"I understand." Aunt Valeria agreed with a hint of sadness in her voice.

  For a moment, it seemed as though Aunt Valeria lost all the strength in her body. Her face turned pale, and a few tears threatened to escape her eyes.

  I felt a bit pained seeing Aunt Valeria’s state. After all, she was my aunt, and I didn’t want to see her sad.

  I continued hugging her patiently while she cried. I did not interrupt her and only waited until she calmed down.

  Soon, she stood up and got a bottle of wine. Without asking for my opinion, she opened the bottle and filled two cups with wine. "Come, Edric. Accompany me to drink."

  I heaved a sigh but did not refuse. I knew that my aunt struggled to take that decision, and she surely needed to vent with someone.

  Before long, we emptied the bottle. Aunt Valeria was already drinking her fifth cup, but I was just on my second.

  "... H-Hey, Edric. What will I do now?" she said a bit tipsily. "E-Even if he is like that, he is the father of my son. Am I supposed to separate my son from his father? People will point their fingers at us and say that we abandoned him." I could see the desolate expression in my aunt’s eyes.

  Marriage was something very sacred in this world, especially for women. Normally, if a woman left her husband, she would receive heavy criticism regardless of the circumstances.

  After all, the idea that women must be virtuous and always obey their husbands had been heavily ingrained in the empire’s culture.

  Actually, if not because her husband betrayed us with the Ravelle family, I’m sure my aunt would have hesitated no matter how many mistakes he committed.

  I sighed in pity. Holding my aunt in my arms, I whispered, "Don’t worry, aunt. You are a very beautiful and successful woman. I’m sure that many men would kill to marry you. Besides, if someone dares to speak badly of you behind your back, I’ll make sure that he pays!"

  Aunt Valeria showed a forced smile. "You are so sweet, Edric. But things are not so simple. Nobody will want to be with a woman who has a son and left her husband."

  "That is a lie." I said firmly. "Aunt, you are very charming. I’m sure that I would jump at the opportunity to be with you."

  "You only said it because you are my nephew." Aunt Valeria shook her head self-deprecatingly. "With so many young maidens in the capital, nobody will turn an eye to an old and discarded woman like me."

  The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  I wrinkled my brows deeply. I then put a hand on her shoulder and looked straight into her eyes. "Stop it, aunt. You deserve more than that man. If you fear that nobody will take care of your son, then I’ll do it. I can be your husband also if you want!"

  Aunt Valeria opened her eyes wide. Her eyes shook briefly, and her expression turned a bit red, maybe due to the alcohol.

  "Hehe, you are truly funny, Edric." She laughed awkwardly, but I stayed silent. Looking right into Aunt Valeria’s eyes, I spoke.

  "It was not a joke."

  Aunt Valeria’s eyes shook even more.

  Without giving her time to react, I approached her slowly and kissed her lips.

  Aunt Valeria did not resist. She only looked at me with a confused expression, unsure of what to do.

  But I took her lack of resistance as consent. Once the first kiss ended, I kissed her again. My lips sealed hers, and my breath mingled with the sweet scent of wine.

  Then, my aunt closed her eyes. I used my lips to open her mouth and inserted my tongue slowly. Maybe due to the alcohol, Aunt Valeria was slow to react to my advances. She allowed my tongue to enter without much effort and sighed seductively.

  But then, a hint of panic flashed in her eyes.

  Instantly, Aunt Valeria pushed me away. I took a few steps back and looked at her in doubt.

  Aunt Valeria, on the other hand, was completely red. She was too afraid to look straight at my eyes and instead stared at the ground.

  "No, Edric. We are family. We can’t do this."

  "But aunt, I like you. Do you hate me?" I feigned a hurt expression.

  "I-It’s not that." Aunt Valeria shook her head flustered. "But it’s not good. I’m your aunt. Doing something like that is wrong. Moreover, even if I divorce my husband, I’m still married. I don’t want to betray him while we are married."

  I put on a complicated expression and sighed. "I’m sorry."

  My aunt looked at me but did not know what to say. In an instant, the atmosphere turned awkward.

  Aunt Valeria sighed and shook her head. "I’m a bit tired, Edric. I think it’s better if I go to sleep."

  "Let me help you." I offered immediately. Aunt Valeria wanted to refuse, but she was a bit drunk from the wine, so she was afraid of falling on the stairs.

  Before she could say anything, I hugged her by the waist and held her body tightly.

  Aunt Valeria blushed deeply and lowered her head. Although she knew I was her nephew, she could not help but be conscious of me as a man due to what happened just now.

  I feigned that I did not notice her expression and helped her to her room.

  Once we reached the door, my aunt stopped me. "It’s enough. I can enter myself."

  I nodded silently and moved away. Aunt Valeria sighed softly when she saw me.

  "I’m sorry, Edric. But it’s the best for both of us."

  I forced a smile and nodded. "I understand, aunt. I won’t mention it again. But, can I give you one last kiss at least?"

  Aunt Valeria hesitated slightly, but when she saw the pleading expression in my eyes, she nodded. "Okay."

  She then moved her face close to me and closed her eyes. I did not hesitate and sealed her lips with a strong kiss.

  Aunt Valeria tried to pull away immediately, but I hugged her waist and held her close. Our kiss lasted for a few seconds until both of us were out of breath.

  When our lips separated, both of us were panting slightly. Aunt Valeria’s expression lost focus for an instant and she looked at me seductively.

  So, I kissed her again.

  If you want, I can also update Chapter 29 so it follows smoothly with all these new names and connections.

  Do you want me to do that?