A Writer's Transmigration into the world of fantasy-Chapter 84: The sword is my father’s

After an intense half-minute kiss, they broke free of one another.

"I'm fine," Qin Wei then said, "Better than fine, actually. Stronger. Clearer. And… I'm sorry. Because of me, you lost something incredibly precious. I never meant to steal your sword."

Thea shook her head at once, strands of hair brushing his cheek.

"Actually," she said, voice softening, "the sword wasn't mine. It was my father's. He only lent it to me for the night."

Qin Wei froze.

"Eh?"

He pulled back far enough to stare at her, horror creeping in behind the relief.

"Your father's…?" His voice cracked on the word. "Thea, is he angry? I didn't mean—I didn't even know—"

She cut him off with a small, tired smile.

"No. If anything… he was happy. Almost proud. He said it proved how great your potential is—that the sword chose you over him."

Qin Wei exhaled shakily, relief warring with fresh guilt.

Then another thought struck him like cold water.

"Luna," he said sharply. "How is she?"

Thea's smile faltered. She hesitated—only a heartbeat—but it was enough for dread to coil tight in his stomach.

"There's… something you need to know," she said quietly.

Qin Wei's heart skipped.

"What is it?"

Thea took both his hands in hers, fingers threading through his.

"Father discovered a curse inside her mana core," she explained, voice low and careful. "An ancient one—planted before she was even born. He brought two Rank-10 grandmasters here to try to remove it. They couldn't. The curse is too deeply rooted. But her core itself is healed now. She's stable. Father says she'll wake soon."

Qin Wei's blood ran cold.

A curse.

Before she was born.

He stared past Thea at the far wall, mind racing through every implication, every limit that curse would place on Luna's future. Rank-10 forever barred. A ceiling she could see but never touch. All because of something done to her before she even drew breath.

His grip tightened on Thea's hands—unconsciously, protectively.

Then—silently, urgently—he reached inward.

"Aria," he thought. "If we mutate her bloodline—turn her into a Dhampir—will that purge the curse?"

The reply came at once, crisp and unambiguous.

[Ding! Dhampir mutation triggers full cellular reconstruction. Mana core will be entirely rebuilt from scratch. Any pre-existing curse fused to the original core structure will be eradicated. Success rate: 100%.]

Qin Wei's relief at the system's reply lasted only a heartbeat.

The golden text on the holographic screen shifted again, new lines appearing with the same cold, mechanical precision that had just given him hope.

[Ding! Clarification: The curse cannot be destroyed. It can only be detached from the target. The detached curse must then be absorbed by the host. The system will refine the curse during absorption, converting its malevolent essence into pure benefit for the host (enhanced regeneration, resistance to soul-based attacks, minor lifespan extension). Note: This process requires the S-rank necklace as a catalyst and binding medium. Proceed?]

Qin Wei's face drained of color.

The necklace again.

One million credits in debt already ticking upward, and now this—the only path to truly free Luna—demanded the very treasure he had once traded away in desperation, then reclaimed at great cost. The weight of it settled on his chest like lead.

"Husband… husband… husband…"

Thea's soft, worried voice pulled him back to the room.

He blinked, refocusing on her face—her brows drawn together, eyes searching his with quiet concern.

"Yes?" he managed.

"What are you thinking, dear?" She tilted her head slightly, thumb brushing over his knuckles where their hands were still joined. "You went pale all of a sudden."

Qin Wei shook his head once—quick, almost reflexive.

"Nothing," he said. "I was just… thinking that I owe House Griffin a lot now."

Thea's expression softened at once.

"There's no such thing as owing in family, dear," she said gently. "We help each other because we're bound together. Not because of ledgers or debts."

Qin Wei gave her a small, crooked smile, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"Helping family is a moral duty, yes," he agreed quietly. "But whether I meant to or not… I snatched away a weapon from your father. If it had been you, that would be different. You're mine. But your father—he isn't just my father-in-law. He's the lord of House Griffin. What do you think the true value of that sword is—the one that merged with me?"

Thea hesitated only a moment, then answered with careful honesty.

"Well… it's our ancestral property. So for us, it has always been considered priceless—irreplaceable. But if we speak in terms the outside world would understand…" She paused, choosing her words. "It is one of the thirty-one celestial weapons known in myth to have originated from the Divine Temple itself. If it were ever auctioned—openly, without the bloodline restrictions—it would probably fetch somewhere between ten and twenty million gold coins. Maybe more. Far more, depending on the buyer."

Qin Wei's breath caught.

"Twenty million…?"

The number hit him like a physical blow.

He stared past Thea at the far wall, mind reeling. Twenty million gold coins. Enough to buy a small city. Enough to fund an army. Enough to make entire noble houses bankrupt themselves in bidding. And he had—without even meaning to—taken it into himself. Absorbed it. Bound it to his soul.

Regret surged hot and bitter in his throat.

He suddenly wished he had never asked.

Before he could spiral further, she slid her arms around his neck and drew him close. Her lips brushed his—soft at first, then firmer, a quiet reassurance pressed into the contact. When she pulled back, her smile was gentle but unwavering.

"It's alright, dear," she murmured against his mouth. "The sword was supposed to be inherited by me in the future—when I succeed my father as House Lord. So technically… you just received your wife's weapon a little early."

Qin Wei groaned, the sound half-laugh, half-misery.

"That makes it even worse," he said, dropping his forehead to hers. "It would have helped you so much. Protected you. Strengthened your position. And now it's… inside me."

Thea's smile widened, soft and certain.

"Well," she said, brushing the pad of her thumb along his cheekbone, "you're here. You can stand beside me and help instead."

Qin Wei blinked.

"Of course I would," he answered immediately, voice low and earnest. "I don't need some celestial sword as a reason to stand with my wife."

Color bloomed across Thea's cheeks again—brighter this time, almost startled by the raw sincerity in his tone. She ducked her head slightly, hiding her smile against his shoulder.

Qin Wei wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer, holding her there for several long, quiet seconds.

"Thank you," he whispered into her hair.

Thea's smile widened against his neck.

A while later, the villa gates opened to admit Vanessa.

She arrived on foot this time—cloak dusty from travel, posture straight despite the fatigue that clung to her like a second skin.

In her arms lay Luna—still unconscious, face pale but peaceful, wrapped in a light traveling blanket. Vanessa moved with careful, practiced grace, stepping through the Moonvilla courtyard under the watchful eyes of the battle maids stationed at every corner.

Qin Wei had given the order himself: bring her here, to her own residence in the Moonvilla wing. Not the secure infirmary. Not the main estate. Here—where he could reach her quickly, where the space already felt like hers.

He did not go to meet Kaelan.

The guilt sat too heavy in his chest.

Unlike what Thea and her father believed, Qin Wei had not been an innocent bystander when the Sword of Leo chose him. He had accepted. Willingly. Knowingly. He had given the command to the system, had let the black tendrils lash out and claim the blade. The fact that it had belonged to Kaelan—his father-in-law, the House Lord—only made the theft feel sharper, more personal. He wasn't ready to face the man whose ancestral treasure now lived inside his soul.

So he stayed away.

Vanessa laid Luna gently on the wide bed in her private chamber. The battle maids took up positions outside the door—silent, vigilant, blades at their hips. Vanessa lingered only long enough to adjust the blanket over Luna's shoulders, then bowed once to Qin Wei.

"She is stable," she said quietly. "The healers confirmed her core is mending. She should wake within the next day or two."

Qin Wei nodded, throat tight.

"Thank you, Vanessa."

She left without another word.

Qin Wei remained standing at the foot of the bed for a long time, watching Luna's slow, even breathing. The guilt twisted tighter—he had the means to free her from the curse, but it would cost the necklace. Again. The same treasure he had already traded once in desperation, then fought to reclaim. The cycle felt cruel.

Eventually, he turned away.

He returned to his own residence alone.