I Died and Became a Noble's Heir-Chapter 335: Where’s Father?

Jack felt it immediately. A shift in perception, a heightened awareness. The scent of jasmine and musk in the air became more noticeable, more appealing. The temperature felt warmer against his skin.

And when his eyes tracked movement at the room’s edge. One of the women who’d scattered earlier, a blonde with curves that caught attention even in peripheral vision. Something stirred that he usually kept under absolute control.

She noticed his gaze. Of course she did. And instead of looking away or maintaining her distance, she smiled.

Slowly, her hands moved to touch her own thighs, fingers trailing upward in a gesture that was an invitation.

Her touch moved higher, hands sliding along her curves, approaching her breasts with such subtlety. It was designed to draw his eye and hold his attention. Her expression promised things that would normally mean nothing to Jack, but right now, with the blessing active and warming his blood...

Jack looked away, his jaw tightening fractionally.

Zephyros’s laugh filled the chamber, a delighted and knowing sound. "Oh, that’s beautiful. You felt it, didn’t you? That little spark of interest where normally there’d be nothing."

The god moved closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. "That’s just the beginning, Kaiser. Right now, the blessing is barely active. A whisper of what it will become. But with each passing day, it grows stronger. By day ten, you’ll find yourself noticing things you’d usually ignore. By day twenty, you’ll be actively fighting urges you didn’t know you could feel."

He leaned in, his silver eyes gleaming with predatory amusement. "And by day thirty? If you somehow last that long? You’ll be barely holding on by your fingernails, every woman you see a temptation, every moment a test of willpower that gets harder with each passing second."

Zephyros straightened, his grin widening. "This bracelet doesn’t just make you want to ravage women, Kaiser. It makes you need it. Makes the desire so intense that resisting becomes physically painful. You’ll see them in a different light. Not as people, but as opportunities. As solutions to an itch that steadily becomes unbearable."

He gestured broadly at the room. "And the beauty of it? The more you resist, the stronger the urge becomes. Fighting it only makes it worse. Giving in is the only relief, and giving in means I win."

Jack met his gaze directly, refusing to show any hint of concern despite the warmth still spreading through his system. "You done explaining? Or do you need more time to convince yourself this is a good idea?"

"Oh, I’m quite convinced," Zephyros replied, still grinning. "I just want you to understand what you’ve agreed to. Thirty days of steadily intensifying temptation while you’re surrounded by attractive women at your estate, at social functions, at every turn. All while your body screams at you to give in."

The god extended his hand again, this time in a gesture of finality. "I’ll see you in thirty days, Kaiser. When you come crawling back to beg for a permanent blessing after realizing you can’t win."

"You’ll see me in thirty days," Jack corrected, turning toward where the entrance should be, though in this divine space, directions were more suggestions than rules.

"When I collect my information, and you explain how you managed to lose another wager."

Zephyros’s laughter followed him as reality began folding again, the god’s chamber fading as Jack’s awareness returned to his physical body.

"It’ll be much quicker than thirty days!" The god’s voice echoed as the transition completed. "I give you a week before you break! Two at most!"

Jack’s consciousness slammed back into his body with the jarring sensation of falling from a great height and landing in precisely the position he’d started from.

He was still standing in the shrine, arms still crossed, feet still planted in that same confident stance.

The candles still burned with their unnaturally steady flames. The incense still released its sharp, electric scent.

But the bracelet remained on his wrist, the red gem pulsing with steady light that proved the encounter had been real.

Jack examined it briefly, noting how the metal seemed to have fused with his skin.

’Thirty days,’ Jack thought, flexing his fingers and feeling the blessing’s warmth still radiating from his core. ’Should be interesting.’

He turned and walked out of the shrine, his stride steady despite the new awareness humming beneath his skin.

The afternoon sun hit his face as he emerged, warm and bright, and Jack found himself noticing things he usually wouldn’t. The way the light caught on the windows created patterns that seemed more vivid than usual. The sound of voices from the estate, feminine laughter that carried across the grounds.

Jack shook his head slightly, refocusing his attention. ’Control. That’s all this requires. Maintain control like I always do, and Zephyros loses another bet.’

He made his way back across the grounds and into the estate. Servants bowed as he passed. None of them seemed to notice the bracelet. Or if they did, they were too well-trained to comment on new jewelry their lord chose to wear.

Jack headed toward the dining hall, where the evening meal would soon begin. His family would be gathering, and he needed to maintain appearances despite the blessing steadily working its influence through his system.

The dining hall was elegant without being ostentatious. A long table of dark wood, high-backed chairs, windows that let in the last rays of afternoon light. Servants moved efficiently around the perimeter, setting places and preparing for the meal.

Lady Genevieve sat at one end of the table, her posture perfect, her expression carrying that same controlled elegance she always maintained.

Jack’s sisters were scattered along the sides. Octavia reviewing what looked like merchant reports even at dinner, Celeste reading something that was definitely not appropriate dinner conversation based on the slight flush to her cheeks, and Annabelle simply waiting with the patience of a monk.

Jack took his seat, nodding to his mother and sisters. "Good evening."

"Jack," Genevieve acknowledged, her eyes tracking him with the same analytical assessment she applied to everything. "You’re later than usual. Were you at the shrine?"

"Praying," Jack confirmed, which was technically accurate. "Needed to discuss some matters with the divine."

Octavia glanced up from her reports, one eyebrow raised. "And did the divine provide useful answers? Or just cryptic prophecies and vague promises?"

"Bit of both," Jack replied, pouring himself water from the pitcher on the table. The liquid caught the light, and for a moment, he found himself watching the patterns more intently than necessary before forcing his attention back to the conversation.

Servants began bringing food. Roasted meat, vegetables, and bread still warm from the oven. The smells were more intense than usual, appealing in ways that made Jack’s appetite sharpen despite having no particular hunger moments before.

’The blessing,’ Jack realized. ’Heightening all sensory input. Making everything more appealing. Clever.’

The meal progressed normally for several minutes. Conversation centered on estate business, Celeste’s latest romantic interests among the visiting nobles, and Annabelle’s progress with her studies. Standard family dinner talk that required minimal engagement while maintaining appearances.

Then Jack noticed the absence.

"Where’s Father?" he asked, his eyes scanning the table and confirming that Duke Alaric’s seat remained empty.