left my sight for even a moment..."

"A silly fear but... it took me a long time to get over it."

Lady Beterica let out a heavy sigh as she lost herself in memories that she recalled every single night.

"Then... they grew up," Lady Beterica spoke in a heavy tone.

"My son wanted to become the next duke and my daughter had dreams of becoming a singer... I supported them and loved them dearly."

"I attended all of my daughter's concerts and hired private mercenaries to train my son."

"My husband had bastards outside but... I didn't care. They were unseen and out of sight that way I could pretend that they did not exist."

"But... that was my mistake. How could I have known that foolish man would legitimise all of his outside children?"

"Forcing my lovely son and daughter to compete for the right to inherit his house... forcing my son to die at the hands of the man who would later steal his legacy."

"My daughter died to another one of his bastards. Some bitch who was the daughter of a prostitute."

Lady Beterica took in a deep breath of air as she struggled to contained the fury that surged in her heart.

The noblewoman seemed to be talking to herself as much as she was talking to the Grand Tutor who patiently listened to her story,

"I begged them you know... my children... I knew that they were not talented at cultivation, so I begged them... I told them we could leave, and I would take them back to my maternal family."

"They refused."

"I should have stopped them. I didn't. Because of that... both of my children are dead."

The floor beneath Lady Beterica's feet cracked and a heavy cultivation pressure descended on the room.

Even the Grand Tutor was affected by the spiritual backlash and had to tightly grip the sides of his armchair in order to not fall unconscious.

"I know what you want," Lady Beterica coldly spoke as she raised up her head and stared directly in the Grand Tutor's eyes.

"You want to use my son in a war against the hybrids. To promote your Human Supremacy nonsense."

"My son... is not a tool. I admit that at first I wanted him to be the instrument of my revenge but now...""

"I will not lose another one of my children."

"Now get out of my sight."