A Regressed Villain: Heroines, Villainesses and Me?

Chapter 167- A Conversation

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Aecilia tilted her head a bit, giving off a playful vibe, but the sharp glint in her golden eyes hinted at something much more calculated.

Around the circular table, the Sertsul family elders and branch heads were focused on her, and these weren't the kind of people who were easily impressed or shaken.

Sure, they were a bit eccentric, but their loyalty to family prosperity was rock-solid.

Their lives revolved around the idea that the Sertsul name was everything. In that moment, though, they looked more like restless predators wanting to get their hands on information that had shaken all of them.

Naturally, given that this was a meeting arranged by the head of the family, it was assured that this information was 100% true and proven.

So they did not doubt it. And given the importance of such information, they were restless.

"Y-yes, tell us, Aecilia—"

"Why would I?" Aecilia's voice was calm and steady, with each word pronounced like she was making a deliberate point.

She wasn't about to back down or appease them, and naturally, she could do nothing except follow the words that the Marquess had told her after they left the Free Cities for the Kingdom of Thaloris.

He had instructed her to complete some tasks—the first task was with the Sertsul family, and the second was for her to meet Princess Katheria Arihphiam.

Turning her attention towards the elders in the hall, she smiled as their reaction came quickly, and honestly, it was pretty predictable.

"How dare she!" one elder erupted, slamming his hand on the smooth wood table, his deep-set brows furrowing as his aged cheeks turned red with a mix of anger and disbelief.

"Does she not understand how crucial this knowledge is?!" another elder snapped, her hawk-like features tightening with indignation. "This could boost our standing tenfold!"

One elder leaned in closer, his knuckles going white as he gripped the table's edge. "Aecilia, you need to trust your family! What you know isn't just yours; it's part of our inheritance!"

The uproar filled the chamber, with voices overlapping in a chaotic mixture of outrage and admonishment.

These people were used to power and respect, and they thrived on highly calculated cooperation for their collective legacy—the legacy of Sertsul family.

Aecilia's defiance was a total slap in the face to the order they held dear.

But through all the noise, Aecilia simply smiled, a small yet knowing smile that seemed to pull the tension even tighter.

Eventually, she raised a hand, making a subtle gesture that seemed to command silence. Her audacity was infuriating, but no one could deny the authority radiating from her gaze, especially after being told that the speaker of this meeting would be her by the head of the family.

"I'm not saying I wouldn't tell you," she stated plainly, her voice slicing through the clamor. "I'm just saying I didn't find it out on my own. Someone else told me."

The room stilled, her words practically daring them to challenge her further. A flicker of suspicion crossed the elders' faces.

They were not okay with the idea of outsiders identifying information they lacked.

Their extensive network of spies and informants stretched across the Arinphiam Empire; the very thought that someone outside their family could know more than they did?

Yeah, that was both unsettling and unacceptable.

"Who?" a stern voice rang out from the far side of the table, the speaker's wrinkled face etched in a frown.

But within the Sertsul family, the truth was clear: the founder had struck back.

She had avenged her husband, using the very knowledge and power she had spent years perfecting.

And naturally, knowing that in the future things would once again become grim, all the methods she developed and started to work on were passed down to her family from generation to generation.

Aecilia, inspired by the founder's history, dedicated herself to becoming superhuman.

She trained rigorously and studied fervently to emulate the founder, who had even killed the Empyreals that had killed her husband on order of the late Emperor.

Although these events were largely forgotten over time, the Sertsul family preserved these tales, reminding themselves of their legacy and their resolve to confront any adversary.

Inside the hall, murmurs arose again, but they were quieter and more cautious.

The elders were practical, and although their first reaction was to reject such a claim, the implications were far too significant to ignore.

If Aecilia was telling the truth, things could shift dramatically—not just for the Sertsul family but for the entire nobility.

One of the younger members, his voice shaky yet pushing forward, said, "So, you're saying this... method doesn't even need someone strong enough to face an Empyreal?"

"Exactly," Aecilia confirmed, her tone final. "The method I'm talking about can take down an Empyreal without needing strength at all."

Her words lingered in the room like a sword hanging by a thread.

The elders, despite their usual confidence, couldn't hide the flicker of unease in their eyes.

These were people who thrived on control and valued strength, loyalty, and efficiency above all else.

The thought of an Empyreal—an embodiment of perfection—being toppled by something intangible was definitely unsettling.

"This is madness," one elder woman murmured, but even her voice lacked conviction. She glanced around, almost seeking reassurance from her companions.

"And yet," Aecilia continued, her voice steady, "it works. All it takes is to hit the one thing even an Empyreal can't manage—emotions."

"What are you talking about?" another elder interrupted, frustration creeping in.

Aecilia's gaze sharpened, her voice now cutting like a knife. "To kill an Empyreal, you've got to shatter their emotional state. Overwhelm them. Break them. Once they're off balance, they lose the control that makes them formidable and boom."

The silence was thick.

The elders exchanged uneasy glances, their usual resolve shaken.

"What does this boom mean?" Sure, they were quirky, but their unwavering focus on the family's success meant they couldn't just brush off Aecilia's heavy words.

"Ahem, I mean, they will explode on their own," Aecilia coughed, clearing her throat, knowing that it's always a hassle to talk with these people who don't understand her words.

Finally, one elder spoke up, his voice low but steady. "How do we know this isn't some kind of trick?"

This revelation wasn't just dangerous; it was game-changing. But what if it was just a trick, and while confirming this, someone sacrificed their life?

Naturally, none of the members of the Sertsul family would ever shy away from sacrificing their lives for the family, but dying futilely wasn't an option.

"Here," Aecilia threw a tablet onto the desk, which soon lit up, and a video started to play on it.