Alia’s heart trembled as she lowered her gaze to the frail young girl before her. A trace of pity flashed through her eyes. Gently patting Mina’s head, she spoke softly, “I’m sorry for bringing up something painful.”“It’s okay.” Mina looked up, forcing a small smile. “I just wanted to tell you—my grandpa really did see it clearly.” Her voice grew quieter toward the end.Alia nodded slightly, though her thoughts were turbulent. The clue was vague, and the person who knew more was no longer alive, yet something felt as though it was beginning to surface. A cemetery, golden light, a female general… The elements pieced together seemed to hint at a deeply buried secret.She pondered for a moment, then crouched down to look Mina in the eye. “If you remember any other details your grandfather mentioned, let me know anytime, okay?”Mina nodded vigorously, her eyes filled with seriousness and hope.Meanwhile, Alia’s mind was quickly assembling the fragments of information into a larger pictur
After returning home, Alia changed into casual attire and tidied up her belongings, her mind already working on plans for the next day. Glancing out the window, she saw the darkening sky dotted with faint stars, as if encouraging her to move steadily forward with her mission.The next day, at the break of dawn, Alia rose swiftly from bed. She knew how important this day is—not just for her plan but also as an opportunity to showcase herself. Opening the window, she let the cool morning breeze invigorate her.After washing up, she headed to the kitchen and found Elise already bustling around. Hearing footsteps, Elise turned and was startled to see Alia.“Livia, you’re up so early? I am preparing the breakfast. I’ve got the kitchen covered,” Elise said, a touch of concern in her voice.Alia smiled and shook her head. “No, I want to personally prepare something for Marcellus and my father. It’s my way o
As the steaming dishes were set on the table, Marcellus couldn’t wait to take a bite. The moment the flavors hit his palate, his expression softened, and his eyes sparkled with unmistakable admiration. “This taste… it’s amazing! Even better than our chef’s cooking!”He knew that many of these dishes might have been prepared by Elise and the household chef, but Livia’s thoughtfulness had already delighted him. What he didn’t realize, however, was that these dishes were actually prepared by Alia!He quickly reached for another bite, showering the food with praise and even revealing a childlike, satisfied smile. Alia lowered her head slightly, hiding her expression. Outwardly, she maintained a relaxed demeanor, but her emotions were complex. Marcellus’ enthusiastic response brought her relief and bolstered her confidence in the success of her plan.Edgar, on the other hand, was more restrained. He carefully picked up a piec
As Livia and Elise left the room, Marcellus turned to Edgar, his expression tense. “Are you really going to let Livia see it? And what exactly am I supposed to tell her? What should I hide? After she lost her memory this time, I thought it was a blessing in disguise, a chance for her to forget all that pain. But now you’re dragging her back… The thing we found during the last expansion, that was the source of her suffering.”His voice carried a mix of frustration and subdued anger, his hands clenching unconsciously as he recalled haunting memories.Edgar raised his gaze, meeting Marcellus with a calm yet commanding look. “You’ll tell her a carefully chosen version of the truth. Tell her the discovery during the last expansion happened because of her instincts—that it was her intuition that led us to unearth that artifact. We need her intuition again, and perhaps she’ll uncover something just a
“Calling me?” Alia’s heart sank sharply at the words. Her thoughts wandered far, and in that instant, she was almost certain of what Marcellus was referring to—the ‘Holy Grail.’The car continued forward, the scenery outside the window retreating in a blur. Marcellus’s voice, tinged with nostalgia and a faint sigh, broke through the hum of the engine.“Back then, Edgar thought the area near the graveyard was too challenging to develop—too remote, with little value. But you insisted there was ‘something about the place,’ something worth exploring. After some discussion, it was decided we’d symbolically turn some soil and plant greenery to improve the environment. However, it was explicitly agreed that the graveyard itself would remain untouched to avoid offending the departed.”He paused, his gaze clouded by a tinge of complexity. “But no
As Alia was lost in thought, the car suddenly came to an abrupt stop. The door opened, letting in fresh air tinged with a damp chill.“We’re here. This is the main site for the expansion project,” Marcellus’s voice broke through her reverie. He stood outside the car, extending a hand to help her out.Alia lifted her head and froze momentarily at the sight before her. The land was clearly abandoned, overgrown with weeds and low vegetation that formed a thin green carpet across the ground. The place was eerily desolate, as if untouched by human presence for years. In the distance, scattered gravestones peeked out from the wild growth, their surfaces weathered and scarred by time. Twisted old trees lined the edges of the graveyard, their gnarled shadows cast by the setting sun creating strange, fragmented patterns on the ground, as if silently narrating the history of this forsaken place.The air car
Elias’s sudden outburst was like a flash of cold lightning splitting the tranquil air, freezing everything around him for a brief moment. Alia stood to the side, startled. She had never seen Elias lose control like this. His eyes burned with more than just anger—they were filled with deep anxiety and unease. Wasn’t he always nonchalant, with that carefree, devil-may-care attitude? Yet now, he seemed as if someone had struck a nerve he could never compromise on.Unlike Alia’s shock, Marcellus appeared calm, as if he had anticipated this reaction. With a quiet sigh, he lifted his gaze to meet Elias’s fiery glare, his voice steady and resolute. “It’s her decision. She wanted to come, just to look. Edgar agreed too. Do you understand? Just to look.”“Just to look?” Elias let out a cold laugh, raising an eyebrow in obvious disdain. His gaze bore into Marcellus, as though searching for any hint of a lie in his expression. The fire in his eyes only seemed to grow. Yet, after a tense moment,
The car was steeped in silence. Marcellus seemed to ponder for a moment before speaking slowly. “The reason I brought Elias here is that I’m preparing to let him start handling some things for me.” His voice was calm, yet it carried an undeniable firmness. “No matter how many conflicts exist between us, he is still my brother, one of the few people I can trust.”He paused, his gaze shifting to the window, as if recalling Elias’s earlier outburst. His tone softened slightly. “As for why he was so angry… perhaps he was worried about you. This place is cold, and the climate isn’t great. He might be afraid you’ll get sick. He doesn’t say it outright, but he does care about you.”Marcellus’s expression grew subtle, and a trace of mockery crept into his tone. “Though his ‘concern’ seems a bit excessive.”Alia listened to his words, a cold sneer rising in her heart. That tone—it’s jealousy, plain and simple. While she found it amusing, a trace of annoyance also surfaced.“Why is he so angry?
“Should we consider Eryx as our primary suspect?”To Livia’s surprise, Marcellus suddenly proposed this guess. His voice was low and firm, as if he had been thinking about this possibility for a long time.Livia was momentarily stunned, almost unable to react in time. Her eyes widened slightly, her mouth parted in surprise. “Primary suspect?” she repeated, her voice tinged with astonishment. She hadn’t expected Marcellus to directly label Eryx as their primary suspect.Marcellus nodded, a determined glint flickering in his eyes. He continued, “Yes, I now strongly suspect that everything, from your kidnapping to my attack, and even the hidden conspiracies behind it all, was orchestrated by Eryx. A long time ago, I noticed that he seemed to have some sort of collaboration with Edgar, and his obsession with the ‘Holy Grail’ far exceeds what would be considered normal. This makes me more certain that he is involved.” He paused, gazing deeply at Livia. “I’m sorry, Livia, I should have told
Marcellus slowly straightened his body. His expression, usually tight and severe, had softened with a rare trace of honest fatigue. Looking at Livia, who stood by the bedside, his eyes held a hint of genuine apology.“I’m sorry, Livia. I shouldn’t have kept everything hidden from you,” he said in a low but serious voice. “I promise you—once we find the ‘Holy Grail,’ I’ll tell you everything. No more secrets. And then… I’ll give you back the freedom to choose.”As she listened, something inside Livia stirred, like a taut string gently plucked.She couldn’t tell whether this was a true apology or a calculated attempt to smooth things over. But seeing Marcellus lower his head first, dropping his usual cold and stubborn facade, something in her own resistance quietly cracked open.“Forget it…” she sighed, her tone still weary. “Let’s just focus on which tasks I need to take over. I might be your temporary replacement in name, but I can’t come running to you for every little thing. Looking
Livia looked at Emma with a gentle gaze. Though her tone was soft, it carried a subtle firmness that left no room for objection. “Thank you, Emma. Don’t worry. Right now, your safety is the most important thing. I believe in you—but not everyone in this world will be able to trust you like I do. For now, it’s best if you rest properly here in the castle.”Her voice dropped a little, laced with caution and vigilance. “We need to make sure your identity remains a secret—especially from those on Eryx’s side. Only step in when it’s absolutely necessary. Your presence will matter most when the time is right.”Emma raised an eyebrow, about to speak, but Livia continued before she could.“And there’s something more important… I need you to watch over the study for me.”Livia’s expression grew a touch more serious as her eyes flicked toward the far end of the corridor. Her voice lowered further. “Eryx once tried to sneak in. His target was that file. Now that Marcellus is injured, he might tr
“I’m not sure,” Emma said, her brows slightly furrowed. A shadow of memory passed through her eyes as she slowly shook her head. Her voice was low, but firm. “I first started having doubts after you were kidnapped.”Livia froze, then turned slightly toward Emma with a puzzled look. “Kidnapped? Why? Weren’t those people… with Eryx?”Her voice was tinged with confusion and a trace of instinctive denial—she remembered those people clearly wearing the uniforms of Eryx’s covert forces. If she hadn’t seen them before, she wouldn’t have been able to recognize them.Emma nodded, her voice calm but laced with a chilling edge. “Yes, on the surface they were. So when I got the message that you’d been kidnapped—and almost… killed,” she paused, her tone dropping lower, as if even the air grew heavy under the weight of those words, “I pointed a gun at him the moment I saw him.”She remembered that day clearly—inside a cabin only she and Eryx knew about. Her killing intent had been real. If Eryx had
“I’m not entirely sure about him either.”Livia lowered her gaze slightly, her fingertips unconsciously rubbing the fabric of her skirt. Yet her voice remained unexpectedly firm. “He has his own motives, but he never talks about them… Still, I believe he wouldn’t hurt me.”At that moment, a faint glimmer of defiance and trust shimmered in her eyes, unfiltered and honest—an expression of her understanding of Marcellus: complicated, yet unwaveringly loyal.Emma looked at her, silent for half a second, then suddenly smiled, her tone lightening a little.“Indeed, I can tell—he loves you. Of course he wouldn’t hurt you.”That unexpected tease stirred a ripple across the still surface of their conversation. Caught off guard, Livia blinked in surprise, her cheeks quickly tinged with pink. She bit her lower lip lightly and turned her face away, a bit embarrassed.“You’re teasing me again…”Emma chuckled, shaking her head as she continued flipping through the notebook and diagrams in her hand,
“No matter what, right now there are multiple forces vying for the ‘Holy Grail,’” Livia breathed in deeply, her voice mixed with alertness and concern. “What about General Allen? What are his intentions? What’s his connection to my mother? I know it was you who helped me find him, thank you.” Her tone was sincere, and there was a trace of gratitude in her eyes.Emma nodded gently, her expression serious as she answered, “I’m not very familiar with Allen, but your mother once told me that if one day she was gone or I was in trouble, I just needed to find Allen, mention her name, and he would certainly help.” She paused, her gaze softening with a touch of tenderness and respect. “He said that no matter what situation I was in, if Celesta’s name was mentioned, he would take action.”She sighed softly, seemingly still uneasy about the risks she took back then. “So, this time, I took the risk and went to find him, telling him about your situation. His response… truly lived up to your mothe
Hearing this, Alia felt the tension in her heart ease just a little. Her intuition told her that Emma was trustworthy. Her emotions toward her mother were sincere, and she bore no ill intentions toward Alia. Perhaps she had her own motives, but she would never harm her.If there was anyone in this world who truly cared about her mother’s life and death and was willing to seek the truth, Emma was undoubtedly one of them.Livia let out a slow breath, her gaze sharpening as she decided to press further.“Do you know the cause of my mother’s death?” She looked straight into Emma’s eyes, lowering her voice. “The outside world says it was due to exhaustion, but I don’t believe that.”As soon as she spoke, Emma’s expression changed dramatically. Her gaze turned sharp and cold, filled with deep scrutiny and wariness.“I don’t believe it either.” Her voice was low but carried an undeniable conviction. “I know better than anyone what kind of person your mother was. She wasn’t someone who would
As Livia was still lost in thought, Emma’s voice rang out again, carrying a faint smile yet laced with complex emotions. “Originally, your mother just wanted me to be a happy princess. If I had accepted that path back then, perhaps we would be sisters now…”Her gaze drifted slightly, as if recalling a distant time. “I remember back then, you were still very young, and Lianna hadn’t been born yet.”Livia’s heart stirred slightly as an image of her gentle yet resilient mother surfaced in her mind. She tried to imagine—if Emma had truly taken that path, what would their relationship have been like? Would they have been inseparable sisters, or perhaps a bond akin to mentor and student?But Emma merely let out a soft sigh and shook her head. “But I didn’t want that.”Her voice grew firm, and in her eyes, a sharp determination ignited. “I wanted to repay your mother. More than that, I wanted to prove myself. So, I chose another path—I joined the military.”She tilted her head slightly, a gl
Emma’s expression froze slightly, a trace of complex emotions flickering in her eyes. She was not naive—she could sense the subtle probing in Livia’s question. Livia seemed to be using her mother’s story to test Emma’s feelings toward Celesta, to determine whether she could be trusted.It wasn’t a particularly clever tactic, but… after all, she was Celesta’s daughter.Emma’s lips curled into a faint smile, yet her gaze softened. She felt no guilt—because she had none to feel.She spoke slowly, her voice tinged with reminiscence. “Yes, your mother saved me out of kindness. But it wasn’t just about giving me food and clothes. She gave me direction, hope, at a time when I had nothing left.”She let out a quiet sigh, her gaze drifting as if piercing through the walls of the room, reaching back into a past filled with hardship and suffering.“Can you imagine?” she said softly, a hint of bitterness in her tone. “I was a street rat, a child with no home, no family, no one to rely on. I lived