NOVPUB
Chapter 237: Rest Well My Friend
Grand Duke Rivas hesitated. He truly didn’t want his daughter to face such a cruel choice. To kill someone so dear to her because there was no other option would undoubtedly leave a hole in her heart. She would carry that guilt for a long time—perhaps even for the rest of her life—if she couldn’t overcome it or make peace with herself. As her father, that was the last thing he wanted.
However, as a cultivator, Irene would inevitably face such choices in the future. He wanted her to make her own decisions, believing his role was to support her and ensure she didn’t regret them afterward.
"Are you sure, my dear? If you want, I can do it. You don’t have to force yourself," Grand Duke Rivas said.
"No, Father. Let me do this," Irene replied firmly, without looking at him. "Can you all leave me and Cecile alone for a while?"
Hearing his daughter’s request, Grand Duke Rivas looked at the members of the Iron Fist Order and signaled them to leave. Once they were gone, he cast a final glance at Irene before quietly stepping out of the room himself.
Silence filled the room once it was just Irene and Cecile. Only after a few minutes did Irene lift her head and look at Cecile’s face again. Her tears had stopped, but the sadness lingered.
"I don’t know why, but I keep remembering the day I chose you and Eleine as my retainers," Irene said softly. "Back then, you two were among the most outstanding cultivators nurtured by our family. But I didn’t overthink it—I simply felt it in my heart to choose you both, and I did. Thanks to that, you and Eleine became a part of my life."
"Do you remember the days when we were still so close?" Irene asked softly. "I used to talk to you about everything, joke around with you and Eleine, and wander everywhere together without worrying about complicated things. Those were some of the best moments of my life."
She reached out and gently touched Cecile’s forehead.
"You never stopped praising me with your sweet words," she continued, her voice trembling slightly. "Your cheerful personality always brightened my day, making me smile every time I saw your happy face. Your dedication to your duties as my retainer was admirable. There was nothing lacking in you—you were perfect for me."
"I know how much you must have suffered—enduring for so long without being able to do anything, this is my fault too, for not paying more attention to you. Ever since I returned from the Everlasting Silent Forest, I thought you had changed. You kept your distance from me, and I hesitated, unsure of how to treat you. But now I realize it was my ignorance that caused it."
Irene’s eyes began to water again as she leaned closer, her lips nearing Cecile’s left ear.
"I’ll tell you a secret," Irene whispered softly. "While I was trapped in the Everlasting Silent Forest, I found a family of my own. I have a husband and a son. My husband is Aldrey Flamecrest—yes, the one from the Flamecrest family, the same one I used to talk to you about in the past. And my son, Aldrian, is a powerful cultivator who has already left the entire continent in awe with his past achievements. He’s the pride of both Aldrey and me." Irene whispered softly.
A faint, bittersweet smile crossed her lips. "Father and Mother don’t know yet, but I hope to tell them someday. I believe it will all work out in the end."
As she finished, she lifted her head again, her gaze steady despite the emotions swirling within her.
"I’m glad I chose you that day. I’m grateful you became part of my life, but you mustn’t feel any guilt toward me. The ones at fault are those who put you in this condition, and they will pay for what they’ve done to you."
Her hand on Cecile’s forehead grew colder, a faint white hue emanating from her palm. Tears welled in Irene’s eyes again, threatening to fall.
Just then, she heard faint sounds coming from Cecile’s lips. Realizing she was trying to say something, Irene leaned closer, bringing her ear near Cecile’s mouth.
"I’m... sorry... my... lady... I’m... glad... you... lived... well," Cecile whispered, her voice weak, as a single tear slipped from her lifeless eyes.
Irene gazed at Cecile’s face, unable to hold back her own tears.
"I will. Thank you for everything. Rest well my friend. I hope you find happiness in your next life," Irene said through her tears, her voice trembling as she smiled despite the sorrow. For the first time, she saw Cecile’s lips attempt to form a faint smile.
Irene then used her ice energy, channeling it into her palm to freeze Cecile’s entire brain. Her profound mastery of ice laws not only froze the brain but also the soul, shattering it instantly. Irene could sense the Gu attempting to fight back, but it was powerless against her overwhelming ice energy. In an instant, the Gu was frozen to death.
Irene tried to use the gentlest method possible to ensure Cecile’s death was painless. Once she was done, she closed Cecile’s eyes. She could no longer detect any signs of life from one of her dearest friends. Yet, Cecile’s face wore a smile, one full of peace—as though she had fallen into a deep sleep after a long, tiring journey.
Irene lowered her head, tears streaming down her face. After a few seconds, she could no longer hold back her grief.
"Haaa!"
Irene cried, letting out the sadness she had been holding back since entering the room. Her sobs echoed loudly, reaching the ears of her parents, who stood outside the door. Grand Duke Rivas felt his heart break hearing the cries of his daughter—cries he hadn’t heard since she was a child.
Elene, who had just arrived after hearing what had happened, reached for the door, wanting to go to her daughter. But Grand Duke Rivas gently stopped her. He understood that Irene needed space, time to be alone with her grief.
After a few minutes, the door finally opened, and Irene walked out of the room. Everyone could see her red eyes, stained with tears. She seemed devoid of spirit, as if drained by the weight of her grief. But when her gaze met her father and mother, she tried to smile at them, though it was a forced smile.
"Father, mother, I’m sorry for worrying you, but I’m okay now. Please excuse me, I’ll return to my room," Irene said, her voice soft. She turned and walked away, her back carrying a lonely, gloomy aura.
Grand Duke Rivas wanted to say something to comfort his daughter, but in that moment, he remembered something.
"Wait... I received a report that someone with the Rivas family’s direct bloodline retainer token was in Rivas City at that time. If I think about it, the only person it could be is Eleine, Irene’s other retainer. She was actually in Rivas City! She then moved to Vicanti for the war and they said she wanted to meet Irene with her unknown group. The person I sensed in Ilyon must have been her! There’s no mistake—she’s already out of the Everlasting Silent Forest." he thought.
Although there were still some questions lingering in his mind like why hadn’t Eleine returned to the Rivas mansion after escaping the Everlasting Silent Forest? Why was she in Vicanti and Ilyon without meeting anyone from the Rivas family? Why had she been avoiding him at that time? Moreover, it seemed she had traveled with an unknown group accompanying her.
He didn’t fully understand, as he didn’t have enough information, but at least he knew that Eleine was still alive and nearby. He wanted to tell Irene, but it didn’t seem like the right time. He would wait for her to calm down before sharing this "good news." 𝒏𝙤𝙫𝒑𝙪𝙗.𝙘𝒐𝙢
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The next day, Aldrian had just finished his morning meditation session when he received a voice transmission.
"Master, we’ve received news that the espionage issue within the Rivas family has been taken care of. Last night, the retainer of Miss Irene died," the voice of the First Finger resonated.
"It seems the devils had been using a kind of control gu on the retainer, turning her into their puppet for a long time," he added.
Aldrian raised his eyebrows. This was the first time he had encountered a gu case. He had read a little about gu during his journey, so he didn’t know much about it. He knew that gu was harmful to those inflicted by it. This particular controlling gu was one type that could control a person’s actions, forcing them to obey someone’s orders. It was no wonder that Cecile had changed.
It seemed like he needed to study more about gu. This was new knowledge for him and would be useful in the future.
"Good work. Now, return to your post," Aldrian said.
"Yes, master," the First Finger replied before cutting off the communication.
Aldrian sighed, then stood up and walked out of the room, heading toward Eleine’s quarters. He knocked on the door, and after a moment, Eleine opened it. Aldrian could see the lingering sadness in her eyes from the news of the previous day. Seeing this, Aldrian also felt a pang of sorrow, but he still relayed the news from the Rivas mansion. As expected, Eleine instantly cried, but she was also relieved that the situation was not as they had originally assumed.
Eleine was relieved that Cecile wasn’t a traitor by choice. She was a victim and wasn’t entirely to blame for her actions.
Aldrian wanted to stay with Eleine to comfort her, but then he sensed someone approaching the mansion. When he finally saw the person, he recognized him immediately.
"Lorenzo, the knight of the First Prince,"
