Devil's Prisoner of Love by Prefer

Aurora's heart tightened as his tone shifted. "What's the downside?" she asked.

"Our fate will be altered."

Aurora had heard countless myths about gods defying destiny, stories she once dismissed as nonsense.

"Altered?" she repeated.

"Do you know why even emperors relied on our family's astrology? It's because no matter what could or couldn't be divined, the head of the family always knew the

answers.

They could predict not just family fortunes but even the fate of a nation. The family head foresaw that if our lineage continued its natural course, we would soon face complete destruction.

Astrology is about balancing yin and yang. Emperors have both visible and hidden forces-women represent yin, and men, yang. Our family represented the hidden force, while another branch remained visible. The family head divined a catastrophic disaster for us, while the visible branch was destined for ten generations of wealth and glory. Faced with this, the family head panicked. There were over a hundred members in the family at the time. If we fell, our name would vanish from history entirely.

After weighing the pros and cons, the family head not only uncovered the secrets of fate but manipulated them, swapping our family's destiny with that of another.

It's said that on the day the other family was wiped out-executed to the last person- snow fell in June. Our family head led everyone to escape to New York.

But something strange happened. From that generation onward, every family head's lifespan shortened by ten years.

The family head explained that it was heaven's punishment for the sins we committed. Others say it's a debt of lives we owe, a debt that must eventually be repaid. Borrowed lives must one day be returned.

The family head who led the escape foresaw all of this. She spoke of karma, saying that debts must always be paid. At the time, we didn't believe her. Who would've thought her words would come true? Whether it's a curse or retribution, each family head's life has grown shorter with every generation.

the

weight that left Aurora deeply moved.

struck her most was his final comment. "So... Mom only has forty years to

had always dismissed this as a baseless rumor, hoping the truth wouldn't be so

year ago. I saw it happen to

he mentioned Aurora's grandmother. For a

a pause, he composed himself and continued. "Your grandmother was healthy at first, but when she

in Bramwell Elderstone's eyes. These weren't the tears of a mere servant. His feelings for

enough dramas and read enough novels to recognize bonds that transcended the usual master-servant relationship. Perhaps Mr.

picture of my grandmother?

family, you'd have seen them too." Bramwell Elderstone

grandmother at grand events, others captured her in everyday moments. Aurora could tell from the

her older photos, with a distinct vintage quality. The images

out-a picture of

my mom?" Aurora immediately recognized the cherubic little girl

taken on your mother's

of her family's genes. She could see traces of

she said. Aurora noticed she was about seventy percent like her mother, thirty percent like her father, Magnus, though at first glance, she

remarked, staring at Aurora's face

my mom

next part

sensed the importance of what he was about to say and nodded eagerly.

world relies on balance. Our family represents yin because, for generations, the

passed down to daughters, never sons. Do you remember the paintings you saw in the hallways