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墨書 Inktalez
The man held Luna in his arms, a strange smile curling at the corners of his mouth, his greed flickering in his eyes as if he could already see mountains of gold coins piling up before him.
"You little thing, you truly are my money tree!" he muttered, quickening his pace as he vanished into the winding alley.
Luna remained still in his embrace, appearing obedient while secretly observing her surroundings. Her small hand tightly clutched a handkerchief she had taken from Aelia's room, embroidered with a delicate blue iris. It was a token of love given to Aelia by Leonard and served as undeniable evidence of his betrayal.
Back at the Magic Castle, Aelia paced anxiously, like an ant on a hot pan. Qin Si stood nearby, softly trying to comfort her, but it did little to ease her inner turmoil.
"Madam, please don't worry. The Young Miss has her own guardian angel and will surely be safe," he reassured her.
"I hope so..." Aelia forced a smile, but it couldn't hide the worry in her eyes.
Just then, Luna was returned. The man animatedly recounted how he had "bravely" rescued Luna from the hands of the traffickers, embellishing his contributions in hopes of receiving a generous reward from Aelia.
Suppressing her inner disgust, Aelia rewarded him with a hefty sum of gold coins and sent him on his way. The man left with a heavy purse, satisfied with himself. Little did he know that every move he made was being watched by Luna.
Once he was gone, Aelia immediately scooped up Luna and carefully checked for any injuries.
"Luna, are you alright? Is there anywhere that hurts?" she asked urgently, her voice trembling slightly.
Luna shook her head and replied in a baby voice, "Mother, Luna is fine." She pulled out the embroidered blue iris handkerchief from her pocket and handed it to Aelia. "Mother, this is what Luna found."
Aelia took the handkerchief, her face instantly turning pale. She recognized it all too well; it was the token of love Leonard had given her. How could it be here? Unless... A terrifying thought flashed through her mind, sending chills down her spine.
Luna blinked her big eyes and continued, "Mother, I saw an uncle with this handkerchief. He also said..." She paused deliberately to gauge Aelia's reaction.
Aelia held her breath and asked eagerly, "What else did he say?"
"He said it was a gift for his beloved and that he would cherish it forever," Luna innocently stated, but it detonated like a bomb in Aelia's heart.
Aelia could no longer deceive herself; Leonard's betrayal was now undeniable. She clutched the handkerchief tightly, her fingertips turning white as her body trembled slightly. Tears blurred her vision as despair and anger filled her heart.
"Leonard, how could you treat me this way!" Aelia gritted her teeth as hatred laced her voice.
Meanwhile, Leonard was in his study handling official business. He absentmindedly flipped through documents, feeling as though something significant was about to happen. An inexplicable sense of unease enveloped him, making him restless.
Suddenly, the door swung open and Aelia stormed in with fury blazing in her eyes. She threw the embroidered blue iris handkerchief onto Leonard's desk and demanded, "What is this? Explain yourself!"
Upon seeing the handkerchief, Leonard's face turned pale instantly.
He stammered, "This... this is..."
"What is this Token of Love you gave to which woman?" Aelia pressed on, her gaze sharp as a sword, piercing Leonard's heart.
Sweat beaded on Leonard's forehead as he frantically searched for an explanation, unsure of how to begin.
On the other side of the Magic Castle, the eldest brother lay in bed, struggling to control the chaotic magic within him.
Since Luna's return, he felt his magic stabilizing somewhat, which gave him a glimmer of hope.
He clenched his fists and vowed silently, "I must overcome the Magic Backlash and rise again!"
Second Brother sat by the window, his brow furrowed in deep thought.
Luna's words reminded him of the betrayal by a close friend and his current predicament.
He began to ponder how he could escape the Magic Dilemma and regain his freedom.
"Luna, who exactly are you?" he murmured to himself.
Brother San wandered aimlessly in the garden, kicking at the stones beneath his feet.
He noticed the changes in his elder brother and Second Brother, feeling an uneasy sensation in his heart.
"Eldest Brother, Second Brother..." He halted, gazing in their direction, words caught in his throat.
Leonard's face turned a deep shade of crimson; he trembled as he tried to speak but couldn't form a complete word.
The dignity and composure he once had were now completely gone, leaving only panic and disarray.
He attempted to grasp Aelia's hand, explaining, "Aelia, listen to me; it's not what you think..."
Aelia shook off his hand with a coldness that felt like winter frost.
"Not what I think? Leonard, at this point, do you still want to argue? This Handkerchief couldn't have sprouted legs and walked to another woman on its own!" Her voice was filled with disappointment and anger; each word struck Leonard like a dagger to the heart.
"I..." Leonard stammered, his mind blank.
He never expected things would unravel so quickly and completely.
He knew that no matter what he said now, he could not win back Aelia's heart.
"Leonard, I truly was blind to marry such a hypocritical man!" Aelia declared. "From today on, I will not believe a single word you say. Take care of yourself!" With that, she turned away without looking back, leaving Leonard standing alone in the study like a condemned prisoner.
Aelia stumbled back to her room and collapsed onto her bed, crying uncontrollably.
She felt as if her heart had been torn into pieces, the pain making it hard to breathe.
She had always believed that Leonard loved her and was a man worthy of her lifelong commitment.
But now she realized she had been living in a beautiful lie all along.
Qin Si heard Aelia's sobs and entered with concern.
Gently patting Aelia's back, she comforted her softly, "Madam, please don't cry; what will happen if you make yourself ill? That kind of man isn't worth your tears."
Aelia looked up at Qin Si with tear-filled eyes and choked out, "Qin Si, what should I do? I really don’t know what to do..."
Qin Si tenderly wiped Aelia's tears away and said firmly, "Madam, you still have us. No matter what happens, we will stand by your side and support you. You must be strong; you can't let those Little Ones succeed."
Aelia nodded and tightly grasped Qin Si's hand.
She knew she could not fall; she had to live strongly for herself and for the Children.
She wanted Leonard to pay for his betrayal. At that moment, Brother San was wandering aimlessly in the garden. The sunlight fell upon him, yet it could not dispel the gloom in his heart. He saw Aelia's departing figure and sensed the oppressive atmosphere emanating from Leonard's study. He had a vague feeling that something significant was happening at home.
He stopped in his tracks, looking towards the room where his elder brother had shut himself away, then glanced at Second Brother, whose brows were tightly knitted. Suddenly, he became aware that he could no longer drift through life aimlessly. His elder brother was struggling painfully due to the Magic Backlash, and Second Brother was caught in a predicament because of a friend's betrayal, while he had been complacent about his powerful Magical Talent and neglecting his training.
"I can't go on like this!" Brother San clenched his fists tightly. He needed to pull himself together, help his elder brother and Second Brother out of their troubles, and protect their home. He wanted those who looked down on him to see him in a new light.
Taking a deep breath, he turned and walked towards the training room. It had been a long time since he had picked up his magic staff; he was almost forgetting that he had once been an ambitious Mage.
Meanwhile, Lucius had also heard about the turmoil at home. His brow furrowed in worry. He knew Leonard's infidelity was notorious, but he never expected him to brazenly betray Aelia like this. He decided to seek Luna for clarification. He knew that although Luna was young, she was very clever and seemed to be well-informed about family matters.
He hurried to Luna's room and gently knocked on the door. "Who is it?" came Luna's youthful voice from inside.
"It's me, Lucius," he replied softly.
The door creaked open, and Luna peeked out with curiosity at Lucius. "Third Brother, what do you need from Luna?"
Lucius stepped into the room, closed the door behind him, crouched down to meet her gaze, and asked earnestly, "Luna, has something happened at home? I heard Father and Mother had a fight."
Luna blinked her big eyes and nodded. In her baby voice, she said, "Yes, Third Brother. Father betrayed Mother, and Mother is very sad."
Lucius's expression changed; he never expected it to be true. He sighed helplessly and said, "Father is really foolish. How could he do something like this?"
Luna tilted her head and looked at Lucius before suddenly asking, "Third Brother, do you care a lot about Mother?"
Lucius nodded without hesitation. "Of course! Mother is the most important person in this family. I can't let her get hurt."
Luna smiled and said, "Don't worry, Third Brother; Luna will protect Mother."
Lucius looked at Luna's innocent face, feeling an inexplicable surge of emotion within him. He knew that although she was young, she possessed a kind and brave heart. He believed she would surely help Mother out of her predicament.
“Luna, thank you,” Lucius said softly as he patted Luna on the head.
The atmosphere within the Magic Castle had become unusually tense and oppressive. Each person harbored different thoughts, bustling about for their own interests. Beneath the calm surface, dark currents surged, and a massive storm was about to sweep through the entire Magic Castle.
At that moment, Lucius suddenly noticed Luna's features; there was a sense of familiarity that struck him. He abruptly recalled his younger sister who had gone missing during his childhood, and a strong premonition surged within him.
With a trembling voice, he asked, “Luna, who are your parents?”
Luna tilted her head and innocently replied, “Luna's parents are, of course, Aelia and Leonard…”
Lucius stood frozen in place, an indescribable sense of disappointment washing over him. He realized he had mistaken her for someone else. But why did he feel such a strong sense of affection for this little girl?
He slowly reached out his hand, wanting to confirm once more, but Luna gently dodged away.
“Third Brother, your hand is so cold…” Luna pouted and complained.
Lucius's hand hung in the air, and as he looked at Luna's innocent smile, he suddenly felt a pang in his heart.
“Luna, you…” He wanted to say something but found his throat blocked as if something was preventing him from speaking.
Luna blinked her big eyes curiously at him and asked, “Third Brother, what's wrong?”
Lucius did not answer; he just stared blankly at Luna.
“Third Brother, do you have something you want to say to Luna?” she continued to ask with her head tilted.
Lucius took a deep breath and slowly said, “Luna, you…”
Just then, a voice interrupted him: “Luna, the lady requests your presence.”
Qin Si stood at the door with an anxious expression on her face as she looked at them.
Lucius frowned, feeling a wave of displeasure wash over him. He knew that Aelia must have encountered some trouble again.
He turned to Luna and said softly, “Luna, you should go. Mother might need you.”
Luna nodded obediently and said, “Okay, Third Brother.”
With that, she turned and walked towards Qin Si, leaving Lucius alone in the room with a furrowed brow, lost in thought.
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