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Sunny woke up to the sound of the alarm. He reached a hand from under the blanket and slammed the alarm.
“Shut up…” he muttered in a tired voice. He stretched and yawned, then went to the bathroom and saw the dark circles under his eyes.
My God… I’ve spent too much time playing Dreamscape.
Well, how can they blame him? It was his 14th birthday gift! Two weeks had passed since his birthday, and he had been playing every day, crushing the fools who challenged him. He even gained some fame as Mongrel.
He sighed regretfully.
Ah… my vacation ends today. His parents had given him two weeks off from all the duties of being the heir of the clan.
He shivered. Damn! I hope Mother doesn’t notice my condition. I’ll be punished badly. His mother was loving and kind, but she could be harsh in her punishments… sometimes even creative.
He headed downstairs to eat breakfast and saw his sister. She greeted him.
“Good morning, Rain.”
“Oh, good morning, Sunny.”
She looked at his condition.
“Did you stay up last night?”
He spoke in a startled voice. “Is it that obvious?!”
“Yes,” she smiled. “Looks like someone is getting punished~”
He began preparing coffee and spoke again.
“Have you seen Mom or Dad?”
“Actually, they want to talk to you in Dad’s office after breakfast.”
He frowned. “About what?”
Rain frowned. “How would I know? Maybe heir matters.”
Sometimes Rain felt jealous of Sunny because of his position as heir of the Shadow Clan. But every time she saw the harsh training he went through, she was grateful she was born after him.
They heard the door open. When Rain saw who entered, a bright smile appeared on her face.
“Jet!” she shouted and went to hug her. “Good morning, Rain.”
“Good morning, shorty!”
Sunny got annoyed. “I’m not short. I’m still growing.”
He added, “Rain, why don’t I get this welcome?”
A mischievous smile spread across Jet’s face. “Are you jealous~?”
She stepped forward and took his coffee.
“Hey! That’s mine!”
“Oh really? I don’t see your name on it.”
Rain asked, “Jet, can you tell us why our parents want to talk to Sunny?”
“I can’t say much, but it’s about an alliance with the Immortal Flame Clan.”
Rain spoke, surprised. “Aren’t we already allied with them? Our parents were friends with Broken Sword and Smile of Heaven. And Sunny is friends with their heiress Nephis.”
“Well, you said it—they’re friends, not allies.”
Rain frowned. “What’s the difference?”
Sunny replied, “Friendship is between individuals. Alliance is between entire clans.”
A voice spoke from the doorway. “Well said, Sunny.”
They looked and saw their father, Felix, the lord of the Shadow Clan. He smiled.
“Now, can you come? I’ve been waiting all morning.”
Sunny blushed. “Coming.”
He glanced at Jet, whose smile widened. He stepped forward and hugged her.
“Ah, my eldest daughter, when did you arrive?”
“Yesterday,” Jet answered, blushing.
Sunny smirked. “Are you blushing??”
Jet frowned and hit his head. “Ow! That hurts, you zombie!”
Felix laughed. “As much as I love watching you argue, I really need to talk to Sunny.”
Sunny followed him to the office.
“Dad, what do you want to talk about?”
“Well, your mother will explain.”
Sunny frowned. What kind of alliance needs Mom to explain? Could it be… No way! Am I supposed to get engaged to one of the Night Clan girls? It had always been his father’s dream to control them. They already had some minor contracts.
They entered the office and saw his mother, Olivia, sitting and drinking tea.
“Good morning, Mom,” Sunny said, kissing her cheek.
“Sunny, come sit.”
Felix leaned back in his chair.
“Tea?” his mother offered.
“No thanks.”
Felix cleared his throat. Olivia gave him a look—what Jet called “eyebrow language.”
Sunny said, “Can you tell me what’s going on?”
Olivia spoke. “You probably have suspicions?”
“Is it a marriage alliance?”
Felix frowned. “How did you know?”
“Well, you said Mom would explain. You always avoid these topics.”
Olivia glared at Felix. “You told him?!”
Felix nervously replied, “I thought he wasn’t ready yet!”
Sunny frowned. What are they talking about?
Olivia looked at him.
“Yes. It’s a marriage alliance with the Immortal Flame Clan. Nephis’s grandmother, Dona, proposed it to secure Nephis’s future and her clan by marrying her to you. We wanted your opinion before drafting any contracts. So… what do you think?”
Sunny thought about Nephis, his only friend. They were childhood friends, though they rarely met because of assassination attempts against her.
He thought of the advantages:
1. He already knew Nephis well.
2. She was enjoyable to talk to, especially since they had a rule not to discuss clan politics, making them feel like normal teenagers.
Then his mind drifted to the other side of marriage. He swallowed, blushing. She’s the best option for me!
He explained his reasons—without mentioning the last part.
Felix asked, “Are you sure? This isn’t a choice to rush.”
“Yes, I’m sure. Unlike other heirs, I know Nephis well.”
Olivia said, “You mentioned why you accept her, but not why we accept this engagement.”
Sunny frowned. “Isn’t it for their resources? After all, thanks to us they preserved many treasures.”
She smiled. “Yes, but that’s not the only reason. Their name and reputation are unmatched. We operate in the shadows, which has advantages, but we need a presence in the Dream Realm. The Immortal Flame Clan will provide a base there.”
“A base?” Sunny asked in surprise.
“Yes. The Night House found the end of the Storm Sea and discovered a new land ruled by a cursed tyrant. I offered to kill him and take the land. In exchange, we become allies.”
Felix spoke casually—as if conquering cursed lands was normal.
Sunny was shocked.
Olivia continued, “If you agree, the marriage will happen at 18, an acceptable age. Your child with the Shadow God lineage will lead the Shadow Clan, and the one with the Sun God lineage will lead the Immortal Flame Clan.”
Sunny blushed thinking about children.
“Wait… what if the child inherits both lineages?”
Felix replied, “Impossible. The stronger lineage will devour the weaker and become stronger.”
Sunny read the rest of the contract.
“I agree. The terms look good.”
Both parents smiled.
“My little boy is getting engaged,” Olivia said.
“I’m not little!”
“You’ll always be little in my eyes,” she said, hugging him. He blushed.
She turned to Felix. “I must go. Government work. You should tell Sunny what to expect.”
Felix muttered reluctantly, “Fine.”
She left. Sunny immediately regretted his curiosity.