“I won’t hurt her, of course. But what’s this? Hesitating? What’s wrong? Don’t want to hand it over? Seems like you don’t care much about this beauty after all. Makes sense—people like you can replace someone like her in the blink of an eye.”The sneering voice from the phone carried an air of mockery. Marcellus’s face remained stoic, but a glint of coldness flashed in his eyes. Though he maintained his composure, the words stirred a ripple in his heart.Alia, who had mentally braced herself for everything, couldn’t help but feel a pang of pain upon hearing this. She knew the kidnapper was trying to sow discord, but those cold words still left an impact. She forced herself to suppress all conflicting emotions, focusing on finding an opportunity to escape.At that moment, Marcellus, signaling subtly to Elias, maintained his calm tone. “Fine, I’ll give it to you. Knowing about such confidential documents couldn’t have been easy. But these files aren’t with me right now—they’re at my hou
The atmosphere inside the car was heavy with tension, yet Marcellus remained unusually calm. His gaze lingered on the passing scenery outside the window, his voice low but resolute. “I can’t be certain if all five of the men we trust are truly reliable. One of them could be a traitor or a mole. That’s why I misled them, sending them to search elsewhere. If they catch the mole, we’ll know who’s pulling the strings.”Elias frowned, his tone edged with urgency. “What if they don’t catch anyone? What if there’s no mole at all?”Marcellus turned to face Elias, his voice steady but sharp with insight. “If that happens, it won’t matter. The priority is rescuing Livia. Judging from the car crash site, the kidnappers used a small vehicle. There were no other tire tracks, which means they likely kept their group small to avoid drawing attention. I estimate no more than five to ten people.”He paused, locking eyes with Elias. “The three of us can handle that—unless, of course, you’re scared.”El
The factory air felt like an invisible net, suffocating Livia as it wrapped tightly around her. Her hands were bound behind her back, tied to a cold, unyielding chair. The coarse rope bit into her skin, but her expression remained composed, her eyes sharp and unyielding. Beads of cold sweat trickled down her forehead, glistening under the dim, flickering light overhead.She couldn’t discern the exact conversation of the kidnappers, but her keen ears picked up the faint sounds of footsteps and the occasional clatter of objects outside. As a seasoned thief, she quickly deduced that they were setting something up around the factory—possibly traps or methods to destroy evidence. Her mind raced through countless possibilities, but one conclusion stood out, chilling her to the core: they didn’t plan to let her leave alive.These kidnappers weren’t mere street thugs. Their precise movements and clear division of labor indicated training and discipline. They seemed more like professional sold
Under the veil of night, the sharp crack of gunfire shattered the stillness of the forest. The mingling scents of gunpowder and damp wood filled the air as Marcellus, Elias, and Mark spread out into a fan-shaped formation, silently advancing to eliminate the guards stationed outside the factory.Mark moved like a seasoned predator, swift and precise. His first shot struck a guard’s shoulder, disabling him instantly. Before the second guard could react, Mark had already repositioned and fired twice in quick succession, dropping him to the ground.On another flank, Marcellus crouched behind an abandoned vehicle for cover, his gun steady and trained forward. When a cautious enemy peeked out, searching for targets, Marcellus fired a single, clean shot. The guard collapsed, a bullet in his forehead. Marcellus remained expressionless, his calm demeanor making the act seem like a routine task.Elias, though a bit more reckless, was no less efficient. He darted through the forest like a shado
Elias knelt on the ground, his fists pounding the dirt as his emotions spiraled out of control. His forehead rested against his clenched hands, and his voice was hoarse with despair. “Why did I let her go back alone? Why!” The weight of his decision bore down on him like an invisible shackle, suffocating him.Nearby, Marcellus clenched his teeth, his eyes blazing with anger and pain. Suddenly, he spun around, grabbing Elias by the collar and hauling him to his feet. “Why did you let her go alone?! What were you thinking?!” His roar shattered the silence of the night, the echo stirring the leaves around them.“I…” Elias attempted to respond, but his guilt caught in his throat. He couldn’t meet Marcellus’s eyes, where anger mingled with a profound, unspeakable sorrow.“What was it all for?!” Marcellus’s voice cracked as his grip tightened, then slackened. He finally released Elias, collapsing to the ground. He buried his head in his hands, as if trying to suppress the storm of emotions
Livia had just emerged from the woods when a figure suddenly lunged toward her. Marcellus pulled her into a tight embrace with such force that it felt as though he wanted to fuse her into his very being. His body trembled, and hot tears soaked into her shoulder.“I can’t bear to lose you again…” Marcellus’s voice was hoarse and shaking, as though pulled from the depths of his chest, filled with endless remorse and deep emotion. “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…”Livia froze, caught off guard by his unguarded vulnerability. She had never seen Marcellus like this before—the man who was always calm and calculating now appeared like a lost child, laying bare his fragility in front of her.“It’s okay. I’m fine,” Livia said softly, patting his back with a gentle hand, her voice tinged with an unexpected tenderness.Elias, who had been standing nearby, couldn’t hold back his excitement any longer. He stepped forward, his eyes reddened, his tone brimming with suppressed joy. “Livia, you’re really saf
As the three of them stepped into the dungeon, the damp, bone-chilling air sent shivers down their spines. Livia stood silently at the entrance, her gaze fixed on the traitor bound to the chair in the center of the room. Behind her, Marcellus stood with his fingers slightly curled, barely containing his simmering anger. Elias, however, strode directly to the chair, his eyes blazing with fury, ready to launch into questioning.Unexpectedly, before the interrogation even began, the traitor, Allen, broke down. His voice, trembling with fear and regret, burst forth, “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! Please forgive me! I didn’t know things would turn out like this!”Allen’s sudden outburst left the three momentarily stunned. Livia instinctively glanced at Marcellus, while Elias frowned deeply, his sharp gaze locked onto Allen, clearly distrustful of his words.“You’d better start from the beginning and explain everything. If you don’t, you won’t like the consequences.” Elias’s low voice carried an
Allen’s explanation was logical but full of self-justification: “As you said, I passed on your information because I was tempted by benefits and threatened at the same time. But I swear, I didn’t lie. I only reported who you met and what you did. Today, out of sheer curiosity about Livia’s true identity and who you were talking to, I took the risk of eavesdropping. When Lord Marcellus suddenly appeared, it made the meeting seem even more unusual. After all, you and Lord Marcellus rarely meet in public, let alone in your secret stronghold. So, I made up my mind to listen in and pass the information to the commander. As for the kidnapping today, I really don’t know anything. I only provided information—I wasn’t involved in anything afterward.”Allen looked utterly innocent, even pitiable, but his words failed to dispel the doubt in the room.At that moment, a thought struck Livia like lightning. Something must have happened recently to prompt Eryx to take action, and the most notable ev
“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