An Understated Dominance Novel (Dahlia & Dustin) by Marina Vittori updated 2025-26 - An Understated Dominance Chapter 2638

Chapter 2638

The moment Captain Gonzales was hurled across the yard, time itself seemed to freeze.

Weapons clattered to the ground, the metallic echo hanging in the still air. Soldiers stared with wide, unblinking eyes, their bodies trembling with fear. A few instinctively shuffled backward until their boots scraped the bamboo fence, yet none dared to look away.

Nathaniel’s sword gave a low hum, the vibration slipping into his bones. He tightened his grip until his knuckles burned red against the scabbard’s chill. His heart pounded, still echoing with the image of Gonzales’s chest collapsing like brittle paper under that tiny fist. He could still hear it—the sharp crack of breaking ribs, the sickening grind of bone.

“C-Captain Gonzales…” A guard tried to stagger forward, but his legs froze midway.

The captain lay crumpled at the fence, black blood bubbling at his lips. His chest writhed unnaturally, as though something were crawling beneath his skin. Most horrifying of all were his eyes—bulging, unblinking, fixed in terror at the child who sat so casually upon the swing.

The boy continued to swing higher, his coat fluttering with each arc. His pale arm flashed in the light, smooth and round like a lotus root. He turned his gaze briefly toward the fallen captain, then pointed lazily at a morning glory climbing the fence.

“That one will wither soon.”

The words were spoken lightly, almost carelessly, yet they struck Nathaniel’s chest like a hammer.

A chill ran down his spine. Cold sweat drenched his robe, clinging to the wound across his back. Pain sharpened his awareness. This was no ordinary child—he was something beyond comprehension. That casual punch held more destructive force than the monstrous creatures of the valley.

Nathaniel dropped to one knee. His voice shook despite his effort to steady it.
“We have disturbed the fairy child. Please forgive us. We are but mortals who strayed into this land by mistake. I beg you to show mercy.”

The soldiers followed suit, armor clanging as they knelt in unison. None dared to raise their heads. If Captain Gonzales—renowned for his strength—was slain so easily, what chance did they have?

The boy did not respond. He simply swung higher, the bamboo branches groaning under the strain. His gaze drifted skyward as he hummed the same tuneless rhyme, its strange melody wrapping around them, drowsy and disquieting all at once.

Just as Nathaniel gathered his courage to speak again, the boy flicked his little finger toward the courtyard gate.

Without warning, a gale erupted from the bamboo forest. Leaves lashed across faces like knives. Nathaniel felt his chest crushed by invisible force and was flung backward, crashing into his own men.

Screams echoed as soldiers tumbled in every direction. Some were hurled into the golden bamboo, splitting their heads against the hard joints; others rolled helplessly down the slope, ensnared by vines.

Nathaniel landed hard against a slab of bluestone. Darkness clouded his vision, blood spilling down his temple. Through the haze, he glimpsed the bamboo fence door swing shut with a creak. Inside, the swing still swayed gently, though the boy had vanished like mist into shadow.

The storm ceased as suddenly as it began, leaving only chaos in its wake.

Men staggered upright, battered and bloodied. Some clutched broken ribs; others glared at the closed gate, but none dared take a single step toward it. The fear from that one gust of wind was heavier than the weight of an entire army.

“Your Highness, this—” A guard began, only to be silenced by Nathaniel’s glare.

He rose slowly, leaning on his sword for support, blood streaking the corner of his mouth. His gaze lingered on the tranquil bamboo forest beyond the fence—so serene, so deceptive.

This child was no opponent they could resist. His very existence confirmed the presence of a true master hidden on the island. The smoke, the swing, the child—they were not mere coincidences. They were trials.

“From this moment,” Nathaniel said quietly, his tone edged with steel, “we camp outside this courtyard. No one will step beyond the fence. Not a single step.”

He lifted his eyes toward the wisp of smoke rising steadily above the bamboo. His voice hardened, carrying both weariness and resolve.

“We wait.”