"Stop talking!" Maverick finally shed his disguise completely. "I won't tell you who's backing me up—look for the answer yourself. You'd never find it!"He'd gone crazy. "The Farshyan people will never triumph against us. The memorial is just the beginning. You only learned about it because we failed to conceal it well."Maverick was exhibiting clear signs of madness as he rambled, "You're one of them Carvers, aren't you? Every single member of your family will die a miserable death!"Aria got up. "The memorial was only the beginning, huh? What's next, the babies?"Aria had obviously gotten it right, judging from how Maverick froze abruptly for a moment. She continued, "Even if you refuse to tell us anything, we can uncover parts of your plans through your records."We know that the person above you is currently in Janovin. He's quite knowledgeable in fortune telling, and he's an elderly person. You told me that I'd never find him. "I thought about it from another perspective, f
Everyone in the interrogation room fell silent upon seeing the name list. None of them would have expected those important figures, who should be servicing the people, to be guilty of harming them instead, motivated by their superstitious ideals.They would drink medicine for their bad livers and attempt to compensate for their ailing lungs by looking for a child with abundant positive energy. Certain politicians were among those mentioned, too. Even the members of the HOU were shocked to see those names, much less those police officers in charge of the interrogation. Had the enemy's influence really been spread so far and wide using those superstitious ideals? How long had it been since the beginning? Could Nymeria still be salvaged?Aria didn't waste any more time. She ordered the information about this to be locked down and the culprits arrested.Some of the people on the list valued their lives greatly. Upon noticing that something was amiss, they had already gone up to the
"Something went wrong with the batch of goods you wanted," the butler said tentatively, afraid of angering the other man. "The topic is also trending online. They're saying that a church was honoring invaders of our country."The hunchbacked old man clenched his fists tightly upon hearing that. His breathing became louder, audible even from a distance. "Leave, close the door, and allow no one to enter. I have some matters to attend to."The butler bowed slightly, saying, "Yes, sir." He ventured carefully, "What if the young master came? When he came to your study last time, he seemed to have—""My study? Why would he be there?" The old man stood up straight, looking at his butler with his sunken eyes. "Did he notice?"The butler shook his head. "No, no! I distracted him before he could enter the room."The old man was silent for a while. "Keep an eye on him and see if he's acting out of the ordinary recently.""Yes, sir." The butler took his leave. The old man didn't get back
At the same time, at the studio, the interviewer asked Leon, "To be honest, Kina, we're all curious about the reason you agreed to be featured in this variety show."The host, Jamie Morvan, sat across him, legs crossed. He chuckled as he continued, "As far as I know, you'll only experience the feeling of wonder if you have some degree of knowledge about ancient relics."The impressive cultural history of Farshya, spanning 5,000 years, will be exhibited in this show. As an idol, would participating in a show such as this be too difficult for you?"This question was surely meant to be a trap hidden behind a veneer of goodwill. Leon had been asked questions in this manner before, as his public image was still that of an uncultured idol with no background.He didn't mind it, but his fans didn't like it when he was asked these strongly biased questions. Clary, who was beside him, didn't want him to answer because his answer might be interpreted negatively.However, Leon seemed to have
Clary, an experienced manager, knew how to solve problems more efficiently. She quickly made a call to her boss.…On a train heading to Janovin, Clary's boss—Landon—was massaging Aria's waist. The first-class carriage was empty; no one dared sit in it.The head of York Group's Nymeria branch had practically booked a first-class carriage. They'd only known of Landon's arrival due to the incident happening at the church. Many people had requested them for their help in bailing their friends out. As if they'd dare do so!Who would dare bail someone out when their CEO was sitting right there? They didn't want to lose their jobs.They'd planned to treat Landon to dinner after the case concluded, but he wanted to return to Janovin immediately so they could only board the train with them.The three important men wiped their sweat. "Mr. York, uh—"Landon held his phone up, gesturing for them to wait so they shut up. "Yes, it's me. Please, go on." Landon poked a straw on the lid of
They finally knew why Landon valued her so highly. The man said a few more names before he seemed to remember something else. "Your cousin Marty was there too!""Yes, and he seemed to know Mr. Blooms really well.""We were surprised because one of them lives in Janovin while the other lives in the South. How did they grow to know each other that well? It's weird, right, Phil?"His colleague, Phil Chevron, thought, "Don't ask me that! Did you not realize that Mr. York is looking at us now? You sold yourself out!"As expected, Landon said, "Which means that all of you were there during that dinner too."Dan paused. He wanted to give himself a slap on the face. Landon said expressionlessly, "Tell me about that dinner. How did you become his pilgrims?"The men's backs were drenched with their sweat."His predictions are very accurate. He even managed to recount what happened to us during that time.""After we gave him some offerings, everything in our lives went smoothly.""We r
The three men nodded and hurriedly took their leave, clutching their briefcases. The train usually made short stops at stations on the way when a traveler or two would get in. For a moment, Aria couldn't distinguish between what was real and what was in her dreams. The desire for revenge consumed her, burning her throat and eyes.This went on until she heard Landon's voice through the din. "Don't overthink it. Take a nap."He spoke softly, and his hands were perfect for cooling Aria down. "If you really do feel bad, I'm here, aren't I? Your blood bag."Aria had realized last time that Landon could absorb some of the energy she released and that his blood was fatally tantalizing to her. Aria's eyes remained closed as she lay on Landon's shoulder, pushing her emotions down. She seemed to have done so once—many images flashed in her mind. Why was Landon in period clothes? In those images, Aria sat in a high chair, ordering Landon to wait as she bathed. She'd also said that Land
The journey from Nymeria to Janovin wasn't that long; it was almost dusk when Aria woke up. At dusk, the city was bustling with activity, but it was peaceful nevertheless. Perhaps it was because Aria had taken a nap, but she felt more relaxed now. It was as if the discomfort she felt due to the karma had been digested without her knowing. She hadn't known how to bring the subject of Ian's side of the family up to Warren, but she stopped feeling the need to hesitate.After what Fergus had gone through, she understood something—the sadness one felt after being betrayed was transitory; it was more important to evade risks. Also, Warren deserved to know the truth more than anyone else. Both the incident at the church and the stuff the Carver Group shareholders got up to in secret were heinous. Warren would feel sad upon hearing them, but letting him know was better than keeping it from him. Aria went to the Carver Group headquarters with Landon. The influencer who insulted Ari