‎The morning came, and the paladins were still patrolling around the walls. Aurelia couldn’t sleep, she couldn’t even close her eyes for more than a few seconds. She decided to go into the garden, the place with so many memories of her with Astrea and Cardinal Eros.

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‎”I knew you would be here…” Isador said as he looked at Aurelia, sitting on the bench and staring blankly at the flowers. “Is everything okay?” He asked.

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‎Aurelia glanced at Isador coldly, and that was enough to stop him from coming closer to her. There was anger, disappointment, and resentment in her gaze toward him.

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‎”Did you know?” Aurelia asked coldly.

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‎”Did I know? What?” Isador asked back with a confused look. He didn’t know what had happened to her and why she was being hostile toward him. “Can you tell me what’s going on?” He added, didn’t dare to take a step closer.

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‎Aurelia looked down to her left where the record she had taken from the hidden chamber was. She grabbed it and threw it at Isador, landing right in front of his foot. She kept staring at him coldly and menacingly without saying a single word.

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‎Isador looked at the record and slowly grabbed it. He read the record carefully and thoroughly, wondering what caused Aurelia to be so furious at him. However, when he read the content, he was deeply shocked and in disbelief.

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‎Aurelia could see it in Isador’s eyes that he had no idea about it either. She realized that it wasn’t just her, Isador also didn’t know about the truth during the Great Era of Neva. She slowly softened her gaze and expression as she looked away, feeling guilty that she assumed that Isador knew about it all along since he was the crown prince of the Sun Empire.

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‎”Where did you get this?” Isador asked, his voice trembled, his pupils trembled as he looked at Aurelia.

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‎”My mother showed me the hidden chamber in the palace. She showed that place because I’m now the Saint. This whole time, we were believing in lies, and we brought this whole thing to ourselves…” Aurelia answered as she clenched her fists, digging her nails into her palms.

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‎Isador slowly walked toward Aurelia and reached his trembling hands with the record in his hand at Aurelia. He was deeply shocked and petrified by the lies and the things they had built were based on lies.

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‎”That means…” Isador muttered as he looked at Aurelia. “My family is… My family is the mastermind behind all that?” He asked with his brows furrowed.

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‎”Our families, and the others. We used this lie to attain peace, and we neglected the problems just for the sake of that peace…” Aurelia said as she looked at the record in her hands. “We brought this onto ourselves, and now the lives of the people we lied to, they’re becoming the victims. Our families are the worst hypocrite in the history of mankind…” she continued as she clenched onto the record tightly.

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‎”Does that mean… our families killed all the Blackheart family members, every last of them because they were afraid that the Blackheart family would disturb that peace? We killed the ones who wanted to make a change, we erased the ones who wanted to fight evil…” Isador collapsed onto the bench, his eyes were empty and filled with fear.

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‎Aurelia didn’t need to say a word or make a gesture because Isador should know that she also thought the same thing. They both sat there in silence, realizing the lies and the sins their families had committed. They realized their families were as evil coated in righteousness, the worst form of hypocrisy.

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‎After a long silence, Aurelia suddenly stood up and held the record in her hand. Isador was confused, wondering where she wanted to go, and why she held that record.

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‎”I’m going to meet him… and show this to him…” Aurelia said as she looked at Isador.

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‎”You want to show that to Count Blackheart? Do you know that right now, we are in the most vulnerable state. If he took that information and chose to get rid of us, we would cease to exist…” Isador looked up at Aurelia with a worried expression.

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‎”It would be great if he would kill me. I don’t think I have the courage, the heart, and the sanity to live on after knowing this…” Aurelia smiled weakly as she stared at Isador.

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‎”Then let me join you…” Isador got up and stared Aurelia in the eyes. “We both are responsible for the sins of our ancestors. We are in this together, and if you wanted to die, I would die with you. However, if you chose to reveal it to the world, then I would be there beside you…” He said with a serious expression, filled with determination.

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‎Aurelia lowered her head and slowly nodded her head.

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‎Aurelia and Isador walked side by side, the paladins and the Archbishops were focused on them. They could feel the difference in their way of walking, their gaze, and the way they ignored their surroundings.

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‎”Your Holiness!” Esper kneeled in front of Aurelia with his sheathed sword in his right hand. Ulric kneeled beside him and lowered his head.

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‎”We apologized that we weren’t here, and we weren’t able to protect the lives we swore upon…” Ulric added as he clenched his fists. “We will be at your service. We will stay by your side from now on…” he continued.

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‎As the 9th and the 8th Swordmasters of Neva, they could sense any danger of hostility around them. They felt that danger and hostility, but they didn’t expect it was pointed at something above them. The hostility came from nobody but the one they chose to serve, Aurelia. They both were too confused and afraid to lift their heads and look at her.

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‎”Just stay by my mother’s side. I’ll call for you if I need something from you,” Aurelia coldly said as she walked past them without batting an eye.

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‎Esper and Ulric glanced and looked at each other, shocked by what had just happened. They slowly stood up and turned around to look at Aurelia, noticing the aura around her that seemed cold and dark. They were worried, and the only person who might know the answer was no other than Astrea, her mother.

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‎Aurelia and Isador stood in front of the mansion where Rasmus and the others stayed. They both were anxious even though they were so determined a few seconds ago. They felt betrayed and were furious, however, the one they were going to meet was no other than the person who could make them feel worse than those.

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‎Aurelia took a deep breath and then knocked on the door firmly. She began to sweat, and the worst part was that she began to feel regret. However, the moment the door was unlocked and opened, she knew it was too late to go back.

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‎”Your Holiness?” Erlina raised her brows, surprised to see Aurelia after everything that had happened. “Please come in. I’ll bring you to the parlor room and I’ll ask someone to bring Count Rasmus,” she smiled as she opened the door widely for Aurelia and Isador.

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‎”Thank you…” Aurelia smiled as she entered the mansion with Isador following her from behind.

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‎The three of them entered the parlor room, but Aurelia and Isador didn’t see anyone else in the mansion. They wondered where everyone went, not even a single maid was seen in the big mansion.

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‎”Lady Erlina, can I ask you something personal?” Aurelia asked as she looked at Erlina who prepared the tea for them.

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‎”Of course, Your Holiness. Ask me anything and I’ll answer it honestly,” Erlina answered with a gentle smile.

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‎”Did you and the others know about what Count Rasmus did? Everything that happened here and everything in South Neva?” Aurelia asked, wanting to know if all Rasmus people knew about him more than anyone else.

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‎Erlina paused from pouring the tea into the cup when she heard the question. However, she put a smile as she continued to pour the tea while Aurelia and Isador waited for her to answer the question.

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‎”Yes, some of us know everything, while the rest of us chose not to know more. However, we all know that everything that happened in South Neva a year ago, they were all orchestrated by him,” Erlina answered as she put the teacups carefully on the coffee table in front of Isador and Aurelia.

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‎”And you’re okay with that?” Isador asked with his brows furrowed.

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‎”If I’m okay with that? Hmm, that’s not the right question to ask, Crown Prince. We weren’t involved in everything he did back then, and he never asked for our involvement in the first place. He’s not the type to drag someone into his mess unless they have the same goal as him and are willing to be a part of it,” Erlina answered with a smile on her face.

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‎”But you’re following him. Doesn’t that make his enemy target you too?” Aurelia asked.

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‎”Of course, Your Holiness. It’s our decision, and it’s the consequences of following him. But if you asked me if we regretted it? The answer is no, Your Holiness. Because it’s our choice to follow him,” Erlina answered as she walked toward the door. “He will be here at any moment. I’ll take my leave, Your Holiness, Crown Prince,” she bowed her head and then left the room.

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Aurelia and Isador looked at each other, noticing the contrast between their case with the people that followed Rasmus.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep