Chapter 272: A Fate That Must Be Faced

Wait…

Maybe I wasn’t entirely out of options.

As she racked her brain, Ileya suddenly felt like she’d caught a thread amidst her chaotic thoughts. A thread she’d let lie for a long time, nurtured for a long time.

Arthur… that old man seemed like it was time for him to play his part.

Even though she didn’t know his true identity, given her mother’s current situation, it would be wisest not to delay any further.

She had to force Arthur to cough up something.

Whoosh!

Ileya’s soul returned to her body, and her scarlet eyes snapped open, overflowing with a chilling cold.

It was the kind of look that could scare Weir to tears.

Her mother’s safety was at stake; Ileya couldn’t afford even a moment’s slack.

The moment her thoughts settled, the young lady, clad in a white nightgown, sat up straight in bed.

“Amisa!”

Ileya called toward her door, and the next second, a figure stepped out from the shadow beside the door.

“Miss.”

Though they had returned to the Marquis Castle, because Ileya had “requested” Amisa from her mother earlier, after this journey, the attendant maid had truly become the young lady’s person.

“Go fetch Arthur. I have something to ask him.”

Ileya spoke slowly. The pale moonlight cast an icy glow on the girl’s face, adding not only coldness and authority but also a touch of mystery.

“Yes, Miss.”

……

“Excellent. You’ve now grasped the basics of the [Void Steps].”

In the quiet night, the old man spoke with satisfaction into the necklace in his hand.

On the other end, some message seemed to transmit back, but only Arthur could hear it clearly.

“Now you need to practice diligently… Hm?”

Arthur’s voice stopped mid-sentence. He instinctively clenched the necklace in his palm and turned his head.

The shadow beside the door rippled, and a maid with crystal glasses stepped out slowly.

“Miss Amisa… don’t you sleep?” He looked at her neatly pressed maid uniform, then at his own thin pajamas, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness.

Even though the information she’d provided earlier had changed his opinion of this old man somewhat, Amisa still didn’t fully trust him.

Her tone was cold, and her gaze remained icy.

“Please get up. Miss requests your presence.”

Huh?

Arthur blinked, but he had no reason to refuse if Ileya called for him.

He simply slipped the necklace into his pajama pocket, got up, and followed Amisa to meet the young lady.

Inside the fragrant boudoir, Ileya received this “ally” who ostensibly served her but always had his own agenda.

“Arthur… there’s something I want to ask you.”

As the young lady spoke, Arthur sensed that today she seemed different from before.

Not like usual, and even different from when they’d discussed “business.”

Her tone was ice-cold, as if she’d turn hostile the moment he failed to answer her question.

What was going on?

Having stayed by this young lady’s side for so long, Arthur knew well how exceptional she was.

Hiding her emotions was the bare minimum. If she were truly dissatisfied with him, she wouldn’t show it like this…

Could it be… Arthur’s ability to read people was maxed out. He immediately sensed something, and his slightly hunched back straightened.

“You must know something, right? About… the [Saint Witch]?”

Ileya cut straight to the point, giving Arthur no time to react.

“I don’t know if you’re aware that the Seredon Family is descended from the [Saint Witch], but right now… I need the knowledge in your head. Spare no effort to help me find a breakthrough.”

She stood up from the bed, backlit by the pale moonlight, staring directly at the old man.

“You must help me.”

“You…” Arthur’s eyes widened slightly.

Perhaps because his attention had been focused on Franlot, he hadn’t been clear on what others were doing. Hearing this news—or rather, that Ileya had investigated this far—shocked him deeply.

Facing the girl’s eyes, Arthur opened his mouth several times, only to close it again.

“It’s not that I don’t want to tell you, but… it’s better you don’t know.”

Whoosh. Behind him, Amisa reached into her pocket, her face darkening.

And Arthur himself felt a tangible pressure on his soul, as if everything inside him was laid bare before the young lady.

If this were aimed at an ordinary person, they might collapse like a mortal facing a natural disaster, spilling everything they knew.

But Arthur was clearly no ordinary man.

He simply closed his eyes, fell silent for a moment, and didn’t answer Ileya.

This guy… Ileya’s head throbbed. She’d been too hasty. She knew threats didn’t work well on someone like him…

It would have been better to appeal to his sense of gratitude and morally pressure him.

She’d panicked.

Of course, she couldn’t kill Arthur, but he definitely knew something crucial…

And Ileya had to get that information!

Only then could her mother have a chance, and the future tragedy be averted!

“Miss, if you trust me…”

Before Ileya could press him further, Arthur suddenly spoke.

“Could you tell me what happened first?”

Arthur bowed his head sincerely, speaking to the girl before him.

His voice seemed to sing, each note carrying a calming charm, gradually settling Ileya’s restless heart.

This guy really…

But telling him wouldn’t hurt. She nodded slightly and laid out everything about her mother and her aunt, sparing no details.

Even Amisa, standing behind Arthur, felt her heart race with each word.

If not for the lack of permission, she might have rushed to Shuderian’s bedroom to demand answers.

No wonder… no wonder the lady had forbidden anyone from approaching her room at night lately…

No wonder she’d been coughing even though she showed no signs of illness…

An ordinary body couldn’t withstand the gradual awakening of “Inborn Transcendence.”

Starting to train now would only add to the strain.

The lady was in an extremely dangerous situation. Matters of the supreme being had no easy solutions.

Even if there were a way, it would be a near-impossible gamble. No wonder the strong-willed lady had hidden it.

Was she trying to keep her husband and daughter out of the Seredon Family’s curse?

Thinking this, Amisa pursed her lips and looked at Arthur. Reluctant as she was, she had to rely on him now.

After hearing Ileya’s explanation, Arthur’s reaction surprised them both.

“This is sudden, but… can you take me to her now?”

He spoke almost without thinking, with a hint of urgency in his voice.

“Huh? Yes, we can go now.”

Ileya nodded. She knew her mother wasn’t asleep yet.

Without hesitation, the three of them went to Shuderian’s door.

Knock knock knock…

“Mother!”

Inside, Shuderian was initially annoyed at being disturbed so late.

She’d previously ordered that no one approach her room at night unless it was urgent.

“Yaya? What’s wrong? You… come in.”

Shuderian took a deep breath, adjusting herself so she wouldn’t look too haggard.

But her pale, pain-racked face couldn’t be hidden.

But…

When the door opened, it wasn’t just her Yaya. Behind her was Amisa, her former personal maid.

And an old man Shuderian found unfamiliar.

She remembered him. Yaya had brought him back from the slave market. I think his name was… Arthur?

She hadn’t paid much attention, assuming her daughter had taken a whim of pity on the old man.

But now…

“What’s going on?” Shuderian blinked in confusion, looking at the three grim-faced individuals before her.

A bad feeling rose in her heart.

“Mother, I know what you’ve been hiding.”

True to form, Ileya cut straight to the point, leaving Shuderian no room to deny it.

“The [Saint Witch] bloodline in you… it’s begun to awaken, hasn’t it?”

“I…”

“Why didn’t you tell me?!”

Before Shuderian could say anything, Ileya interrupted sharply, her gaze fiercer than anything she’d ever shown her mother.

Shuderian, suddenly scolded by her daughter, looked bewildered and hurt at the soft, obedient Yaya before her.

Whoosh!

But the next second, Ileya pulled her into a tight embrace.

When she spoke again, her voice was choked with tears.

“If we’re family, shouldn’t we support each other? Hiding this from me… it really hurts!”

Huh… Hearing her daughter’s hoarse voice, Shuderian felt a surge of guilt.

But whether before or now, she never wanted her family to wade into the Seredon Family’s mess.

Especially after learning her mother’s family was descended from the Saint Witch.

“Yaya…”

“I know what you’re thinking, Mother. But since we’re family, neither I nor Father can escape this fate.”

She slowly pulled back from Shuderian’s arms, meeting her pale-faced mother’s eyes.

“So… we have to face it. And crush it!”