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墨書 Inktalez
The sunlight filtered through the sheer curtains, casting dappled light and shadow around Luna's cradle.
She nibbled on one of her chubby little fingers, her big, dark eyes sparkling with mischief.
A storm was brewing, and she was the little butterfly stirring the wings.
The first step of her plan was to let Qin Si know the truth.
Qin Si was Aelia's confidant and the most loyal servant in all of Glory Castle.
To sway Aelia's heart, clouded by love, Qin Si was the best point of entry.
Luna called out with a soft "Yi Ya," struggling to climb out of the cradle, her plump little legs wobbling as they supported her body.
She shuffled to the corner of the room, where a pile of colorful toys lay scattered.
"Qin Qin... hug..." she mumbled, extending her small hand toward a delicate music box.
Qin Si entered with a basin of clear water. Upon hearing Luna's voice, she immediately set down the basin and hurried to her side.
"My Young Miss, how did you manage to climb up by yourself? Be careful not to fall," Qin Si said affectionately as she lifted Luna into her arms, using a handkerchief to wipe the fine sweat from her forehead.
Luna wrapped her arms around Qin Si's neck and whispered some incomprehensible baby language into her ear.
"Mm... mm... flowers... outside..." Luna pointed with her tiny finger toward the window, where a vibrant patch of roses bloomed.
Qin Si thought Luna wanted to go out to play and smiled as she said, "Do you want to see the flowers, Young Miss? Alright, I'll take you to see them."
She carried Luna to the window and pointed at the vibrant roses outside.
However, Luna shook her head and pointed towards the depths of the garden, where there was a secluded little pavilion.
"There… man… woman…" Luna mumbled, her small face serious.
Qin Si was taken aback and followed Luna's finger to look in that direction.
The little pavilion was rarely visited because of its remote location and years of neglect.
What could a child possibly see?
She dismissed it as mere childish talk.
"Young Miss, there's nothing there," Qin Si said with a smile.
But Luna persisted, clutching Qin Si's clothing tightly and repeatedly saying, "Man… woman… secret..."
"Alright, alright, whatever you say, Young Miss," Qin Si chuckled helplessly, thinking how rich a child's imagination could be.
In the following days, Luna pointed at that little pavilion every day, repeating those same words.
Finally, Qin Si began to take notice.
That afternoon, Qin Si took the opportunity of watering the flowers to quietly approach the small pavilion.
The area around the pavilion was overgrown with weeds, giving it a desolate appearance.
She cautiously stepped inside, looking around but finding nothing unusual.
Just as she was about to leave, her peripheral vision caught sight of a Si Pa discarded in the corner.
The Si Pa was made of very expensive material, embroidered with a delicate Lily.
Such a Si Pa would only be used by a Noble Young Lady.
Qin Si picked up the Si Pa and examined it closely.
Suddenly, she noticed a very discreet letter "L" embroidered in one corner of the Si Pa.
Qin Si's heart sank; this letter was the initial of Leonard's name!
A chill rose from her feet, and Qin Si's face turned pale.
She recalled Luna's repeated words over the past few days and connected them with this Si Pa bearing Leonard's initial. A terrifying thought emerged in her mind.
She dared not think further, clutching the Si Pa tightly as she stumbled back to Aelia's room.
Inside the room, Aelia was standing in front of the mirror, carefully grooming herself.
She wore a magnificent gown, her face adorned with exquisite makeup, attempting to conceal the fatigue at the corners of her eyes.
"Madam, you look truly beautiful today," Qin Si forced a smile, her voice trembling slightly.
Aelia turned around, noticing the pallor on Qin Si's face, and asked with concern, "Qin Si, what's wrong? You look unwell."
After a moment of hesitation, Qin Si decided to confide in Aelia.
She knelt down and handed the Si Pa in her hand to Aelia.
"Madam, I... I found this in the pavilion of the garden," Qin Si's voice was barely audible.
Aelia took the Si Pa and glanced at it casually. Suddenly, her face turned pale, and the Si Pa slipped weakly from her grasp.
"This... this..." Aelia's voice trembled as she pointed at the letters on the Si Pa, incredulously asking, "What is going on?"
Qin Si recounted Luna's unusual behavior over the past few days and her own suspicions to Aelia in detail.
Upon hearing this, Aelia felt as if she had been struck by lightning; she was left in a daze.
She had been married to Leonard for decades, and they had always been loving towards each other. She had never doubted Leonard's loyalty to her.
But now, a Si Pa embroidered with Leonard's initials and the vague accusation from a two-year-old girl shattered the illusion of happiness she had held onto for so long.
"No... it can't be... this is impossible..." Aelia murmured to herself, unwilling to believe that this could be true.
"Madam, I do not want to believe this is true, but..." Qin Si choked out, "Young Miss would never lie, and this Si Pa..."
Aelia closed her eyes in pain, tears streaming down her cheeks like a gentle rain.
She had always thought she was the happiest woman in the world, but now she realized she had been living in a carefully woven lie.
Years of love turned to dust in an instant. Aelia felt as if her world had collapsed.
Just then, an anxious voice came from outside the door. "Mother! Mother! Are you alright?"
It was her elder brother.
Upon hearing the news, he rushed over without a thought for the pain caused by his Magic Backlash.
He burst into the room and saw Aelia's pale face and tear-streaked cheeks. With concern, he asked, "Mother, what happened? Please don’t scare me!"
Seeing her brother, Aelia could no longer hold back and threw herself into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Leonard... Leonard has betrayed me..." Aelia managed to say through her tears.
Her brother's body stiffened suddenly as he looked at Aelia in disbelief. "Mother, what are you saying? Father...?"
Qin Si recounted the events to her brother.
After hearing everything, he clenched his fists tightly, the veins on the back of his hand bulging.
He could hardly believe that his beloved Father had done such a thing!
He gritted his teeth against the excruciating pain from the Magic Backlash and comforted Aelia, "Mother, please don't be sad. I will get to the bottom of this. Rest assured, no matter what happens, I will protect you."
His Second Brother also rushed in, standing at the doorway with a face as dark as thunder as he overheard the conversation inside.
Once, he had been betrayed by his most trusted friend and found himself ensnared in a web of magic.
Now, his family faced a similar plight.
He recalled his past suffering and remembered Mother's tenderness and love. He steeled himself, determined to help Mother and guide the family through this crisis.
He stepped into the room and approached Aelia, saying firmly, "Mother, don't worry. I will help you. Whatever happens, we will face it together."
Aelia looked at her two understanding sons and felt a slight sense of comfort in her heart.
She knew she was not fighting alone.
Just then, a somewhat flippant voice came from the doorway, "Oh? What's going on here? Crying and wailing like this—what a sight!"
It was Lucius, Leonard's most favored son.
He leaned against the door frame with a smirk that hinted at his irreverent nature.
"Mother, are you alright? Where's Father? Where did he go?" Lucius asked, his tone betraying no hint of concern.
Aelia coldly stared at Lucius, remaining silent.
Her elder brother stood up, positioning himself protectively in front of Aelia, glaring at Lucius. "This is none of your business. Get out!"
Lucius shrugged nonchalantly and replied, "Brother, what are you doing? I'm just concerned about Mother."
"Concerned? I think you're here to watch the show!" Ailya's Roar, her brother, retorted.
"Alright, brother, that's enough," Second Brother interjected, pulling Ailya's Roar back and signaling him to calm down.
He stepped forward to face Lucius and said calmly, "Lucius, our family is facing a crisis right now. I hope you can stand with us to get through this difficult time."
Lucius raised an eyebrow, a knowing smile creeping across his face. "Crisis? What crisis? I wasn't aware of any."
With that, he turned and left the room, leaving behind a cryptic remark: "This show is getting more interesting..."
Watching Lucius's retreating figure, Second Brother furrowed his brow tightly.
He had a nagging feeling that this brother of theirs knew something and seemed unwilling to side with them.
"Mother, I'm afraid this matter is not as simple as we thought," Second Brother said with concern.
Aelia took a deep breath, wiped her tears away, and spoke slowly. "I know. But no matter how difficult it gets, we must persevere. For our family, for our honor!"
She lifted her head, her gaze resolute, like a phoenix reborn from the ashes.
At that moment, a voice broke the silence in the room: “Mother, perhaps I’ve known about Father all along…”
The speaker was Brother San, standing at the door with a complex expression, as if he had made a significant decision.
“Mother, perhaps I’ve known about Father all along…”
Brother San’s voice was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples that spread outward.
Aelia suddenly turned her head, her gaze piercing as if she intended to see through Brother San’s very soul.
“What did you say? You knew all along?”
Brother San took a deep breath, as if trying to expel all the regret from his chest.
He stepped into the room and stood before Aelia. The carefree smile he usually wore had vanished without a trace, replaced by an unprecedented seriousness and guilt.
“Mother, for these years I’ve been consumed by the superiority brought by my Magical Talent, neglecting my training and showing indifference to family matters. I thought that as long as I had talent, everything would fall into place. Now it seems I was gravely mistaken!” Brother San’s voice trembled slightly as he looked up at Aelia, his eyes filled with remorse. “I had noticed some unusual behavior from Father, but he always brushed me off with excuses of being busy with work. I thought it was just trivial matters and didn’t take them to heart. Now I realize how foolish I was!”
Aelia looked at her suddenly awakened son, feeling a mix of emotions in her heart.
She had always known Brother San was exceptionally gifted but worried he would be blinded by that talent and neglect his training.
Now that Brother San had finally become aware of his errors, it brought her a sense of relief.
“It’s not too late to wake up now,” Aelia said softly as she approached Brother San and gently patted his thin shoulders. “To recognize one’s mistakes and correct them is a great virtue. Our family is facing a crisis now; we need your strength. Can you lend your support to the family?”
A determined light flashed in Brother San's eyes as he straightened his back and said firmly, "Mother, I am willing! From today onward, I will set aside all distractions and focus on my training to fight for our family!"
Just then, the door to the room was pushed open again, and Lucius walked in.
He wore a look of urgency on his face, his eyes filled with anxiety.
"Mother, I've heard some things..." Lucius approached Aelia, his tone somewhat urgent. "Father... does he really have Leonard's Concubine?"
Aelia coldly regarded Lucius, remaining silent.
She couldn't tell if her son genuinely cared for the family or had ulterior motives.
"Mother, please say something!" Lucius raised his voice, gripping Aelia's arm as he anxiously asked, "Is this true? If it is, our family's reputation will be ruined! Do you understand? The reputation of the Glorious Demon Fortress is more important than anything else!"
Aelia shook off Lucius's hand and replied coldly, "Enough! Lucius, you don't need to put on an act in front of me. I know exactly what you're thinking."
Lucius's face turned pale as he took a few steps back, staring at Aelia in disbelief.
"Mother, you... you don't believe me?"
"Should I believe you?" Aelia retorted. "You've always been close to your father. Don't you know what he's done?"
Lucius opened his mouth to say something but found himself at a loss for words.
He understood that no matter what he said, Aelia would never believe him now.
“Lucius, if you truly care about the family, you should stand with us and fight against this crisis,” the elder brother said, stepping in front of Lucius with a serious tone. “If you persist in your delusions and continue to collude with your father, don’t blame us for being harsh!”
Lucius glanced at his brother, then at Aelia, before finally sighing and turning to leave the room.
His silhouette appeared somewhat forlorn, like a lost child searching for direction.
Just as the atmosphere in the room grew more tense, a slightly panicked voice came from outside: “The Lord of the Fortress has returned!”
Aelia’s body jolted slightly; she took a deep breath, striving to calm herself.
She knew that what was meant to come would eventually arrive.
Leonard walked into the room, a hint of fatigue on his face. Upon seeing Aelia and several of his sons present, he paused for a moment.
“You’re all here. Perfect timing; I have something to discuss with you.”
His gaze fell on Aelia’s face, trying to glean something from her expression, but found her eyes as calm as still water, as if she were looking at a stranger.
“Leonard, what do you want to say?” Aelia’s voice was steady but carried an almost imperceptible chill.
A sense of foreboding surged within Leonard. He forced a smile and said, “Aelia, I’ve been busy with official matters lately and have neglected you. I…”
“Enough!” Aelia interrupted him. She stood up and walked over to Leonard, her gaze piercing into him.
“Leonard, you don’t need to say any more. I know what you’ve done.”
Leonard's face instantly turned pale as he took a few steps back, stammering, "Aelia, you... you know everything?"
"That's right, I know," Aelia replied calmly, her voice filled with strength.
"I know you've been keeping a woman outside, I know you've betrayed me, betrayed our family!"
Leonard was completely panicked. He tried to cover up the truth and defend himself. "Aelia, let me explain, it's not what you think..."
"Not what I think? Then what is it?" Aelia asked with a cold laugh. "Leonard, are you still trying to argue? At this point, what more do you have to say?"
Leonard knew that no matter what he said, Aelia would never believe him again.
He slumped into a chair, as if aging ten years in an instant.
The atmosphere in the room became tense, as if a great battle could erupt at any moment.
Eldest Brother and Second Brother stood beside Aelia, watching Leonard warily and ready to act at any moment.
Brother San stood aside with a complex expression, unsure of what to do.
"Aelia, even if I've wronged you, I did it for the family!" Leonard suddenly lifted his head and shouted. "I had to do this for the family's benefit! Don't you understand?"
Aelia looked at Leonard with a cold smile, as if she were staring at a madman.
"For the family's benefit? Leonard, you're truly ridiculous! Do you think I would believe your nonsense? Everything you've done is for yourself, to satisfy your own desires!"
"You..." Leonard trembled with rage, pointing at Aelia, wanting to say something but finding himself utterly speechless.
"Enough!" Aelia's Roar interrupted Leonard's words.
"Leonard, from today onward, you are no longer the Lord of Glorious Demon Fortress! I will convene a family meeting to strip you of all your powers!"
"You dare!" Leonard shot up, glaring at Aelia.
"Aelia, don't forget that I am the head of this family. Without my permission, you can do nothing!"
"Is that so?" Aelia replied with a cold laugh. She walked to the window, gazing at the distant sky, her tone calm yet filled with strength.
"Then let us wait and see who the true victor will be..."
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