An Understated Dominance Novel (Dahlia & Dustin) by Marina Vittori updated 2025-26 - An Understated Dominance Chapter 2712

Chapter 2712

The quiet room was worlds apart from the solemn, imposing atmosphere of the Prince’s Mansion. The villa felt peaceful, almost serene.

But inside the master bedroom, the heavy smell of medicinal herbs mixed with the suffocating weight of death.

Rufus—the once-mighty King of West Lucozia—now lay frail and skeletal on the bed. Sparse white hair clung to his forehead. His complexion was ashen, his eyes sunken, and his breathing so faint it barely stirred the air, as though the last ember of his life might be snuffed out at any moment.

Princess Eloise sat by his bedside, gently wiping his thin, brittle hands with a warm towel. Her beautiful eyes were swollen and red, fresh tear tracks still glistening.

Several seasoned physicians with white hair and long beards stood nearby, shaking their heads, sighing helplessly.

Rufus’s body was already at the brink—far beyond what medicine could touch.

“Father! Mother!”

Austin burst into the room like a storm, ignoring the dust on his clothes and all sense of decorum.

“Austin? What are you—” Eloise’s surprise quickly shifted into worry.

Austin didn’t explain. He hurried to the bedside and opened the jade box. “Mother! Quickly—give this pill to Father!”

The moment the lid opened, a gentle, pure fragrance filled the entire room. It carried such potent vitality that the lingering heaviness and deathly stillness dissolved almost instantly. Everyone felt refreshed—as if a fresh breeze had blown through their chests.

“This… what is this?” Eloise and the veteran physicians stared in disbelief. They had never seen a pill radiating such life.

“This is the Immortal Essence Pill. It can save Father’s life. We have no time—he needs to take it now!” Austin urged.

Seeing his seriousness, Eloise gritted her teeth and pushed aside her doubts.

She carefully lifted Rufus’s nearly weightless head and slipped the milky-white pill into his cracked lips.

The pill didn’t even need to be swallowed. The moment it touched his tongue, it melted into an incredibly warm current—like the first thaw of spring—flowing silently into his dried meridians, seeping into his failing organs, nourishing what little life remained.

Everyone held their breath.

At first, nothing happened.

But after just a few seconds—

A miracle began.

Rufus’s deathly gray face slowly gained a hint of healthy color… like parched soil drinking in fresh rain.

His sunken eyes seemed to fill out again. His nearly silent breathing became slow, steady, powerful—his chest rising and falling with new life.

Even more incredible, the skin-and-bone limbs that had looked ready to crumble began to show faint twitches of muscle. The bluish veins beneath his skin throbbed again, full of energy. Vitality—youthful, vigorous vitality—was reawakening from the depths of his body.

Before the time of a single incense stick passed, Rufus’s eyes twitched.

Then, suddenly—

They opened.

Sharp, commanding eyes—the kind that once surveyed the world with an eagle’s intensity.

He was dazed for a heartbeat. Then clarity returned, along with the aura of a king reborn.

He moved his arms subconsciously, feeling strength swelling back into his body. It felt like regaining the prime of his life.

“I… I’m alive?” Rufus murmured, staring down at himself, overwhelmed.

“Your Highness!”

“Father!”

Eloise and Austin threw themselves at him, crying tears of joy.

Eloise hugged her husband tightly, sobbing with relief.

Around them, physicians and servants dropped to their knees.

“His Highness is blessed with boundless fortune!”

“A miracle! Truly a miracle!”

“Austin,” Rufus said, exhilarated, “tell me—where did this pill come from? I was already prepared to die, but after taking it… I feel reborn.”

“This… this was given by a reclusive master,” Austin said awkwardly. “He was grateful for everything you’ve done for the country and its people, so he sought out an elixir for you.”

“A reclusive master?” Rufus narrowed his eyes sharply. “Austin, you’re still terrible at lying. Tell me the truth. This is a life-saving favor—I must repay it properly.”

Caught under his father’s piercing gaze, Austin finally caved.

“Alright, alright… it was from my elder brother. But he told me not to tell you.”

“Logan?” Rufus froze, then burst out laughing.

“Hahaha! That brat! So he hasn’t forgotten his old man after all! Good—good!”

His joy was impossible to hide.

Surprise—because Logan had managed to find such a miraculous medicine.
Relief—because Logan had finally let go of old grievances.

It was only a shame that Logan refused to show himself. Even now, he cared enough to avoid embarrassing his father.

But now… Rufus had time. His life had been extended. And he would make things right.

…

Atop the highest watchtower of the Western Palace, Logan stood with his hands behind his back, the night wind billowing around him.

With his cultivation, distance meant nothing. Everything inside the villa unfolded before him as clearly as if he were standing in the same room.

He watched Rufus laugh heartily, vitality restored, strength returning—almost ten years younger in spirit as he scolded Logan affectionately.

A tension buried deep in Logan’s chest finally loosened.

A moment later, he moved. His figure blended into the cool night breeze and vanished without a sound.

Not a single person noticed he had ever been there.